I Like Big Books…

I like big books….I saw this on a bumper sticker last weekend.  It made me smile.  In my head (and out loud) I finished it with, “and I cannot lie, you other brothers can’t deny...”  I then proceeded to try and finish the song by changing the lyrics to fit “big books.”  Trent really appreciated it :)

The truth is, I have been obsessed with reading lately.  There have been years that I can tell you exactly how many books I have read by counting on one hand.  Most summers I make a summer reading list only to miserably fail at my goal.  It is so much easier to piddle my time away on useless, technology that does not challenge my brain.  I am a product of this modern technological era, but slowly, I am trying change that one book at a time.

I am not quite sure of how many books I have read since August, but somehow, it seems that each book has been better than the last.  I have been reading a variety if genres from memoirs, to non fiction, fiction and tween.

My current book is Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.  I bought it awhile back when I was putting in a book order for my students.  Its targeted audience is middle school, but I have heard it is a great book.  It takes place in a high school and celebrates nonconformity in a usually conforming environment.  I had to laugh out loud when I was reading it on the plane back to Omaha yesterday.  I was 81 pages into the book when I realized that the main character telling the story was a boy.  It made a lot of things make more sense.  For example, why the character’s name was Leo.  And why Leo collects porcupine neckties.  I don’t think it was a secret or even anything that was to be discovered later in the book.  I just missed something.  Big time.  For 81 pages.  I guess it teaches me a lesson in monitoring my own understanding.  I will have to share that with my first graders this week.  Even grown ups have to monitor their understanding when they are reading.  And sometimes they make mistakes!

Anyway, I am loving reading right now.  I read the most when I am traveling, but I have been finding lots of other time to read as well.  It is an escape from my ever crazy life.

Now, it is time to get ready to take on my Tuesday.  It is jeans day to celebrate the high school football team making it to the quarter finals of the state playoffs.  It is also going to be cold.  Single digit wind chills cold!  My goal is to not turn on the heat until December.  We will see how that goes after a chilly night tonight.  I will be back soon with an update on the last month and then some. 

{The Launes}