My Personal Reading Goal: The Newbery Challenge

This summer one of my teacher friends, Mrs. Harder, introduced me to two blogs which I have totally fallen in love with!  You can check them out here: http://mrschureads.blogspot.com and here: http://sharpread.wordpress.com.  Mr. Schu is a librarian in a k-5 building and Mr. Sharp is a 3rd grade teacher.  I have been inspired by their LOVE of books and how they desire to put a "just right" book into the hands of every student they meet.  These guys embarked on a challenge to read all the books on the Newbery Award list and invited others to read along with them.  I decided to join in the challenge!  It is my goal this year to read more of the books that my kids are reading, so that I can have quality conversations with them about what they are reading.  I also want to be able to recommend books to my students that they might not have ever thought about reading!  Now, not all the Newbery books are appropriate for 3rd graders, which I am realizing  as I work my way through the list.  However, I am finding some great ones that I know my kiddos will enjoy.

 Currently, we are reading The One and Only Ivan, which is the 2013 Newbery winner.    I LOVED it when I read it this summer, and I am hoping that my kids will connect with Ivan the gorilla as much as I did when I read it.  Mr. Schu makes these fabulous book trailers that kids can watch to get them interested in new books.  I can't wait to show my kids this one for The One and Only Ivan. If you go to this link, scroll down a bit to get to the trailer.  It's worth watching!


Here is a list of the Newbery books that I have read so far:

2011- Moon Over Manifest
2010 - When You Reach Me
2000- Bud, Not Buddy
1999 - Holes
1996 - The Midwife's Apprentice
1994 - The Giver

How am I deciding what to read next?  I have discovered the Sunflower e-library, which is the state of Kansas' online library.  I can check out books on my Nook for free!!!  I am working my way through the books that the e-libary has.  That is why my list is so random, and not in order at all!  If you are interested in finding out about how to check out library books on your Nook or Kindle, you can go to
their website here.  They have kids books, grown up books, audio books and much more!  You will need a library card number from your local library.  The Hesston library has instructions that you can follow that tell how to download the software that you need.  My mom just got an iPad (woo hoo Mom!) and has figured out how to check out books on her iPad.  If she can do it, so can you!

I have many more to go, but I'm in no hurry.  I want to take my time and enjoy each and every book.  This trip is not about the destination and just checking off all the books (although I do enjoy a good list and checking off things. :)  It's about the journey and each individual story.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Lafferty