January Reads: Books 1-7

I prefer devoting a post to each book, but...that thing called time. Listed below, in chronological order, are the books I have read thus far in 2016:

1. The Grandfather Medicine by Jean Hager (Paper Chase Book Club, Jan. 4)
2. The Red Queen 
3. Audacious by Beth Moore (1-18-16)
4. The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth (1-18-16)
5. The Measure of Katie Calloway by Serena Miller (1-18-16)
6. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (1-20-16)
7. Turn Away Thy Son by Elizabeth Jacoway (2-1-16)

30: Old Testament

What a journey...one I only completed part way, for my intention was to read, as part of Joanna Weaver's Chronological Bible Read Challenge, the entire Bible.  Then life happened in the form of additional Bible studies and the teaching of 2-3 classes per week at church.  Thus, I completed only the Old Testament:  just what I needed to read this year.

Over the months, this read revealed the stories, the characters, the passage of time from year to year.  In May, I purchased a chronological Bible that coincided with this plan and enjoyed the flow of the plots even more.

I learned so much, so very much.  This journey I encourage.  Very much.

Happy reading!

27-29: Christmas Reads

This season I read three of the four Christmas fiction reads that I had hoped to read.  I did enjoy all of them, though.

1. Christmas in Cedar Grove by Debbie Macomber:  This one I read for book club.  This group of ladies always choose a book about Christmas.  This one actually had two novels included, both of which I enjoyed.
2. The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans:  The second in a series of three (not a trilogy...as all can be read independently), this one told the story of a female romance writer (hint:  here it would be helpful if you had read book one!).  While at a writer's conference, she meets who will become of the love of her life.  I have always enjoyed everything I have read by Evans (his The Walk series remains my favorite!).
3. Home for Christmas, a collection of novellas by four authors, one of whom is Colleen Coble: these four short stories interwove the stories of for four siblings separated when young upon the death of their mother.  A grand collection of stories of hope, these entertained me during the evenings just before Christmas.

As much as I love books, I still remain amazed this Christmas that I never receive books for Christmas.  Is Santa not getting the message?!  Never fear!  I ordered three today!  :)

Happy reading!

26: Not I, But Christ

This book Not I, But Christ was the basis for a book study with my Sunday evening Discipleship Training class.  What should have been a four-week study turned into about a three-month study, as we paused and discussed and reflected and studied and dove into the topics within this book.

Part of Lifeway's Masterwork series, this one caused us to pause and focus on the centeredness of our faith:  Christ, further learning more about His Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification, a new word study for me, one I needed!

Written by Stephen Olson, this read was more difficult for me, due in part, I think, to the writer's style, as I would read...and stop...and re-read, always attempting to further understand what he was conveying.  Maybe it was the topic?

I no longer own this book.  One evening, three teachers from China visited with us. After their expressing much interest in the topic and then overhearing our pastor's wife say she wished we had a copy of the book for them, I passed my copy along.  This is a step in the right direction for me, for I am a book hoarder.  No doubt.  Very serious.  I love books.  Probably too much.  Fortunately for me...my husband says one cannot have too many books.  Bless him!

Happy reading!

25: Reading Nonfiction

Are you a teacher?  Of secondary level students?  Then, this is a must read for you.

This past week I shared this book...Reading Nonfiction by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst...at the Arkansas Reading Conference, where one third grade teacher said that, based on the overview, she, too, could use this book's content within her class.  Yes, a must read.

With such an emphasis now on nonfiction texts (even within our secondary English classes), close reading strategies remain a pertinent topic.  Authors Beers and Probst suggest teaching students the following:

• Three BIG Questions
• Five Signposts
• Seven Strategies for before, during and after reading

At Teachers Pay Teachers, several teachers have created resources for both this book and the authors' previous book Notice and Note.  Cute, colorful posters.  Bookmarks.  Yes, those items that make us happy!  AND some of the resources are free!  

The primary difference between the two books is that Reading Nonfiction focuses on informational texts, while Notice and Note zones in on literary texts.  Both good.  Both needed.  I hope to work with all the signposts, incorporating them, as I begin even more diligently readying my students to take the ACT Aspire next spring, on which they will be asked to analyze two texts, choose a common claim, and support with three pieces of evidence from the texts.  We have worked much practicing this with one text; must now incorporate multiple texts.

These books go nicely with the premise of Penny Kittle's Write Beside Them...a practice I am attempting to journey back (as our new current curriculum has eaten much of my time as I read and prepare and think...that I could have spent creating and writing beside my students...stay tuned for my next post at Treasure Chest of Thoughts).

I would love to host or participate in a book study of either book.  Should you know of such a book club or be interested in our creating one, please share!

Happy reading!

_______________________

Also posted at Treasure Chest of Thoughts.

23-24: The Magisterium Series

Some say The Magisterium Series might be the new Harry Potter series...I may agree!

Authors Holly Black (Spiderwick Chronicles) and Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments Series) teamed up to write this five-book series featuring Callum Hunt, who, at the age of 12, learns more of the world of magic, a world that explains some of the oddities in life, a world of which he has not desire of which to be a part, mainly due to his father's discouragement.

Much like Harry attends Hogwarts, Callum and other trainees attend the Magisterium to learn more about their powers and the Enemy they must conquer. These characters, some you love; some you don't.

These authors writing style I appreciate and plan to take into the classroom as models for my students to emulate.  When I began first reading book one The Iron Trial, I annotated for all types of phrases, clauses, and sentence structures.  That, of course, only lasted for a few pages as I became swept up into the whirlwind of conflicts and character developments.

As I read, I was so glad that I had already purchased book two The Copper Gauntlet, a book I have already promised to loan to two others, both of whom are involved in either our teacher or student book club, both of whom have chosen The Iron Trial as our first group read for this fall.

Please...if you loved Harry Potter, go ahead and dive into this series.  You will want to adopt Callum, also!

Happy reading!

22: The Autobiography of Malcolm X

This book I read in preparation for potentially teaching it to high school seniors.  The decision was made to not teach the book.