Favorite Books and Authors

"Mrs. Eck, do you have a favorite book?"

I have been asked this question so many times during my teaching career, and I usually answer it in two different ways. "That would be like asking me if I have a favorite child," or "There are too many good books to have a favorite."

Groans usually follow that answer as most students don't like either of those answers, and I understand it. I think they are looking for validation of a choice they made, or the fact that having a favorite is acceptable by someone who (typically) reads a lot.

Because of this, I back up my answer with a comment such as this is my favorite for this week, or this month, or this school year.

I'm also asked about favorite authors, and I can honestly say I don't have one of those either. This made me think about a recent Goodreads post when I used the phrase, "one of my favorite authors." 

I finished reading Old School by Gordon Korman, and I thought about what makes him one of my favorites. 

1. He writes books that almost all middle school readers can relate to.
2. His books are funny and many take place in school, giving school a positive image.
3. His books have a deeper message that kids can understand.

But maybe the real reason why he is one of my favorites is because he has written 105 books! When someone writes that many books and when you read many of them, I believe that automatically launches him into "my favorites" category.

I saw him speak at a conference, and he is hilarious. I could easily see his personality reflected in his books.

 

Old School is about a boy who has been raised and homeschooled by his grandmother with the help of others in a retirement community. Dexter is twelve...going on 60!

I can't wait to get to school, and book talk this one to my students and say, "This is my favorite from spring break!"

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Dear Students SOL #14

 Dear Students,

I walked down the hall today and saw this sign on our Student of the Week board. It made me sad because it is not the first time I have seen it this year. But it also made me reflect on my role as your reading teacher.

You were in first grade when we left for Spring Break and never came back. Much has happened since then. Students have changed; teachers have changed. 

I have noticed that we don't have the reading and writing stamina that we once had. Distractions have increased, and our motivation has decreased.

It is not just you; it is also me.

If you had me as a teacher a few years ago, you would have seen me excited about books. You would have heard me talk about books almost every single day. You and I would have conversations about the books you were reading.

I would have recommended more books, given you more time in class to read, and sat down with you reader to reader.

And I would never have seen this sign. 

I have eight more weeks with you, and I hope to find that reading teacher I once was and know I can become again. I have stacks of books waiting this week for me to pick them up, read them, and share them with all of you. 

Spring Break, here I come!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Eck

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Reading Hope 6/31

"Oh, Mrs. Eck! You have to keep going!"

These words are music to a reading teacher's ears.

We have been reading whole class novels these past three weeks. One class is reading Grenade by Alan Gratz, and the other five classes are reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham. I read selected chapters through the book study, and I always read aloud the last few chapters. 

As I read today about the bomb in Birmingham, you could hear a pin drop. Every set of eyes were either on me or were in their own copy of the book. And when I read about Hideki, a young boy in the Japanese army about to surrender to the Americans, students begged me to continue reading.

Today gave me back some of the hope that has slowly been dwindling this year. The hope that books can capture their attention. That books can stand up to the distractions of the world around them. That even middle schoolers still enjoy being read to.

It may just be one day, but I'll take it.

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. 

I Missed It Reading Challenge

A few years ago, I participated in a #MustRead book challenge. We created a list of books that we missed reading the previous year and wanted to read in the new year. I loved this challenge because it was fun to read and see everyone's list plus it inspired me to pull those books from my endless TBR pile.

I recently stumbled upon a similar reading challenge from The Book Girls" Guide. It is called the In Case You Missed It:  Backlist Reading Challenge. Each month the reader chooses a book that they missed reading the year it was published starting with 2013. I thought about this challenge because I hardly read adult books, but then I realized I have many middle grade books that I have also missed reading.

I decided to create my own middle grade #IMissedIt reading list challenge. My only requirement was that I have to currently own the book (not difficult to do!). I began making list by looking at my "Want to Read" list on Goodreads and the past Nerdy Book Club's Middle Grade Fiction Nerdies Award. (All of the books starting in 2018 came from that list.)

