Summer Reading
What are your reading plans this summer? I thought I’d take a minute to share some professional books about Writing Workshop. I’ve divided my “recommendations” into two categories.
New-to-Writing Workshop-Philosophy
- Primary: About the Authors by Katie Wood Ray and Lisa Cleveland
- Intermediate: The No-Nonsense Guide to Writing Workshop by Davis and Hill
- Middle School: In the Middle by Nancie Atwell
- Secondary: Write Beside Them by Penny Kittle
Wanting to Lift the Level of Writing Workshop
- Study Driven by Katie Wood Ray
- Independent Writers by Colleen Cruz
- Assessing Writers by Carl Anderson
- Choice Words by Peter Johnston
As for me, I’m in the middle of Tom Romano’s Zig-Zag: A Life of Reading and Writing, Teaching and Learning and have plans to read Pyrotechnics on the Page by Ralph Fletcher (and participate in the discussion group in July — more information to come!), as well as The Digital Writing Workshop by Troy Hicks. However, most of my reading time will be spent with YA novels. My goal is at least three novels each week. I’m wanting to learn the ins-and-outs of this genre, so I’ve set up a special notebook just for collecting my thoughts and noticings as I read. It’ more like a writer’ s notebook than a reader’s notebook. I’m anxious to see what is revealed this summer as I take the time to truly study how writing works in YA literature.
How about you, what are you reading in order to become a better teacher of writing? What would you suggest I read?
Well at the moment I’m reading John Le Carre’s “A Most Wanted Man” which is a great spy-type novel…he wrote The Constant Gardener and about 25 others. His writing style is so good you can’t notice how good it is, if that makes sense. It just slides through your mind effortlessly. Plus the plots of his stories are wonderful.
I have many great books to read this summer too! I like your idea of the readers journal… I may do that too! Our state is doing a “No Book Left Unread” program this summer that I am participating in so that will be cool to add to it. Thanks to all of your recommendations for books I have others to read too… I am reading In the Middle right now though! Thanks again for all of the help!
xoxo
ps…
If that is The Tension of Opposites I see in your pile you will LOVE it! I have a review up on my blog! Kristina is a teacher of ELA as well so I loved reading it and getting inspiration from fellow teachers along that line too!
I had a few professional books that I wanted to read over the summer…but I ended up leaving them in my office. Part of me wanted to bring them home and part of me felt that I would just let them sit all summer. I think I do better when I get them from the library and have a deadline to read them! Thanks for this list! I really want to get my hands on Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson and Notebook Know-How and Notebook Connections by Aimee Buckner!!! Please post what you think!
I am reading three books right now:
Mentor Texts by Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
A Place of Wonder by Georgia Heard
Wonderous Words by Katie Wood Ray
Wonderous Words was written in 1999 but it is full of wonderful techniques to use with any age writer!
Oohhhh… love this sharing. Did a book share yesterday at a reading teachers’ meeting and came away with some goodies. My faves today: A Place of Wonder by Georgia Heard and Crafting Writers K-6 by Elizabeth Hale. I especially love how she starts each very readable chapter! Can’t wait to dive back into both for a reread this summer.
Professional – I
I just finished Reading Ladders by Teri Lesesne and Readercide by Kelly Gallagher.
Pleasure- I just started Going Bovine (YA Printz Award). I am sure I am in for a ride. Awaiting Mockingjay in August.
Since I am on Staycation this summer, I am going to try and read books about what I may find in my “backyard”. (my students are doing this too.) I am on the water..so perhaps sailing/boating themed.
I like the notebook idea and the 3 books a week. I am aboard! (umm..no pun intended)
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I was just reassigned and am no longer teaching middle school English/Language Arts and have been wondering how to adapt my style to fit the high school level. I am excited to read “Write Beside Them” by Penny Kittle. and “The Digital Writing Workshop” by Troy Hicks looks promising! I also plan on reading not only YA novels, but brushing up on the “classics” so I am better prepared this fall. I look forward to reading any thoughts you have about “The Digital Writing Workshop”!
Thanks for the suggestions. My list is growing. I love anything that I have ever read by Georgia Heard and Katie Wood Ray. Therefore, I will most definitely be looking for the above mentioned titles. Love Notebook Know-How too. I was recently given a copy of I Can Write Like That! by Susan Ehmann and Kellyann Gayer. They have written about using mentor texts and craft studies for writers’ workshop. Looks like a keeper.
Love the idea of setting a weekly goal and keeping a notebook. I have a list of novels that my 4th graders loved or some recently purchased ones. Also can’t wait for Cynthia Lord’s new one Touch Blue, coming out in August!
ruth…i love the idea of a notebook just for YA lit. i’m wondering about specifics you’ll write in it. are you just trying to keep stories/authors straight? or powerful sentences, vocabulary, images, etc? how will you use it in class? i’m asking because i keep a notebook with my students, as well as a list of books read during the semester (i teach high school). one of the pages they have to designate is a glossary, but i didn’t make it work like i envisioned it–looking for ways to improve it, so any suggestions you have, i’ll appreciate!
Thanks, Ruth, for checking out the book.
Please join us on the companion wiki if you are interested: http://digitalwritingworkshop.wikispaces.com/
Enjoy your summer reading!
Troy