Summer. The very word conjures images of long afternoons with a book. Whether at the beach or stretched out in hammock under a tree, I’m looking forward to reading. A lot. Except for Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Echo, my stack of middle-grade novels is embarrassingly out of date. I’ll be making regular trips to the library to find more recent titles, including The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and picture books like Yard Sale by Eve Bunting and Julia Sarcone Roach’s The Bear Ate Your Sandwich.
I also have a pile of professional books that includes Colleen Cruz’s The Unstoppable Writing Teacher and Vocabulary Is Comprehension, by Laura Robb. I’m looking forward to having the new Units of Study for Teaching Reading, by Lucy Calkins and her colleagues at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project sometime in early July.
Finally, there are several poetry books I’m looking forward to reading, including Jane Hirshfield’s Ten Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World and The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects, selected by Paul B. Janeczko.
This list may change over the weeks ahead. Another joy of summer reading is having time to browse the library stacks or tables at the bookstore and find an undiscovered gem. What will you be reading?
Thank you to Stacey, Tara, Dana, Betsy, Anna, and Beth for this space for teachers and others to share their stories each Tuesday. Be sure to visit Two Writing Teachers to read more Slice of Life posts.
Reading to the Core 
Catherine,
What a great list of books that you have stacked up! I have Colleen’s and Jennifer Serravallo’s 300 strategies that I will leave behind when I head to NYC. I am assuming that I will have many more new titles after both the writing and reading institutes . . . at leas that has been the pattern for the last two years. I love this little tidbit . . .”Another joy of summer reading is having time to browse the library stacks or tables at the bookstore and find an undiscovered gem.” (Absolute truth!) I’m betting I have several “gems” that I will have to “ship” home as the luggage will be full!
See you in less than a week!
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You’ve got some great books in your hands (and not in your hands, but mentioned in this post). I wish I had more time to read this summer. I really need to find more time, don’t I?
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I have quite a few to read too, Catherine. That Unstoppable Writing Teacher keeps calling. . . Enjoy Echo; I just finished it-wonderful. Happy reading!
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I love the idea of creating a list of all the books I want to read over the summer–professionally and personally. My lists recently have been insanely long and filled with some unpleasant or at least tedious tasks. Your post has inspired me to make a new list, but one I look forward to –This will be a list that will be doubly satisfying to tackle!
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I love seeing what others are reading. The only problem is that it makes my reading list grow. So much to read, so little time! You have some great titles there. Thanks for sharing or should I say making my list grow! Happy reading!
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I just bought a hammock and I have to say, it was a delight to lay down and read in it last weekend. My stock pile of summer books is growing too and I have to say, I just enjoyed listening to Benedict Cumberbatch reading “Metamorphosis” on the BBC. Not a summer’s day story!
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I’ve been eyeing that Jane Hirshfield book lately, would love to know what you think of it!
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My book pile is high. Different from yours. I like the diversity and that we can find new titles from each other.
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Catherine, I am hoping to find some undiscovered gems at ILA 15 this summer. Laura Robb gave me her Vocabulary book to read. I can’t wait.
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I just finished The War That Saved My Life. I loved it! I am currently reading Jodi Piccoult’s The Storyteller and Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon. I’m going to add the poetry books you mentioned to my summer reading list. Thanks for sharing, and happy, happy reading!!!
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Thank you for sharing your list. I look forward to reading “Vocabulary is Comprehension” by Laura Robb.
Have a great day!
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Thank you for sharing your titles. Vocabulary is Comprehension will now go on my list.
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We share some of the same choices, Catherine – I can’t wait to be able to have the day to just read. Bliss!
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Catherine, I love your list! Great titles (and covers). Thank you for sharing them. Enjoy summer reading time–of the joy of time!
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Great summer reading plans! I am hearing more and more about The Unstoppable Writing Teacher. Think I’ll put that on my list.
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Happy reading! We’ve been out for 2.5 weeks and I’ve read 31 books! (picture books count 🙂
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