Comment Challenge Update

I have been participating in the comment challenge started by MotherReader since last Sunday, and while I have slowed down since then (the first couple of days I was dropping comments like confetti on New Years), I thought I would make a few comments on some of the blogs I have visited. While I have enjoyed seeing all the blogs some of them naturally interest me more than others.

For example The O.W.L. , which stand for Outrageously Wonderful Literature for Middle School Grades is a natural winner for me for a couple of different reasons. The most obvious is that I am a middle school teacher and while many of my lessons change each year, one thing that has never changed is my requirement that my students read independently. Once my eighth graders get to high school, they are required to read books that are chosen for them, so my reading program asks that they choose books that interest them. This means that I am often referring reluctant readers to books I think they might like. My hardest sells are usually the guys. If I had a dollar for every boy who has told me “I don’t read,” my saving account would be pretty hefty by now. So coming across The O.W. L.'s Friday For Guys post was a great find. The other reason I love this blog is simply because I like the reviews. So if you are looking for middle school reads, head over and check this blog out.

Another blog I will be keeping tabs on is Read Now Sleep Later. I like the crisp clean template, which makes it easy to find things, and I love  Froot Joo’s rating system (Stay up all night, stay up late, stick to your bedtime, you are getting sleepy, and Zzz...), How cute is that? Froot Joo’s reviews are a quick read and interesting.

Yet another cute blog I ran across on my book blogging tour is It’s All About Books. Suey, has a witty style that is fun to read and her blog has a nice layout that is easy to navigate. I especially loved her Bookword List, which is a game she and Raidergirl3 at Adventures in Books play on Wednsdays. Check out some of these words:

Oblibook: A book you read because you think you should in order to be well-read.
Misunderbook: A book that you LOVE, but everyone else (well, almost everyone) HATES.
RecommenDUD: A book you hate that everyone else loves.

Two other blogs I found that have become regular reads since I began the comment tour are the This Purple Crayon and the Purple Polka. 

Natalie at This Purple Crayon is a librarian, and I have a very special place in my heart for all librarians. I really love her template it is so colorful and inviting, and her voice is warm, and friendly. Reading her post makes me feel as if I am sitting right next to her sharing a cup of coffee and chatting about great books.

Kristi at Purple Polka, is very zany and  her post always make me smile. I am especially excited that she does poetry on Fridays, which is always a part of my lesson plans with my students. In fact, just yesterday my teammate and I were making decisions about what poetry projects to do this year with our eighth graders. One component of our poetry lessons includes our kids writing poems, and over the years I have read some really great poetry written by my students. This Friday I got a chance to read one of Kristi’s poems. Check it out.

As of this morning, I have made 93 comments. I must say the comment challenge has consumed me, and I really have cut back. I need to be reading, and writing reviews, but I have enjoyed every minute and have kept a list of all the blogs I have visited that way I can return.