What I'm Reading Wednesday

Welcome to What I'm Reading Wednesday. Each Wednesday I will share with you what I am reading. I am also planning a "What Are You Reading This Summer" Linky Party and will post it here as soon as I figure out how to set ti all up!!! Let's get started, shall we?

I have a confession to make...I am a bit of a book wh@re!! I love books..I collect them by the dozens...and I am not one to run down a free book. I love my Kindle but there is just nothing like the feel of a good book in your hands. Now that summer is here...I am in full on reading mode. I start collecting books for my summer reading extravaganza around spring break each year..but I have been known to start my summer reading pile as early as Christmas. As we teachers know, there never seems to be enough time to read for pleasure during the school year, so summer is so sweet because we have more time to polish off a book or 50!! I also have a little bit of a problem with reading multiple books at a time...usually I am reading one for professional development, one or two for pleasure, and one that I plan on using in my classroom during literature circles, read alouds or to place in my classroom library. So let me tell you what I am reading right now..

 1. RIGOR is Not a Four-Letter Word by Barbara R. Blackburn. I picked this up back in the spring after our school went through an academic audit. Rigor is a big buzz word in education right now and I have to admit, with my struggling learners, I have difficulty infusing my lessons with rigor when I am working so hard to bring them up to grade level. I am about a third of the way through this book and I have already found some great ideas I can implement  when we return to school in the fall. It has really made me take a look at my lessons through the lens of my students and look for ways to make my instruction more interesting and challenging for them.

2. There's a Boy In the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar. I am a huge Louis Sachar fan! I have tons of his books in my classroom and always do several book studies, authors studies and literature circles using his books each year. This is not a new book and I have several copies of it in my classroom but I have to admit, it is one I have not read yet.  I kept meaning to, but  never got around to it. This past year, several of my boys read it and actually recommended it to each other (rare in my classroom--from the boys!). So as I was packing up my room for the summer, I came across one of my classroom copies that  one of my students had left in his desk. I tossed it in my bag and added it to my summer reading list. The main character Bradley reminds me of a few of my little friends I have taught over the years so I can totally relate to some of the situations in the book and now that I have read it (or almost)..I will definitely be recommending it to a few little friends next year and for years to come.  Sachar is the master of creating character who just don't fit in for some reason, and let's face it, we all have one or two of those kids each year, and its night to find characters they can relate to!

3."THE" Books (trilogy) by E.L. James. You know which ones I am referring to!!  I know, I know...everyone and their sister is reading it. I bought into all the hype. It is not your mama's beach book!! I picked up the first book for my 9 hour bus ride to Washington, DC for my son's 5th grade trip. I think I blushed all the way from South Carolina to Virginia as I read it on the bus. It definitely got me a few raised eyebrows from other Moms on the bus (I chalked it up to envy, lol). I am currently on Book 2, and have Book Three waiting in the wings. A girl's gotta have a little mindless fluff to read at the pool!

So What are you reading this summer...feel free to comment below.