Holiday Break Reading

One of the best parts of the holiday break is the extended time one has for reading. We have more time to dig into that book we know will require our complete attention. We can digest the book a bit more slowly and fully appreciate it. And while we are reading, we can change our minds about what to read because we have choice! We can try out a genre, pick up a book we meant to read along the way but didn't, or reread a classic or favorite. Put simply for me, the joy of winter break reading comes from knowing that you don't have to put the book down!

I already had stacks of books waiting for me, so I knew I would never run out. Prior to the break, I reminded the young readers in my library to make sure and create their own book stacks.

So --  in this post, I wanted to share with you what I have been reading so far. I really didn't have a plan, other than to try to read a book a day  (to participate in Donalyn Miller's #bookaday) and catch up on some 2015 titles before Jan. 1st.

After looking back at this list, I can see that:

I read some books I had put on my to-read shelf a long time ago.
I read a book that won't be published until 2016.
And I noticed that I was also bridging my own book gaps (a phrase I learned from Donalyn Miller referring to books you missed).

I have read exactly what I needed to read.

Here are some of the books I have read so far:

Brooks, Gwendolyn. Bronzeville Boys and Girls. Illus. by Faith Ringgold. New York: Amistad, 2006. Print.

I love poetry, and I learned about this at #ncte15 this November. I enjoyed the illustrations as well as the rhythm of the poems. I also loved reading this one aloud to myself! I've already reread it several times.

Meyer, Marissa. Cinder. New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2012. Print. 

This one was definitely a book gap for me. I owned a copy of it, but had never picked it up. This young adult novel was a page-turner, and I am going to do my best to read the entire series before break is over!

Moore, Inga. A House in the Woods. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2011. Print. 

A pleasant and lovely picture book a fellow librarian recommended to me. I'm glad my public library owned a copy of it! 

Sepetys, Ruta. Salt to the Sea. New York: Philomel, 2016. Print. 

This work of historical fiction (young adult) will be released in early February. I couldn't put it down. I'm still thinking about this one. 

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. A Shiloh Christmas. New York: Atheneum, 2015. Print. 

This is the fourth book in the Shiloh series, and it was the perfect book to start with my holiday break. Several viable themes here (family, for one), and the story's Christmas setting plays an important part.

Baptist, Tracey. The Jumbies. New York: Algonquin, 2015. Print. 

This one was one of those 2015 titles I needed to read before Jan. 1st.  Based on Caribbean folklore, the main character bravely fights to save her father and her island home from the "jumbies". This one is also a page-turner! 

Mora, Pat. Tomás and the Library Lady. Illus. by Raul Colón. New York: Knopf, 1997. Print.

I'd read this one years ago, but wanted to reread it. Based on a true story in the life of Tomás Rivera, (the late poet, author and educator), it is a beautiful example of how librarians can help readers on their learning journeys. Also, I love to follow the work of author Pat Mora, founder of Día (Children's Book Day, and the 2016 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Award Lecturer.

Although I did meet my Goodreads Challenge for 2015, I am still reading. And I can't wait to pick up the next book -- although I'm not quite sure what it will be! (That's the beauty of reading during the winter break!) But I also can't wait to hear from the readers in our library and celebrate their winter reading, too!