Mary-- I was so heartened to read your review. This is my first year teaching high school (9th and 10th grades) and I have made independent reading a cornerstone of these courses, but I have been nagged by my own doubts about whether it is still appropriate in high school, as well as parent complaints that I am not challenging the students enough. I guess I need to get my hands on this new Atwell book and add it to the bibliography on self-selected reading that I now include with my packets explaining reading workshop. --Margie
On 1/20/07, Mary Dovey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I became a literacy coach this year and moved to lurker status on most > lists. Since I wanted to compile all your responses on th is topic for our > middle school teachers, I thought maybe someone on the list itself would > find it useful to have all the posts in one place. > Mary Dovey > Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215 > > PS: Nanci Atwell has published a new book through Scholastic called The > Reading Zone...she calls it a manifesto for independent reading. It is > thought provoking and powerful. I bought it through Amazon for about $13. > Since she has traditionally been a Heinemann author, this work hasn't had > a > lot of publicity. I was so impressed that I'm recommending it to everyone. > Here's the link if you are interested in and would like to read my review. > > > http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-2517476-1264829?url=search-alias%3D > aps&field-keywords=The+Reading+Zone&Go.x=8&Go.y=11&Go=Go > > > ******** > Every year we have a Brown Bag "You pick the winners" club at our school > which always generates great buzz for new titles as students share their > favorites not only during club but also in their classroom settings. This > year Book Thief by Zusak, New Moon by Meyer, and Yellow Star by Roy were > voted the best books of the year. To see student thoughts about the books > we read, see http://www.websterawards.blogspot.com/. Other titles that > are > popular with students: > City of Ember and sequel, prequel > Anthony Horowitz books > Gary Paulsen books > Twilight > Sisterhood books > Hoot, Flush > James Patterson books > Eragon, Eldest > Uglies, Pretties, Specials > Among the Hidden series > > Those are a few that seem to continue to be favorites or are becoming new > favorites. > > Bunny Bauernfeind > Reading Specialist > Webster Transitional School > W75N624 Wauwatosa Rd. > Cedarburg, WI 53012 > 262-376-6513 > ************** > Many of my 8th grade girls have become avid readers this year. They are > reading the Clique series, It Happened to Nancy, Dear One, Speak, Cut, > Define Normal, Stargirl, Heartbeat, A Child Called It...they love it...I > have had to replace it at least three times because it keeps > disappearing... > > As for my boys...they are very reluctant but I found the book Bottled > Up...pretty strong language but they wouldn't put it down! Also, > Deathwatch and The Boy from the Basement is pretty popular for my boys. > > Nikki Zitlow > Reading Specialist > Horning Middle School > 2000 Wolf Road > Waukesha, WI 53186 > > Phone: 262.970.3364 > Fax: 262.970.3320 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ************* > > The books that are most requested/checked out in our library right now > > Uglies, Pretties > Bluford Books > Who am I without Him? > Eldest (after Eragon-- they all liked the book better than the movie!) > basketball books > manga and anime (we keep those by the checkout desk because they come > and go so quickly) > > Susie Highley > Creston Middle School > ************* > > My 6th graders read the Phantom Tollbooth and we're about to start > Seedfolks > as our next lit study. > My 7/8th graders (we have multiage classes) read Bronx Masquerade and will > be reading Bull Run as a lit study. I teach integrated LA/SS so my lit > studies are usually attached to our Expeditions. > > I can't say that any one book is flying off the shelves of my room as > their > tastes are as varied as their moods. > > My 6th graders have really been into James Howe's Bunnicula series (he has > a > new one out) and the Misfits. Ben Mikelson and Louis Sacher have been > popular. > > My 7/8th graders had a teacher who was totally oblivious to YA literature > and so they are at best reluctant readers. Walter Dean Myers and Small > Steps > by Louis Sacher have been popular, The Sisterhood books, Twilight and New > Moon have been popular with some of my girls. Accidental Love by Gary Soto > has been a big hit as well. > > Do your kids read a Child Called It? My students somehow manage to get > their > hands on it and write in their response notebooks that it is their > favorite > book. I just can't figure it out. The content doesn't bother me nearly as > much as the fact that it is really awful writing. I feel the same way > about > Chicken Soup books. I wish I could find some books with the kind of drama > that attracts them that has some literary value. > > I'd love any suggestions if you have them. > > Lise > *********** > with my students, we are reading Romeo and Juliet, (honors level) Night, > Ender's Game (honor's), The Outsiders, and we will read The Pigman, and > probably Princess Bride (honors). > > On their own they