Our theme:  

Together we are stronger…teachers and librarians united in reading 

and read we did. 

Because we love our librarians, and don’t want to wedge the stake of competition between us [Brian’s description] we wanted a more collaborative and supportive experience, not a competitive experience.

Because this year is more of a readathon than a competition, we will have a slightly different objective. Certainly, little competitions will come up naturally [Brian’s note: I’m going to try to not let Jillian beat me this year. . .let me rephrase: JILLIAN WILL NOT BEAT ME THIS YEAR!] [Jillian’s sidenote: Hmmm, friendly competition to push me to read more. Challenge accepted.], but we do want to avoid making the entire thing a competition. That gets away from the idea of reading being its own reward.

Dates: July 1-31

• Upon signing up on the spreadsheet, the participants will put their Twitter handle (if they have one) as well as a reading goal for the month
• We will add up all these individual goals and that will be our overall target
• The spreadsheet will have a “countdown” in the upper left
• We will also try to beat last year’s one-month total of 2,873.25 books read
• Reminder to help with goal setting: we averaged 17.8 books per person last year
• Book counting just got easier: if you read a book, any book, it counts as one book. So keep in mind what kinds of books you plan to read when setting your personal goal.
• Spreadsheet link

Together we are stronger…teachers and librarians united in reading.

Come join us!
Jillian
Brian
Sherry
Kathy

Wads of Tissue Summer

I like to call the past few months my Wads of Tissue Summer.
It seemed like I was consistently finding myself in a public place when I
encountered an especially heartwarming or heartbreaking scene in the book I was
reading.  More than once I had to
scrounge around in my purse for a tissue or three and try to make it look not
so obvious that I was all choked up about something. My ten and twelve year old
daughters got to the point where they would roll their eyes and say, “Another wad of tissues book, Mom?
Really?” My response was always, “We really need to read this together,” or
“Your teacher would love this book,
trust me.”

Now not all of the books I read were tearjerkers. The list
included picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction along with professional
development titles.  As I was looking
through my GoodReads account and chatting with my daughters about their
favorite reads of the summer, I realized that it was going to be almost
impossible to whittle my list down to only ten titles.  After much consideration, here are my Top Ten
Favorite Reads from the Wads of Tissue Summer, rated in number of wads of tissue
used on a scale from 1-5, with five being the most wad-worthy:

Bigger than a Breadbox
by Laurel Snyder

This book kicked off the summer
reading at my house in early June. I told my daughters I’d be ordering a few
middle grade books and would like them to read at least a couple of the titles.
My 12 year old snatched this one up right away and read it in one sitting. I
loved hearing her reactions to Rebecca’s choices. Her most-telling comment was
about how she now understood one of her classmates better because of what the
main character had went through. I’d rate Bigger
than a Breadbox a 3-wad book.

Divergent/Insurgent
by Veronica Roth

Divergent
was a reread for me, as I wanted to refresh my memory before heading into the
second book of the trilogy, Insurgent.
Out of the many Dystopian YA novels I read this summer, these two books
resonated with me the most. Maybe it was because I live in the Midwest and was
familiar with Chicago, Navy Pier and the surrounding suburbs. After reading
Roth’s books I spent a few days being thankful for the world I live in,
imperfect as it is. I also wondered if I could face everything that Triss did,
and still be strong at the end of the second book.  I do think that Insurgent is the better book of the two, simply because the stakes
are so much higher and the ending – well, I won’t give it away, but suffice it
to say that I can’t wait for the third book! These books didn’t cause me to
pull out the tissues, but were a favorite read none-the-less.

Innocent Darkness
(Aether Chronicles, Book One) by Suzanne Lazear

I originally read this book as an
ebook from NetGalley earlier in the summer. I had taken an online class with
Suzanne last year that focused on the Steampunk genre and received wonderful
feedback and encouragement from her. I was initially intrigued because she’d
said her novel was a mix of Steampunk and Faery, and I thought “how do you mix
the two in a YA novel?” Well, Suzanne has done just that. The protagonist,
Noli, is a teenage girl who loves all things mechanical and just happens to
live next to a faery prince. She finds her way to the faery world, falls in
love, and has decisions to make. This title was a favorite read and no tissues
were required. I can’t wait to share this title with students this fall!

