Winter Break Reads
- Jan 1, 2018
- 2 min read
It's New Year's Day which means it is time to make resolutions. One of mine is to read more often. I've set a goal for myself to read three books per month, two for pleasure and one professional.
I got a jump on it over the winter break and read three books. Check them out below!
1. The BFG by Roald Dahl
I've read this book before but it definitely deserves another visit. Roald Dahl's writing always delights me and he is one of my favorite authors.
The friendship that develops between Sophie, a young, intelligent orphan, and the BFG, a giant who rejects the customs of his fellow giants, is so sweet and genuine. They join forces and hatch a plan to take down the rest of the people-eating giants. This story has it all: unlikely friendships, underdogs and good triumphing over evil.
I can't wait to read this with the third graders!
MLXLS
2. Escaping Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
I could not put this book down! I read the last half of the book in one night because I couldn't wait to see what happened next or the answer to a puzzle.
In the book, Mr. Lemoncello, a famous game designer, has built his very own library. But, before it opens to the public, twelve students are invited to partake in the ultimate game! What they think is a 24-hour library lock-in turns into a entire weekend of puzzles and a race against the clock to find the secret escape route.
The puzzles are perfectly perplexing and have you guessing along with the characters. This is up next for fifth graders and I know they'll enjoy the complex games of Mr. Lemoncello as much as I did.
3. Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization
Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools by Diane Ravitch
You may already be clued into this but this would be my one professional book. Since Lakewood faced the threat of takeover this year, this book has been at the top of my reading list.
While I have always been a defender of keeping public schools public, this book is a necessary read for anyone with a stake in public education, which consequently is everyone. Ravitch debunks myth after myth that is spouted daily about the so-called disastrous state of public education in America. It's an eye-opening call to action for all citizens in our democracy who wish for the U.S. to remain democratic.
Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know what you thought of them!
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