Review: We’ll Always Have Summer

We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Belle (actually Belly) and Jere planning their wedding — much against the wishes of their families. Will it actually happen? Will Belle drive off on her honeymoon with the love of her life?

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Readicide

I never heard of the term ‘Readicide’ until the March/April 2011 issue of Knowledge Quest landed in my mailbox with the theme ‘Reversing Readicide’. The term, Readicide, comes from the book, Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reding and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher. Gallagher defines readicide as

the practices educators emplore to raise reading scores that actually kill students’ love of reading

Even though I wasn’t aware of the term, I’ve witnessed and unfortunately contributed to readicide. Every time I’ve used the availability of an AR test to help me narrow down my consideration list, I’ve contributed to readicide. For you see, many books that teens would enjoy reading don’t have an AR test. Not only do we put limits on what students can read by requiring the book to have an AR test but we also limit the students in other ways. For example, reading non-fiction books is frowned upon. Or, we require the book to have a reading level way above what any adult would read at for pleasure.

Of the 18 Reasons to Not Use AR, the following are applicable to my situation:

• Students are limited to books with an AR test
• Some students are limited to books written at a certain reading level
• AR tests aren’t available or have limited availability for new authors (Amanda Hocking), and best selling authors (Danielle Steel, Steig Larsson)
• AR tests turn some students into cheaters
• AR tests train students to collect facts as they read so they can pass a multiple choice test
• AR tends to make reading into an isolated academic task
• AR is expensive

So, how do we turn this around? Here are the suggestions I gleaned from the articles.

• Give them books they’ll love
• Let students select their pleasure reading (no requirements as to reading level, type of book, etc.)
• Provide interesting books and an array of other reading materials including newspapers, magazines, comics (graphic novels) and blogs
• Encourage students to talk about (or blog about) what they’ve read
• Encourage notion that pleasure of reading is its own reward
• Help students realize that they don’t have to finish a book they don’t like
• Select books for reluctant readers – particularly guys
• Purchase popular titles as they come out versus having to wait for annual purchases
• Purchase shorter nonfiction books for personal reading

A couple of articles discussed using AR as an integral part of their reading program. Some of the strategies used by these schools could be incorporated into our use of AR to help avert readicide, including:

• When book level goals are used, set them at the  bottom of the student’s individual reading zone. Thus, a student would never have a book-level goal above 4.5
• When a book doesn’t have a test, provide alternatives to the AR test (writing a test, creating a book trailer, etc.)
• Set aside time each period of English for sustained silent reading
• Encourage the use of reading logs, blogs and/or participation in online book discussions
• Allow reading of nonfiction books
• Set goals based on number of words
• Encourage students to take AR tests on all books they read, not just the one or two required for class, by allowing testing in the library
• Obtain online version in order to provide immediate access to new tests

Fortunately, we don’t have a bad case of ‘readicide’. In fact we have quite a few avid readers. However, we also have a pool of students who have been turned off of reading. Our challenge is to honestly evaluate what we are doing and look at alternatives to decrease the number of students who won’t read a book.

 

 

 

 

What Should I Read Next?

Ever read a book and want to read something similar? OR – do you have students saying, “I want another book like this one.” If so, then the website, What Should I Read Next? may just have your answer.

For example, I entered the book, Incarceron and received the following suggestions:

• Stephenie Meyer – The host
• Scott Westerfield – Extras {Unabridged} {Cd}
• Patrick Ness – The Knife of Never Letting Go: Chaos Walking: Book One
• James Dashner, – The Maze Runner
• Juliet Marillier – Wildwood Dancing
• Scott Westerfeld - Midnighters #3: Blue Noon (rpkg) (Midnighters)
• Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer – Sorcery and Cecelia: Or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Magic Carpet Books)
• Gabrielle Zevin - Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
• Suzanne Collins, – Catching Fire
• Kristin Cashore - Graceling
• by J. K. Rowling; illustrations by Mary GrandPré – Harry Potter and the goblet of fire
• by J. K. Rowling; illustrations by Mary GrandPré – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Maggie Stiefvater, – Shiver
• Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games
• Melissa Marr – Ink Exchange
• Kelley Armstrong – The Summoning (Darkest Powers 1)

If I want to develop a personal list of books I’ve read and recommended titles, I can create an account on the site. But what makes this site extremely useful is the fact that I don’t have to create an account, I can just use it to get a recommended list.

Review: I Heart You, You Haunt Me

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Poetry at its best

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Review: Willow

Willow by Julia Hoban
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Willow’s parents are killed in an auto accident – while Willow was driving. Now Willow is trying to keep the pain away.

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Review: Lipstick Apology

Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Review: The Goats

The Goats by Brock Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Older book but fantastic survival tale. Some descriptions date the book which might turn a reader off.

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Review: Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Suspenseful action to the end

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Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as riviting as Hunger Games

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Review: L.A. Candy

L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Los Angeles is all about the sweet life: hot clubs, cute guys, designer . . . everything. Nineteen-year-old Jane Roberts can’t wait to start living it up. She may be in L.A. for an internship, but Jane plans to play as hard as she works, and has enlisted her BFF Scarlett to join in the fun.

When Jane and Scarlett are approached by a producer who wants them to be on his new series, a “reality version of Sex and the City,” they can hardly believe their luck. Their own show? Yes, please!

Soon Jane is TV’s hottest star. Fame brings more than she ever imagined possible for a girl from Santa Barbara—free designer clothes, the choicest tables at the most exclusive clubs, invites to Hollywood premieres—and she’s lapping up the VIP treatment with her eclectic entourage of new pals. But those same friends who are always up for a wild night are also out for a piece of Jane’s spotlight.

In a city filled with people chasing after their dreams, it’s not long before Jane wakes up to the reality that everyone wants something from her, and nothing is what it seems to be.

L.A. Candy is a deliciously entertaining novel about what it’s like to come of age in Hollywood while starring in a reality TV show, written by a girl who has experienced it all firsthand: Lauren Conrad.