The Next Class - Read Any Good Books Lately?

I finished the "Teaching Children to Read" course I was taking. I got an A. Yay!!! I'm still working on the "Introduction to Family Processes" class, but am more than half way done. I figure that if I follow my plan, I'll be done by June 17th.

I really enjoy having two classes that overlap each other, so I'm anxiously anticipating the next class, which I will sign up for in June 20th. It's an elementary ed class entitled "Children's Literature." This'll be the perfect class for the summer. I figured out that for this class I'll have to read 71 books. Considering 40 of them are picture books, it's not as overwhelming as it sounds. There are some assigned books and some that I'll get to choose myself, but the class covers a wide variety of genres, so it'll be fun to get a taste of what's out there.

I also figure this'll be a fun way to spend time with my kids and will be a great thing to do while traveling to our various destinations this summer.

As I created my plan for it a couple days ago, I read that if I had read any of these books, I would need to reread them unless they'd been read in the last six months, so I went in, grabbed one of the five copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and sat down and started reading it to B and DJ again.

If you're at all interested, here are the assigned readings:

Modern fantasy -

• The Black Cauldron, Lloyd Alexander
• Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling
  

Realistic fiction -

• Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli
• Frindle, Andrew Clements
• Skinnybones, Barbara Park
• View from the Cherry Tree, Willo Davis Roberts

Adventure/Historical Fiction -

• Charlotte's Rose, A.E. Cannon
• Seven Daughters and Seven Sons, Barbara Cohen
• So Far from the Bamboo Grove, Yoko Watkins

Biography -

• Lincoln: a Photobiography, Russell Freedman

Information/Nonfiction -

• Children of the Dust Bowl, Jerry Stanley
• Bet You Can't, Vicki Cobb

Of the books I get to choose myself are 31 picture books, 9 fairy tale picture books, 2 modern fantasy chapter books, a realistic fiction, a humor, a mystery, and suspense, and a biography (all chapter books), 3 chapter books from adventure and historical fiction, and 8 informational picture books (oh, and don't forget...a partridge in a pear tree).

I'm not sure if there's going to be a specific list to choose these from, but for the time being, if you have any suggestions for me of books that you or your kids have enjoyed that fit into these categories, I'm totally open to your ideas. I have my favorite picture books, but I would love to know what you enjoy. It would be fun to read these to T as he goes down for his nap and at bedtime at night.

Hmmm....I'm thinking a re-read of Twilight's gotta fall into place here somewhere. Wouldn't that just be a shame. Heehee! Life just keeps getting better and better!