Flotsam and Jetsam

I had a bunch of small things to write about, so I decided to tie them all together into an unwieldy and confusing blog post.  You're welcome!

Here's my school ID picture for the year:

The photographer wasn't sure if it would be allowed, since my face is covered, so he took a regular one as well.  I have them both on my lanyard, but this one's in front.  I think I am SO DAMN FUNNY!

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I wanted to celebrate banned books week in my classroom this year, so I started rounding up books from my classroom library that have made top-ten-most-challenged lists since 2000.  I wrapped each one up and labeled it with some of the reasons it was challenged, the on the flip side, wrote some descriptions that explain why the book is in my library all the same.  I ended up, purely by chance, with 25 books, which means we can unwrap one in each of my five classes all five days next week.

This, for example, is The Hunger Games.

 And this is George.  

I wrapped them all up before I quite had my plan fully thought out, and a week before the official Banned Book Week.  This has totally paid off, as kids have been asking me all week what the books are for, what Banned Book Week is, if they are going to be allowed to read those books, which books they are, etc.  There's gonna be some drama when we unwrap!

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Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon is celebrating ten years this fall, and they've started a #30DaysOfReadathon hashtag to build excitement for it.

Did you see? We're officially counting down to the #readathon 10 year anniversary! Join us! #30DaysofReadathon pic.twitter.com/u5Lh9lrYng

— Dewey's Read-a-thon (@readathon) September 21, 2017

I am excited to know there's (now fewer than) only 30 days until the next one!

I told my husband I'd like to go to the beach for one, either by myself or with reader-friends, and he said, "If we're going to pay for a beach house, wouldn't it make more sense for me and the kids to go down and enjoy the beach and leave you at home to read in peace?"  He kind of has a point.

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I just read three Mindy McGinnis books in three days.  She is INTENSE.  Lots of murder.  Lots of oh-hell-no-there-will-be-no-rape-today scenes.  I am always in awe of an author who can toss off a post-apocalyptic book, a historical fiction book, and a contemporary without ever missing a beat.  Can't wait to see what she does next.

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I have booked my plane ticket and hotel room for NCTE in November.  Super excited to meet other passionate English teachers, fangirl over authors, and dip my toe into presenting to my peers.

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Highlight of my week: I'm checking in with students as they do their reading.  "How's the book?" I ask a kid who is reading Matt de la Peña's The Living.  "It's good," he replies, with conviction.  There's a pause, then he adds, "I've never actually liked a book before."

That's my news for now!  Hope you are all doing well as we transition into fall.