What's on my favorites list this first week of 2012? The weather, of course! Highs near 60 degrees yesterday- unheard of in Iowa. I'm enjoying each and every moment of the abnormally warm weather.
Other things I liked this week:
Website: flocabulary.com - puts to music vocabulary, concepts, etc. I shared it with the kids and they loved it!
The Cybils Shortlist is out. Bloggers around the United States nominate a large number of titles, and a panel of judges then reads them and selects a group of finalists in each category. A new panel of judges will read the finalists and then select a winner in each category. Check out their list.
Middle Grade/YA Book: Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai - the winner of the Young Adult National Book Award - awesome novel in verse, semi-autobiographical about a young girl's move from war-torn Vietnam to Alabama.
New online game: Word Scramble2 at Primarygames.com - A fourth grade teacher showed this to me yesterday. Now I am highly addicted.
Two great adult reads from this week: 
Defending Jacob by William Landay will be out on January 31. A suspenseful story of a DA father whose own son is arrested and charged with the murder of a classmate. A great twist at the end reminiscent of Jodi Picoult's books.
Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr- Deerhorn, Wisconsin, 1974-Michelle, a half-Japanese/half-white child is being raised by her grandparents. When a black couple moves to town it brings to light the racism still present in small town America during this time.
