Book Hooks

This school year I have been using SEM-R (School Wide Enrichment Model for Reading) in my classroom. I have had to modify it since I teach middle school. The model is broken into three different phases. Phase 1: Exposure: Book Hooks, Phase 2: Supported Independent Reading, and Phase 3: Interest and choice. What I like about this is it lines up perfectly with the 40 Book Challenge I do each year. It also allows the students freedom to select what they are interested in reading. The first phase is to do a book hook. These have been going really well this year. The kids love them and look forward to them each week. What I do is read 5-8 pages of a book but you can read how much or how little as you'd like. Then I model the questions and strategies we will be using in class. Either in differect instruction or the questions they will be using later in the week in phase two. I have also used them to review concepts and strategies. Two of the most popular books I have used so far are Framed by James Ponti and The Countdown Conspiracy by Katie Slivensky. When I do a book hook it exposes them to different genres and books they may not encounter on thier own. Everytime I do a book hook that book flies off my shelves. Even if you don't do the other phases, book hooks are a great addition to a classroom!

Why I feel it is important to read as a teacher

One thing that has always confused me is when teachers tell me they don't read, especially English teachers. I have had some tell me they don't like reading. For me this is a huge problem. How can you foster the love of reading in students if you haven't found your passion for books? Now I understand that I am obsessed with books and read more then the average person. I do think if you are a teacher, especially english and reading, you should at least enjoy reading. I find the kids listen to my recommendations and come to me to help them select books because they know I read and I do let them know what I am reading. Because I read I can recommend books and can help students select books. Which I think is an important element of education. If a student does not know how to select their own books they are less likely to read for pleaure. You are the expert in the room and the students rely on you to help guide them and show them how to select books. This is a huge hurtle to some kids. I think we also need to take what they like to read seriously. Too many kids are shut down because thier books are "too short", "the wrong level", "graphic novels don't count". You are limiting thier choices. Now we do need to make sure kids are reading on the proper level and pushign themselves with appropriate texts. But how we go about assisting students in imporant.

Summer Reading so far

I have actually read a suprising amount so far this summer. I thought it might be harder with a 6 month old baby. While I have to read around her schedule I am getting a good amount of reading done so far. To start the summer off I read The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill. It was on the current Sunshine State reading list. I loved everything about this book. I am not a hige fan of fantasy books but this one was very engaging and the worl building was great. I enjoyed the characters and the journey this novel takes you on. This is a great middle grades book. The next book I finished was When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James. I enjoyed this historical romance a lot. What I like about Beauty and the Beast retellings in historical fiction is it tends to add more demention to the characters, especially the male characters. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. The next book I finshed Beowulf: The Original Graphic Novel.I am a huge fan of Beowulf and was very excited to start this graphic novel. In truth it felt like a watered down version of the tale. The illastrations also left much to be desired. This book fell far from my expectations and was a disappointment. The 4th book I read was To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt. This historical romance was amazing. I loved the characters and the plot. The characters have depth and their interactions are very enjoyable. So that is my summer reading so far. My goal is to finish more of teh Sunshine State books, a few romances I took out of the library, and a couple of teaching books I plan to read this summer.

Baby Lit Books Post #1

I love classics. When I was in middle school and high school that is all I read. I was "that" kid and am actually still proud of that. So when a friend told me about a book series for babies based off of classics I had to check them out. I got the five I am going to talk about from my baby shower. If you have read the classic reading the board book to your child is highly entertaining. The series is called BabyLit Books.

First up is Frankenstein An Anatomy Primer. This one goes through the parts of the body. Which is fantastic. Pride and Prejudice is a Counting Primer. This board books uses elements from the book to teach counting. It uses locations, characters, and plot points. Little Women A Playtime Primer teaches different activities such as drawing, writing, and playing the piano all activites the sisters do in the novel. Each activity also has a quote from the novel. Which is a really nice touch. Dracula A Counting Primer is adorable. This one is layed out very much like the Pride and Prejudice one. It uses characters, plot points, and locations to teaching coutning skills. The last one I will talk about is Alice in Wonderland A Colors Primer. It selects elements of the story and highlights different colors. It is well done and very cute. All these books have great colors and interesting for both baby and parent.

