Are you a Book Dropper, or a Sticky Reader? (see poll above!)

I was talking to a smart person today who said she nearly always finishes a book she starts, even if she's not really enjoying it. I do that too, figuring I somehow owe it to the author. Maybe it's because I love to write myself. Maybe it's because I just like to think about writing as I read--if something is bad, why is it bad? If I don't like it, am I just not up to it? Is it just a question of taste? I also think that everyone--even adults and maybe especially teachers, should read things now and then that are challenging in some way. I like to read Scientific American for that reason. Even the vocabulary is hard--and I'm pretty lost when it comes to physics concepts, but I like that feeling of struggling to understand, especially when the only thing I have to lose is a little time.

I calculate that I have to catch up by 4 books--I've been reading, just not posting about everything, so here goes:
Goblin Wood by Hilary Bell
ISBN-13: 978-0060513719
I pulled this fantasy out of the donation box, thinking Ruth would like it. Turns out she's a Book Dropper and only made it halfway through. I was bored, so I read it. It's about an orphan "hedgewitch" who ends up becoming the ally and defender of the goblins in her country against the narrow-minded soldiers who are trying to wipe out any magic they can't control. Some ambguity about who are the "good guys," plus touches of humor throughout, raise this above the average. Not life-changing, but enjoyable enough. (I just found out while checking the ISBN that this is the beginning of a series, which makes sense, since it sort of leaves you hanging.)
As Simple As It Seems  by Sarah Weeks
ISBN-13: 978-0060846657
Verbena ("Verbie") can't figure out why she feels angry all the time. She's just graduated from 5th grade, and everything she's taken for granted seems to be falling apart. When she finds out the truth about her parents, she hates herself even more. She gets a chance to re-invent herself, however, when a boy named "Pooch" moves into the haunted house down the road.  Verbie gets to be mysterious and exciting--but also kind and brave. The title of this book has a double meaning. In some ways, Verbie's unhappiness is as simple as it seems--she's just growing up. On the other hand, nothing is ever simple, and all we can do is just muddle through. This would make a good end-of-the-year book. It's a family story, full of the rhythm and texture of summer. 
All About Japan:  Stories, Songs, Crafts, and More by Willamarie Moore
ISBN-13: 978-4805310779
 Every year I use a study of Japan to teach my 3rd graders research skills, and this book is a terrific addition to my collection of resources. A great find from a local independent bookstore, Gibson's in Concord.
Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan
ISBN-13: 978-0811879057  
This concept book uses objects from the Muslim religion to illustrate colors along with rhyming text. The Muslim children in my classes giggled to see illustrations like a hijab for blue, and henna hand designs for brown. I think they were pleased, if a bit shy. It's tricky, making religion into this kind of object. The author is from Pakistan, and of course Islam is not the same everywhere, so there were two or three objects that my students looked puzzled about. On balance though, I think it's best to try to select books that portray as much diversity as possible, without worrying about getting it perfect.