It's Monday...

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

I fell off the wagon there for a couple of weeks towards the end of term and first week of the holidays.  I kept reading but just didn't find the energy to blog. Up and running again now!

During that time I finished the Hunger Games trilogy, I had to stand in line with some of the readers in my class who were also madly passing them from hand to hand. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them, even though the whole concept was so repugnant to me.

Another book that stands out to me in last few weeks is Smile by Rainer Telgemeier, a true story told in graphic form.  It so speaks to girls of that 

12 -13year age group and some of those in my class are reading and liking it.  I book talked it to those who had braces!  What I notice is when I have finished a book I drop it on the small table by my desk.  Before I pick it up to book talk it someone will approach me and ask to read it.  Seems they keep an eye on 'the 

spot'!

I am going to count Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt into this week as well.  I did read it over the NZ summer break, and have spent our 1st term reading it aloud to my students.  They all fell in love with it too! We finished on the final day of school, as I closed the book there was a spontaneous round of applause.  Now I know its not my reading, it was the book. I so love this book, I loved reading it again - the voice of Doug comes through so strongly. His intimate way of addressing the reader had some of my students spontaneously answering him as I read.  As we read along I placed a picture of the bird that the chapter referred to and I found that a tremendous help.  Fabulous read aloud book. My students are very keen to read more books by this author so I must check out The Wednesday Wars.

I have just finished this book Wonder and it was amazing. I know everyone that has read it will say that.  This is a book that I want to read aloud to my class.  I won't be there this term and I can't decide whether to drop it into the class library now, or hold it over to when I return in Term 3.  It can be bought in NZ book shops which is a plus.  

Reading this book was a spiritual experience, one that touches the human heart in a way that you know you can never be the same after reading it.  If you are looking for a book with a theme of kindness this is it.

This morning in my Google reader I noticed these two posts, I think you would enjoy finding more out about this book here in this post by Teach Mentor Texts

and this one on Read, Write, Reflect.

This coming week I am going to be reading Super Finn by Leonie Agnew, a book contender for the NZ Post Book awards.  

Maybe something else as well, I will see where the mood takes me.