It is a great way to expose children to classic novels. I feel there is a play for classic works and while we are currently working to expand that definition. Historical novels have an important place on understanding our past.

First Quarter Reading Stats

First Quarter Reading Stats

So I got the idea to look at my reading stats every quarter from Rincey over at Rincey Reads. If you haven't seen her videos you should check them out. (https://www.youtube.com/user/rinceyreads)

So I went through my reading spread sheet and looked to see what I have been reading for the first three months of the year. So here is how it plays out.

Total books: 25 books

Total pages read: 5,017

Gender:

Male: 11 books (44%)

Female: 11 books (44%)

Both: 3 books ( 12%)

This doesn't really surprise me. I usually end up reading more female writers but it usually is pretty close to 1/2.

Translated: 1 book

I do need to read more book that have been translated into English. So I need to be aware of that.

Written by a person of color: 6 (24%)

My goal for this year was 30%. In the beginning of March I realized this category was pretty low and I started taking a bit more time carefully selecting which books I was reading on my TBR. I think I can get this percentage a little higher in the next quarter.

Genre

Mystery: 12%

Graphic Novel: 40%

Fantasy: 8%       

YA: 12%

Humor: 4%

Short Story: 8%

Sci-fi: 8%

Non Fiction: 4%

Poetry: 4%

So for my genres I am reading very broadly right now. I actually had not realized how many genres I had read so far this year. I have gotten more into graphic novels and have been reading a lot of trade paperbacks of great new titles this year.

Format:

Paperback: 76%

E-book: 12%

Hardcover: 16%

Audio: 0%

I was surprised I hadn't listened to any audio books this year. But I have been listening to a lot of podcasts this year so I think that is where my listening is. So I need to listen to a couple audio books in the next quarter. I usually read a lot of paperbacks so the fact that the paperbacks are the highest is not surprising.

I am completing a 25 book challenge, Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge and a Classics Challenge.

  25 Book Challenge: 11 books read

Read Harder: 10 books read

Classics: 6 books read

So I am doing really well with my challenges this year!

I found going through this very helpful. I know which areas I need to be more aware of and which areas I am doing well in.  So we will have to see what the next three months brings!!

Where to start in Urban Fantasy!

Urban fantasy is a type of fantasy that we are seeing more and more books categorized as. They are books that have magical or supernatural elements most of the time they take place in a contemporary setting. A great example of this would be the Dresden series by Jim Bucher. The series revolves around Harry Dresden. He advertises in the yellow pages as a Wizard and has an office. He is a private eye type character. Butcher set his series in Chicago and it is a fantastic place to set these stories. The series takes place in modern times and deals with magic, vampires, fairies, etc. It is my favorite type of fantasy and I am constantly on the lookout for new ones. If you are interested in diving into this genre here are some suggestions on where to start.

1. The Dresden series

As I mentioned above, I love the Dresden series by Jim Butcher. They are funny and fast paces and as the series goes on the books get so good. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone. Especially if you love the Harry Potter books this may be up your alley. If you are big into audio books or even looking to try them this is an awesome series to do in audio. This is actually how I started listening to audio books and all but one are narrated by James Marsden. He does such a fantastic job.

2. Written in Red

Written in Red is the first book in The Others series by Anne Bishop. The world building is amazing in this book. This book takes place in an alternate reality. The characters are well done and I like how she progresses through each book. The third book in the series was just released in March.

3. The Diabolical Miss Hyde

This book by Viola Carr is on my TBR. This book is about Dr. Jekyll's  daughter and how she is a crime scene investigator. I have seen this on a couple lists for Urban fantasy but it also could be under the steam punk genre. I cannot wait to see how this author takes my understanding of the original classic and makes it something new.

