- Weekly Reader books (sent to the house monthly but I really only remember trying to read The Ghost of Windy Hill)
- Sweet Valley Twins series (high school)
- Most of Maya Angelou's books (college)
- Jack Kerouac books (college)
- Charles Bukowski (college)
- Toni Morrison books (college)
- Gone with the Wind (grad school)
- East of Eden (grad school)
- Lord of the Rings trilogy
And many others. I had decided to read some of the classics after high school because I never really read any. And by classics,here is a list what I mean: A Thomas Jefferson Education. Oh sure, we read Julius Ceasar and MacBeth. How to Kill a Mockingbird. But my teachers taught them because it was part of the curriculum and not because they loved them, with one exception. My senior year in high school, Coach Tesh taught MacBeth. He loved that play. We spent so much time on it because he loved it. We squeezed every once of interest from it that I got a 100% on the test. His love for it made me, at the very least, like it. He gave me a silver dollar for being one of a handful of kids in the class to ace that test. I still have it.
A "classic" is a work that's worth returning to over and over again because you get more from it each and every time.
I have become an avid reader over the years. I am NEVER without a book (or books) downloaded to my Kindle. Before that it was actual books then my Nook. I have read hundreds of books. Not all classics and not all worthy of a second read. But I read. Everyday. All the time. Lately, I feel like it has become a problem. I don't' want to stop. And now that summer is here, I want to sit and enjoy book after book. I keep hoping that my love of books will rub off on James. He will read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, Berenstein Bears books and some hero graphic novels on his own. He also has totes around his mythical creature book and gets two magazines in the mail. Any chapter books he has, we read together. I am sure that I will read aloud to him until he is a teenager if he wants me too.
I am reading 2 books about education so I won't feel so guilty about my "pleasure" books. I am seeking balance in my life between my love of books and life in general with my sweet boy and the responsibilities that come with being a mom, wife, homeschooler, interpreter, neighbor and friend.
While attending the North Carolina Home Educator's conference in May, I went to at least two presentations about boys and academics. From that I learned about 2 great books that I am reading right now.
The more I read about the developmental differences between boys and girls, the more likely I am to seek out academic groups and activities that are just for boys. Or at least geared towards boys. For example, I am working on developing a boys-only book club with titles chosen that are about a boy(s) or is interesting to boys. I am also seeking activities (like soccer) that are not co-ed. The soccer league that James has played in for the last two years is co-ed all the way to the teenage years. As much as I loved that league, I want him to play on a boys-only team. Also, after reading the chapter about plastics in the Boys Adrift book, I went to Amazon and ordered glass food storage containers and threw out all my plastic. I also ordered a metal water bottle for James. Yes, that chapter was a serious eye-opener that moved me to action.
In a nutshell, I love books. I love to escape and I like learning how to be a better parent and homeschooler. I like being informed. So, for now, I will continue to enjoy my fun books AND my "learning" books. James and I will finish reading his Magic Treehouse books and hopefully start a new one together. Reading is FUNdamental!!
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