The Pull of Gravity
by Gae Polishner

I
love it when I come across a novel that I can use in connection with a title I
teach in one of my high school English classes. The Pull of Gravity is one such novel. The references to
Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men makes me
excited to use it in my eleventh-grade literature class later this year. Ms.
Polishner is one of the sweetest YA authors I’ve gotten to know over the
summer, and I’d love to arrange a Skype visit with her in the Spring.  Zero wads required for this reading.

Boy + Bot by Ame
Dyckman

I had gotten away
from reading a lot of picture books since I began teaching at the high school
level a few years ago.  I fell in love
with this book from the very first reading. It has just the right mix of humor
and sensibility. Ms. Dyckman is such a funny and kind person, she even sent a
package of goodies to my 10 year old and included extras for our local
children’s librarian! I’m determined to find a way to incorporate this title
into my class curriculum somewhere this year. The reading of this book required
zero wads of tissue.

Out of My Mind by
Sharon M. Draper

I
had heard buzz about this book on Twitter and thought it would be a good book
to read with my daughters. I ended up reading it on my own, as my girls were
immersed in other MG titles at the time. Oh my, what a ride this book was, and
in a good way. For her entire life, Melody, the main character, has been
treated as a body. She has cerebral palsy and almost everyone in her life
assumes that her brain is as disabled as her body. Throughout the book, Melody
proves to everyone around her that she is smart and has a wonderful sense of
humor. As events unfolded, I found myself on a rollercoaster ride alongside
Melody, from scenes where my heart overflowed with love and admiration to a
gut-wrenching event near the end that caused a massive amount of tissues to be
used (while sitting in public no less). 
This is a book that helps readers of all ages better understand the
lives of those who are limited physically but not mentally. Out of My Mind earned a four wad rating.

See
You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

I put off reading this title until later in the summer because
I knew it was a tear-jerker. Reviews along with people on Twitter and Facebook
all said that a totally unexpected plot twist happened and to make sure to have
a box of tissues handy. After reading three other titles that had me wallowing
in soggy tissues in public, I was hesitant to add a fourth title to my Wads of
Tissue summer. The book kept beckoning to me as I would peruse my TBR piles for
something new to read. I finally picked up See
You at Harry’s and began reading. And it did not disappoint. Talk about
reminding me how precious family and every single person’s life is makes me all
teary-eyed as I type this. I won’t give away what happens, let me just say that
I’m going to go hug my girlies just because I can. Everyone should read this
book at some point. See You at Harry’s
earns a 5+ wad rating.

One for the Murphy’s
by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

I was pulled into this novel from the
very first page. Carley’s voice is very authentic and I loved her sense of
humor. She’s adept at adjusting to new situations, and not at all good at
letting her defenses down. The idea of family as many know it is a foreign
concept to Carley, and through the love and patience of the Murphy family, especially
Mrs. Murphy, Carley comes to know exactly what family means. At the end of the
book, Carley knows what she wants but isn’t given the chance to choose. As a
mom, my heart was torn at the end, not only for Carley but for Mrs. Murphy as
well. I have a new appreciation for parents who choose to open their hearts and
homes to foster children. One for the
Murphy’s earns a four wad rating.

