It's Coming: Our 5th Annual Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 Event

Our February Nonfiction Event
It seems like just yesterday we were planning our August Picture Book 10 for 10 lists and preparing our classrooms for a new school year.  Now here we are turning the corner on another year.  That means it's time to get ready for February's Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 event (#nf10for10).  This year will be our 5th annual nonfiction event.  Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 allows the opportunity to bring our community together to share our favorite nonfiction picture books.  I don't know about you, but I feel like this is a genre that just keeps getting better and better.

What is #nf10for10
In 2010 Mandy Robek and I hosted our first picture book event.  In 2013, Julie Balen suggested we add a nonfiction picture book event that worked the same.  Participants choose 10 - well, usually 10 (they're a crafty bunch) - nonfiction picture books to share.  On the day of the event, we'll ask that you visit the Google Community site to add your nonfiction link to the 2017 #nf10for10 tab.

• What:  10 nonfiction picture books you can't live without.
• Hashtag:  #nf10for10
• Who:  Anyone interested --- educators, media specialists, librarians, parents, and book lovers.  
• When:  Friday, February 10th
• Where:  All posts will be linked on the 2017 #nf10for10 page of our Picture Book 10 for 10 Google Community Site.  
• How:  Stop by our community site, join the community, and share your favorites on February 10th.  

So....

Join us!

Start sorting through your collections to find your favorite titles and join us in one month as we each share 10 nonfiction picture books we just can't live without.  Feel free to grab the #nf10for10 button and spread the word.  

Let's Read: It's All About a Plan #MustReadin2017

If you're like me, your "to be read" book stack is always growing.  When you have great book friends, this is just a good problem created from all they share....and I have a lot of great book friends.  I've started to realize that almost everything I read is amazing because I put it in my stack after hearing recommendations from multiple friends.  I can't keep up, but I'm not sure I can tell you the last time I wanted to abandon a book.

This means, of course, I'm continually overwhelmed by my book stack.  Continually!  Being overwhelmed means I honestly get less reading done than I could do.  I've been trying to figure out a way to be more intentional and take away that overwhelming feeling.  I think #readabration and Carrie Gelson's #MustReadin2017 have come together to help me create a plan to improve my reading life struggles.

Making a Plan:  #Readabration (A Little History) 
Right before winter break the literacy coaches began talking about starting their #readabration lists.  Readabration was an event started a few years ago in which teachers, principals, literacy coaches, and students took the time to plan their reading over break.  As a listened to them talk I knew this was just what I needed.  A plan to read over break would help me begin to tackle my ever growing, and increasingly overwhelming, "to be read" stack.

I opened my Goodreads and began to make an intentional plan.  Knowing I really need to grow my bookstack of middle grade books I've read, I put my concentration there.  There are so many professional books in my stack, that I knew I needed to choose one of those as well.  Of course, it was winter break so, I also wanted to read an adult book.  I wanted to keep my list manageable as the break was only two weeks and our house is quite busy for much of the time.  I came up with this list:

What's on your list? Here's the #readabration plan: #hcsdreads pic.twitter.com/hwo4Y7zwyA

— Cathy Mere (@CathyMere) December 24, 2016

Of course, break came and some unexpected digital books became available to me from my library hold stack so I had to adjust.  This new availability required that I rethink my stack.  At the end of the two weeks, I had moved several books into the completed stack.  I had read several middle-grade books, a new adult book, and nearly completed the professional book.

How to keep this momentum going?

This #readabration experience reminded me, once again, of the power of a plan.  I decided that I would continue to plan monthly what I wanted to read in hopes of moving more books from my "to be read pile" to my "I read it pile."

#MustReadin2017
Then, I head about Carrie Gelson's #MustReadin2017 post.  First I read Tara Smith's list as it came across my feed, then Margaret Simon's, then the many friends I found linked on Carrie's post.....and I knew this was just the push I needed to keep me on track.

Here's how it works (I think):

• Have a TBR (to be read) list
• Keep it growing 
• Check back in 4/6, 9/7, 12/28 (optional)
• Use #MustReadin2017 on Twitter

My Plan

I'm in!  I'm going to consider my "to read" list on Goodreads to be my #MustReadin2017 stack.  However, I want to keep this manageable and accomplish my reading goals for 2017.  Each month I will be creating a "plan to read" stack for the month.  I'm trying to keep the stack reasonable enough that I can accomplish it, flexible enough that I can adjust it (digital library holds can shake things up a bit), and open enough that I can throw new books in every now and then.  There also has to be room to pepper in picture books (I like a lot of pepper).  I hope to try to follow my #readabration plan:  a middle-grade book per week, an adult (or maybe YA) book for enjoyment, and an informational text (likely professional or "better life-ish).  

Here's January's Plan: 

Thanks, Carrie and #MustReadin2017 for the timely push.  

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