2009-2010 Reading List
After Reading "The Book Whisperer" I challenged myself to read 40 books during the 2009-2010 school year. For those of you that don't know "The Book Whisperer" is a reading teacher who developed a groundbreaking idea. Let the kids read what they want, and they'll read more! She gives them at least 20-30 minutes to read in class every day. They have conferences and they journal about what they are reading. There's a lot more to it, but it's REALLY cool! I thought it was a great opportunity to read A LOT of teen/tween books and become somewhat of an expert in the field. I'm very proud that I met the requirements (in parentheses) and then some (not to mention I had a baby in the middle of it all!) I think I'm going to do this again next year even if I'm not teaching. It was a really wonderful experience, and it made me read some things I never would have read otherwise. So.....here's my list! The titles with a * next to them are ones I would recommend. :-)
Poetry Anthologies (5)
If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand
For Laughing Out Loud
*If I Were in Charge of the World
*A Light in the Attic
Sad Underwear
Traditional Literature (5)
The Rough-Faced Girl
Favorite Greek Myths
Spirits, Fairies, and Merpeople: Stories of Other Worlds
Peace Walker
The Outlaws of Sherwood
Realistic Fiction (5)
*There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Holes
*The Sixth Grade Nickname Game
Tangerine
The View from Saturday
Wringer
*Hatchet
Historical Fiction (2)
Steal Away Home
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
*A Little Princess
Fantasy (4)
Peter Pan
*Midnighters: The Secret Hour
Midnighters: Touching Darkness
Midnighters: Blue Noon
The Thief Lord
New Moon
Eclipse
Charlotte's Web
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Winnie the Pooh
My Father's Dragon
Alice in Wonderland
Science Fiction (2)
*Messenger
Among the Imposters
*Uglies
*Pretties
Specials
Extras
Mystery (2)
Chasing Vermeer
*Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
Informational (4)
*The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Junior Edition
Cowboys and Cow Towns of the Wild West
The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Junior Edition
Irish in America
Biography (2)
Barack Obama: Our Forty Fourth President
Gandhi: The Young Protester Who Founded a Nation
"Grown-Up Books"
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (Realistic Fiction)
Shopaholic Ties the Knot (Realistic Fiction)
Shopaholic and Sister (Realistic Fiction)
The Lost Symbol (Mystery)
*The White Queen (Historical Fiction)
The Other Queen (Historical Fiction)
*The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society (Historical Fiction)