…so little time!  That’s the way I feel as I’m catching up (after a summer of travel and reading, away from the computer) on all the exciting reading events coming up this fall!

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the ways I want to share books with kids this year.  With our new open library schedule I’m not guaranteed that “captive audience” every week, so I’m going to have to be more creative in reaching the students with my reading message.

We all know that kids are social, so this year I want to try to make reading more social too.  Certainly books can be enjoyed independently, as a private and silent conversation between the reader and the author.  But books can also be read aloud and discussed and debated and reviewed and recommended – that’s what builds excitement for reading!  Think about the last time you were in a movie theater, and everyone in the audience gasped or laughed or cheered at the same time for something that happened on the screen.  Our kids should be having this same experience with books!

One of the ways I’ve been sharing books socially with students is through my Book Buzz blog.  It highlights books in our library collection that the kids might enjoy, authors who write for K-5 readers, and school-wide and local reading events our students can participate in.  They are encouraged to add their voices to the conversation via the comment section, which gives them an opportunity to write for a real audience.

 

 

 

 

This year I’d like to widen their scope a little and have them participate in some national, and even international reading events.  So far I have my eye on The Global Read Aloud Event Oct 1-26 featuring the books Charlotte’s Web and The One and Only Ivan, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record on Oct 4 featuring the book Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad, and the Harry Potter Reading Club presenting a live webcast from author J.K. Rowling on Oct 11.  There is something for readers of every age here, and this is only the beginning!

If you know of any other reading events suitable for elementary students, please leave me a comment!