What Are You Reading: January 2016

We believe it is important for educators to be readers and writers, so every month we take a day to report out on what we're reading. Join in by sharing your current reading list in the comments.

Maggie is reading The Power of TED: The Empowerment Dynamic by David Emerald. She says, "This book was recommended at Laura Gleisner's "Coaching for Resilience" training which I attended this fall. This quick read reminds that we are in control of our lives. Many inspirational messages are shared in ways that can help us reflect, see, and move forward in a positive way."

Diane writes, "One of the benefits of my new positions is I have to read young adult fiction and am loving the chance to share with my students the joys of this literature. As I talk to them as I am reading it creates a hunger for them to devour the books. I love it." Diane is currently reading The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Maggie is also reading Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale. She says, "The students of Ever After High are the children of famous fairy tale characters and it is their duty in their second year of school to sign the Storybook of Legends as they pledge to fulfill their destinies and follow in their parents' footsteps. It has been told that if you refuse to sign the book, you and your story will vanish forever after. Raven Queen, the daughter of the Evil Queen, knows it is her destiny to follow in her wicked mother's footsteps by giving a poisoned apple to Snow White's daughter, Apple White, however, Raven isn't as evil as her mother and would love her own happily ever after..."

Jaimis is getting caught up on her new "friend's" resources The Literacy Teacher's Playbook K - 2 and The Literacy Teacher's Playbook 3 - 6, both by Jennifer Serravallo.

Barb often reads MindShift from KQED news. She writes, "MindShift posts all of their thinking an articles on their Facebook feed. It's fun to see bits about growth mindset mixed in with the politics and baby pictures that otherwise dominate my Facebook."

Maggie is reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. She writes, "I'm currently reading this book with my students in reading class and have been enjoying witnessing them slowly get hooked on the series. I'm finding it amazing that we're back to a point where more students haven't read the books, and have only seen some of the movies. Every time I read this I get hooked all over again!"

Diane is reading We Are Liars by E. Lockart. She writes, "What a great book about mystery, being 15 and the decisions we make that have an effect on your own life and lives of others. This is the first book in a long time that I did not figure out the ending in the first chapters. The author  adds many twists and turns in the book that leads you into the mind of Cadence, a fifteen year old girl whom is involved in an unspeakable tragedy as she tries to remember what happened and how others around her try to forget it ever happened."

Andrea is reading I am reading The Will to Lead, the Skill to Teach: Transforming Schools at Every Level. Muhammed and Hollie's book is part of the Wisconsin RtI Center's culturally responsive practices training.

Julie is reading Already Ready by Katie Wood Ray and Matt Glover. This book looks at ways we can nurture our youngest writers.

Barb is reading How It Went Down by Keekla Magoon. This young adult novel - told in prose and verse - tells the story of an African American teen shot by a white man from the perspectives of the many people involved and impacted.

Carrie just finished the YA book A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern. She writes, "It was a story about an incident that changes the lives of two girls and eventually leads to their unlikely friendship. Told in alternating perspectives, I loved the way it provided insight into the main characters thoughts, feelings, and motivations."

Lisa is reading Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life from the Core by Bruce D. Schneider. She writes, "I learned about this book from a colleague at CESA 6 last month, and after she provided an explanation of the Energetic Self Perception Chart, and how you can recognize the energies of others in order to coach effectively, I was intrigued. I had to purchase the book and am engrossed in Richard’s story, and obsessed with thinking about how I can practice my understanding!"