RE 5533 discussion

I couldn't name just one, so I won't make you. What are some of the best books you ever read? What made them so memorable?

One that I loved was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I remember one passage especially which describes why the author must wear his old, worn riding gloves and not buy a new pair. It rang (and rings) awfully true in both things in my life and the attachments I make and keep dearly with a few close friends.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

When I was a freshman in college my roommate was reading Vonnegut. I borrowed "Welcome to the Monkey House," couldn't put it down, and read everything that Vonnegut had written to that point in the next month. Kurt Vonnegut

I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks. I like that all of his books are set in North Carolina. They always have a strong connection between two characters that fall deeply in love. I am not big on Romance but his books really draw me in and keep me on the edge of my seat.

I also enjoyed reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen when I was in school. The memorable moment in that book is the "secret". The secret he keeps inside himself that relates to his parent's divorce. I now read this book to my students as a read aloud. They enjoy the imagery in this book! I find that it is very suspenseful.

I also loved Hatchet! I remember reading it over and over again! I also love The Outsiders. I can remember being in middle school and not being able to put it down because there was so much going on. Now days, I enjoy reading children's books. One that I love reading is "Oh, the places you'll go" by Dr. Seuss.

Hunger Games, hands down. Dr. K., you know how I feel about reading, and that was one series that really hooked me. I liked the setting and the strong female protagonist. I also like Joy Luck Club, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Tonto and the Lone Ranger Fistfight in Heaven. I think I like those because of their themes, as well as the short story set up (at least in the case of Joy Luck Club and Tonto and the Lone Ranger). Also love Love that Dog because of it being poetry.

Breanna wrote: "I also loved Hatchet! I remember reading it over and over again! I also love The Outsiders. I can remember being in middle school and not being able to put it down because there was so much goin..."

I also like reading children's books. Ever read Creepy Carrots? That book tickles me.

I had my highest group read Hatchet this year, they struggled through it a bit, but it has wonderful figurative language and as a reader you just really be able to visualize to stay connected with this book. I do enjoy Nicholas Sparks as well, I love that he uses places close to home. Makes me realize that our students love to read things that are connected to them, it really hooks them as readers. I really enjoyed the Kite Runner. The author did a great job with getting me hooked emotionally to the character, I never wanted to put it down and had to find out what happened to the little boy. I have no previous experience with the middle eastern culture, but the author described the situation so well that I had great background knowledge while reading this book. It is a must read!

So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a promising literacy teacher. THAT IS WHY I AM IN THIS PROGRAM! However, the first book I read all the way through was Because of Winn-Dixie and I loved it! I love my stray so it hit home for me. Since then I have read numerous novels, childrens and adults, from the Magic Treehouse Collection to the Fifty Shades of Gray trilogy. However, I would have to say that anything by Eric Carle is my favorite. I love to read them to my kids, no matter how old and plan to use them for different lessons in my classroom. The illustrations are beautiful.

Breanna wrote: "I also loved Hatchet! I remember reading it over and over again! I also love The Outsiders. I can remember being in middle school and not being able to put it down because there was so much goin..."

Breanna I too enjoy reading Children's Books now. When I walk in Barnes and Noble I venture to the Children's side before the Adult section.

Paige wrote: "Hunger Games, hands down. Dr. K., you know how I feel about reading, and that was one series that really hooked me. I liked the setting and the strong female protagonist. I also like Joy Luck Club,..."

Hunger Games was awesome. I am now reading a Trilogy very similar to the Hunger Games. It is by Veronica Roth. The first book is Divergent. It is a little slow at the beginning but picks up and ends with a suspenseful ending. I am now on the second book, Insurgent.

Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a promising litera..."

Because of Winn Dixie is a great book. I had to do a Text Complexity unit with the book. The students actually became really hooked with the story. We decided to read it as a class read aloud after the small excerpt we had worked with.

I am a big Nicholas Sparks fan. I'm drawn to the fact they take place in NC and also that most of them have movies to go along with them. I also enjoyed the Hunger Games set. When I first saw it and read about it I never thought it would be for me but once I started reading I was addicted.

Lindsay wrote: "Paige wrote: "Hunger Games, hands down. Dr. K., you know how I feel about reading, and that was one series that really hooked me. I liked the setting and the strong female protagonist. I also like ..."

I loved The Hunger Games...I am going to have to read Divergent.

Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a promising litera..."

Yay! Another reluctant reader in the group! I bet you read way more than you realize. I found this out in another class I took with Dr. K., and although I am not a big fiction reader, I do love nonfiction and poetry. And of course children's literature!

My favorite book growing up was always S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders (and all other S.E. Hinton books for that matter), but this summer I reread it I remember feeling a lot closer to the characters. My favorite series is Harry Potter, J.K Rowling's imagination completely amazes me. My favorite fiction book is Goodnight, Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson. I think the empathy you feel towards Nova and the plot twist makes this book most memorable.

Ok, I love to read. Picking my favorite book is akin to picking my favorite child...impossible. I love many books for a variety of reasons. So, here is the highly abridged version of books I love and why.

