Finally, some time to read!

Summer started with a bang and I just now have had the time to read a few books from the "must read before these enter my classroom library stack." These are not adult focused books, but have been a great way to read for fun when I don't have a lot of time. They make me put on my teacher hat and think like a reading teacher.

This is a sweet, small easy reading chapter book about a little girl who is afraid of dogs. It's not the most well written novel, but would certainly appeal to an early chapter book reader. It could make a good read aloud to start discussion about fears, bravery, and neighbors.

 

Gary Paulsen is the master of high interest books for middle school boys who hate reading. This volume is no exception. This fast read is full of interesting plot turns and some great information about the world of business. If you have a reader who likes the idea of making a lot of money, and needs a little adventure to sweeten the deal, this book is for you.

Snow White + Appalachia+ post WWII = this book

In this thoughtful retelling of the Snow White fairy tale, Jane Yolen digs deep to tell an original story based on a popular tradition. I didn't love it, but it was interesting. The reassignment of place, time, and character details was well done. This is a good middle school read. The detail at times is  a little intense for elementary kids unless they are very mature readers.

 

I have a huge bag of books left to read for my classroom library, and I hope to get some grown up reading done, too. So many books, so little time!

This week's reading

So, um, whatcha' been reading?

Oh, nothing fun. Really. Just these whizbang exciting tomes of knowledge.

Really, I'm just working on the first one, Cataloging Correctly for Kids. I spent the weekend doing classwork so I can take a week off and go to youth camp.

What can I tell you about this book? It's an informational textbook about how to catalog books. Ever wondered how Dewey numbers are created? I can tell you. But I won't. Unless you ask. And you might think that there isn't anything else a librarian would need to know about cataloging, but you'd be wrong. MARC records, subject headings, Library of Congress system, CIP programs.... yawn!

I will say that I have learned a lot about the subject and the book fulfills its purpose. But unless you are a future librarian, like collecting random information, or have a serious insomnia problem, you can probably strike this from your "must read" list.