Finally...?

I've spent the last several weeks diligently writing about the books I read. Most of them have brought me a great deal of joy. Truly, only one book made me unhappy. I've made friends of authors and characters, and revisited old friends, as well. Throughout the course of this exercise, I have learned a great deal about Jews in American history, about human nature, about children's literature, and most importantly, I've learned a great deal about myself.

I am an eclectic reader. The sort of book I wanted to read varied according to my mood, what I wished to learn, and the sort of characters with whom I wanted to spend my lunch hour. These people, fictional as they might be, do indeed become my friends.

I learned that I do have my limits. I had previously thought that I had a compulsive need to finish every book I began, no matter how boring or ridiculous, for fear that it would get better and I would have missed it. This is not the case, however.

What I gained most from this experiment is that I had forgotten how much I love to read and how much I love to write. I used to do both nearly every day, but had gotten away from it when I went back to school. With all of the text books and essays, I didn't make the time for fiction and writing for pleasure. This challenge has been somewhat of a renewal for me.

Professionally, it has been interesting to read books written for children and young adults. I must admit that I have a soft spot for them, anyway. I grew up reading L.M. Montgomery and Louisa May Alcott and revisit Anne Shirley and Jo March often. More recently, I have read books written by Amanda Hocking and Stephenie Meyer. I had considered these books to be guilty pleasures, but then I read The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller and I realized that, as a teacher, I should know something about children's and young adult's literature, and how am I going to be knowledgeable about something that I have not read?

I also found it interesting that I could make connections that I might not otherwise have noticed. This week is a prime example. This week I went to the library to find another book to read. Having just spent some time with From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, I decided to see what else I could find that was written by E.L. Konigsburg. I came across a book entitled, The View From Saturday, and without a second thought, I picked it up and took it directly to the circulation desk.

 I read my new book in the space of two days, and made many lovely new friends. The book was unique in that each chapter was introduced in the 3rd person, and then told from the point of view of a different character (in the 1st person). Coincidentally, I was working on a lesson plan to teach point of view. While I didn't use it in my lesson plan, I have it stored in the files I keep, both on my laptop and in the back of my mind.

While my little experiment is over, I am seriously considering continuing on with my blog. Even if no one else ever reads it or enjoys it, I know that I will.