My biggest struggle this summer has been carving out the time to read two books each week. I am a slow reader, not because I have ever struggled with reading or comprehension, simply because I am not the type to fly through. I take my time and it has been a bit of a difficult task for me to get through two books a week. I will say that I found a happy medium and sped up my reading while also staying true to my reading style and taking my time. It was also difficult for me to jump into books without knowing much about any of them. Outside of a book talk and a quick pitch, I had no clue what I was in for. I like to read based on author or recommendations from others, so that was different for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised with most of my picks.

This semester has helped me branch out in my reading, from genres that I don’t typically try out to storylines that wouldn’t interest me normally. I think I became more well-rounded in my reading, which of course will help me with my students. I want to be able to recommend them books based on what I’ve read. It is difficult to recommend books without really knowing what those books are about. So, having read a large number this summer of varying topics, genres, styles, etc. I have a wider variety of books to recommend to my students. That is what I’m most proud of. I will absolutely be a teacher who reads and I cannot wait to start sharing with my students what I’m reading from week to week and chatting about those books with them, hopefully sparking interest.

My classroom library has grown to a respectable number over the summer. It is large enough that my students can browse it and find something for each of them. I want to find a way to bring YA into my actual instruction, so I would love to work through some of that in subsequent courses. I have some ideas which I’m excited about, but I’d love to brainstorm with colleagues and professors in a course to make my classroom a place that YA is used effectively through instruction.

As for my TBR list…

• Timekeeper by Tara Sim
• Chainbreaker by Tara Sim
• Firestarter by Tara Sim
• Fireflight by Brandon Sanderson
• Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
• Damage Done by Amanda Panitch
• Lock In by John Scalzi
• The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
• Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau
• Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau

That list should keep me busy for awhile.

I stopped reading for pleasure after middle school. I lost my desire to spend my spare time reading books. It took me over a decade to start reading books of my choosing again. I started reading again after I left my 5 year full time job to become a full time student again. I did this because I wanted to become a teacher. Year one as the old guy in undergrad I spent much of my free time catching up on Netflix shows that I’d been too busy to watch. Year two, I picked up books for classes regularly and I discovered my lost love of reading AND writing.

That is a lot of background that seems to have no relation to the photo you see above but trust me it does. My wife is an avid reader, she spends more money on kindle books than she does on clothes some months and if you know my wife, you know that she loves a target run for some new clothing. We have a seven year old daughter who is also an avid reader, she is tearing through some Junie B. Jones books. There have been many evenings before bed that the three of us will sit on the couch pictured above, all focused on our own stories. As my love for reading and writing was reignited I found myself staying up late at night reading and writing, but I didn’t want to disturb my wife with the glow of a computer or overhead lights. I would often sit cross legged on the floor, prop my book or computer up on the couch and read or write. If you knew me, you’d know that I love sitting cross legged, probably because I’m just a kid that never grew up. I do my blog posts sitting like that, I’m typing this now sitting cross legged with my laptop on the couch. It is where I’m comfortable, and it’s where I choose to do my reading and writing.

It also helps that my wife has way too many throw pillows, which make the floor even more comfortable.

As I review the timelines mentioned in YA novels according to the Epic Reads article (found here: https://www.epicreads.com/blog/the-age-of-ya-a-timeline-of-historical-fiction/) I notice that many of the eras that are written about have are either focused around, love, death, or war. Those are the categories I’m seeing each time. Either it is a romantic time period in which we must discuss love when we look back on it fondly or there are knights and magic, which we must also discuss. Those are the common threads I’m seeing, even in the novels I chose to read this week, one was a nostalgic time period, the 1970’s, but it centered around a serial killer in New York. The other, was set around the most devastating event I’ve ever lived through, the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. When we look back at history, these are the things that stand out, love, death, and war.

I could see this genre as a useful tool as someone with a social studies background. I am a history nut, I love studying past wars with American involvement. I love hearing stories from the mouths of WWII veterans, or Vietnam veterans, or any veteran who has faced fear head on. So naturally, I love reading about WWII in particular. When I discovered Alan Gratz, I couldn’t stop reading his books. There are several of his about WWII, so historical in the sense that some of the details are accurate, the missions, the locations, etc. But he creates characters based off of a blended stories some with truth, others fully fiction. This interest made me want to read more. That is where I see the value in it. If I have a student who is fascinated with the 80’s for whatever reason, then that is my way in. I will through every book about the 80’s I can to that student, in hopes that they will love those novels.

