“Don’t read in the dark!” (Just yesterday in a hotel room while traveling!)
It’s my Kindle on my iPad. It’s lit.
“When did you start reading?”
Have I ever NOT been reading?
I remember reading BEFORE I went to school for kindergarten.
And according to a first grader, “Was that before Columbus discovered America?”
I remember lying in front of a south window trying to sneak in a few more minutes of twilight reading hours. In later years I remember having a flashlight and a book under my pillow in the camper so I could read if I wasn’t sleeping. And now, now I read from my iPad. Sometimes I read just a page or two. Sometimes I flip back to an old boring friend and read just a page or two. And sometimes I read until the book ends!
My mantra:
I checked out and read all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books available from our public library in the 1960s and I credit those series for making me a serial reader – every book published by the author. (Note: I love the new versions now available!)
Kylene Beers and Donalyn Miller (#TCRWP Reading Institute) have told us that series readers will be life-long readers. Encourage students to embark on the exploration of a series OR TWO during the summer and they will be on the way to slowing or even stopping the “summer slide”!
Which books?
I’m not in favor of “mandated lists” because I believe that student choice builds a love of reading. Here’s some advice . . .
These eight bullets can help you, the teacher, increase your own voraciousness as well as that of your students!
Of course, building in a bit of humor as in “How would I rewrite the titles to fit a different concept?” can produce a graphic like “Hungry for Books”!
My final words:
What does your reading list look like?
How many TBR stacks do you have?
When will you start/continue?
How did YOU become a voracious reader?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Lanny, Lisa, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here. 
And what does this look like in a high school reading workshop???? How would you know if you have voracious readers? Fabulous ideas from students incorporated into this rubric.
Resource - Full 
So much to love about this post, Fran! I especially love the “Creating Voracious Readers” bullets– so great 🙂
Lanny,
It’s not really that difficult . . . does take some time, some talk, and perhaps some explicit connections with a peer or an adult – no matter what the age – that talk seems to cement the learning!
Thanks! It was totally a different topic than I was thinking last night!
Love that Maud Casey quote!!!! Works for me!
All the quotes seemed to fit my thinking today. It was hard to “stop” quoting! ❤
This was such a fun post to read, Fran! The graphics really added interest. I love how technology has increased the number of books I read, either in print or audio, and keeps my appetite voracious. Right now I am enjoying two books among my devices and another one in print.
Thanks so much, Rose. It’s fun to think about criteria for adding media and then watching to see how it develops!!! I am always reading two or three or more books simultaneously . . . Not a minute to easte!
Thanks for linking to my post – I’m so glad to know that the Healthy Reading Life Profile might be useful to others. 🙂
Julie,
I think your profile could lead to many great conversations for all readers . . . Teachers and Students!
I little sadly, I became a voracious reader after I was out of school. I had to create summer reading lists that both my students and I would love to read. It has grown ever since. I go through phases. Sometimes a no-reading, West Wing-like binging of watching, then just listening, then reading. But I always come back to reading.
Aileen,
I binge read a LOT! Especially my JUST for fun reading! ❤
Over spring break this year I discovered a couple of really neat podcasts that connected me with current new books; one focuses on picture books (All The Wonders) and the other focuses on middle grade books (Books Between). I now have an insanely long list of middle grade TBR titles, as well as countless picture books!
Don’t even get me started on my professional TBR pile…it is out of control, and frankly, there just are not enough days in the summer to read them all 🙂
Thanks for your post, Fran!
You are so welcome, Dani!
My professional TBR pile is in better control. Everything has been started and a few are nearly done! ❤
Always 2 or 3 mandatory rereads EVERY summer!
So much here, Fran. I can’t seem to remember a time when I didn’t have a book in my hands or at least one near by. As far as my TBR pile goes, with the great recommendations from people here on TWT as well as my friends who constantly suggest book titles, that pile grows faster than it goes down. What a wonderful predicament.
I agree. . . and although memory is supposed to be the first thing to go, I know I’ve been reading FOREVER!
This is just perfectly timed! We are getting ready to set some summer reading (and writing) goals. I will share the voracious reader list! Also, had did you make the Hungry for Books graphic? I love it!
The Hungry for Books graphic is a google image but I think I could make rectangle shapes and use text boxes for titles for upper grades and just draw them for the younger grades!
Such great advice for teachers as they send their students off for a summer of reading!! Thank you for sharing –so many books… so little time!!
Clare
So true, Clare.
So many great books that we learn about every day!
Looking forward to those long uninterrupted spells. When I can tell the world to please turn around and leave me alone.
I’ve been looking at those “non ru-brick rubrics” from Adventures in High School Workshop too! I love the collection of thoughts, quotes, and resources you’ve gathered here.
Thank you! Building useful collections is one of my favorite reasons to curate a new post! ❤