Week 4: World Read Aloud Day

Oh why didn’t I remember to read ahead for the blog challenge?!  Matthew Winner challenged us for week four to do the following:

Raising Our Voices

It’s time to read aloud! Select a favorite text, or a personal story that you love to share out loud, and make a video. If you don’t have a webcam, are having technical difficulties, or prefer not to be on camera, you can also translate this challenge into a written post. Share what you will be reading on World Read Aloud Day, and why you chose this particular piece to read aloud.

I was so busy connecting (and stressing) that I didn’t get much video or even photos.  (I did have a few that are below) I keep forgetting to pass the camera to the classroom teachers to help me out!  Luckily, Mr. Winner to the rescue! During our Skype call he managed to video me and send it to me right after our session. We had so much fun reading No Fits, Nilson by Zachariah OHora on the wonderfule We Give Books.  I don’t know how he does it, he must have four arms. One of my student commented after that he really is a winner, I agree!

Gorrie students really enjoyed connecting with so many new friends. As we sat in our shorts and t-shirts, we were amazed that some of our new friends thought 35 degrees was WARM!  We thought it was cold when it got down to 60 degrees after a cold front came through on Thursday.  We discovered much that was the same, student councils, recess, and of course loving to read aloud.

We had a total of 18 connections.  We had 8 more but Mother Nature had other plans. We are already looking forward to reconnecting with some of our new friends in April for Poetry month. Here are the librarians we connected with during the week.

  • Crystal Hendrix Asheville, North Carolina
  • Andy Plemmons Athens, Georgia
  • Wendy Garland Dedham, Massachussetts
  • Misti Sikes Forsyth, Georgia
  • Jenny Lussier Durham, Connecticut
  • Laura D’Elia Burlington, Massachusetts
  • Jeanne Cook Wentzville, Missouri
  • Donna MacDonald South Burlington, Vermont
  • Matthew Winner Ellicott City, Maryland
  • Esther Uribe Austin, Texas
  • Wendy Garland Norfolk, Massachusetts
  • Shannon Miller Van Meter, Iowa

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Week Three: My Reading Life

I am participating in The Busy Librarian’s World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge, below is the assignement for week three and my entry.

A Snapshot of My Reading Life

Post a photo that gives readers a glimpse into your reading life. This could be your favorite place to read, your bookshelf, your library, your classroom, a book from childhood that you still re-read today, your favorite person to read with. Anything that brings joy to your reading life will work!

Below the photo share a short narrative explaining why this picture is meaningful to you.

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This is a screen shot from Amazon of my Kindle library. I love to read, have always loved to read, and for the most part read “regular” books.  When I finally broke down and got a smart phone I downloaded the Kindle app.  On September 18, 2011, I downloaded two free titles and I never looked back.  There are now 140 books in my Kindle collection most of them already read. I still order print books, especially picture books, but I do love the convenience of always having my book with me.  I even ended up buying an actual Kindle paperwhite a few months ago, but tend to read off my phone most of the time.  I like that I always have it with me.  I know, I know I could carry a book with me. But my phone is already with me and I don’t forget it.  If I am sitting on the sidewalk at Disney waiting for the parade, waiting at the dentist,  getting my hair done, or eating lunch in my office,  I can finish up a few chapters.  Finish a book? I can start a new one already downloaded or even buy the next book in the series where ever I am.  Since using my phone I have really gotten back into the grove of reading books for me and not just books for work.

Just recently I have bought some Kindle versions of picture books for school.  I was buying the book and even with my two day Prime shipping I couldn’t wait to read the book and so bought the Kindle version too.  For picture books I use the Kindle’s cloud reader on my computer.  I used it to share the books with my students and will be using it to share with some of our WRAD connections.

This really wasn’t meant to be an advertisement for Amazon or Kindle but it is a big part of my reading life right now.  I think the important thing to remember is if you want to read, and want to make time for reading, then do what you need to do to make it happen.  For me, it was realizing I didn’t have to have the hardcover or physical book for me to still be able to read and enjoy the story.  As a librarian, I do like have my bookcases full of books in my house and I have them all over the place along with books stacked by my bed.  With that said, I do like always having my book in my purse or back pocket and more titles ready, just a download away.

So whether you are old school or new school reading, as long as you are reading you are doing it right!