Discovering Adeline Yen Mah and holidays

Needed something to read so picked up Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah - what an amazing story. She had such a WICKED stepmother! Almost impossible to believe someone could be so mean - and her own father didn't care! Adeline's real mother died as a result of childbirth complications when she was 2 weeks old and the little girl was blamed - all her life! Where was the childhood protection agencies? Anyway, fascinating (and very fast) read. Would like to find Falling Leaves which is apparently more for older readers so I might not read that one so quickly.
Well, school holidays have just begun - 2 weeks of no school. Bliss. Actually I don't hate school that much but after 20 years at the same place, I'm a little over it. But it is so close - 10minutes walk away, 2 minutes drive, so I stay...
Pleased to say I will have 3 classes using blogs next term. Have set up 21 classes for the juniors and Year 10's are using edublogs. Just starting off small and private. Once students get into the swing, and get okay from parents, will go public and hopefully attract a wider audience. Have used epals before and know that students are thrilled to communicate with far away audience.
My friend and muse from school is at the NECC conference in Texas so I'm following her trip with interest. she'll come back knowing so much and will work hard to get us all on board using technology in the classroom. Well, I'm trying.
Will be visiting the cottage of Captain James Cook tomorrow - it was brought over from Yorkshire, England, and rebuilt in the Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne. I first saw it when I was a little girl (many a long year ago) and it fired up my imagination. Will be taking the grandchildren (aged 9 and 5) so hopefully they will be similarly inspired.