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Monday, April 23, 2012

IT'S MONDAY: WHAT ARE YOU READING

I decided last week that I was going to start participating in "It's Monday- What Are You Reading?" on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this week the answer would have to be "Not a heck of a lot." This week I:
1) Spent twenty hours this weekend helping my son revise and edit thirty pages of writing for his online course (you try explaining to an 18-year-old why he can't write a three page prompted store about a life epiphany, and have the conclusion be 'I don't really have an epiphany'). I really am wondering what it would be like to be one of those parents who just had to worry about what they were going to wear to the senior awards ceremony on May 1st.
2) Got ready for a presentation  I'm giving to one of our local reading associations tomorrow. It's on the latest and greatest in picture books. It's never hard for me to talk about books, but it is hard for me to figure out how to present them in a way that is interesting and engaging.
3) Dealt with my third flat tire in three months (I am starting to wonder whether Toyota just puts really bad tires on their new cars. I don't think I have had one flat tire in the last five years, but have had three, on three different tires, since I got my new car the end of January).
4) Tried, unsuccessfully again, to load the logo for "It's Monday, What Are You Reading?" Now I have it on my desktop, but I can't get it to load onto my blog. I really will figure it out one of these days when I have a few minutes free.

Actually, I did do a good bit of reading, it was just kind of different than what I usually do. My son's online course is an English course called, "The Journey." The readings were a really interesting collection, everything from poetry by Robert Frost, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Mary Oliver, to articles by Steven Covey, to a section of Helen Keller's Autobiography, and a section of KAFFIR BOY. There were also about ten short stories- "The Necklace" by Guy Mauipassaunt,  “The Silver Mine” by Selma Lagerlof, How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Tolstoy, and "The Bet" by Chekhov.

As far as novels, etc. I did read THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, which I loved. I also reread HATE THAT CAT, in preparation for read aloud to my fourth graders. I wanted to read a novel in verse and had read them LOVE THAT DOG the week before. They liked that and I thought they might hearing the companion volume. Ummm. Not so much. I don't fail very often with read aloud, but last week was an exception. They just weren't that into it, although they did like the William Carlos Williams poems. They loved FORGIVE ME, I MEANT TO DO IT, and are now on the lookout for his stuff. I love ho.w they are growing as readers.

Not sure what's next-- guess I will figure it out after I give my presentation tomorrow.

4 comments:

Linda B said...

it sounds like really a lot of words came your way, Carol, including Ivan, which I still have on my list. I'm always amazed to hear the reading lists in high school, seeing some things I read myself so long ago. I know those are wonderful writing pieces, but you'd think they might find new ones too. Good luck on helping with the "epiphany". I was trying to think if I had one when I was a senior. High school students are so amazing & energetic, yet not always profound. Too hard to think that much when it's nearly May!

Maria said...

Seems like you got alot done to me! Isn't The Necklace a wonderful little story? I read it in high school and it has stuck with me since then.

Maria @novalibrarymom.com

Karen said...

I read Forgive Me I Meant to Do It myself this week, and can't wait to share it with students. I personally liked Love That Dog much better than Hate that Cat, but I love that you tied them back into the poems by Levine.

And what can I say about Ivan but AMAZING!!

Jen Vincent said...

I agree! I feel like you did lots of reading - and other things - just maybe it doesn't seem like it. Ivan is a great read!