Top Ten Books of 5th Grade-Part 2

One of the focal points of our reading community this year has been the books we've encountered along our journey together. Last week I asked students to revisit their Reading Logs and make a list of the top 10 books they've read this year that they think EVERY 5th grader should read. In yesterday's post, I shared titles 10 through 6.  So without further ado....here are our TOP 5 TITLES! I think they've given us 5 very worthy titles!

#5

Bigger Than a Breadbox

by Laurel Snyder

#4

Out of My Mind

by Sharon M. Draper

#3

Hatchet

by Gary Paulsen

#2

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot"

by Michael O. Tunnell

And the title my class chose as the NUMBER ONE book every 5th grader should read is... 

#1

WONDER

by R.J. Palacio

As I reflect on this list of titles I am reminded of how important it is to build a reading community from the very first day of school.  My students and I have spent the year reading, recommending, and talking about books and authors. Several priorities I had for building my community of readers this year are reflected loud and clear in this list: 

1.  Being a teacher who reads the books that my students read is a powerful example that declares to students that reading is an empowering, engaging, life-enhancing experience. If I wasn't a reader myself, who made reading and book talking a priority in my classroom,  students may not have found many of these books.

2. State Student Choice Awards programs such as the Maine Student Book Award can expand students reading interests by encouraging them to read, evaluate, and enjoy a selection of new books when a school supports and promotes them in fun, engaging ways.   Many of the titles on our Top Ten List came from the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 lists.

3.  Providing opportunities for students to meet real live authors is a powerful way to introduce them to new titles and provide real-world writing mentors.   Our Author in Residence visit, Skype visits and interactions on Twitter are strongly reflected in this list!

4.  There is absolutely no better way to build a community of readers than by reading books aloud and having extended, invested discussions.  More than half the books on our Top Ten list are that I read aloud to students. Books with characters and messages that have settled deep in our beings and won't soon be forgotten. Reading aloud to students is NOT a time filler but rather a time to knit our thoughts and ideas together in a way that binds us together as a true reading community!



World Read Aloud Day~March 7, 2012

Children's author Katherine Paterson once said "The best way to cultivate [children's] tastes is to read to them, starting at birth and keeping on and on. 'Let me hear you read' is a test, 'Let me read to you' is a gift."

On Wednesday, March 7, 2012 people all around the world will be celebrating the gift of reading aloud. World Read Aloud Day , sponsored by LitWorld, is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to every person, regardless of race, age, or economic situation. It is intended to motivate children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another. 

Reading aloud happens everyday in my classroom. It's not a special event but rather a daily routine that strengthens the bond of our community of readers. It's magic...and my class will be sharing that magic on March 7th by reaching beyond the four walls of our classroom. We will be connecting via Skype with classrooms and libraries not only here in Maine but across the country. We might even have a couple of special guest Skype visit as well!

Resources for World Read Aloud Day:
World Read Aloud Day Official Site

World Read Aloud Day Resource Kit 
WRAD Skype with a Author 
Change the World Story by Story Wiki (hosted by John Schumacher & Shannon Miller)

"Like" World Read Aloud on Facebook
You can also follow on Twitter: @litworldsays or the hashtag #WRAD

I would love to hear about your plans for World Read Aloud Day!  How do you plan to share the "gift" of reading aloud with the readers in your life?

Just Read! 2011 Reading Challenges

Being a reading role model to the people in my life, whether they be my own nieces and nephews, the students I encounter in my classroom, or the adults learners I interact with through courses and blogging, is an extremely high priority for me.  I'm always looking for new titles to read that I might be able to share with children or teachers.  It's a big job, but so worth the time and effort I put into it.  I can promise you there is no greater high then when I've made a match between a reader and book!  This year I decided to join three different challenges as a means of keeping track of what I'm reading this year, as well as finding new books that I might miss otherwise. 

The first challenge I'm participating in is The Centurions of 2011: 111 Books by December 2012 on Facebook.  Started by Paul Hankins (@PaulWHankins) this group includes readers who have set a goal to read 111 or more books during 2011.  Members post month by month their titles, highlighting at least one pick to total twelve favorites for 2011. Readers can read picture books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, or professional books.  There are also several age specific Discussion tabs you can participate in

I'm also participating in the   Read to Me Picture Book Challenge  over at There's A Book!     The objective of this challenge is to read picture books with the children in your life, or just to enjoy picture books in general.  I have talked about picture books as integral tools in my teaching, how I've used wordless books, and shared my favorite picture books for Kindergarten/1st grade and grades 4/5 over the past year on this blog.  Picture books aren’t just for little kids.   They are powerful and engaging texts that can help students across all grade levels succeed in language arts, math, science, social studies, and the arts. Picture books appeal to students of all readiness levels, interests, and learning styles. What I especially love about this challenge is the emphasis of reading with children!  I'm confident I will reach "Chapter Reader" level by reading  200 pictures books!  However I'm not as confident about being able to write reviews for all 200 so I'm setting my goal at the "Unjacketed" level and hope to blog about 36 of the picture books I read. 

To keep track of these two challenges I joined Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge.  All I have to do is type in the books as I read them, set the date I finished, and Goodreads keeps track of my progress, month by month.  I can then add my Goodreads link to either of the other two challenges and all of my reading is there for anyone to see.  Isn't that great?

Have you set reading goals this year?  Maybe one of these challenges has piqued your interest.  All of these challenges have one thing is common.  They're really not about the number of books you read, but rather that you just read...and share what you're reading with others.  Won't you join me?  If 2010 was any indication, there are some awesome books to be discovered in 2011!  Don't miss out!