The
Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

In a departure from her Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy,
Stiefvater combines her love of equestrians and storytelling in The Scorpio Races. My 12 year old read
this first at our house, and couldn’t stop talking about it. Mind you, I had
purchased it to read and include in my classroom library, but that was not mean
to be. I have long admired Maggie’s (I hope she doesn’t mind I use her first
name) gift of weaving a story that entrances her readers. Puck Connolly, the
main character, is a young girl who I admired simply because of her
determination to save her family home when it seemed that no adult cared what
happened to her and her younger brother, Finn. Sean, the long-running winner of
the Scorpio Races, faces a similar battle. My favorite line from all of my
reading this summer comes from Puck: “I’m so full of an unnamed wanting that I
can’t bear it,” (page 54). The last few pages focus on a life-changing decision
Sean is forced to make, and the twist at the end had tears streaming down my
face. The Scorpio Races easily earned
a five wad rating at the Vorhis house.

Wonder
by R.J. Palacio

Wow, what can I say about this book? It is definitely my
FAVORITE read of the summer. Experiencing the world as Auggie does is humbling.
I have shared this book with everyone I know, teachers and non-teachers alike.
A common phrase heard at our house is “Choose Kind,” which reminds each of us
how precious and wonderful life is. I’m looking forward to reading this to my
10^th-graders this year, and know that I’ll have to have wads and
wads of tissues once we reach the end. Definitely a 5+ wad book.

Thanks so much for sharing, Kelly! Don’t forget to check out all of the #summerthrowdown guest posts at the blogs of all of the coordinators: Brian, Kathy, Sherry – and check back on Sunday for my own personal Top Ten list from my #summerthrowdown reading!

For today’s #summerthrowdown guest post, I have Meagan who has been an active participant in both rounds all summer. Meagan teaches high school English in
Northwest Indiana. She always has a book handy and blogs about her reading and
teaching experiences at www.paradisaicallife.wordpress.com.
Find her on Twitter (@uhohmeagan)
and let her know your favorite Fearless Females!

Top Ten Fearless Females, Heroines, and All-Around
B.A. Girls

First I’d like to
thank Jillian for inviting me to guest post on her blog! I am so grateful to her, Brian, Sherry, and Kathy for #summerthrowdown. I read over 50 books in the first round and
nearly as many in the second round (though I stopped updating my totals halfway
through, oops). I read. A lot. But Summer Throwdown made me read more. Way
more. So without further ado, I present my top ten fearless females, heroines,
and all-around B.A. girls and strong fems (in no particular order).

Alina Starkov, Shadow
& Bone (The Grisha Trilogy, #1)

War-orphaned Alina
struggles with belonging. She overcomes immeasurable fears and ultimately
realizes the strength of her own power. She courageously does what must be
done. Alina, aka The Sun Summoner, learns that throughout her entire life, she
has always belonged with the one constant in her life.

Allie, Breaking
Beautiful

Oh, goodness. Allie
survives the accident that kills her boyfriend. She struggles to endure with
and deal with the guilt and the fifty other emotions she feels. Her little
brother, Charlie (who has cerebral palsy), tries to help her. Her small town
eyes her and her best friend Blake when their romance begins to blossom. Allie
learns a lot of secrets and begins to remember the night of the accident. A
realistic contemporary, Breaking
Beautiful follows Allie’s shattered world as she tries to keep living and
move on. She’s definitely a fearless fem!

Hazel, The
Fault in Our Stars

Oh, John Green.
Why?? Hazel is ready to die at 13. Her cancer will take her life before she
reaches 14. But she doesn’t die. Hazel’s quality of life isn’t all that great –
she’s permanently hooked up to an oxygen machine. But then she meets Augustus
who really shows her what life is about. While I’m not a fan of the “girl needs
a guy to show her she’s worth living for” or “girl needs a guy to make her
realize something” plot tracks, Hazel just blows that out of the water. She has
so much strength and courage, even when she doesn’t.

Steph Landry, How
to be Popular

It’s pretty
impossible to follow Green’s The Fault in
Our Stars, but remember, these are in no particular order! Steph wants
desperately to be popular. She wants to belong, like Alina in Shadow and Bone. She actually makes it,
and is pretty much the most popular girl in school – for a week. Then she has
to make a decision: maintain her popularity at what sacrifice? She learns that
she does belong, with that one constant in her life. Steph isn’t insecure,
she’s just a typical teen. I don’t think being popular is all that great, or
even something we should all strive for, but the fact that Steph actually set
out to do it – and succeeded – makes her a fearless fem.

