First, I’ve read a few Harry Potter slices (bless you, Potterheads), so a few facts for you. According to Pottermore, I belong to Ravenclaw (I’m a teacher, I have to be quirky at times!). My Patronus is a weasel, a hard working, intuitive little creature. My wand, made of vine wood and a unicorn hair, which is attracted to personalities with “hidden depths” and sensitivity. And my Llvermonry House is Thunderbird. All in all, this kind of a stuff makes me happy. I’m reaching that point where students don’t know *gasp* about Harry Potter, so my first read aloud is the Sorcerer’s Stone. This hooks a half dozen kids and Harry Potter books can’t be kept on the shelf! 🙂

Yesterday’s blog was a bit…..grumpy. However, in the grand scheme of things, with all the flooding going on around here, the epic flooding and snow going on to our west with the “boom cyclone” (a new word term to me), and the shootings over night in New Zealand, I’m pretty sure my students being sneaky little buggers ranks pretty low. A good venting post is great, but there are SO many more important things going on out there in the world that we need to discuss with our students.

My review, Rebound, by Kwame Alexander. First, as a basketball guy, I loved this book. The rhythm of this writing makes this an easy read. It just flows so well, even though there some abrupt things that take place in here. Second, the story line made my heart happy. A coming of age story for certain, but one ALL students can relate to in some fashion whether they are a sports person or not. And finally, I’m a sap at heart, and with my stroke, sappy stuff gets me more quickly than before. The end of this book moved me to tears. I won’t spoil it, but it tugs, no pulls at your heartstrings. I’m reading a section to my class today, and it will be tough to not get teary because of the subject.

I purchased this book through a non-profit book site call First Book. From the First Book site:

Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 175 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low income communities in more than 30 countries. First Book currently reaches an average of 5 million children every year and supports more than one in three of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving children in need. With an additional 1,000 educators joining each week, First Book is the largest and fastest-growing network of educators in the United States exclusively serving kids in need.

If you’ve not had a look at this site, please do. They’ve got so many books and other material to sell at prices that will keep you coming back. My classroom library thanks them because I can purchase good, hard cover books for $2 a piece. I love Scholastic, but sometimes, a paper book just isn’t enough! 🙂

And my question: What fun book have you read lately? What book has brought you to tears? What book has brought you joy? What book is on your shelf that you’ve not picked up yet?

Me? Rebound brought me to tears and I’ve got a book on Abe Lincoln, along with a couple of programming books about a Raspberry Pi on my shelf. They may be summer projects! 🙂