What I'm Reading...

Hunter and I are reading The Peregrine Pact by A.J. Hartley

I highly recommend this book- it is engaging and entertaining : o )

Here is a brief synopsis by Good Reads:

Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different - but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imaginings!

Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet - a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Scrobblers on motorbikes with nets big enough to fit a human boy. Gnashers with no eyes, but monstrous mouths full of teeth. Flittercrakes with bat-like bodies and the faces of men. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and a mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world - something that only human children possess.

"Fantastic, surprising fun!" - R. L. Stine

Halloween by Jerry Seinfeld

This week we read the book Halloween by Jerry Seinfeld and illustrated by James Bennett.  Little Jerry is a one track mind kind of kid, and this book was a wonderful example of internal character traits in a fiction story.

Miss. Alaineus

Yesterday we read the book Miss.Alaineus A Vocabulary Disaster.  We have been talking about how readers use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.  Go visit Debra Frasier's site to see how the writing process that went into this fun book!

Chris Van Allsburg

This week we read the book Sector 7  by Chris Van Allsburg.  We are learning that as readers we have to think about clues to help us understand the things that the author does not tell us.   Go here to visit Chris Van Allsburg's website and play games, view videos and even write your own stories!

Saturdays and Teacakes Recipe

Here is the recipe for teacakes for anyone who would like to make some.  They are delicious!



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Gather these ingredients (Mammaw always used these brands, but you can substitute your own brands):

• 2 sticks of Blue Bonnet Margarine
• 3-1/2 cups of Martha White self-rising flour
• 2 cups of Dixie Crystal Sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring

Blend margarine and sugar until creamy. Beat eggs and blend. Add vanilla, then flour, and blend. (You can blend the ingredients with a potato masher, then stir with a long wooden spoon.) Gather the mixture into a loose ball and sprinkle lightly with flour.
Lightly flour the surface you’ll use for rolling, then roll out the dough.
Next remove about half of the dough onto the cutting surface and roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut circles in the dough with a tea cup, glass, or cookie cutter about 2-3 inches in diameter. (Dip the rim of the cup in flour between cuttings to prevent the dough from sticking.)
Place the circles on a baking sheet that has been lightly buttered or use a nonstick baking sheet. Set the cookies about 1 inch apart on all sides. Sprinkle sugar lightly over each cookie.
Repeat for the second half of the dough. (Refrigerate the dough if it will sit for more than ten minutes. Chilled dough is easier to roll out and cut.) This recipe should produce a batch of about 40 teacakes.
Place the cookies in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. The cookies are done when they are lightly browned. Remove them from the oven and let them cool a little before you lift them off the baking sheet to eat them.
I hope you make Teacakes with someone you love very much. That’s when they taste the very best.
FromSaturdays and Teacakes, written by Lester L. Laminack and illustrated by Chris Soentpiet