I can't believe it is already the middle of July! I was in reading heaven for two weeks at the beach. I read My Sister's Keeper (great, and I want to see the movie), The Pact - interesting, but disturbing, The Reserve - which was a very different book for me to name a few. 

My favorite beach book was the Time Traveler's Wife. It is about a man with a chronological disorder that goes back and forth in time, and meets his future wife when she is six and he is in his thirties. He is in and out of her life at all different ages and stages of their lives and relationship. Sometimes he meets himself coming and going. It pulled me in completely! I'll put in on our teacher's shelf in the library for any of you to enjoy.

Almost the end of June!

My reading has slown down a bit during the month of June...too much playing with the grandchildren. I am reading Forsaken by James David Jordan. It is interesting but not particularly well written. It is about an evangelist who denies his faith to save his daughter from terrorists. I can lay it down a few days and then pick it back up. Short articles in Better Homes and Gardens and Educational Leadership seem to be more what I can do in short spurts of time right now. Anyone else not reading quite as much as they had planned? Still, I am enjoying even those short spurts of time.

It's beach reading time!

I've decided to comment as a post - the comments are hard to find and I don't know how to change that setting!

Merrill - I have two Picoult books in my stack for the beach - My Sister's Keeper and The Pact. The only thing I have ever read by her is Memory Keeper's Daughter. I really liked that one. 

I can't tell you how much I liked the Guernsey book. It was so different, but what a great glimpse into small piece of the horrors of WWII - and I was totally unaware. But it was so delightfully told. And we can't go out and read her next book - amazing that this was her only one. 

You are not required to read professionally - I am just particularly hungry for that this summer. Could it be that I am scared? I brought the Book Whisperer - I don't know what it says, but I want to be one!

I'm having so much fun...

Just finished Jodi Picoult's Handle With Care. I love her books. She takes a topical subject and makes a novel out of it. Her book My Sister's Keeper is coming out as a movie. READ THE BOOK! The one I just read has to do with a disabled child and whether to sue the ob/gyn or not...interesting read for the Levines, let me tell you!!! But a good book.

Now I'm into The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. A 'Marley and Me' type book, but instead of being a journalist, the husband is into race car driving. STILL, a good read as told by the dog!!

I will read something professional....soon!

Merrill

Oh what fun it is to read...

I have never read the Harry Potter series, so my husband and I are reading it before our daughter does! Just finished watching all the movies and read the first book. Earlier in the summer I read one of John Grisham's books - can't remember the title - but it was about a lawyer who stole 90 million or something like that . Great read. Ending made me so mad!!!!! I am currently reading Stephen King's newest short stories - love it!

More books....

I just finished Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben. Harlan Coben is a master at the page turner and the unexpected plot twist. He wrote a series of books about a sports agent, Myron Bolitar - who seems to be much more of a private detective. These are good, but not my favorites. His later titles - Gone for Good, Tell No One, and Deal Breaker are stand alone novels and I think are even better. They are great beach books.

I have also re-read Habits of Goodness by Ruth Charney. This is one of the anchor works of the Responsive Classroom. It is a collection of eight case studies written by real classroom teachers about the social curriculum. I'm inspired by the depth of character and community they are striving to build in their classrooms. It's a quick read, but very thought provoking. I was especially challenged by one study called "ritual and real". This teacher was wanting children to go beyond surface politeness and really begin to care for one another. 

Thanks to those of you who have posted. Ask a friend to join us!

READING A LOT!

So far I've read two student novels.  One is by Margaret Peterson Haddix who wrote the Shadow Children series.  It's entitled Double Identity.  If you've ever read The Face on the Milk Carton, then you may see some similarities.  However, Double Identity throws in some science fiction twists at the end.  The second novel was Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green.  I was considering it as part of a WWII themed literature circle.  It was very good, however, the content was pretty mature (child abuse, race relations, etc.), and the book is probably more appropriate for middle schoolers.

Professionally I'm reading  Reading Power: Teaching Students to Think While They Read by Adrienne Gear.  It was influenced by Harvey's and Goudvis' Strategies That Work, but it was put into practice in Canada.  I'm not too far into it yet (only the first chapter), but it suggests educators not forget what is developmentally appropriate.  Additionally, I'm reading Word Savvy: Integrated Vocabulary, Spelling, and Word Study by Max Brand.  I'm getting a lot of good ideas!!

Maybe I'll actually read an adult novel just for fun next!

Danielle