Dani Does Literacy

Unicorn Rescue Society In The Book: What is this book about?  A new kid, Elliot was nervous about starting a new school. His anxiety compounded once he realized that his first day, was also field trip day. On the bus he quickly befriended a girl named Uchenna. They were in for quite an adventure as they traveled through the Pine Barrens escorted by a strange man, Professor Fauna. On their journey, they encountered a mythical creature called a Jersey Devil. They thought they got rid of the Jersey Devil on the trail but soon discovered it had followed them back to the bus. After losing it, they were forced to ask Professor Fauna for help. At the end of the book Professor Fauna reveals that he is the head of a secret organization designed to protect mythical creatures. He invites Elliot and Uchenna to join the organization an experience the adventure of a lifetime! Who's telling the story?  Narrator What does the author want me to know?  The auth...

Question #1: How would you describe the best reading experience you could possibly have? I pulled the blanket above my waist as the cool fall breeze gently passed over me. The sun was tucked perfectly away behind the large puffy clouds, allowing the perfect amount of light to peek through. Sounds of the rustling leaves tickled my ears as I turned each page. Everything was so still and quiet. It was never like this in the city! Reading on the porch at my grandparents farm is my favorite place to read. As a child, I didn't appreciate the things that "the country life" had to offer, but as an adult, it has become one of my favorite things. I love reading when I'm alone. I enjoy being able to focus on the words, uninterrupted. I'm a cozy reader! I love quilts (they are my obsession) and nothing makes me happier than snuggling under my favorite quilt with a good book. Question #2: How would you describe your very best writing experiences? My best writing exper...

The alarm on my phone was blaring its obnoxious, repetitive tune. I put my head under my pillow and blindly searched the nightstand with my fingers until I was able to reach the buttons on the side of my phone to shut it off. After running through my list of excuses for staying in bed thirty more minutes, I decided it was finally time to get up. I trudged over to the shower and stepped in. The warm water gently caressed my face and unglued my sticky eyes. This momentary delight was soon interrupted by thoughts of the day’s mile long, to-do list. After showering, I walked up the stairs and quietly tiptoed over to my son’s bedside. I stood there for a moment studying his perfectly round face. I love the way his eye lashes curl and the way he pouts his little lips when he is asleep. It amuses me that he rests his head on top of his hands, folded together as if he’s in prayer. If you didn’t know any better, you might’ve thought he was an angel. Well… aside from the fact that ...

In reflecting on my secondary literacy experiences, I feel that most, if not all of my teachers were quite good. They introduced me to many pieces of classic literature like, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby and Wuthering Heights, that I may have never picked up on my own at that age. The very first book that I read in 6 th grade was Lord of the Flies. It was unbelievably different than anything I had read up to that point. It was my first time reading a book that challenged my outlook on human nature. It was the first book that taught me that authors write books for more reasons than to entertain or inform .They write to expose us to new ways of thinking and to serve as mirror to our souls and society.   Although my teachers were good overall, there is one particular teacher that stands out above the rest. Mrs. Powell was my 8 th grade English teacher. She read-aloud to us every day. The very first book she read aloud to us was Huckleberry Finn. I’ll admit th...

The word risk isn’t the word I chose for this year, it’s the word that God chose for me. I’ll be honest and say that it doesn’t really suit me much! I would like to consider myself much more of a “joy” or “peace” kind of girl, but God, in all His infinite wisdom (and humor) brought a word I’ve been running from my entire life, front and center while reading the book, Anything, by Jennie Allen. In one part of the book Jennie posed a question to her professor about the different ways in which we can get to know God. This was his response: He began by listing all the ways we grow or know God: prayer, studying Scripture, church, worship, experiences, suffering, confession, community, and on and on. Then he said, “But obviously each of these is unpredictable…many people who study the Bible never find God. Many people who go to church never really know him. The only exercise that works 100% of the time to draw one close to the real God is risk... To risk is to be willing place your l...