Classical Lit - Jane Austen - She wrote strong female characters who didn't bend to the rules of society or the whims of their families. I don't know how anyone can not love an Austen heroine.

Grown-up People Memoir - Wild by Cheryl Strayed. This book is not only beautifully written, it is powerful and raw. Strayed is FAR from perfect and she doesn't sugar coat her short-comings. However, you empathize with her. Her story of loss (of love, loved ones, and self) will rip your guts out as you watch her struggle to find her way.

YA Lit - Cassandra Clare. I discovered this author two years ago when I was out on maternity leave. She is just amazing. Her books will make you laugh and cry and bite your nails in anticipation all within the span of a few pages. She is very good at making you feel like you are a part of the story. She has two book series and you can really see her growth as an author over the course of her books. Each one is better than the one before it!

Children's Lit -
Fantasy - Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. This book (and series) is so exciting. Great adventure story. Anytime I get my kids to start reading this series it spreads like wildfire! Boys and girls devour this story!

Realistic Fiction - The Lemonade WAr by Jacqualine Davies. This book is not only just the sweetest story about a brother and a sister, it is also a book that can be used in a variety of ways. There are economic elements in it as well as math. Kids and adults love this book. The characters are so very real, they feel like an extension of yourself.

Historical Fiction - Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Beautiful! This book is so beautiful and lyrical and sad but amazing! It is about the Dust Bowl.

Historical Fiction - A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck. This book is so funny. It is about the Great Depression. This is one that boys really seem to enjoy (even though it is about a girl and her grandmother).

Oh my gosh I could continue but I think I will stop there.

Lindsay wrote: "Paige wrote: "Hunger Games, hands down. Dr. K., you know how I feel about reading, and that was one series that really hooked me. I liked the setting and the strong female protagonist. I also like ..."

I loved the Divergent triology! I have enjoyed it more than the Hunger Games actually. For me the Hunger Games declined as the series progressed. I liked each subsequent book less than the one before it. However, Divergent is proving to be different, each one has gotten better than the one before it. I hope Allegiant is as good as the first two were! I really like Veronica Roth's style of writing. It is simple and to the point, very direct but she really makes your feel her words. She is good at using just a few phrases to make a strong impact.

Lindsay wrote: "Paige wrote: "Hunger Games, hands down. Dr. K., you know how I feel about reading, and that was one series that really hooked me. I liked the setting and the strong female protagonist. I also like ..."

I LOVED the hunger games! I have only read the first 2 but I want to read more. I loved the action in the book! It really hooked the reader!!

I have a hard time picking a favorite book. I would have to say a favorite Author I like is Karen Kingsbury: Any of her books are AMAZING because they are easy to read, they allow me to get lost in a book, and I know that it's a clean book that doesn't have nudity or foul language.

If we were talking about children's books: My favorite children's book is Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. I read this to my kids all the time when they are having bad days. It helps us get through those bad days and we talk about how everyone have bad days but you have to push through them!

Asking me to pick a favorite book is liking asking me to pick a favorite flavor of ice cream. It all depends on my mood. My favorite children's book is There are Rocks in My Socks Said the Ox to the Fox. As I kid I loved the rhyming silliness of the book. My favorite all time book is probably To Kill a Mockingbird. I love how much personality all of the characters have. Out of more modern books, John Green is my favorite adolescent author, and The Help by Katheryn Stocket is an award winner in my book any day!

Robyn wrote: "Asking me to pick a favorite book is liking asking me to pick a favorite flavor of ice cream. It all depends on my mood. My favorite children's book is There are Rocks in My Socks Said the Ox to ..."

Robyn: I loved reading the Help. I thought that it was MUCH better than the book was!!

Maria wrote: "Ok, I love to read. Picking my favorite book is akin to picking my favorite child...impossible. I love many books for a variety of reasons. So, here is the highly abridged version of books I lov..."

I love A Year Down Yonder. I remember maybe reading it for the first time in middle school. I laughed so hard during that book. It's a great children's classic!

My favorite book that I love reading to my second graders is The Tale of Despereaux. I love how all the different stories tie into one. My favorite book to read personally is anything by Nicholas Sparks.

Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a promising litera..."


I read Beause of Winn-Dixie to my second graders every year! They love it...and I do too!

Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a promising litera..."

Marcia, I love your reason for being in the reading program. I, too felt that I wasn't the best reading teacher and that's why I joined the program. I have learned so much from the program. I hope you have too!

Lindsay wrote: "Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a p..."

Lindsay, when you did the text complexity unit on Because of Winn Dixie did you have copies of the book for each student. If not, how did you get around that? I have this problem when trying to do these units in my class!

Paige wrote: "Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a p..."


I do. I like to read now (when I get time) and Im actually pretty quick at it. I just wasnt growing up and want to help other understand how important it is to read now, while their young.

Breanna wrote: "Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a p..."


I just started but am very eager to learn. Its nice to hear good things about the program from someone who understands.

Brittany wrote: "I am a big Nicholas Sparks fan. I'm drawn to the fact they take place in NC and also that most of them have movies to go along with them." I love the fact that most of his books do have movies to go along with them. I also liked Hunger Games. Dr. Frye had us to read a couple of children's book I enjoyed which were The One and Only Ivan and Wonderstruck.

