Striking A Balance

My goal for this school year is to strike a balance between making, thinking, and reading in the library.  This summer I read many books about creating amazing MakerSpaces and several focused on fostering the love of reading.  Our MakerSpace is up and going so I have been thinking and implementing ways to encourage the love of books.  At the beginning of the year, Mrs. Haynes and I added a spot where we can share with the kids what we are currently reading...a very simple idea.  Mrs. Haynes commented the other day that several kids had inquired about the book she had been reading. At the time, I had not had any conversations about my reading choice.  But today that changed!  I was waiting to walk a kindergartner back to the library after a little bathroom break (she was a little worried about the big kids at the bathroom) so I was standing there when Grace, a 4th grader, started talking to me about the book I had been reading, Behind the Bookcase by Mark Steensland.  She had already read it and wanted to know what I thought of it.  We talked about where I was in the book and how truly scary it is.  While we were talking, I noticed that several other students had stopped what they were doing in the hall and were listening intently to our discussion.  One 4th grade boy was so interested that as I walked away with my kindergarten friend, he bombarded Grace asking her the title of the book we were talking about!  That one informal conversation may have enticed one other student to find a book he loves!  He may in turn recommend it to another student, who may recommend it to another, and so on.  I love that this happened today!