Friday, March 2, 2012

Day 2 of 31 Slices


Today is the second day of the 31 Day Slice of Life Challenge!
Learn more at Two Writing Teachers.
 
Katniss Everdeen.  Primrose, Gale, and Peeta.  Have you met them yet?  If not, I highly recommend that you read The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. 

I first read Hunger Games about three years ago.  My son was in seventh grade at the time.  He had been a voracious reader up to that point, but suddenly had stopped reading for pleasure.  He was teetering on the brink.  I couldn't stand the thought of him missing out on all of the brilliant young adult literature out there.  I had read about this book online, and I thought it sounded like the perfectly engaging book for a 13 year old boy.  Who knew that it was a perfect book for me as well? We both devoured it, as well as the two that followed it. 

Fast forward to this year, when my daughter was ready to read it as well.  Fueled by the conversations she had overheard between her brother and me, she flew through all three books in two weeks.  She was thrilled to be a part of our conversations.  She was thrilled to share that connection, especially with her big brother. She was thrilled that her teachers could barely contain their excitement when they asked her opinion about it.

Part of the beauty of reading is being able to share and make connections with others.  One of my favorite questions to ask my friends is, "What are you reading lately?"  I am always hoping they will fill me in on a little gem of a book to be put on my ever-growing "to-read-next" list.  The best part is the conversations that take place with the "recommender" after reading the recommended book.  Often times, we take such different ideas away.  My opinions are challenged, and my thinking is enriched.

Finally coming to that point with my children is pretty amazing. When I was reading The Foot Book, Goodnight Moon, and Junie B. Jones to my babies, I never even imagined the joy that would be awaiting us in the future-- the joy of connecting through more complex characters and experiences.  Little did I know that The Foot Book would lead to the Book Thief and that Junie B. would lead to The Help.

In a few weeks, The Hunger Games movie is coming out.  My kids and I will be attending the midnight premier--we have never done such a thing!  We will be celebrating my daughter's thirteenth birthday. For me, it will be a celebration of that and so much more.

3 comments:

  1. How exciting! My sons and I have reached this point. Every time one of MY book boxes arrives, my fourth grader's eyes light up. He knows he gets dibs (after me)... before they go to my students.

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  2. Yes, I've read all three, and I got many of the staff reading it during the last couple of years, and of course my students too. We were so excited to talk about them, & in the halls & in e-mails, etc. Your post shows such a nice thing like that within your family. One year, my husband, my daughter and I devoured the Orson Scott Card Ender's Game 'first three' & talked about them a lot. Thanks for that connection too in the next to last paragraph-very neat!

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  3. I have to post - The Foot Book was the the first book my daughter read on her own! My son's first independent read was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle book complete with a recipe for pizza in the back. So many happy memories of our book journeys together . . . and now they're 25 and 27!
    Sharing and making connections it's what lifelong readers do!
    I have happy memories of some midnight movies with my kids - enjoy the celebration!

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