Flying

This is a book about a class that gets left without a teacher for the day. Their regular teacher is out for some reason and their sub calls in sick. Through some misfortune, the sub never gets replaced and the students are then left without any supervision. It is actually quite interesting to read this because it shows the points of view of several of the students in this class. A lot of the kids talk about a recent event regarding one other student in the class and it's interesting to read how it's affecting everyone. I love this story so far but I'm only halfway through and the kids are trying to run class like they would if they did have a teacher. Things are getting pretty risky though and I'm really wondering if they can actually pull it off. It also makes me think of what would happen if this were to actually happen in real life. I can't imagine any scenario that is actually believable but still, it's something to think about. If I think back to when I was young and if my teacher wouldn't have shown up for class, would I have told someone? Would I have reacted the way the students in the story are? I think my future students would definitely enjoy reading this because they would probably find this sort of event to be desirable. Anyway, if you're looking for an easy read and a fun book, check out Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher.

Encore!

This is a book that I read last semester for one of my classes. I chose to re-read it because it has such an awesome plot and a great message. This is a story about a young girl who is just starting high school. She feels like a big kid so she wants to be cool. She has a cousin with Down's syndrome that moves close to her and therefore starts going to the same school. At first Edie doesn't have very nice thoughts about her cousin. She feels embarrassed by her and like her parents force her to spend time with Merry. As the story progresses Edie becomes the director of a school play. She sees that she hasn't been treating her cousin kindly and so decides to change that.
I think that this story is great for little kids and adults. It shows how good intentions can be seen as bad even when we try our best to do good. Edie also teaches us how to treat people better and learn from our mistakes. It's a really great way to get people talking about this issue at a young age. I think that kids will love it and I hope adults do too!