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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Book review & Blog Tour: Little Miss Teacher by Cassandra O'Sullivan Sacher

Book review: Little Miss Teacher by Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar


 
Told through the eyes of Candace Turner, a high school English teacher straight out of college, Little Miss Teacher details one woman’s struggles through the important initial stages of her career and her life as a grown-up. While teaching her students about writing and literature, Candace learns her own lessons about life.

            I am very excited having the opportunity of participating in the blog tour for author Ms. Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar. I have also become acquainted with the on-line book store SmashWords, which not only is another site to purchase e-books, but if you are a writer and do not have an agent or publisher, this is a site which is affordable to self publish.
            Little Miss Teacher is a short read, at only 199 pages, and as the story is told in the first person point-of-view it makes the novel a perfect length. Each chapter is titled with a quirky title which one can relate to in their own daily life. And what made reading this so enjoyable was that Ms. Sachar had us go through an entire school year, and covered a multitude of hot topics which have touched so many lives, both in the lives of young adults, and those of us who may be parents or have younger siblings. As you read, you are propelled back to your own school days, and what it felt like to be ‘trapped’ in a classroom and suffering through assignments. However it doesn’t just focus on the lives of students. It gives you food for thought as to what it’s like being a teacher, especially a first-year teacher…fresh out of college, and trying to make her mark on the world.
            Take a journey through a school year, with the protagonist Candace Turner who is a freshman English teacher who is passionate about the subject she teaches and passionate about her ‘secret-crush’ who may…or may not be equally interested in her. Candace is roommates with her best friend Megan, and although they are thick-as-thieves, their outlook on dating and random hook-ups is as different as night and day. And as you look at their friendship and their personal values, it makes you reflect on your own relationships with people and how you either are a realist, and don’t try to sugarcoat the facts, or if you tend to look through rose-tinted glasses. Candace faces everything from trying to make her lesson plans equally fun and educational, to the death of a student, to being both sexually harassed and accused of being a bigot by two different students, to dealing with the fact that even her personal life isn’t as perfect as she thought it was when she has to face the fact that her roommate has a very serious health issue.
            Little Miss teacher is one of those ‘it’ books. What I mean is that it’s one of those books, that as you’re reading what the main character, Candace Turner is dealing with, you say to yourself: ‘I’ve done that’, or ‘I knew someone who had to deal with…’, or “Oh my, when I was that age I had…happen to me.’ Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar is a rare author who presents to us real-life issues in this novel, without sounding too preachy or condescending. It makes us realize that in a world where more often than not, teachers who are abusing their students in one form or another are getting recognition, instead of the teachers who genuinely care about their students. Without giving too much of this novel away, I want to say that each of the topics handled in this book are covered with compassion, and makes the reader open their eyes to what we can face in our lives, regardless of age or profession. I highly recommend Little Miss teacher by Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar, which is available in e-book format at Smashwords.

It's never to late to start to read. This is book review # 6 for the ChickLit Plus 2011 Challenge.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Holy crap....and I'm in shock!

You know, I get annoyed with Twitter and often think about deleting my Twitter account. Although great for communicating in real-time with friends and colleagues....it does suck you in to the Internet and celebrity zone. Who do you follow, do you trend or retweet....ask a celebrity a question and pray for a reply. And some of my friends have been acknowledged by celebrities and that is so cool. But I have not and it gets me irked at times. But I digress.

Tonight on FaceBook one of my favorite TV actors....from one of my favorite TV shows, SuperNatural did something uuber awesome. He acknowledged my birthday!!! Yep it's true! Jensen Ackles of SuperNatural, 1/2 of the hottie brothers wished yours truly a happy birthday! Am I a nerd and sound like a teenie-bopper? You betcha...and I am! But it's cool none-the-less and I'm a braggin' about it!