4. Tales from the Nightside

This is a very interesting idea by Simon R. Green. I really enjoyed the first book and the series is now complete. This series is about John Taylor who is a private investigator and can find missing things. He also can go between his home in our world and the Nightside. This is a pretty fun read.

5. Monster Hunter International

Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia is an adventure in a group of special agents trained to hunt the monsters of the world. This is another one that is good in audio book. There are several books in the series and are a lot of fun. 

Watching What I Read

Watching What I Read

                Every year I take tracking my reading a bit further. In 2013 I just listed what books I read. In 2014 I listed the books I read and included the date I finished it. I started tracking how many books I read each month and how many pages I read each month. When Book Riot posted a reading spreadsheet I entered all my data and kept that as well. This year I have several ways I track and a lot of data I collect on my reading. I am curious about my reading stats and I honestly enjoy it. So in 2015 I am using the reading spread sheet with the following categories: Title, Author, Gender, Translated, POC (person of color), Date Published, Nationality, date started, date finished, pages, genre, format, where I got it, and if it fits into one of my challenges.  That is one epic spreadsheet. I also keep a book journal. I track how many books I read each month, how many pages I read, and what genres I have read that month.

                This year I am making more of an effort to evaluate what I read. I already read a lot of female authors and I do read somewhat diversely. This year I wanted to watch what I read and where I need to improve. I wanted to read more diversely  and I wanted to explore genres I do not  typically read. Last year my main focus was on new genres. This year I am continuing that but I am also looking at the authors I am picking up. I also want to explore different cultures through books.

                There are several ways I am doing this. I reflect on what I am reading as I go so if I see quite a few no's in my POC column I know that I need to improve in that area.  In March I noticed I had not read as many diverse authors and made it a point to go through my TBR and select books that would help me look at other cultures and points of view.  This is also the same with the my translated column. That is also a column I need to focus on this month and next month. Which is why I find a lot of value in tracking what I read closely. I won't know where to make improvements if I am not looking at trends.  

                Another great way to make sure I am reading a variety of genres and authors is my TBR jar. What I do for my TBR jar is a have a small mason jar and I put slips of paper in it that I pull out when I want to. I don't do it once a month or anything like that. I like to pull the slips when I need some guidance on what to read. I am completing three challenges right now. I am doing the Read Harder challenge, a 25 book challenge my friends made, and a classics challenge. I put the different categories in my TBR jar, not book titles. The only challenge that is not in the jar is the classics challenge because I read one a month and my book club votes on a classic each month.

                A  book club is also a great way to get some strong recommendations. The members of my book club have very different tastes in books. That is why typically we just bring what we have read and talk about great books we loved. We would occasionally do group reads or buddy reads.  This year we are all trying the classics challenge to expand out horizons.

                I also like to look at what genres I am reading because I love romance novels and I tend to slip very comfortably back into reading that genre. I love crossover genres as well. Paranormal romance and mystery romance are some of my favorite genres.  I also love YA, which is a good thing since I am a middle school teacher. So I never have to struggle finding books I want to read in those genres. But I have also found out that I like certain kinds of sci-fi and fantasy. I would never have said I was a huge fan of either genre just two years and now I am finding aspects of those genres that I love.

                Many of us have lots of reasons for tracking our reading or not. Whatever system you have that works for you is a great way to help you explore who you are as a reader. I would love to know how other track their reading. 

Classics Challenge: February

Classics Challenge: February 

Classic read: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 

WHEN I Discovered This Classic: I had read this classic back in high school and really wanted to revisit it. 

WHAT Makes It A Classic: It is a story that stands the test of time and is considered a main stream classic. 

WHY I Chose to Read It : I wanted a shorter book to be honest with you and this had been on my TBR for a while to re-read.  