January

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz (2013)

February

Dash by Kirby Larson (2014)

March

The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier (2015)

April

All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor (2016)

May

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (2017)

June

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly (2018)

July

Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (2019)

August

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk (2020)

September

Pony by R.J. Palacio (2021)

October

Two Degrees by Alan Gratz (2022)

November

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass (2023)

December

To be determined!

I have no idea how successful I will be, but it is always fun to create reading lists! I invite you to create your own backlist reading challenge and share with me here in the comments or on social media. If you are like me, I am sure you have books you have missed too!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/15/24

 

Thank you to Unleashing Readers for continuing to promote reading and great book titles and especially for letting us wayward readers find our way back here.

What I Read Last Week

Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart is the sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. I don't often say this, but as much I loved the first book, I liked the second one much better.

I know my love for this book is based on my current life experiences. In the first book Coyote and her father take a cross-country road trip to run away from accepting the death of Coyote's mother and sisters. In this second book, Coyote is finally ready to say goodbye after finding her mother's ashes in a hidden box. Another road trip to scatter her ashes leads Coyote, and me, to discover some hidden truths about the way we let go of those we love and an appreciation for the life we have.

This book is due out in Early March, and I highly recommend it...along with a box of tissues!

I am slow reading All It Takes Is a Goal for a Teach Write book club. We have read and discussed the first section, which is about making a Best Moments List. Acuff states that instead of looking forward to plotting our future such as vision boards, we need to look back at the best moments of our life. A best moment is when our vision and our reality overlap; it's "when you hoped life could be actually matches how life is" (p. 54).

This list becomes a snapshot of who we really are, and four categories emerge from studying the list:  experiences, accomplishments, relationships, and objects. He states that when we understand these categories, "your list transforms from a task about the past into a tool for the future. It's like finally seeing the individual ingredients for your favorite meal and realizing you can cook it again and again" (p. 48). 

I am not sure where he is going with the list as we move into the next part, but I did learn a lot about myself from doing this activity. It brought gratitude to the forefront and made me look at what is really important to me. I find myself keeping a running list of my best moments in my notebook. Even if you don't read this book, creating your own list just might surprise you about what you find in your own categories.

Currently Reading

I am vicariously participating in the "In Case You Missed It Book Challenge." In this challenge, I choose a book that I missed reading the year it was published, starting with 2012 and ending with 2023. I chose A Man Called Ove, which I know was a favorite among many of reading friends, BUT I missed reading it.

After being named Indiana Rural Teacher of the Year for 2023, I am trying to be more cognizant of rurality in my reading life and in my classroom, so I hope to finish this collection of voices from rural America.

Reading more in '24!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/8/24

 

Thank you to Unleashing Readers for continuing to promote reading and great book titles and especially for letting us wayward readers find our way back here.

One of my goals this year is to "read more in "24." I know technically, this is not a goal because it is not measurable, but I like the way it sounds!

This week I completed one book and started several others.

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Running Out of Time was first published 30 years ago but now has a new cover! I grabbed it because of its cover appeal and because it takes place in Indiana, my home state. It is a dystopian story about a group of people who have chosen to live in a history museum. The children think it is 1840, but it is really 1996. When diphtheria makes its way into the compound, Jessie is sent out to the future to bring back a modern vaccine, but she is running out of time. It is what we would expect from Margaret Peterson Haddix. If your students read and enjoyed Among the Hidden by her or Masterminds by Gordon Korman, then they would love this one!

Currently Reading

I am reading All It Takes Is a Goal for a Teach Write book club.

I can't wait to continue Coyote's adventure.

Reading more in '24!

No More Libraries #SOL23

Sometimes I hear about decisions in different school systems that are made that leave me scratching my head. I know that teachers don't always know why the decisions are made or what factors beyond teacher control are a part of the decision. And I get that. 

Someone told me today about a decision that leaves me feeling very sad. Some schools are eliminating their librarians and school libraries. I heard that one principal allegedly said, "Libraries are becoming a thing of the past."

As a middle school reading teacher who has about 60% of her students not at proficiency and who has students who do not enjoy reading and who works who butt off to change that, I shudder at the thought of not having school libraries and librarians.

