Glog on Spinelli

Why I Dislike AR

If there were a Bill of Rights For Readers, it would definitely include the right to choose one's own reading material. No one likes assigned reading, especially being assigned a book by reading level or genre.

When I was ten years old, I decided to read Jane Eyre. It took two weeks of summer vacation for me to plow through the formal language, but the chill house in the English countryside, the haunting shrieks in the night, the orphaned girl in love with the mysterious brooding Mr. Rochester, all gripped my imagination, and I couldn't let it go. That book was definitely not on my reading level, but I'm grateful the adults in my life encouraged my literary explorations rather than confining them.

Now a avid adult reader, I remember being attracted to different genres at different ages. In third grade I read biographies and historical fiction. In fourth and fifth grade I devoured mysteries, especially gothic tales like The Secret Garden and Jane Eyre. In sixth grade, adventures and fantasy were my passion. My parents and teachers never held me back or insisted I read certain books from certain genres. In time I explored many kinds of books on my own.

With free voluntary reading, I believe all children will eventually develop strong reading skills. That's why I'm proud the Collins Library has books to satisfy every student's taste.

Favorite Books

Found by Margaret Haddix crosses many genres. The story begins as an action adventure/mystery and morphs midway into science fiction. A brother/sister duo and their best friend are the main characters. Since this is the first in a new series and the story is so exciting, I'm already anxious to read the next one. Maybe Margaret Haddix will give us a few hints about the plot when she visits Collins in February.