Today I Love reading aloud...and getting a package in the mail! Slice of Life 2014 Day 22

Thanks to the good people at Two Writing Teachers for sponsoring the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Today is Day 22 and even though my Spring Break is just getting started, today I have reason to be very excited about going back to school already!

 

 

Think back, friends...

waaaaay back...

to a time when someone pulled you up on their lap, 

cuddled you in, 

and opened the cover of a book with you.  

Can you see that book?  

Can you feel those arms?  

Can you hear that voice 

whispering in your ear 

as you and that someone 

travel to a distant land 

and experience some wonderful journey together?  

I have memories of My Ol' Man 

tucking me in at night 

and telling me stories about Paul Bunyon and Babe his Blue Ox, 

singing me songs about the Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapese, 

and reading the Sunday funnies with me 

all stretched out on the living room braided rug.  

The power of that shared moment, 

to instill a life long love for... 

words 

and language 

and voice 

and rhyme 

and legend 

and rhythm 

and metaphor 

and...

story.

 

My students all know that my very very very favorite time of the day (and I hope theirs) is when we are sharing a story together that I am reading aloud to them.  I have the wonderful privilege of teaching three different Reading and Language Arts classes, so I get to go on three different journeys each day.  Currently I am enjoying:

 

 

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin with 6th grade,

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate with 7th grade,

and Wonder by R. J. Palacio with 8th grade. 

 

But today...today...Oooh! Oooh! Oooooooh! I am so excited! Today I got a package in the mail!  I just finished reading Sahara Special (oh please, oh please, click that link because it is just so much fun to read the interview with Ms. Codell!) by Esme Raji Codell (who has her own fascinating blog) to my 6th graders a week or so ago and couldn't seem to get my hands on a copy of the sequel book, Vive La Paris, but thanks to the helpful staff at Half Price Books, I was able to order my very own keep it forever copy for $2.99 which came from just next door Indiana and today it showed up even sooner than I expected and did I mention that I am excited?  (Pardon my run on sentences...when I get excited, I run on!)

I can't wait to be able to push every other thing aside for a precious few moments each day and escape to a new set of characters who will soon be friends, and a new set of problems that aren't ours, but will eventually feel like ours.


I can't wait to go back to Chicago and be a student in Miss Pointy's 5th grade class again, but this time through the eyes of Sahara's friend, Paris, who is the only girl among four brothers.

I can't wait to practice up on my Jewish grandmother accent so I can read Paris' piano teacher, Mrs. Rosen with style; "Your hair looks like Minnie Mouse.  It's cute.  Is that the latest style, that and wearing your pants like they are going to fall down, the whole world should see your pupik?  Excuse me, I am old-fashioned. So why are you here, again?  Remind me.  You are selling Girl Scout cookies?"

I can't wait for the hush to fall over the room when I simply pick up the book.

I can't wait to see the looks on my students' faces and hear their voices complain when I say, "Aaaand that's where we'll stop for today."

Today I absolutely love reading aloud...and getting a package in the mail!