WILL It Stay A Classic: Yes. This story has some wonderful universal themes and it is a very accessible text. 

WHO I’d Recommend It To: I would recommend this book to people who like to think about who we are and why we make certain decisions. I would also recommend this book to people who are just starting out with classics and need a place to start. 

Seducing the Ruthless Rogue by Tammy Jo Burns

I received a free copy of this to judge for Rom Con. I love historical fiction, so I was very excited to receive this book. This is the first book I have read by Tammy Jo Burns. I really enjoyed this book. I think thing the setting was done well. I liked the characters and I loved how they interacted with each other. I did feel some of the characters where mildly inconsistent and it was hard to understand some of their motivations. I would have liked to see more development to some of portions of the story line. I was concerned with how quickly some of the conflicts were solved and the last third of the book I was not sure where the author was going with the story. I liked the ending and want to read more books by this author.

Dead City Review

Dead City by James Ponti This book is on the Sunshine State list for 2014-2015. It is about Molly, a seventh grader, who attends MIST. MIST is a school for gifted students and where he mother went to school. She doesn't have many friends and hangs out at the morgue where her mom worked before she passed away. All that changes when she is recruited to join a team of Zombie hunters called Omegas. The story is about her building relationships and learning what she needs to be a member of the team. I really enjoyed this book. It was a really fun adventure story. I loved Molly and the choices she makes really make a lot of sense. I liked that the we got to see this story from her perspective so you get to really understand how the character feels. It wasn't a scary book so it is good for kids. This is the first book the sequel is Blue Moon. I also loved the first page of this book!

The Boy at the End of the World Review

The Boy at the End of the World by Greg van Eekhout This is not usually a book I would pick up on my own to read. I had to think about this book after I finished it because I wasn't really sure how I felt about the book. This book really stuck with me and I am still thinking about it after a week. It is a mix of The Matrix, Terminator, and The Wizard of Oz and that may seem like a really weird combination the book does have elements of those movies. It takes place after humans are no longer on Earth. Humans got to a point where they could not reproduce and survive in the world they had altered. So what they do is create several Arcs. In these arcs they have frozen people, animals, and plants that will be woken up when the Earth is habitable again. Something attacks the Arc Fisher is in and as the only survivor the robot in charge of the Arc selects a personality profile and awakens him. This book is about Fisher's journey to discover if he is the last human on the Earth or if there are others out there. This was a very fast paced book and kept a pretty steady momentum through the story. I also enjoyed the characters. As Fisher travels he meets different animals and the author paints a world in which nature has taken back the Earth. It was a very interesting look at what could happen if humans are not more concerned with the choices they are making. I think books like this are good for kids to read. It allows them to think about their actions big and small and how they do effect people.

How has social media changed my perspective on my reading?

I was thinking about this question earlier this week. As a kid my reading life was a very solitary hobby. I selected my books by going into the book store and seeing what caught my attention. I remember wandering around the Books-A-Million or the smaller Walden bookstore that were in the shopping plaza down the street. My mother would take us to the bookstore frequently and we would pick out books or just wander around and read a variety of books. I would select books from the kids section and when I got older I moved into classics. The fiction section was a bit too daunting for me and I loved reading classics so that is what I read. My book selection was looking at classics or buying books that were on sale. I had one friend that we would talk about books occasionally, but it was not a regular occurrence. I loved talking about books and stories in my English classes. Hearing other peoples thoughts and perspectives on the stories and how it affected people differently. I wanted to hear what people thought and how we saw it differently. So my reading before social media was very solitary. In the last few years my reading has become a more social activity. Once I started getting more into Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram it allowed me to share my passion for books and follow others who are just as passionate. I can get book recommendations and reviews from people around the world. I can have discussion with people online all over the world about books we are reading or want to read. This has opened up the opportunity to stretch myself as a reader. I can explore different types of books and get ideas on where to start with new genres I want to try. Once there it was an obvious move to branch out to Book Tube videos. I am now on You Tube all the time watching a variety of Book Tubers who are reviewing and discussing books. This has made me even more aware of different books out there and what I might be interesting to check out. It also allows me to anticipate when books will come out. I am also more aware of new releases and what to pick up that people are talking about. Some Book Tubers also have groups on Goodreads that then discuss a specific book and you can be a part of an online book club. While I still struggle with finding people to meet with in person, I can find discussion and suggestions on different social media sites. I can get involved in live web chats and watch videos that allow me discover new authors and genres that I would otherwise not have known about. It also makes me more culturally aware of what and who I am reading. I think social media has made me a more active reader because I like to share my thoughts and see what other people are saying about specifics books and the book world in general. Podcasts are another great way to learn about books and interact with others on your thoughts and questions. I have discovered so many interesting books and book news from the wide variety of podcasts available to me. I also think that all of these avenues of exploration all us to feel more connected to each other as readers. Reading is becoming a more social hobby in which we can share our thoughts and feelings with each other. I am excited to see how our communities as readers changes and grows.

