Summer Reading
I have two summer reading lists.
One is from my sixth grade Language Arts teacher.
These are battle books.
I don’t know how that works yet.
Some of the books I’ve read already.
They are great books.
Other books, I haven’t read yet.
The other list is from my seminar teacher.
These books are on an award list.
If I read ten, I can vote and get pizza.
Teachers like to give pizza to kids for a lot of things, especially reading.
I don’t have to read all of the books if I don’t like the topic.
Like books about sports.
I really liked the book, Ungifted.
It was funny.
I also liked Stolen into Slavery.
But it was not funny at all.
I didn’t know that someone who was free could be kidnapped and made to be a slave.
That is so unfair.
The one that I had read before, my mom had gotten me in fifth grade: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.
The puzzles in the book were very cool.
The February 20, 2015 part hadn’t happened yet.
Now, it has happened.
That was very funny.
I also liked Ghost Hawk.
It was also not funny.
I learned a lot from this book about things I did not know before.
I felt like it was an important book to read.
Thankfully, I do not have to write anything about the books I read for my sixth grade Language Arts teacher.
We will just have a competition during the year.
For seminar, when I finish a book, my teacher emails me a question.
I really do not like to answer questions that are not easy to find in the book.
Like, how did the main character in Wake Up Missing change from the beginning to the end of the book.
How am I supposed to know the answer to that?
The book never said.
So, I started looking in the front of the book for the answer.
I got very frustrated.
It didn’t say anything there.
I also looked in the back of the book.
It wasn’t there either.
My mom asked me what the character was like in the beginning of the book.
I don’t even know what that question means?
She was a girl.
That didn’t change.
My mom eventually explained that the question was asking for how her personality was a different, because of the experiences she had been through, by the end of the book.
I don’t know if my answer was right.
I was able to talk about a little bit of a change.
I wish teachers would not ask such hard questions.
They make me like reading a little bit less because I start to worry about what questions I will need to answer after I am finished.
aileenhower's Blog 
I don’t like anything that makes kids like reading less! NOOOOOO.
Thankfully he has you to keep him loving books. It’s interesting to read about his difficulties answering non-literal questions. I can imagine those would be a challenge for him.
I never thought about the questions we like being a reason that kids would just like reading a little bit more. It makes sense though now that I hear his thinking about this. You’re certainly in a tough spot as both mom and reading specialist here aren’t you?
It’s what my “book” is all about, actually. So I’m excited about the work, although he hates when I try to help him 😉
I am so glad that now I can read a book and just enjoy it without answering any questions. Years ago, though, I think I needed to be prodded to make me think about what I read. It is hard to find that happy medium is questioning where you stimulating one’s thought process and not turn him/her off to reading.
I am also trying to show that an answer to what most readers would consider a simple question is harder for him because he reads more literally.
Yes!
Your poetry format shows his literal and linear thinking very well.
You put me in his head- I appreciate these pieces very much.
I enjoyed Ungifted too. I had to chuckle as your posted unraveled berceuse I could completely visualize the entire conversation.
Teachers do like to give pizza for reading. Yuck. I tell my kids, reading is the reward. Smart kid.
I totally got the idea of him being such a literal reader! And like your son, I hate questions that go with books too!
“! don’t even know what that question means?
She was a girl.
That didn’t change.”
What great insight fo teachers. Those cranky questions! What do they mean. Sadly a teacher can’t just sit and talk with Jacob about the book. It’s so good that you can!
I have a lot of students who don’t “see” it. IIsn’t as obvious as some think!
A good reminder that having to answer questions can take some joy out of the reading.