Are teachers wrong to question this decision? Should they be concerned? But most importantly, can they do anything about it?

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. 

Thinking About Read-Aloud #SOL23

I have been thinking about read-aloud lately. 

Maybe it's because on Wednesday, I read the last chapter in our class novel, and every student was either following along in their books or were listening intently as I read every word. The room was silent; it was wonderful.

Maybe it's because I listened to Donalyn Miller Friday night and her words stuck with me: "We don't age out of read-alouds. If we did, audiobooks would not be on the rise for adults."

Maybe it's because I listened to Neal Shusterman Sunday morning, and he told a story about how he was a summer camp counselor, and the way he got kids to settle down for bed was by telling them stories. As he was telling teachers from across the country his story about his thoughts and ideas behind writing Challenger Deep and Scythe, the entire audience was hanging on his every word, as if we were the kids at camp.

Or maybe, it's because of all three.

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. 

A Tattered Flag #SOL22

Imagine...

political division in the United States

our country at war

disputes over illegal immigrants and border control

protests

tyranny

a federal identification card

enforced sanctions against states who don't follow the federal government's orders

interrupted food supplies

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Sounds like something we might read or hear about in our news today, doesn't it? But this is all part of the plot in the book Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy. The book was written in 2014, and little did he know when he wrote it just how real it would be. 

While reading this book, it was quite unnerving just how similar things are in our country today. It made me wonder what could happen.

Trent Reedy has become one of my favorite authors. Although this book is too mature for my 6th graders, it won't stop me from recommending it to others. The passage below is one that stuck with me.

"...this country is like its flag. When troubles hit the country like the weather on that flag, people got different ideas about how to fix that trouble. They start arguing about it. Folks getting madder and madder at one another, pulling apart in different directions, until, like that flag, there are little threadbare spots, small tears. Finally, something comes along that's too much, and those little worn spots rip open, leaving the flag, like this country, in tatters."

How can we mend the tears in the tattered flag, a tattered country?

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. 

Dinner Table Book Talks

Several years ago, I started doing an activity the two days before Thanksgiving break. We are usually finishing up a writing assignment and have students at different places of completion. It became the perfect two days for students to do book talks.

When I read In the Middle by Nancie Atwell, she mentions a time she and her husband sat around the dining room table with friends and "gossiped by candlelight" about a book. She compares her dining room table to a literate environment where people around it talk about literacy. She states, "We don't need assignments, lesson plans, lists, teacher's manuals, or handbooks. We only need another literate person."

That is when my idea for dinner table book talks was born. 

Students are given a paper plate with the instructions that it is to become a prop for a book talk about a book they have read this school year. They need the title of the book, author, and a summary. They can decorate it however they want.

The Tuesday before break, I arrange the desks like long dinner tables with tablecloths and book centerpieces. 

The students come in, give a book talk to those at their table and then mingle and go to another table. I try to complete three rounds, giving students an opportunity to hear several book talks and add to their want to read lists in their notebooks.

It has become my go-to activity for the week of Thanksgiving. It is very relaxed, lots of fun, and filled with creativity and wonderful books. What more could a language arts teacher ask for!

Here are some pictures of this year's plates.

The Perfect Match #SOL21

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we share a slice of life every single day in the month of March. 

Sometimes when I read a book, I think about a certain student and how I know it is the perfect book for him or her. When I finish, I can't wait to run and tell them about it.

A few weeks ago I was reading Hunter's Choice by Trent Reedy. I have become a fan of his writing because he writes stories that I know kids are going to want to read. Hunter's Choice is about hunting; it's an outdoor person kind of book. This is a type of book that fills a much-needed void in my classroom library. 

As I was reading, I kept thinking about Carson, one of my students. Earlier in the year, he wrote a narrative about a fishing trip, so I knew he liked being outdoors. He has also been a difficult student to match with books.

A few weeks ago, his mother, who is a staff member, asked me what she could do to get him reading. I immediately told her about this book and how I had thought about Carson the whole time I was reading it.