In this photo:
I figured I'd share! haha
Me, Mish, and one of my favorite little 10 month olds! West Anaximander Collins, or Nax as I call him, is probably one of the cutest little ones I've had the chance to get to know. He's that little man I can count on seeing around whenever Vicky brings him and I love him dearly as one of my own! Below is my *proof* that he did, and mine and Jensen's posts are the last two. Yay me....and THANK YOU JENSEN!!!!
Added about an hour ago · ·
  • 18 people like this.
    • Jasmine Carothers SOOO CUTE! ♥
      about an hour ago ·
    • Paula English-Martin Aww, is that his baby? So cute even though I am pissed at him right now... (just got to watch the finale) lol
      about an hour ago ·
    • Lucy Hale Omg, omg, omg, OMG !!!!! Soooooo cute!
      59 minutes ago ·
    • Jensen-Ross Ackles Yeah, that's little Nax! haha Well, he's getting big by now!
      And yeah, he's quite a little charmer, ain't he? hahaha
      58 minutes ago · · 1 personLoading...
    • Lucia Pena Omg que lindo is that your baby j
      57 minutes ago ·
    • Eric Shane Munton you have a kid?
      56 minutes ago ·
    • Jensen-Ross Ackles Sadly, I just kidnap him occasionally! haha He's Mish's little one, West. Or Nax, if you so choose to call him!
      55 minutes ago ·
    • Lucy Hale He is very cute. A perfect match for his weak Jensen :)
      54 minutes ago ·
    • Jessica Claudel verry beautifull the baby,you to
      54 minutes ago ·
    • Carlos Zuniga hopefully the green eyed man doesnt know about this haha
      54 minutes ago ·
    • Lucia Pena J u look so natural holding that cute baby tell misha congrats los 2 guapos con el baby that means 2 hot guys wit the baby
      51 minutes ago ·
    • Jensen-Ross Ackles Hahaha Hey, I can't help the fact that these kids have me wrapped around their fingers!
      Thanks Jessica! haha Vicky doesn't like when I show Nax off so much and claim him as my own! I think she thinks I wanna take credit for him! hahaha
      Thanks, Lucia! I've had experience with my own nephews, as well! And I'll be sure to pass that along. He's almost one, now. It's scary how fast they all grow!
      50 minutes ago · · 1 personLoading...
    • Elana Holloway Jensen youlook so natural when are you and Daneel going to have one?
      47 minutes ago ·
    • Lucia Pena I know my baby angelina b day was 6/5/11 shes 3 she so big shes my cute puppie
      47 minutes ago ·
    • Jensen-Ross Ackles Haha why thank you! And we've discussed it. We both want to be stable and ready to support a child and also see what we want to do with our careers. There's nothing good about bringing a baby into an unstable environment!
      46 minutes ago · · 1 personLoading...
    • La Ro Jonker He is so cute tel misha congrats they become so big to fast just yesterday mine was born and nou he is 4 months enjoy him
      45 minutes ago ·
    • Jensen-Ross Ackles Tell little Angelina I wish her a late birthday! haha
      And I will definitely pass on the love! haha
      44 minutes ago · · 1 personLoading...
    • Elana Holloway That is true and I know you all will have a beautiful baby because you both are beautiful!!!!!!!
      42 minutes ago ·
    • Jessica Claudel i'm sorry if i make faults but i'm french and i speak very badly americain
      42 minutes ago ·
    • La Ro Jonker Don't worry I'm south african I speak mostly afrikaans
      41 minutes ago ·
    • Lucia Pena Yeah so true j babys r expensive but u guys will do fine u come from a awesome background your baby will b like wow I got awesome parents that want the best 4 me and bring so much luv just keep the faith up and u will c everything will go groovy j fb buddy
      39 minutes ago ·
    • Rose Lucivero My b-day was Friday, June 3rd....turned the big 3-5. This little buck-a-roo is a cutie!
      38 minutes ago ·
    • Jensen-Ross Ackles Well a happy late birthday to you as well, Rose! And he really is! He's getting so big now and he's just such a cute kid, it's rediculous!
      37 minutes ago · · 1 personLoading...