Reading Goal: 2015-2016

50 books

I will read 50 books this year.  I already have the first twenty seven picked out.  It's time to start reading! 

Sustained Silent Reading at Frederick County Middle School

During my first two years as a middle school librarian, sixth and seventh grade students visited the library and checked out books on a regular basis.  I’m sure many of them read the books they checked out, but there were also many who didn’t.  I knew this needed to change, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to make the change.

In the summer of 2014, I read Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller and attended one of her sessions at Lord Fairfax Community College.  I quickly realized that one of the simplest ways to encourage students to read wildly was to read wildly myself, and to share my wild reading adventures with them.  I set a goal.  I would read 45 books during the 2014-15 school year.  I created a bulletin board in the library, told the students about my goal, started reading and created this blog.  

At the Virginia Association of School Librarians Annual Conference in November 2014, I attended a session about Sustained Silent Reading at the Secondary Level and heard Stephen Krashen speak.  Inspired, I returned to school, and ordered The Power of Reading by Stephen Krashen, The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller, and Readicide:  How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher.  

I spent the next several months researching the benefits of silent reading and let the information marinade in my brain.  Finally, I reached a conclusion.  In order for our students to become better readers, they needed to read material of their choice, simply for the sake of reading.  In order to read, our students needed to have time to read.  We could give them that time.

I prepared a presentation about the importance of silent reading and sent it to our administrators.  I sent an abbreviated version of the presentation to our teachers. We discussed how silent reading could be implemented at our school at a faculty meeting.  

Starting today, everyone in our school,  students, administration, and staff, will spend the first 15 minutes of every day reading material of their choice.  

All students visited the library last week, and everyone checked out reading material.  A “Free Books” shelf has been established in the library, and several teachers have visited to take reading material for their classrooms.  

We are ready to read.

Summer Reading 2015

Today is the first day of the 2015-2016 school year.  That means summer, and the reading that goes along with it, is over.  No more long afternoons, sitting on the couch reading a book.  No more sitting on the deck in the evening reading until I ran out of daylight (or couldn’t stand the mosquitoes anymore).  No more staying up, reading late into the night.    

Here’s what I read over the summer.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Lou and Will.  Sigh.  They’re kind of like the adult version of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars.  This book has been on my reading list for the past year, and  I’m so glad I finally read it.  I loved it, and I can’t wait for the movie to come out in June 2016.  There’s a sequel coming out in September.  It’s already on my wish list!

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

I’ve read most of Jodi Picoult’s books, and this might be my favorite.  I really enjoyed learning about elephants, and the relationship between Alice and Jenna was very special.  I had heard about the twist at the end, and found myself trying to guess what it would be as I was reading.  Boy, was I wrong!  Lot’s of tears!  This book will stick with me for a really long time.

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

The sequel to The Rosie Project, this book explores Rosie and Don’s relationship soon after they marry, move to New York, and discover that they are expecting.  A funny light hearted book!

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten

A Young Adult book about teenagers who attend a support group to deal with various issues.  Adam, who has been diagnosed with OCD, meets Robyn and immediately falls in love.  He becomes the unofficial leader of the support group, and all of the members begin to work on themselves.  This is a sweet book about accepting who you are and accepting others for who they are.   

Paper Towns by John Green

Loved the book.  Margo Roth Spiegelman is amazing.  No, I haven’t seen the movie...yet.

Now that school has officially started, it’s time to set my reading goal for this year.  More on that, later.