Counting by 7's

Wow! The Newbery committee is going to have a hard time this year if their reading choices have been the same as mine! One I finished in a few days last week was Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan. The main character, Willow, grabbed me from the first chapter with her scientific views of the world around her. By the time she began to tell me her views on school, I was completely smitten with her! This book takes readers on the emotional trek with Willow as she endures the loss of loved ones and discovers her new normal. There is great humor, point of view, and I don't think readers will have a choice but to become attached to Willow and the cast of honest and slightly strange characters.

MRA 2013

I just got home from attending the Michigan Reading Association Conference. This is the second year I have attended and although I come home exhausted, it is by far the best way to rejuvenate myself as a teacher of reading and writing! My students benefit not only from the instructional practice and theory I walk away with, but because I'm addicted to books and buying books! I purchase more books than I could possibly read and will rush into class tomorrow trying to "sell" my students on reading all of them with me.
Some of my favorite sessions were Kelly Gallagher (I took over 6 pages of notes), Frank Serafini, Gennifer Choldenko(the picture below is Gennifer speaking about the creation of the AL CAPONE trilogy and she read from the 3rd book due out this summer), Dick Allington, and of course

Donalyn Miller!