Lindsay wrote: "I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks. I like that all of his books are set in North Carolina. They always have a strong connection between two characters that fall deeply in love. I am not big on R..."

I am also a huge fan of his too. I loved reading The Lucky One, that was my first Sparks novel. I also love the fact that they are based in NC. I was very sad when I missed his book signing at Lenoir Rhyne University, here in Hickory several months ago. I won't miss Eric Carle though.

Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a promising litera..."

I stopped reading full novels when I was a teenager. About seven years ago, I read The Glass Castle and loved it. It ignited the spark again and I am so thankful. Now I consider which book I am going to read on vacation or in my leisure time (which is not that often right now).

Some of the best books I have ever read are:

Elementary - Charlotte's Web, first chapter book I ever read. I read it several times.

Middle school - The Diary of Anne Frank - It gave me a LOVE for historical fiction. I was and still am fascinated by WWII Germany.

High school - To Kill A Mockingbird - just remember liking our discussions about it in class

College - Honestly, do not remember any novels I enjoyed. I really enjoyed my textbook for my Native American Anthropology class. Very interesting to me.

Favorite Classroom Novel to share - Kidnapped at the Capital - It is a mystery novel that keeps my second graders on their toes and throws in a lot of facts about Washington D.C.

Favorite Picture Book to share in my classroom - How I Spent My Summer Vacation - It inspires writing at the beginning of the year, when most of the students do not want to write.

Favorite Historical Fiction - Blue - I really enjoy a vivid story set in the early 20th century linked to historical facts.

Maria wrote: "Lindsay wrote: "Paige wrote: "Hunger Games, hands down. Dr. K., you know how I feel about reading, and that was one series that really hooked me. I liked the setting and the strong female protagoni..."

I am so excited to start the second book once school work calms down. I got really hooked once the relationship between Tris and Four spiraled together. The ending of the book was bitter sweet, with her family and all.

Robyn wrote: "Asking me to pick a favorite book is liking asking me to pick a favorite flavor of ice cream. It all depends on my mood. My favorite children's book is There are Rocks in My Socks Said the Ox to ..."

Robyn I took read the Help. What a great story. The relationship I developed with the characters was very passionate. I also enjoyed seeing the movie.

Lindsay wrote: "Maria wrote: "Lindsay wrote: "Paige wrote: "Hunger Games, hands down. Dr. K., you know how I feel about reading, and that was one series that really hooked me. I liked the setting and the strong fe..."

I actually got into the series quite by accident. My son ordered the first one on my kindle with Amazon's one-click ordering (that'll teach me not to set parental controls). So I bought the first one and really enjoyed it and then read the second one. I think it is definitely an interesting concept. At first I didn't really care for Four all that much. As the book progressed I grew to appreciate him.

Rebecca wrote: "Marcia wrote: "So, I never read a book all the way through until I was in college for my bachelors (2 years ago, max.) I am not an avid reader and believe I dont have the skills necessary to be a p..."

I had to read The Glass Castle for an AIG course I took for the county. That book was so good! I read it out loud to my husband and he enjoyed it too! I wanted to scream at her parents!

Robyn wrote: "Maria wrote: "Ok, I love to read. Picking my favorite book is akin to picking my favorite child...impossible. I love many books for a variety of reasons. So, here is the highly abridged version ..."

Yes, my students (especially the boys) love the part when the grandmother steals the guys tractor and crashes into the tree!

Morgan wrote: "My favorite book growing up was always S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders (and all other S.E. Hinton books for that matter), but this summer I reread it I remember feeling a lot closer to the characters. ..."

I always read a lot, especially in elementary school and middle school. Then I went through a phase in high school where I really rebelled from reading. I think it was because I had to read so many books for my English classes that I didn't feel like I had any other time to myself and then I didn't always care for the books we had to read (*cough* Anna Karenina *cough*). I did my readings for my classes but I didn't read outside of that. However, Harry Potter got me back into reading for pleasure when I was in college. It started because my sister had me read part of book two to my niece as a bedtime story. It was just some random chapter (which ever one they had left off on). And I was like, wow, that's an interesting book. My sister gave me the first one to take home and I was hooked. I read the first four in the span of about three weeks. This was right after book four had been released. Of course I had to wait about two years for when book five came out. While I waited for that book to be released I started looking for other books and remembered "Oh yeah, I really love to read!" and started reading for fun again!

Morgan wrote: "My favorite book growing up was always S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders (and all other S.E. Hinton books for that matter), but this summer I reread it I remember feeling a lot closer to the characters. ..."
I loved the Outsiders as well! I forgot about that book, but I will never forget about how much it hooked me as a reader!

Hannah wrote: "My favorite book that I love reading to my second graders is The Tale of Despereaux. I love how all the different stories tie into one. My favorite book to read personally is anything by Nicholas..."

I want to read The Tale of Desperaux! I have heard that it is excellent! I have so much I want to read this summer, but it is winding down too quickly!

Marcia,
Can I recommend The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller for you? I think that you will be happy with what you find out about yourself as a reader.

You can find a link to it on my bookshelf.