Book Love

This year I've finished to books about reading.  Notice and Note (Beers and Probst) and Book Love (Kittle).  First, I would like to say that I wish I had read Notice and Note earlier in the year, like over the summer before the school year started.  It would have changed how I introduced a couple of novels at the beginning of the year.  Even though I didn't read it early enough to help with the reading of the novels in my class, I introduced "contrasts and contradictions" to my students recently as we were reading short stories, and I think it helped all readers.  It helped struggling readers tie the story elements together, and it gave all readers a chance to pause and think about the reading.  Yesterday I met with a group that discussed Book Love an wished some of them were reading Notice and Note.  Book Love is a wonderful book for teachers who are teaching reading or language arts. While Book Love reminds us of the importance of individual reading, Notice and Note gives us strategies.  Book Love, however,  has made me determined to find a book for CH.  On Thursday, we wrote in our journals about a picture of the Minneapolis Central Library (inside, the stacks).  When CH was called upon, he said it reminded him of going to a really big library where he still couldn't find a book he liked.  CH is a bright student who probably does a lot of "fake reading."  Last night as we talked about Book Love, I decided it was my goal to find at least one book that he likes this year.  When he came into class today, I asked him to sit at my desk and gave him a small sheet of paper.  "I want you to write down the five most important things in your life,"  I stated.  His list included family, friends, football, technology, and I can't remember the last one.  I circled football, and let him work on his journal.  As he was working, I called the media center and asked if there was an available copy of Gym Candy.  Later as we were working on our first drafts, I sent him to retrieve the copy and explained that I wanted to find a book for him this year that he liked.  He came back with the book, and I'm hoping he gives it a try this weekend.  For some reason, I think he will.