It's Monday What Are You Reading?

Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this meme.  You can go to their blog Teach Mentor Texts to read more about what others are reading.

I have taken a break from blogging and it feels good to be back at it.  I've changed blogging platforms, so hopefully people will find me again.  

I've read a lot of great books...both professional and for my fourth graders.  My husband and I took a trip this past weekend which included some drive time.  That meant lots of time to read!

I was so happy when I received Franki Sibberson's new book in the mail.  I have so much respect for her and always love reading her work, be it one of her books, her blog, or her articles in Choice Literacy.  This book came at the perfect time when I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities that come with school (interims, data teams, beginning of the year assessments, etc).  Reading The Joy of Planning gave me the needed reminder that it's ok to slow down and use what I know about my students to plan instruction.  I'll review Franki's book in further detail later this week.

The other professional book I read this past week was in preparation for the Children's Literature Across the Curriculum class I am taking.  Steve Moline's book I See What You Mean focuses on the importance of visual literacy, strategies for teaching students how and when to use them strategically, and how to assess their use.  It's a user friendly book with a lot of good information.  A second edition has been published which now includes information about online resources.

I read Kate Messner's Eye of the Storm in one day!  I can't wait to share it with my students.  I stayed up way past my bedtime so that I could finish reading it.  My class Skyped with Kate to talk about Capture the Flag.  I know that they will love her new book.

New books for the classroom: