Lists Lists and More Lists

One of my favorite parts about this time of the year is end of the year lists.  I will spend most of my free time over winter break pouring over list after list.  My favorite lists are end of the year music lists.  I know some people hate these lists, but to me there is nothing better than a nice list.  I actually found this article on why we like end of the year.  My favorite part of the article is that it is a list.

I also found this list of the best picture books of 2013.

Just to add another list to your reading, here is a list of the top 100 books of 2013 from the New York Public Library.

I thought it would be fun to think about some of my favorite moments from this year.  So here is my list of our top five moments of 2013 in room 215:

5.  The silent conversation the day that we read about Stella dying in The One and Only Ivan.  I was so amazed by what the students thought that day.  Just walking around the room and reading the conversations that were occurring was astounding.  The lesson took a long time but the thinking that came out of that moment was worth every second.

4.  Share time the day we worked on I am From poems.  I love this day each and every year.  The writing that comes out of the students that day is so fun to hear.  I think my favorite part of this day is seeing how much the students seem to surprise themselves with how amazing they can write.  It is a great springboard into the rest of our writing year.  Our classroom is filled with such amazing authors and this day was just the first of many days where they showed off there writing.

I think to make this even more exciting I will announce memory number three and two tomorrow and save the number one for Thursday.

Just because I have been sharing so many lists...here is my reading list for winter break:

3.  Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo.  This might be our next read aloud.

2.  All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.  It will be so nice to read an adult book again.  I love reading this book.  Mrs. Tarr hates when I read this book, though, she says I start to dream about moving out west and becoming a rancher.

1.  Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo.  Another adult book that I have been saving to read for a long time.

If you have any other suggestions, send me the title.  I am always looking for great reads.  Hope that you are all having a great week.