Sleepy Hollow: Children of the Revolution by Keith DeCandido

Sleepy Hollow: Children of the Revolution by Keith DeCandido I am a big fan of the T.V. show. When I saw this as an option on the Blogging for Books site I was excited to give it a chance. I really liked the writing style for this book. It definitely had the same feel and mood for the T.V. show. The plot was interesting but I at times I wasn't quite sure where it fit into the season. But the back of the book as an explanation of how the book fits between the episodes “The Golem” and “The Vessel.” The problem I had with this book was that it was structured just like the T.V. show. There were a lot of flash backs for numerous characters and I felt that slowed the book down. While this works great in the T.V. show, in the book I felt it pulled me away from the current story and I wanted to know how that went. The flashbacks where really not that necessary. It also made some of the scenes a bit confusing. So I liked the book for the most part. I gave 3 out of 5 stars to this book. If you are a fan of the show you will probably find it entertaining. I got this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

New books

So I bought Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, 12 Years a Slave, and The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion on my Nook yesterday. I found out the Barnes and Noble had lowered the prices on their prices on these e-books. I had been thinking of picking up Goldfinch but I figured I would wait till it was out in paperback, but for 7.99 I was thrilled! So I thought I would pass on that news! 

reading tonight and Dear Book Nerd

So tonight as I snuggle up against the cold and drink a glass of wine I am reading Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb. I really love this series. it is one of my favorite series. And that is not very hard to believe since I am reading the 34th book in the series. I love the way she describes her characters and how they interact with each other. This series is just really fun and entertaining. So that is what I will be reading to make me feel better after a very long day at work.

As I was listening to the latest podcast from Book Riot they announced another book podcast. It is called Dear Book Nerd. I listened to the first show and it was delightful. I subscribed to it already. It will be released every other week right now. So I was super excited about that. The show is an advice column revolving around books...which is very cool!

I also caved and put in an order for the book box that Book Riot does. This is the second book box that they will be releasing. So I will be getting that in March. So I am pretty excited about that.

Jim Henson and book riot

So I got my copy of Jim Henson The Biography by Brian Jay Jones in the mail today. I am very excited to read this book. I need to finish the book I am reading now first, but I am glad I got it. It wasn't one I could find easily and so I decided to buy it while I was thinking about it. I am a very large Jim Henson fan. I love the Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock, just to mention his shows. I have read some things about him and find his life very interesting. We had an exhibit come to the Museum of Natural History about Jim Hanson and we got to see some real Muppets and drawings. So I am excited to learn more about this amazing man.

