Reading - Making Terrific Plans for 2014

 It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews. Thanks to all these blogs we are able to discover many, many new books!  Thanks Ricki, Kellee, Jen and Sheila!

 Tweet! at #IMWAYR

New challenges!  See the sidebar for all three.  Today I'm checking off a couple of books that are on my TBR list.  Week by week this year, I hope I can find time to read all that are on my list found here in this post.  If you're interested in having a group help you keep track of your reading, go to Carrie Gelson's post here to discover what it's all about and who's participating (tweet at #MustReadin2014), or to Gathering Books with Myra, Fats & Iphigene to see their challenge!  

                   The Latinos in Kidlit Challenge is here!

     For contemplating challenges here in this new year when many are making resolutions and signing up for challenges, enjoy the quote!  "I hope everyone who is reading this is having a really good day.  And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that."  Gillian Anderson

Here are books that I completed for the challenges:

Allegiant – Veronica Roth

           Finishing a series over several years is challenging, especially since I read each of the first two books when they first were published. Also, considering this includes a main group that belong to a faction named "dauntless", my "daunting" task is to write about a book series I thoroughly enjoyed without giving much away to those who haven't read number three!   I feel that sometimes this particular book was a bit slow going.  Some details seemed to be repeated more than I needed, and I wanted to "get on with" the story.  There was less action and perhaps that was part of what I missed. None of this prevented me from enjoying the book thoroughly, however.  

The Post Most Challenging - # 20

     The March Slice of Life Challenge is hosted by Stacey and Ruth at their blog,

Two Writing Teachers.

      This is a most challenging post.  I feel I need to tell, but it isn’t easy.  I want those of you who have become my blogging friends to know why I never write about my husband of forty-seven years. 

Since 2008 we’ve lived with a disease called Parkinson’s.  Except for a new medicine regime, it didn’t affect our lives very much.  We read, we studied; we found a good doctor and joined a support group.  My husband was retired so we didn’t have to worry about work complications.  We did as much traveling as possible, like taking our grandson on wonderful trips, appropriate to his age.  Some of you might remember that I wrote last summer about our trip to Sanibel Island.  As my husband swam several times a week, and we both walked for exercise, and that helped his health.  I was given the chance to move out of the classroom and become a literacy coach part time.  Life seemed fine. 

       But it wasn’t really.  I’ve become a Caregiver.  And I’ve slowly lost parts of my husband as the days pass by.   

Taking A Reading Challenge

   I've finally decided to participate in the 2012 Award-Winning-Books Challenge hosted by the Gathering Books blog.  I have been lately been trying to keep up reading books recommended by others as possible Newbery winners and I read many books every year, so this is interesting to me to see if I can make it, with a review for each too.  Myra and Iphigene talk about so many books on their blog that it should be easy to find new ideas, and I've never had too much trouble with a TBR list anyway.

  So here goes, I'm choosing the silver medal challenge - 11-25 books.  If you're interested too, go to the link at Gathering Books!

Alice In Wonderland - a lot to say about teaching

       I've been re-reading Alice In Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, which I do every couple of years.  It seems to me that it has something of value to learn for us teachers.  What Carroll says, in several ways, is that we have to be flexible, look for serendipitous moments to enjoy, and just quit worrying so much about doing things perfectly.  I refer today to one set of words from chapter five:    


       "Who are YOU?" said the caterpillar.
          This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation.  Alice replied, rather shyly, "I--hardly   
        know, sir, just at present--at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must  
        have been changed several times since then."


    When we enter the classroom each day we have spent time thinking and planning with great concern for our students.  We watch them as they enter, welcoming, but also, in our minds, questioning.  
   We ask: 
         How does he look? 
         Why does she frown? 
         Does she have the work she forgot yesterday? 
         What are the words I can use to support him since his dad is out of work?  
         How can I find time for him to do some computer work since he doesn't have one at home?  
         When can she do that needed interview since she takes care of her younger siblings all evening?  
         He looks so tired;  did he get to eat breakfast?  
         Why is she not walking in with her friends?
         Where did he go?  I thought he walked in, but now he's gone back into the hall.
         I saw her slam out of the car this morning;  I wonder what happened with her mom? 


     And then we teach.  Lewis Carroll seemed to understand kids so well.  As Alice did, I think our students change several times during the day, week, month.  It's up to us to notice, respond, and teach.  I wonder if Carroll knew how challenging that is?