Maybe in the swing of things?

Okay, I think I'm finally doing pretty good with this whole reading thing. Granted, it's easier to read as much as I'm reading when you're not working, but all your friends have normal people jobs, so you can read while they're at work. Next week might be trickier, since I have class from 8:30-4 every day. Plus the week I get my wisdom teeth out will be tough too. You see, I find it's best to make excuses for oneself before you start slacking. That way you avoid all those icky "guilty" feelings once you start slacking.

I'm also not happy that my books from Amazon haven't arrived yet. What good is Amazon Prime if your stuff doesn't actually show up in two days?!

Today's book was Anna Hibiscus, by Atinuke. This is one of my independent bookstore finds. When I found it, I didn't know this was the first in a series of books, but I'm glad it's a series. This was a really cute little book. Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. She has a huge family, with too many cousins, uncles, and aunts to count, her parents, grandparents, and twin baby brothers, Double and Trouble. This book contains four vignettes in her life that focus around different small issues. Each story could stand by itself in its own book, but it's definitely nice to learn more about Anna Hibiscus.

There's no information about its reading level, but since the vocabulary is a little bit more difficult than Frog and Toad, I'd guess that this book is about an L. The structure, however, is very similar -there are little vignettes that focus around the same characters, but don't necessarily build on each other.

In terms of usage, I would love to have this whole series for a classroom library. Just another series to keep kids engaged across multiple books. Additionally, I think I'll shell out the cash for four more copies so I can use it for guided reading. It's a good book to build comprehension and vocabulary. It's also nice to read a book about somebody who lives in a place very different from our own. At one point, Anna Hibiscus wishes she could see snow. My school has a huge number of immigrants, the majority of whom are from tropical regions, so our newest students have never seen snow. I know that my students will remember that excitement about seeing snow for the first time (followed by the bitter disappointment they feel upon realizing that it gets into every space your clothes don't cover and it's seriously cold). This book is just another nice way to remind students about the different types of places people can live and the different experiences we all have growing up. This book will be a great addition to my classroom library.