I don’t think we necessarily need ALL of our readers to fall in love with historical fiction, but I do think it could be a great way to bring specific students into reading more frequently. It may start with WWII historical fiction, but where it leads them, no one can say. It is a starting point for those reluctant readers. That is how I see it.

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite covers for YA novels. A few of which I actually discovered through our reading this summer.

Legendborn by Tracey Deonn

I love the way Bree looks fierce and composed, the contrasting red and blue, and it feels like a lot is going on even though it is just one person on the cover. It is beautifully done.

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

This is another cover that is so beautifully done. Again, contrasting the reds and blues, it reminds me of Legendborn in that sense. This cover almost feels like a neon sign, where the hue is tinting everything around it. I think it also works that this cover does a great job of putting an image in our minds of what Alex and Isaiah look like. Also on the actual hardback cover of the book it has a cool metallic blue shiny skyline running across it.

Timekeeper by Tara Sim

This is a novel that is on my TBR list, it is actually part of a trilogy and I can’t wait to get started on it. The image on a screen doesn’t do it justice. All of the gold on the physical book has a metallic golden shine too it. I also love how it looks like an old clock face, which is relevant to the story.

Paper Towns by John Green

I just love maps honestly and I think the fact that it is fitting for the novel is perfect. The thumbtack being the focal point makes it that much more appealing to see a sprawling map out of focus in all across the cover.

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

This is an appealing cover that is symmetrical which I love. It is also one that I could see students picking up because, hello, text messages. This is fitting for the novel and it is fitting for the times. It also has a nice shine too the gold of the title when you have a physical copy. (I think I might just like shiny covers).

For the reading ladder below I am thinking of a 9th grade reluctant reader. They are at a high school reading level, but are not interested in a challenging themselves. With that in mind, this is also a student that loves books that are animal related, Where the Red Fern Grows is their favorite novel.

Step 1 – Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

This is the starting point, my student loves everything about this novel. They love the emotion it brings them to feel all along the way, especially the ending. It is a very easy read for this reader, which is why they list it as their favorite book, despite it being far below their reading abilities.

Step 2 – The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

This novels shares the characteristic of being an animal novel. It also brings out a great deal of emotion throughout the entire story, particularly the ending. It is a much longer read than the previous novel, but still not a challenging one. This will hopefully allow the reader to build up their reading stamina. It has a far more complex storyline going on than the previous novel, which brings the progression a bit further in their climb up the ladder.

Step 3 – Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

This novel continues with the animal related novels. While this one is far different from the previous two novels on the ladder, it is another emotional novel that I could see continuing the journey that has been setup with the previous novels. This is gradually increasing the reading level of the novels, but as far as complexity of the themes and symbols within the novel, it is quite a large step up the ladder. The issues being brought up in this novel are more mature, such as how someone with an intellectual disability is being experimented on in such a way. Which makes the reader ask the question what that says about the society. This is definitely a step up the ladder in complexity of novel.

Step 4 – Animal Farm by George Orwell

At this point the reading level is almost to where my student is in their grade level. The complexity of this novel is increasing from the previous choice. The way Orwell is using animals on a farm to describe tyranny and the battle for power that was seen in the Soviet Union, as Stalin came to power. This is a fable style novel that retells history, with animals.

Step 5 – Moby Dick by Herman Melville

This novel continues to challenge the reader as the reading level has increased. Add to that the fact that the time period and language used in the novel is quite different than the way we use language today. It challenges the reader even further when considering the somewhat ambiguous Moby Dick is. What does the whale represent? It challenges the reader to think critically about that question and come to a conclusion of their own based on their understanding of the novel and the intended meaning.

I feel this is a strong reading ladder for a reluctant reader in 9th grade. I would start them off with a couple of easy reads that pull at the heart strings and feature animals heavily. From there I move onto another novel that features an animal but deals with more mature issues. I then introduce my student to a fable of a novel that tells the history of a dictator’s rise to power. Finally, I give the student a classic novel that is a challenging read for all and more complex than any of the novels on the ladder. This is my first attempt at a reading ladder, but I LOVE the concept. I feel when I start seeing what my students enjoy and as I broaden my YA readings, I will be able to build better reading ladders for my students.