Saturday, January 3, 2015

My Must Reads in 2015

While I often record a book title in my phone so I won't forget it and mark several books as "to read" in Goodreads, I really have never made an official list. I always have a stack along with a mental list, but composing a list at the beginning of a new year is new to me!

2015 Releases

  • All the Answers by Kate Messner
  • Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
  • Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
  • Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia
  • The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
  • Jack by Liesl Shurtliff (Rump was one of my favorites, and I can't wait for this one!)
  • Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff
  • Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen
  • Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper (Need I say more than the author's name?)
  • The Way to Stay in Destiny by Augusta Scattergood
  • The Whisper by Aaron Starmer










Recent Books That I Missed

Next are some more recent books that I am planning to read soon!
  • The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
  • Greenglass House by Kate Milford
  • Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst
  • The Madman of Piney Woods by Christopher Paul Curtis (I actually just started this one today!)
  • The Paper Cowboy by Kristen Levine
  • The Quirks: Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg
  • The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer
  • The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner

Older Books

My last books are some older titles. I only became a librarian three years ago, and before that I taught first grade for years. My reading then consisted mostly of picture books, early-reader chapter books, and adult books. Unfortunately, I missed out on a lot of great children's books during that time. With so many new books coming out each week, it's hard to "catch up"! I have been trying to read some books that were popular (and some still are!) from prior years.

I only recently read the first Harry Potter book. When I began as a new librarian, a friend and mentor suggested to me that I only read the first book in a series, since there were so many books I would need to read. While I think that was good advice at the time, I'd like to move forward with this series.
  • Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Below are some other books from series that have been popular with several students, and I haven't read any of them! Fortunately, I have learned what type of readers to recommend most of them to, but it's not the same as having read them yourself! I am only including the first book in each set for now.
  • The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
  • 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
  • Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
  • Who Could It Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket

  • Legend by Marie Lu (This is the only book on the 2015 Rebecca Caudill List that I haven't read, as I didn't buy it for our K-5 library due to its recommended age level for readers. Still yet, I want to have read the entire list before March when the winner is announced!)


That totals 25 books! I am looking forward to all of them!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

One Little Word 2015

A few days ago I began to see some tweets about One Little Word. Neat idea, I thought...I should do that. It isn't likely that I actually would have done it though, until I came across a post from a teacher who lives about a 30-minute drive away from me, yet someone whom I've never met. (We really need to try to fix that soon!) I read the post by Leigh Anne Eck which was called "Looking Back", and if you haven't read it, you really should! It was here that she shared her word, one word to guide her through the upcoming year. Her writing stuck with me, so I began to give it some thought. I even went to a site (One Little Word 2014) that gave fantastic suggestions for words to use as I pondered.

Last night my word came to me, and I found it on a list of suggestions afterward! My One Little Word for 2015 is present. I am choosing this one because that's what I often need to do - be present, right here, right now. I am terribly guilty of worrying about something before it ever happens and of missing something today because I am focusing on something that's coming up in the future. Obviously, it's important to plan and be prepared, but I think I sometimes miss things that could bring joy right here in the present because I am too busy getting something ready for tomorrow or next week. I know this has happened to me at home with my family and at school with my students, and my goal is to change that.

Here is to enjoying what's happening right in front of us!

#Nerdlution15

I NEVER make New Year's Resolutions, but somehow I have caught the #nerdlution15 spirit, and I am going to join in. Here goes!

1. Less soda. I have been saying all week that I am going to give up my Diet Cokes, and I've been joking with my kids that I would be waiting until January 1st. (So far I've made it through lunch without one!) Honestly, I wasn't completely serious about giving them up, although I know I should not be drinking so many. After seeing a few resolutions to drink less soda, I am thinking I can at least commit to cutting back. I would really like to give them up completely, but that might not be realistic. I recently quit buying them to keep at home, but all that has done is caused me to make several trips to the convenience store and pay more for them! I really want to work toward giving them up completely, so I am going begin and say that I will have no more than 5 per week during the next 50 days. At that time, I will reevaluate the situation!



2. Writing/Blogging. I came home from Nerd Camp MI 2014 psyched up to begin blogging, and then proceeded to make two entries. Even though I read many blogs by others and often think of things I should share, I simply haven't done it. I am really going to strive to reflect and post more often this year. I am going to aim to have posted 5 entries at the end of the 50 days. (I guess this is number one:)!





Hopefully, I will manage to stick with both of these once school and all of our other activities get started up again next week! I may be wishing for some snow days:) Happy Nerdlution 2015!