Monday Reading Day!

It's here!  It's the last Monday of the school year!  Even though it's been busy with end of the year "stuff," I was able to do a little reading this week.

First, I finished Wonder by R.J. Palacio.  It was an amazing book!  A friend told me it was a book that would stick with me for a long time and she was definitely right about that. 

One of my favorite parts was the speech by the Principal, Mr. Tushman, at the graduation ceremony.  It fits so well with things I have been thinking about lately and with the end of year reflections and emotions that are always in the back of my mind during the last weeks of school.

          " ...but what I want you, my students, to take away from your school experience is the sure knowledge that, in the future you make for yourselves, anything is possible.  If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder that is necessary - the world really would be a better place.  And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one ofyou, the face of God."

I love this!

I also read the book Clementine by Sara Pennypacker.  This came recommended by a friend as well.  It was a great, quick read.  I laughed out loud several times while reading as I was reminded of my children, and those children I have had in my classroom, over and over again, seeing them in the main character Clementine.  Some favorite parts:

        "But then a great idea popped into my head.  I'm lucky that way: great ideas are always popping into my head without me having to think them up."

        "Then we just sat there together watching the pigeons flock back to our building for the night.  We listened to them cooing above us, sounding like a million old ladies with secrets."

And I absolutely love the way Clementine thinks.  She doesn't love her name.  There is a part in the book where she says that it isn't fair that she's named after a fruit and her brother isn't.  She says since the only thing worse than being named after a fruit is being named after a vegetable, so she proceeds to call him every veggie name under the sun throughout the book.  Spinach, Radish, Rutabaga, Turnip, Zucchini, Lima Bean, Pea Pod, and Celery...I laughed every time!

My professional reading this week?  Um, ahem...right, about that?  I didn't read a single line of any of the professional books I had planned to try to read.  Oh well...maybe next week!