I also have to add that I am loving the Book Riot podcasts. I have been listening to them and they are full of really interesting book information and discussion. If you are interested in learning more about what is going on in the world of books this podcast is amazing. There is an app for it and you can get it on itunes.

choosing books

I have been giving a lot of thought to how I go about choosing what books to read next. Why do we select some books and pass on others? This year I am completing that 25 category challenge I wrote about in a previous post, so expand what I am reading. I have done that throughout the last few years and each year I try or add something to my reading that enhances how I read. By branching out and exploring different genres I am getting a better handle of what I enjoy as a reader. Now I have always been open to trying different books and as I get older i do read a variety. But I find that there are still some areas I have either moved away from or just don't read as much. For example this year I am going to try and read more new releases. This means I need to be more careful what books I spend money on and budget for that. I am also planning on using my public library more. Some books won't be to hard because I can catch up on my series then read them as they come out. So as I look at what I have read so far and see what changes need to be done or if how I am approaching my reading this year is working well  I also need to consider how to go about selecting books I will enjoy.

Review for The Ocean at the End of the Lane

So today I finished Neil Gaiman's book The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Now this is the first book by Gaiman I have read. I have Stardust and Good Omens on my self waiting to be read. But I selected this one because I have heard a lot of good things about it. I finished it today and I have it two out of five stars on Goodreads. I thought the novel was a bit slow and I didn't particularly care for the characters. I was hoping it would pick up as the story went on, but it wasn't all that interesting for me. I guess the story wasn't what I was expecting. Looking at the reviews a lot of people have loved this book. I would recommend trying it, especially if you are a Neil Gaiman fan. I would not recommend this book to be the first one you start with for this author however. 

My goal is to read another one of his books this year so I can get a better feel for his writing and storytelling. I also have a couple of his comic books to read. I would love to hear some of the books you like by Neil Gaiman. 

Access to books and audio books

So I have seen a lot of debates and talk back and forth about e-readers vs print books. I have owner a Nook since they came out with the 1st generation. I recently updated my Nook Simple Touch to their new Nook Glowlight. I wanted an e-reader that had a back light. I also have an IPad mini which is where I read my library books and my iBooks, Kindle, and my Barnes and Noble e-books. Now I do still read a lot of print books as well. here is how I decide which medium to use. The first thing I look at is price. If it is on sale or a lot cheaper as an e-book, then I buy it for my Nook. I buy most of my books through Barnes and Noble since I have their e-reader. My Kindle and iBooks libraries are mostly free books that I come across. I get a lot of those from Book Bub. You set up your account and tell them what you like to read and which devices you read on. I also use coupons and discounts through websites to see which is the best way to buy the book.

Now I read a lot of books. So this has lead me to look into other ways to get books. I have started going to the library more to take out books and audio books. I am looking into Oyster which lets you read any books you want in their library for 9.95 a month. So even if I read one book a month from them it is paid for. I heard a pretty good review on it on the Book Riot podcast. This will be a service I check out later this year while I try to read through the books I already have on my shelf. I am also looking into doing audible. I will be worth the $15 dollars a month to get the audio books. I am not always able to find audio books I want to listen to at the library. So this will give me more options in that regard. I have been listening to more audio books lately and I am enjoying listening to them when I am in the car or doing chores. So those are some things I am looking into to see if I can save some money in the long run.

Reading Progess

So tonight I am evaluating what I have read so far this year. As we are midway into January I am actually very proud of my progress. While I am not a terribly fast reader I have been trying to spend more time reading. So far I have read 5 books: Ghost Story, Cold Days, Wonder, Manuscript Found in Accra, and The Invention of Wings.  I have enjoyed most of the books I have read so far. I have found making a goal of reading at least 50 pages a day helps me stay on track. I also have been focusing on one book at a time as opposed to reading multiple books at once. I am trying to stay focused on one book at a time and see if that helps me finish more books. Know, I have been doing an audio book and reading a book. So usually I have 2 going. One in the car and one I am reading. I am half way through Heat Wave by Richard Castle and almost half of the way through The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I am enjoying both very much. So next week I am hoping to post two new reviews.