Today while we had our reading time, I noticed Carson was reading it! 

Matching kids with books is the most important part of my job and the one that brings me the most joy! I can't wait to see what he thinks because I think it is the perfect match!

#IMWAYR ~ 2/1

In 2021 I'm trying to return to communities that support me as a reader, a writer, and a teacher. Not sure how regular I will be, but I am here today. 

Jen Vincent at Teach Mentor Texts and Kelle and Ricki at Unleashing Readers co-host It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Stop by and see what others are reading this week.

I have been taking a break from social media, and I am loving the reading time it is affording me. I've reacquainted myself with Netgalley again, and our library just made Hoopla available, so I am loving my reading life right now.

Here's what I read last week:

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (ARC by Netgalley)

I loved The Serpent King and Goodbye Days from Zentner, and this one is just as amazing. I loved how Cash uses poetry to help him get through his grief and learn about what is important in life. The writing is absolutely beautiful. You will want to put this on your list for August.

Hooper by Geoff Herbach

Adam needed basketball. It saved him, and he knew it. Each year, I have students who need basketball maybe more than basketball needs them. It's books like this that teach kids being part of a team is more than just playing the game. Although this is written for young adults, I would have no problem handing it to my middle school students.

Hunter's Choice by Trent Reedy (ARC by Netgalley)

Hunter's Choice by Trent Reedy is a much-needed book in my classroom library. I have many boys who are outdoorsmen, and I do not have books to fill this need. Plus the female characters add even more appeal. The exploration of human life and our role in wildlife is appropriately done for this age group. It has just enough suspense to keep the reader's attention and keep them turning the page. I can't wait to purchase this one for my classroom library.

On my reading radar for this week:

I am struggling with Everything Sad is Untrue. I want to abandon it but giving it a little more time. If you have read it, please let me know if it's worth plugging away.

Thank you for always welcoming back the prodigal reader!

I Need a Good Book! #SOL20

I received an email Sunday with the subject: "I need a good book."

Hmmm...this should be interesting as we are not in school right now.

This email from my student went on to say, "Remember how you said at the beginning of the year you wanted to get to know our personalities so you can help us pick out books. Well, I think you know me pretty well, and I need help finding a book that I will stick with and enjoy.

Yes, you do have trouble sticking with a book, and I know you help with this.  But how am I going to help you when I can no longer physically suggest and hand books from our classroom library to you?

"The last book I read was A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, and that was a great book. Now I need a new one. If you know of any good books you think I will enjoy reading, please send them to me because I'm in need of a good book."

Yes, Long Way Down is a great book. 

Do I know of any good books?!? Of course, I do, but how am I going to get you a book?  

I suggested a new-author-to-me, Elizabeth Eulberg, whose books I won in a Twitter giveaway and look really good. But still, how would I get them to her. Then I suggested The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I told her about the online app from our public library and suggested that she try it.

My heart was breaking because here was a student who needed my help with choosing a book, and I could not look at our classroom library, pull out book after book, and make suggestions. I take this part of my job seriously, and I felt hopeless.

I did what I could with what I had.

Today I get another email with the subject:  I found a book! 

She used our online app from the library and checked out The Poet X. I know she will LOVE this one! 

She ended the email, "I hope we get back to school soon."

Yes, so do I.

Please join Two Writing Teachers and the annual Slice of Life March Challenge.

A Book You Haven't Read Yet #MGBOOKMARCH

I am joining folks at MG Book Village on Twitter to share some middle-grade book love this month. Each day has a different prompt, and people share their favorite book that fits that prompt. What a great way to learn about new titles and add to my TBR list. Here is day three!

Book you want to read but still haven't.

Oh my, I have boxes and boxes of books I want to read but haven't yet. But if I have to pick one, it would be this one.

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

I sat at a round table with this author at NCTE, and she was simply delightful! I finally ordered the book recently - but haven't gotten to it yet.

From Goodreads: This novel tells the story of a thirteen-year-old who is filled with self-loathing and must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself.

Maybe now that I have publicly said this, I will get the job done!