Bianca Piper, The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat
Friend

I hate that she runs
to slimy Wesley (and does the dirty…several times) as a distraction from the
not-so-great status of things at home. Wesley nicknames her the Duff because
Bianca isn’t the prettiest or the skinniest of her two best friends. She’s more
of a body guard than an equal – and that sucks. I definitely related to Bianca,
and I’m sure that many other young girls can identify with her as well. Bianca
looks for a distraction (albeit in the wrong place, in my opinion) and finds
that her feelings weren’t exactly left on Wesley’s front doorstep. When all is
said and done, Bianca actually lets Wesley in. And they bond. Majorly. Way to go,
Bianca, you found yourself! Bianca is my B.A. female.

Piggie, Happy
Pig Day!

Piggie (yes, Piggie
is a girl) is celebrating being a pig. But her best friend Gerald is an elephant.
Read: not a pig. He feels left out of the celebrations – but Piggie shows him
you don’t have to be the same to be friends! I love Piggie – she is fun-loving,
carefree, and just loves everyone. A great role-model and example for beginning
readers! (Also, I’ll be sharing this with HS students in a “mutual respect/we
belong/love each other” lesson.)

Babymouse, Babymouse series

Oh, Babymouse! There
are now 16 books in the Babymouse series (#17 comes out Jan 2013!), and I love
every single one of them. Babymouse is silly, sometimes ignorant (but never in
a bad way), and is always daydreaming. She encourages readers to dream with her
as she set out on hilarious quests – like wanting to be queen of the world, a
famous rock star, a mad scientist. Babymouse is awesome, and is definitely a
fearless fem!

Esperanza, The
House on Mango Street

I had to read this
over the summer because it was summer reading for incoming freshman.
Esperanza’s tale is briefly and poetically told in a series of vignettes. We
watch her grow from a child to a young adult. Esperanza refuses to inherit her
grandmother’s defeat, though she did inherit her name. Her life as an immigrant
is told simply, and is sometimes painful. She definitely impressed me by
opening her own home later in life to those less fortunate and displaced.
Heroine and fearless female is she!

Brooklyn Wrainwright, A
Bibliophile Mystery series

I do not prefer
mysteries. But I couldn’t pass up a book with a strong female lead who loves
books! Brooklyn solves murder mysteries which are often inextricably linked to
books (either she’s working on restoring one, she’s receiving donated rare
books, etc). Though Brooklyn is sometimes portrayed on the silly side (not
often), I love that she’s just so B.A. about everything.

Cass, Secret
series

This pick comes
straight from my sister. She read tons of books with me this summer and we
often traded. I was having a difficult time choosing a final Heroine/Fearless
Fem so I asked her for some help. She loves how eleven-year-old Cass works
through everything she has to. She’s smart and prepared. Her backpack (which
she always has) is full of really useful stuff to help her and Max out of any
dire circumstance. Cass is anything but normal. I bought this book for my
sister when it first came out, and she made me buy her every sequel! We love
this series. Cass is awesome!

Thanks so much for visiting, Meagan! 
Don’t forget to check out all of the #summerthrowdown guest posts at the blogs of all of the coordinators: Brian, Kathy, Sherry

Top 10ish #summerthrowdown 2012 List

10. Ish by Peter H. Reynolds

What better way to start an “ish” list than with a book that tells you
it’s okay to think “ishly”? I’m so glad I picked up this picture book recommendation
as a companion to Wonder by R.J. Palacio from a Nerdy Book Club post. What
student (or adult) doesn’t freak out at the thought of standing out?  The idea of thinking “ishly” lets us see that
putting our own unique spin on life makes everything way more interesting!

9. Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and
Changed the World by Sy Montgomery

You know you’re on to something when a book keeps you from taking a dip
in Lake Michigan on a 90 degree June day. This book is a fascinating mix of
informative and narrative written for young readers (and 30ish sunbathers). The
chapters alternate between facts about autism and stories of Temple dealing
with society’s misconceptions about her. Get to know Temple and the impact she
has made on our world.   

8. The Secret of the Fortune Wookie by Tom Angleberger

I love The Strange Case of Origami Yoda series and its blend of hijinks
and hilarious sketches. This newest installment is definitely one of the first
book talks I’m doing this year. I know my kiddos from last year will be excited
to get their hands on it after waiting all summer since Darth Paper Strikes
Back came out. In the spirit of Origami Yoda: A copy you must find!

7. Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Is it crazy of me to say that when I was younger I WISHED I had braces?
Seriously. I actually envied the girls who commiserated over getting their
braces tightened and complained about busted rubber bands. Regardless of being
Team Braces or not, this graphic novel is for everyone! Smile is about
the author’s years of dental surgery and growing pains that many young people
experience, told in a painfully hilarious way. I loved Telgemeier’s references to
90s pop culture, making the setting true to her experience, reminding you that
yes, these things happen to real people, and yes, you will survive. You may
even become a successful graphic novelist! I can’t wait to do this as a read
aloud this year (with Elmo assistance!)

6. Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Dystopian YA is my go-to genre. Plus, could this cover be any more
beautiful? The sequel to Wither takes Rhine out of the mansion and into
the crazy world. This is a completely ethereal and enthralling read for upper
grades. The final book in the trilogy, Sever can’t get here soon enough

5. Legend by Marie Lu

Looking for something to read now that you’re done with The Hunger
Games and waiting for the next installment in the Divergent series?
Pick up a copy of Legend and satisfy that action/dystopia craving.

4. 13 Little Blue Envelopes & The Last Little Blue
Envelope by Maureen Johnson  If you don’t follow @maureenjohnson on Twitter, you are missing out on
some hilarity. I knew TwitterMaureen before I knew AuthorMaureen, and I adore
them both equally. 13 Little Blue Envelopes and its sequel share a spot
on this list for taking me on my only international trip this summer. No
passport necessary.

3. The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco

Patricia Polacco and Kleenex go hand in hand with me, and The
Junkyard Wonders definitely requires a handful. My words can’t even do
justice to the power behind this book. All I can say is, if you are looking for
a book to remind you what a difference you can make in the life of a child,
this is it.  

2. Divergent & Insurgent by Veronica Roth

This series is the new “it” series in YA. They were at the top of my
TBR pile the day after school got out simply because it was the first time they
were back in my possession since book-talking them with my kids! Let’s just say
I went all Golem from Lord of the Rings with these until I finished
them. My apologies to my husband.

1. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

There is only one spot I could have possibly placed this book on my Top
10ish list. If you haven’t heard of this book, let me tell you: The One and
Only Ivan is not an independent reader book. It’s not a MG book. It’s not a
YA book. It’s an E book, to borrow a rating from video games. In other words,
an Everyone book. I definitely joined the bandwagon on loving this book, and
boy, I’m glad I did. My life is better for having read this book. 

Thanks so much for visiting, Jessica!

Don’t forget to check out the entire series of #summerthrowdown guest posts on all four blogs.

In thinking about the hundreds of participants who read thousands of books for #summerthrowdown Librarians vs. Teachers, we (Brian, Kathy, Sherry, and myself) wanted to hear about and share some of the favorites that people read, so we asked for volunteers to do a “Top Ten Books Read” guest post on our four blogs this week after the second round ended and we all headed back to school for a new year.

My first guest post is from all-around awesome person (and my convention buddy) Sarah Andersen from YA Love blog. If you haven’t “met” her online yet, you really should. She’s a fantastic high school teacher and blogger who works tirelessly to bring an appreciation of reading to her students. I’m so excited to hear her Top Five Picture Books read list!

Picture Books In A
High School Classroom? Absolutely!

