I read, because there's so much more to the world than my corner of it. I read because I want to see the world through new sets of eyes.
~Jon Westenberg

I am a voracious reader who prefers nonfiction to fiction. My favorite reads are the books that I continue to think about and talk about after I've read them, and ones that spur me to do more research. My summer reading included many books that broadened me as a person and as a teacher:

• Help for Billy  by Heather T. Forbes
• The Nightingale: A Novel by Kristin Hannah
• Still Learning to Read, 2nd editon by Franki Sibberson and Karen Szymusiak
• Look Who's Learning to Read: 50 Fun Ways to Instill a Love of Reading in Young Children by Shelley Harwayne, and
• Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom, Grades K-5 by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

During the school year, I have less time to luxuriate in books. You may be feeling the same way. So how do we keep reading a high priority? It may help to ask, "Why do I read?" Is it to escape? Be entertained? To learn about myself and the world? With a purpose in mind, we can commit to reading 15 minutes a day, no matter how busy we are.

We can't hope to inspire lifelong readers in our classrooms if we aren't authentic readers ourselves. Letting our students see how and why they can fit reading into their lives each and every day is a legacy we must leave behind. Then they too will be able to see the world through new sets of eyes. 

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