Summer Reading

I tried, friends, I really did, to blog about the "release" of the NYS test scores. I call it "release" because apparently somebody somewhere has seen the scores, but when I log into ARIS, I got nothing. So I still have no idea how my students did, other than that they all passed. Therefore, it's hard for me to speculate on the reality (or, probably, non-reality) of this year's scores in relation to the achievement of my now-former darlings.

Instead, inspired by this post over in the heady environs of Core Knowledge, I thought I'd blog a bit about my summer reading and invite you to share yours. Following Pondiscio's lead, I'll start with Shakespeare. I need to brush up on my Macbeth this summer, probably while I'm waiting in line for tickets to The Merchant of Venice in Central Park; I may check out a summer camp performance of the "Scottish play" this weekend. Looking for something to wear to Shakespeare in the Park? I recently added this to my wardrobe; who can catch the reference? Post in the comments.

I'm a recent convert to Stephen King. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is among the most unforgettable stories I've ever read. I'm looking for recommendations from King fans of his less overt horror stories and more of the cerebral thriller that The Girl... was.

As usual, I'm reading some books aimed at the kiddies to have some things to talk about during reading time. The Rules of Survival was a National Book Award finalist for young people's literature, and that's the one I'm on at the moment. Click is a very cool read, having been written collaboratively by ten top-shelf YA and adult authors for a middle school audience. Also, I have New Moon in my Netflix queue, guiltily.

No, no edubooks, at least not yet. But if you haven't read The Death and Life of the Great American School System, you certainly should. Diane Ravitch's writing is enormously informative and revealing. And Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones by Thomas Newkirk is very comforting for literacy teachers who want to fight the good fight against endless test prep.

What are you all reading? Form a friendly circle for Miss Eyre's book club. Or something.