Slice of Life - My First Featured Student Reader

TWO WRITING TEACHERS

In my last slice, I wrote how my reading heart was smiling.  The second day of school, I "caught" a student reading a book tucked inside her desk while I was giving a spelling inventory.  I knew she was a  girl after my own heart!  Today I have chosen her to be my first Featured Student Reader.  Thank you Ramona for the inspiration and for sharing your idea.

Jenna is a student in my fourth grade classroom and shares my passion for reading.  She began reading Harry Potter as a third grader!  As I was typing Jenna's answers, I decided it would be fun to answer the questions myself.  So, here is a peek into our reading hearts.

1.  What are some of your favorite books?  Why are they your favorite?  Some of my favorite books are Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Candy Makers, Runaway Twin, and Ella Enchanted.  They are some of my favorite books because they all tell an amazing story.  All the stories are different and I would recommend them to anyone.

I have read so many books that it is difficult to list favorites....my list would be too long.  But, my list would definitely include:  Bridge to Terabithia, The War with Grandpa, Wonder, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and my all-time favorite adult book is The Thornbirds.  I am an emotional reader.  I love books that tug at my heart and even make me cry.  

2.  What makes you choose a book?  I choose a book because the cover and the back look interesting.  Sometimes I close my eyes and pick a book and end up loving it!

I prefer realistic fiction, and I like to read books that my friends or students recommend.  Reading other teachers' blogs has given me enough book ideas to last a long time!

3.  Where do you like to read?  I like to read in a quiet place with my pillows and blankets.  In my room I have a pink chair.  It's very comfy and it's my favorite place to read.

I love to read by the pool in the summer time.  I also read every night in bed before I go to sleep.  It is a way for me to unwind.  (Don't tell my students, but I also love to read in the bathtub!)

4.  What do you remember about learning to read?  I remember the popcorn words we had to know how to read because you couldn't sound them out.  Some of the ones I remember were:  I, have, were, and how.

Although it was almost 45 years ago, I remember being able to read the word "the" and being able to find that word in books.  I also remember learning how to read with the Dick and Jane books.

5.  If there was one author you could meet, who would it be?  If I could meet any author, it would probably be Peg Kehret.  My favorite story by her is Runaway Twin.  I would choose her because I love her books!!!  

An author of adult fiction I would like to meet would be Karen Kingsbury.  Again, her books make me cry and I am amazed at how God has used her writing to inspire so many people.  J. K. Rowling would be a children's author I would like to meet.  But, not because I like Harry Potter (fantasy is NOT my favorite genre!).  I think her story of how she became a writer is very interesting and I would love to sit down and have her tell me about it.

6.  If you had a friend that didn't like to read, what would you tell them?  How would you get them to start reading?  If I had a friend who didn't like to read, I would tell them that no matter what you like, there's a book for you.  I would get them to start reading again.  I would find a book that has their "likes" in it.  I would give it to them and hope they like it.  If not, I would find different books and try over and over until I find the right one.

My answer is very similar to Jenna's.  I love sharing books with others and the more we do that, the greater chance we have of turning someone on to reading.

7.  Is there someone or something that inspired your love of reading?  I think my teachers helped me love reading even more.  They encouraged me to try my hardest at reading, and I feel like they helped me a lot.

I am a third generational reader.  My mother and my grandmother are both voracious readers.  I remember when I was a little girl, going to the library on Saturdays with my mom.  We would go home, fix popcorn and read our new books together.


I hope you enjoyed reading about Jenna.  I look forward to sharing books with her this year.

Happy Reading!