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)