This school year, my 10th as a school librarian, I have read more books than I have any previous school year. As of today (April 24) I am at 59 books for the school year; 33 for the calendar year. I began to wonder, "Why? What about this year is so different?" One way I find books to read is from my colleagues. Teachers have recommended a lot of books to me -- or asked me to read a book to give an opinion on a topic or ways to implement in the classroom. However, that's not uncommon from year to year. We have a 40 book challenge... but that too is not new to this year either. So what was new? After rolling this around and around in my head for the past month, I realized two things have changed. (1) I gave myself permission to read books NOT intended for a middle school audience. While that might seem strange, I typically steered away from books meant for adults. This year I've read Good Things I Wish You and The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Alice Network and Let Your Mind Run plus a few more. I enjoyed every one of them. I allowed myself to read beyond my job. (2) I began to read what my professional gurus were reading. People like Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp and John Schu, to name a few, began to help populate my reading list. Activities like Battle of the Books pushed me to read every book (18) on the list. I used these lists, populated by experts, to build my reading list. And I am still reading away; right now I am listening to The Hate U Give while reading The Incomplete Book of Running and Linking Picture Book Biographies to National Content Standards. I figure I will finish the school year around 70 books. But then there is summer.... As odd as it may sound, I know summer is my slide time. Many summers I read 1 or 2 books -- over the course of three months! While I am ashamed to admit it, I know it to be true. Reading in the summer gets overlooked. Not this summer. I plan to change that. Donalyn Miller began a Book a Day challenge a few years back. The challenge is to read 1 book for every day of summer break. That might be some days you read nothing but the next you devour two or three. My summer break will be 80 days. Thus 80 books. I am already compiling lists of books to read. (Please feel free to send me any books you think I should consider. Use the button below to email me.) If you are on Twitter, you can follow the hashtag #bookaday to see what others are ready; feel free to follow me on Twitter (jseebauer) to see how I am doing on my challenge. 80 books of summer -- here I come!
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Mrs. SeebauerA reader who wants everyone to see themselves as readers. Archives |