It is now two days before I fly off to start a new adventure as the Librarian at the English Modern School in Doha, Qatar. I have been learning a bit about the customs and traditions of the country and find it fascinating. I have been e-mailing other new staff members to ask questions as we try to navigate the move. Did you know that not every cell phone will work when you travel abroad? Right now I have been trying to find a cell phone that can be unlocked and has a card that can be removed and replaced with a card from the country where I will be traveling. I think I have it figured out but will find out on Monday when I call back the phone company that has been trying to unlock my phone. Who knew that something that should be so easy is in fact so very complicated! I also have been trying to learn more about my Kindle Fire and downloading books from the public library and from Amazon.com. I have run into a little problem and will be calling them tomorrow to figure it out. Can't wait to use it on the plane where I will be traveling 20 hours over two days to my destination. Stay tuned for more exciting information as I write about what happens on the plane trip.

What's Happening in the 2012-2013 School Year

I have been planning and getting ready to make a change in my teaching career - Teaching Abroad! I have signed a contract with a school in Qatar and will be leaving on August 22, 2012. I will be traveling thousands of miles to bring my skills and teaching experience to the English Modern School of Doha, which is located in Qatar. I will be the head librarian of a school with approx. 1,800 students ages 3 to 18 years old. How exciting is that! Looking forward to a different cultural experience and learning more about the Middle East. I will be keeping a BLOG about my experiences to keep everyone updated back home.

My goal is to make a post a week with or without pictures. So come with me for a unique experience and get a peak at another culture.

Best Bets - Fiction Books

With the 30th anniversary of Mt. St. Helens in the recent past, here comes a book about what happens when volcano's all over the world erupt and cause massive damage. Told from the point of view of Miranda, a sophomore in high school, her diary tells the story of what happens when a asteroid hits the moon on Wednesday, May 18th. With no information about when the story takes place, we are gripped in the terror Miranda's family and friends as the magnitude of what the asteroid has done to the earth's environment. At first the changes seem mild but as prices go up for food and gas, the electricity goes out and water is scarce, just staying alive becomes a challenge. We see life as Miranda knew it become a faded memory as her new world shapes what her life has become. How long can they survive before they become one of the millions that have died? Are there still other people alive around the world or are they the only ones? Each bleak day is faithfully recorded in Miranda's diary as we see her try to keep her family safe with the knowledge that they have a chance if they work together.

Best Bets - Non-Fiction Books

With terrorism being one of the hot topics around the world today, you won't want to miss this book about the first American terrorist group, the KKK. In They Called Themselves the KKK: the birth of an American terrorist group, Susan Campbell Bartoletti brings to life the terror that spread across America. In harrowing first-person accounts, she tells the story of former slaves who tried to make a new life for themselves after the Civil War. What started as a group of 6 men in Pulaski, Tennessee eventually spread to other parts of the United States. This group or club, as they called themselves, would become know as the "Invisible Empire" who mission was to spread physical and psychological terror among  former slaves who tried to vote, worship, get an education or own land. They took their inspiration from fraternity rites with secret handshakes and passwords that spread from den to den. Take a glimpse into America's first secret terrorist group the Ku Klux Klan and prepare to be surprised..