are getting into graphic novels and really line > realistic > fiction. The girls like those "clique" books that is just about gossip > and > boys. > > Please let me know if you have any other questins. I hope I helped. > Ashli > I teach 8th grade Reading > ********* > There are more "trends" with my girls: Clique Series, The Uglies-The > Pretties-The Specials; TGIF and TTFN; Perfect; Sisterhood of the Traveling > Pants series; Sonja Sones' books--- > My boys' reading habits are less obvious, but some of the books include: > Hiassen's Hoot and Flush; Flags of My Fathers; Enders Game; Holes; Among > the > Hidden series; Walter Dean Meyers' books; William Sleater's books; Gary > Paulsen; assorted graphic novels... > > Barb Lazar > (8th grade) > Cleveland Middle School > Albuquerque, NM > > ********* > > For independent reading, LOTS of my kids are running quickly through > > Gordon Korman's Chasing the Falconers series (6 books) followed by > Kidnapped (3 books) - these are really quick fun reads with very > resourceful kid heroes > Perfect - Natasha Friend (I think) > Peter and the Starcatchers & Peter and the Shadow Thieves - Dave Barry > & Ridley Pearson > The Revealers - Doug Wilhelm > > We also have a competition going with the 15 2006-2007 Florida Sunshine > titles for middle school - Peter and The Revealers are among those > titles as was the first of the Falconer series. > > I'll check my checkout list tomorrow to see if there's anything else > really hot. One old discovery by an 8th grade girl is Joy in the > Morning (same author as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn). She loved it - set > during WWI, very wholesome romance. > > Ginny White > Fernandina Beach Middle (FL) > ******* > girls: Clique; they've discovered Louise Rennison once I brought it to the > class library; Blister; CON-fidence; Two Princesses of Bamarre; The Wish; > Fearless FBI series > guys: Artemis Fowl (most have read them, some just finding); Pendragon; > Spy > High, "On the Run" series by G. Korman; > fantasy lovers: all by Patricia Wrede; Bar Code Tattoo/Rebellion; > Gossamer; > Jade Green (horror, actually); girls love Tamora Pierce if they're higher > level readers > > Ginny Paisie > Cary NC > ************ > The Blueford Series are very popular books; Sharon Draper books; > Bluefingers, a Ninja's Tale by Whitesel; The Warrior Books by Erin Hunter; > The Spiderwick Chronicles; Becoming Naomi Leon; Graphic Novels; The Sea of > Trolls....to name a few. > Lee Ann Rigau <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > ********** > Hi! > > Independent reading choices: > Princess Diaires (series), Teen Idol > The Gossip Girls (series) > Catcher in the Rye > anything by Nora Raleigh Baskin > anything by Sonia Sones > Witch of Blackbird Pond > The CLIQUE series > Castaways of the Flying Dutchman / The Angel's Command > Deception Point > War and Peace > Trouble is my Beeswax > The Fire Within > Flush > Five People You Meet in Heaven > Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul > The Kite Runner > Gifts of an Eagle > the Harry Potter series > > > books we read (or are reading) in class and which were/are well-loved: > Lily's Crossing > A Mango-Shaped Space > Pictures of Hollis Woods > So B. It > If You Come Softly > Chasing Vermeer > > Take care, > Bill Ivey > Stoneleigh-Burnham School > ******** > Wow, my sixth graders must be in a totally different place. They are > reading the Artemis Fowl series, with a particular interest in the > newest book which was recently published. They are also reading books > by E.L. Konigsberg, Lois Lowry, Kathleen Paterson, and Jerry Spinelli, > particularly their more recent novels. The more sophisticated sixth > graders are enjoying historical fiction by Robert Westall and Goodnight > Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian. > > Amy Holtzer > Middle School Dean > Sixth Grade Team Leader > Solomon Schechter Middle School > Hartsdale, New York > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > *********** > Middle schoolers are really into the Maximum Ride series by James > Patterson > right now! > > also: > Uglies, Pretties, Specials > The Bluford Series > anything by Walter Dean Meyers especially Monster > Speak > Cut > any diary type books like: Go Ask Alice, It Happened to Nancy, Annie's > Baby > Lord Loss series > Cirque Du Freak series > Middle schoolers are really into the Maximum Ride series by James > Patterson > right now! > ************* > The Blueford Series of books, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred > Kropp, anything by Dan Gutman, RL Stein's The Boyfriend, The > Girlfriend. > > Patricia Sankey > Reading Specialist > Templeton Middle School > The Clique series > Anything by Sarah Dessen, Laurie Halse Anderson, Meg Cabot, Louise > Rennison, Deb Caletti, Anthony Horowitz > Pendragon series > Perfect by N. Friend > Guinness Books > Football, Hockey > > Mary Jane Waite > Librarian > Keller Sullivan School > 500 Lincoln Street > Franklin, MA 02038 > ********* > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > -- Margie Waterbrook 9th & 10th Grade English Vail High School Vail, AZ "Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." --Winston Churchill _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
