Harry Potter and the Cursed Child book review

Have you ever read a play and really liked it?  Shakespeare plays put you in the mind of William Shakespeare, and the move "Shakespeare in Love," really bring the plays to life!  

On the other hand, the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a different animal.  In order to understand the play you have to know the books, all seven of them inside and out.  And you have to have read some Harry Potter fan fiction as well.  Here is the best of the best of the Fan Fiction:   http://hpmor.com/

I read this book in two nights. but it took Jack thorne a long time to get the basic conflict of the story.  I liked it, but I am glad that I got the book out of the library, so tomorrow I am going to bring it back there.  

You can go to the Givat Shaul Beit Roos  25 Givat Shaul Street, and then you can check out the book as well!  

Have fun reading!

Rachael Alice Orbach 

The Fat Cat by Jack Kent - Book Review

The Fat Cat by Jack Kent is a cute book, reminding my of all the "eat" books.  But here we get the "feel" of the Danish language with the names of the characters,

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Fat-Cat-Danish-Folktale/dp/0590021745

I happened to find it in my local "Matnas" in the Lost and Found pile. I brought it home, read it and put it back because I want the real owner to get it back.  I really enjoyed it especially the last picture in the book where the woodcutter patches up the cat.  But you will have to find your own copy to see it!  

These type of books are very popular, the Old woman and the fly, The Gump takes a walk.  They show the affects of overeating and being a bully.  I think that we shouldn't be scared of "non" correct political correctness, bad stuff happens, and hopefully at the end things turn our right.  

Have fun with this short but cute book! 

Rachael Alice Orbach  

Book Review Dear Mr. Henshaw

Dear Mr. Henshaw is a great book, but it deals with a subject that in the United States is not very controversial anymore.  How a kid deals and feels about divorce.

The book is a series of letters and diary entries that the main character writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw who wrote a (fictional) book, 50 Ways to Amuse a Dog.

Leigh Botts, is a boy who at the beginning writes at a very low level and through the book we can see his progression in expressing himself through writing.

The book is very well done and I couldn't put it down, I HAD to read to the end.

But notwithstanding, I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone.  IF you have a child and you have gone through a divorce, then it would be beneficial for the child to read it.
OR, if you are thinking about getting a divorce and want to know the effects on your kids, then it would be good for you to read the book.

Here is a link that you can read it yourself.

http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/henshaw.pdf



Rachael Alice Orbach - English Teacher

The Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense - Book Review

This is a book that everyone should have in their library.  It is a "how to" book that will help you in all sorts of ways.  Teach your children to analyze their speech, how to defend themselves against bullies and all sorts of verbal acrobatics.  I have the first one, and this book is another one in the series.  If you work in an office you NEED to have these strategies!

 I got my copy direct from the author, but you can get yours from Amazon. 
http://amzn.to/1Zax7zz


Rachael Alice Orbach
English Teacher

Eats, Shoots and Leaves - Book Review

Yes, I know that books about English grammar just don't seem like light hearted reading  For the most part, when I teach in a class face to face, when I start to write sentence diagrams, the students, one by one fall asleep. . . and then the bell rings, or someone coughs, and they wake up to do the exercises or run out the door.

I'm here to tell you that this is one book about English grammar that will keep you laughing!  Where you put a comma, can change the whole sentence! 

Yes, it's true. 

http://amzn.to/1JRI8dT

How would you say the following sentences? 

A girl, without her cat, is nothing. 

A girl; without her, cat is nothing. 

Ok, well it works better with men and women, but you have to read the book for other examples!  

Have fun with punctuation! 

Here is an at home course that you can use to improve your English
Learn English at Home without a Teacher!

Rachael Alice Orbach - English teacher

Book Review of Teacher Man

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt


By Rachael Orbach

Here they come.

Oh boy, that's exactly how I feel each and every one of my classes that I teach. Not
ready? Well, I've prepared a lesson according to how I've been taught, to have
different activities for the 50 minutes. But the students saunter in five minutes after
the bell. They then have to find their books, and finally they can learn.

Frank McCourt expresses what I feel. Well, the events that he describes didn't happen
to me, I teach in a boys school. I would never eat a student's sandwich, or talk about
sheep the way he did. I teach in a religious school after all.

I have had my eraser thrown at me. I didn't catch it. I brought a bell to class, I got
laughed at. Then I brought a castanet. That got a bit more response. The best thing
I've found is to go around with the grade book, and record a zero when the students
are misbehaving. "Ok, Yossi, thank you that earns you a zero for today." Then the
students put away their cards, or backgammon game, turn around and pay attention.

He finally finds his place in teaching by telling stories. The students are so smart that
they head Mr. McCourt off at the pass by asking him about his life. He can't resist.
So he colors his teaching with stories about his life, and that gets him into trouble.
He doesn't have a firm border between his life and his teaching. Is this what
characterizes all new teachers?

Everyone has to learn their own style of teaching. Mr. McCourt's style seems to be
very informal. Maybe it has to do with his own personality and background.

I would like to read the rest of the book. This taste was not enough. This was about a 15 page extract