40 Book Challenge by Te'a

The 6th graders have been expected to try and read 40 books in the entire school year. That might sound easy for some, but there’s a catch. Not only do you have to log the books you’ve read so far in a paper log, but you also have to add the books you read into a Padlet; which is a website that allows the 6th graders to create personalized digital book logs that others can access with a QR code (here's a link to an example). Not only that, but you can’t just read “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” 40 times. No, you have to read 40 DIFFERENT books. And sorry to you comic book lovers, but you have to step out of your comfort zone because in order to complete the challenge, you have to read books of different genres, such as science fiction and mythology.

With all that set aside, the challenge is a great way to allow us 6th graders to start reading new styles of books, not only because we have to. Starting to read a new genre can introduce a whole different way that you think about reading. You might also be more drawn to reading after discovering that there isn’t just one style of writing a book. As we are now about a third into this year, we have had a lot of time to read in morning production, so some 6th graders should (hopefully) be even closer to the finish line. So, what are you waiting for? Start reading!

Padlet Book Logs by Jessica

Padlet is a website that six graders are using this year to give their opinions on the books that they've read. It is very useful for other students because they get to see what their classmates thought about a book. So they could see if the book is worth reading. In fact, recently my class made it a bit more fun by getting to scan our classmates' QR codes with the iPads and see what they thought about the books they read so far this year and over the summer. 

It also comes in handy for the 40 books Challenge to remember what we have read and for teachers because they can see how much you're reading. I think it is the best website to comment on and review books because it lets you explain what you liked about the book and tell special highlights that you liked about the book.