A Snapshot of My Reading Life

This is Week 3 of the World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge. We are to post a picture that gives readers a glimpse into our reading lives and share a short narrative explaining why the picture is meaningful. Honestly, the picture isn't all that meaningful, but the books certainly are!

Here I am in my school's library with a display of books that have, in one way or another, shaped my life. Some of them are by favorite authors, some are books that helped me see another's point of view, some are from my childhood, and some are books I have come to love just recently.

Someone once said that every book you read helps to shape the person you become. I truly believe that. I have tried to instill this type of "book love" to all my students (and other teachers and friends) for the 23 years that I have been a teacher and librarian. I really wanted to take a picture of me completely buried by books. I didn't do that, though, because I didn't want to re-shelve all those books!

Please share your favorite book or books with me in the comments below!

World Read Aloud Day Week 2 "Now & Then"

This post was meant for Week 2 of WRAD14: February 17-23

This week's post:

Answer the following questions twice. The first time, answer how you would have when you were 10 years old (or any age from elementary school that you remember clearly) and the second time, answer in the present.

1. I think everyone in the world should read ... (because they teach you how to treat others)

When I was 10: Harriet the Spy
Now: The Hundred Dresses

2. If I could listen to anyone in the world read aloud to me it would be...

When I was 10: Mrs. Shuck, my second grade teacher
Now: My grandma

3. When I read aloud, my favorite character to impersonate is...

When I was 10: Violet in The Boxcar Children
Now: The little bird in Are You My Mother?

4. The genre that takes up the most room on my bookshelf (or e-reader) is...

When I was 10: Realistic Fiction
Now: Nonfiction on all subjects: gardening, crafting, life lessons, etc.

5. The last book I wish I'd written or inspired me to write my own story is...

When I was 10: Follow My Leader (About a boy who becomes blind. I wanted to train seeing-eye dogs after reading that book.)
Now: The Happiness Project at Home (I actually began a blog after reading that book, but I don't have time to keep up with it.)

This was a fun post! I had almost forgotten about a few of these books!

 

World Read Aloud Day 2014 Week 1

The question posed to bloggers in the reading community is "What do you think is special about reading aloud"? This post was meant for the Week of February 10-16.

I believe what makes reading aloud special is the intimacy that is created between the reader and the audience, whether it be one person or many. Some of my favorite memories as a child were of my mom and dad reading aloud to me and my sisters. I felt cherished in these moments as I sat on their lap and later, next to them on my bed or in a cozy chair.

Me, my Dad, and my sister with our cat, Pretzel.

 



A great thing about reading aloud a book in your classroom is the shared vocabulary that you can create with your students. Over the years, my classes have gotten to know characters like Charlotte, Harriet, Brian, Miss Viola Swamp, and Clifford. Read aloud books have helped us become a community by learning how to get along with one another and supporting one another just like Brother and Sister Bear; being scared together reading Skeleton Man; learning about death in The Tenth Good Thing About Barney and Bridge to Terabithia.

As a librarian, I am lucky enough to get to share read aloud books many times a day. It is my very favorite thing about being a librarian. I am planning to celebrate World Read Aloud Day 2014 by simply reading aloud to all the classes that I can. This is the first WRAD I have actually celebrated in my library, so I am looking forward to it very much.