Move Over Edward!

Yep, somewhere in all of the craziness of the Girard familiy's life, I have managed to read a couple more books.

While reading The Book Whisperer, I came across another title that Donalyn recommends called Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher. WOW! Another one of those teaching MUST READs! I have become passionate about free reading or SSR (silent, sustained reading) and my class is centered around it. All of the concepts we must teach as language arts teachers can be taught through our student's own choices of novels - a concept Donalyn Miller taught me. The book Readicide focuses more on how all of our standardized testing is KILLING reading. Who wants to read when every chapter is broken down into various tasks that have to be completed with it or questions to answer afterwards? What I found especially sad/frustrating/maddening was that the low students who NEED to just read are the ones that are put in remedial classes where all you do are test prep passages when really, they need exposure to books - lots and lots of books! A great read with helpful tips and suggestions on how to bring in nonfiction to our students as well.

And now for my post's title...Hush Hush. There's a new bad boy book boyfriend in town and his name is Patch. Sorry Edward, but we are through; I am over you and Bella. It had to end my beautiful vampire, and now my heart belongs to Nora and Patch. This was no short read, clocking in at 400+ pages, but I couldn't put it down - like, ignored my family for the night to finish it! I was a little sceptic at first since the book really resembled Twilight in the beginning...nice girl who isn't popular meets a handsome badboy in science class. Nice girl drives an old crappy car. BUT, the plot and characters were quite different once you get into it. Patch happens to be a fallen angel whose wings were ripped out. It was too mature for my middle school kids (well, I would secretly give it to an 8th grader as the only sex discussed was during their science class reprodution unit), but I'm hooked. I had to immediately go out and buy Crescendo.

I am reading Matched by Ally Condie right now, but as soon as I finish, Patch, Nora, and I have a date!