Back when my son was just about a year old, my husband asked, "Don't you think we have enough children's books?" I didn't need to say anything because my look said it all. Now, 20 plus years later, we have more books than our bookshelves can hold and my classroom is bursting at the seams. Am I done buying books? Definitely not! Children's books are still my favorite, but what else would you expect from a second grade teacher.
I love the Harry Potter series and consider myself a junkie. J.K. Rowling is an amazing storyteller. Severus Snape is my favorite character from the series. I remember the face of a parent of one my new students when I told her this just after Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was released. True, Snape is not often a very nice person, but he is an extremely complex character.
Another series I have enjoyed is by Laurie Halse Anderson. Chains is the first in the Seeds of America series and was very well done. I was equally pleased with Forge, second in the series. I love Anderson's use of primary sources as she tells the story of two slaves during the American Revolution. I can't wait for the final book to come out.
Currently I am reading the Peter and the Starcatchers series by Barry and Pearson. It is the story of how Peter Pan came to be along with Hook, Smee, and all our other favorites from the original Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. It is clever, funny, and the characters are well developed.
Do I read anything other than children's or young adult literature? Not a whole lot unless it is for my teaching career or relates to my religion. For now I am content to read mainly from the children's section of the library and like Peter I am in no rush to grow up.
