This was very much a middle-grade kind of week, which was great because I see myself "specializing" primarily in MG books. This is particularly useful to me because my capable-but-reluctant-reader daughter is in fourth grade. More and more I'm realizing that there is a shift at about this age in how kids see themselves as readers, how they're seen as readers, and how they present themselves as readers. I don't want to pigeonhole my daughter as a reluctant reader, especially because her teacher commented that she was a great reader during our parent conference, but I see a marked difference between her and my son. Again, comparing children is a bad idea, but the first-born child often becomes a reference point for clueless parents, and it's a hard habit to break.
Anyway, in order to recommend as many books as possible to my daughter, I'm trying to read as many different types of MG books as possible. The great thing is that she doesn't struggle to read, she has wide interests, and once she finds a book she likes she'll read it (albeit slowly). I feel like part of what's holding her back is that she's intimidated by longer books. For example, Hoot was a recent selection in her book club, and she wasn't particularly keen on reading it when she saw how long it was. But I got the audiobook for her (a first for me, too, actually) and she read along with the CD, which helped immensely. She still didn't finish the book, but it was clear to both of us that she was definitely interested in the storytelling.
I think the first order of business is to build her confidence by finding great stories in an easily digestible format, and to continue to encourage her. Any other suggestions, wise readers?
[To rehash the concept :: post what you read last week, what you're reading now, and what you plan to read this week. If you have a review of the book(s), great! If you have a picture of the book(s), wonderful! If you have a book giveaway, fantastic! If you just list the title(s) of the book(s), not a problem! Make it as simple or as complex as you need it to be. At least, that's the message I got. This version of the meme is hosted by Jen and Kellee of Teach Mentor Text, which, in turn, was inspired by Sheila over at Book Journey, who hosts the original It's Monday! What Are You Reading?]
WHAT I READ LAST WEEK:
Ariol #1: Just a Donkey Like You and Me by Emmanuel Guibert, illustrated by Marc Boutavant, lettering by Michael Petranek, translated by Joe Johnson
The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illustrated by Stacy Innerst
Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber, illustrated by Brian Lovelock
Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell
Hello, My Name is Ruby by Philip C. Stead
Ken Jennings' Junior Genius Guides: Maps and Geography by Ken Jennings, illustrated by Mike Lowery
Landed by Milly Lee, illustrated by Yangsook Choi
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor, illustrated by Laura Beingessner
The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, Book 1: The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (publication date: January 2015)
At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui by Christine Liu-Perkins
WHAT I PLAN TO READ THIS WEEK:
Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard
by Loree Griffin Burns, photography by Ellen Harasimowicz
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