Barbara+Smellie

media type="custom" key="20862240" Great Job, Barbara! You were very successful with the Avatar, I did Pictures of Hollis Woods, and chose the same background, but I like your image much better, I am going back to have a look to see more! Kathleen Cusick

Barbara, I love your Voki and your description of the Hunger Games and their appeal is perfect! BJ Neary

Hi Kathleen, Thanks. I enjoyed creating the Avatar. Thanks BJ I really liked all 3 books (even the movie).

Barbara, I am a big fan of this series. I love the character of Katniss. She is such a strong heroine, and, I think, a role model for teenage girls. I hope characters like hers continue to be written about in the Young Adult genre. ~ Krista

I must say that I am one of those people who haven't jumped aboard the bandwagon that is The Hunger Games, but your description may have changed that. It is certainly a popular book that YAs can't get enough of, so I suppose I'll finally add it to my "to read" list. -Amy

Barb you made me want to finish the series. I loved the first installment!!! Good job on the commercial. Elizabeath Crawford

Digital Book Trailer #1
media type="youtube" key="pf0sVyNWGAQ" height="315" width="420"

Barb! I thought you really gave a great impression of the book! You clearly thought out your photo choices to represent the characters from the book. Not to mention the song! The white on black text was easy to read and well written! ~Caron

Thanks Caron! ~Barb

That was amazing what teenage girl wouldn't want to read that!!!! The fade ins were great...kept my attention completely. Elizabeth Crawford

Barb check out mine!!!!! tell me what you think

This reminds me of the memoir "Lucky" by Alice Sebold, but I am assuming this book is fiction. As horrible as these instances are, it's important that literature like this is available for YAs who have gone through something like this or who know someone who has gone through it. This book is certainly going on my list of books to order. Great trailer! -Amy

Barb, you put together a great DBT. I loved how you incorporated pictures to tie into the characters, and also added music to it. I am so not used to (and comfortable) with technology being used in this way, so I hope that I can channel your creative and knowledge of how to use technology in this way as I look to my future DBT.- Joanna

Week 6 Book Talk #1
How I Nicky Flynn Got A Life (and a Dog) By Art Corriveau Photo is Tiger the Shepard (a dog we met at MCCC Community Day)

media type="custom" key="21079190" Barb, I love the German Shepherd, your narration, and the hopefulness and caring you bring out in the dog will win over Nicky Flynn, great book talk and I love Fotobabble! BJ Neary

Barb I love that line ..."even tho I'm big I don't take up much room..." a boy and his dog .Best friends forever!!! LizAnne

Barb this book talk has gone to the dogs!!!

Barb, This book talk certainly got me wanting to read the book and I'm sure it would pull in the interest of YAs. It certainly made me love the dog. -Amy

Digital Book Trailer #2
media type="custom" key="21223024" Images from Google Images Barb, I love it! The images that you chose are amazing and beautiful. The music is familiar and pleasing. The text that you use in the trailer teases us! I want to know MORE! I guess I will just have to read the book! -Holly
 * Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier**

Barbara, What an intriguing book talk! At first, I thought this book may be similar to Gossip Girl. When I saw the caption that said "Time Travel," I realized there might be an interesting twist to this story! The pictures did an excellent job showing snippets of the book. The music was perfect, and really fit in with the "socialite" feel. I am looking forward to seeing what this book is all about.-Turea

Barbara, Wow, you used awesome time period pictures, mood music, and spare text to artfully show time travels and the family problems that ensue, great job. BJ Neary

This is super intriguing! I like all of the pictures you included - it let me fill in the story in my head. Now I want to read it :) Nicole

What a great approach to a DBT. Like Nicole said, the pictures really helped me to create a good idea about the story and certainly makes me interested in picking up the book to see for myself what it's all about. Love it! -Amy

Barbara, the music choice was perfect to set the time period. The pictures you used worked as well. A story of time travel and sacrifice sounds very interesting! ~Jen

Week #9 Book Talk Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher (I need to apologize in advance because I went over the 3 minute limit ~Barb) media type="custom" key="21392634"

Barb...you should be on the stage somewhere... great book talk. I marvel at people that can speak on a topic without stmbling and stammering like I do. I do like this book!! Elizabeth C Barb, it was sooo cool how you used a confidential, "bearing my soul" kind of whispered conversation in your book talk. You nailed the character of Sage with your sincerity, compassion, and tentative hope of "friendship" with Logan. Great book talk! BJ Neary Thanks Liz and BJ! I had fun making this video and I really LOVED this book! ~ Barbara I felt the same way about this book, too!!! BJ Neary

Images from Google images media type="youtube" key="3KRw68MujlE" height="315" width="420" Barb, I really enjoyed the primary source documents/pictures you used for this book talk! Great job, BJ Neary
 * DBT #3**

Unit 12 Book Talk The Name of This Book is Secret By Pseudonymous Bosch media type="youtube" key="n09_ZATpYEQ" height="315" width="420" Barb, I really liked your book talk and using your son was a great idea. It would be a plus to students to see someone like them recommending a book. Great job, BJ Neary

Thanks BJ! I really enjoyed meeting you face to face today. ~ Barb

Barb, Haha, I really loved your book talk. I like that you added your son as another reviewer; it definitely sounds like the type of book that would draw in the male crowd. ~Jen

Week 13 Barb's top 10 media type="custom" key="21598056" Barb, I loved your Animoto, the music, the theme, and of course, that you chose //Almost Perfect// as your favorite book! Great job, BJ Neary

Nice job Barb...I will have to read //Almost Perfect// you were the second classmate to put it on the top!

I have //Rose Red// on my TO-READ list!! Also, I've heard really good things about //Percy Jackson//, a few people have recommended it to me, in fact. ~Jen

This is my first time using glogster. The images are from google and the video is from jellydude7 (made for an English class) on you tube. Enjoy!
 * Week 15 Theme Study**

http://www.glogster.com/smellieb2012/dystopian-fiction-by-barbara-smellie/g-6l3qs10lbgbroutn8m196a0

Barb, I loved the many elements you used to cover the dystopian fiction genre! The poster with the Top 10 Dystopian Novels, the You Tube video and the poster Why are we still obsessed? are all key to learning more about this genre, great work! BJ Neary

I LOVE glogster! This is such a great example of it. I didn't know you could embed something into it the way you did the 10 dystopian novels. Great job! - Nicole

Great job with your glogster. I have become a big fan of dystopian fiction this semester, and I will be adding some of the books from your project to my "to-read" list. ~ Krista

I chose to do a glogster as well, so I really enjoyed yours! It was neat to see someones interpretation of a theme, and I think you hit the nail on the head. Well done!- Joanna Barb, Great glogster! Did you make the youtube video too!? It was amazing! Great layout and very informative! Thanks-Holly You have the knack for Glogster....nice job very entertaining LizAnne