I kind of grew out of picture books after elementary school,
but since starting my Masters Degree I’ve discovered a new appreciation for
them.  Reading a picture book as an
adult, especially as a teacher, is a completely different experience than it
was when they were being read to me as a child. 
Now I find myself looking for picture books that I can use in my
classroom to serve as mini lessons for things like drawing inferences, making
predictions, foreshadowing, etc.  Some of
my high school students are a little shocked when they first see me pull out a
picture book, but once we start reading them many of them instantly remember
how much fun they are to read.

This summer I completed my Masters Degree; I’m now
officially a Reading Specialist.  Instead
of writing a thesis, my cohort ran a summer reading clinic aiding elementary
students who struggle with reading.  I
worked with a fifth grade student moving into sixth grade this fall, so we
worked quite a bit on comprehension strategies. 
Because of his age my professor helped me find picture books that she
thought he’d enjoy and would still find challenging.  Since this clinic took up a large chunk of my
summer, most of my first round of #summerthrowdown reading consisted of picture
books.  Today I’m going to share a few
titles that I think would work well in a high school setting.

Pink and Say by
Patricia Polacco—I haven’t read many YA novels that take place during the
Civil War, so finding a strong example in a picture book was really
exciting.  I don’t teach much in my
classroom that works with the Civil War, but history teachers could certainly
use this text.  It’s also an excellent
example of the power of friendship and characterization.  It is lengthy, so I’d probably break it up
into two read aloud periods unless you have the time to read it in one class
period. 

The Stranger by Chris
Van Allsburg—This is a really cool picture book that would work great with
middle school and high school students. 
It’s a complex story that would work perfectly to introduce how to make
inferences.  I don’t know about you, but
I’ve found that students have a difficult time making inferences and supporting
them.  The Stranger is both interesting
and short which makes it a great piece to use in a mini lesson.

The Relatives Came by
Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Stephen Gammell—This is a really cute
picture book that would work well when focusing on making connections.  Many students can relate to having family
over and all the chaos that occurs in a crowded home.  I’d like to use this when introducing our
narrative writing unit because I’m sure it would give my students plenty of
topic ideas.  We used this as a read
aloud in our reading clinic and the kids loved it.  At the end of the clinic most of them said
this was one of their favorites.

Just A Second: A Different Way to Look at Time by Steve Jenkins—The importance of reading
non-fiction texts is really being emphasized right now, so why not include a
picture book?  I loved reading this book
because the illustrations are great and the comparisons are fantastic!  I can easily picture students reading this
book more than once so they can retain the many facts about time.  I don’t know if this would make the best read
aloud, but it’s a great independent read.

Thank You, Mr. Falker
by Patricia Polacco—I am so happy I discovered Patricia Polacco this summer
because she is positively wonderful. 
Reading this book made me cry. 
And when I say cry, I mean I had to grab a few tissues.  Not all students struggle with reading, but I
think many would connect with this story and how difficult it is to fit in and
feel smart and confident when you can’t read. 
Even better?  The illustrations
are just as beautiful as the story.  This
is a top-notch choice for any grade level.

Thanks so much for visiting, Sarah! And stay tuned for the rest of the guest posts on favorites from #summerthrowdown this week!

Number of participants: 161

Number of days: 30

Number of books* read: 2,871

Average # of books*/person: 17.8

Round 1 went to the #LeagueofLibrarians (18.82 books/person), but #TeamTeacher (16.65 books/person) had a strong showing as well. That’s more than a book every two days!

From my perspective, everyone came out of this a winner because we all read SO much! 

Congrats everyone and thanks for playing with us!
Oh, and don’t forget to go enter the raffle to win a book if you haven’t yet!

My co-conspirator/#throwdown originator/Sister Classroom teacher, Brian Wyzlic, has the details on his blog post today (and if you haven’t read any of his reviews yet at Wyz Reads, I recommend you do so-they’re highly entertaining!). Go check it out and then go read!