Summer Reading Assignments are 'so' fun!

I went to the library yesterday.  Not totally unusual for me.  I had a great tutoring session with a good kid.  I was trying to get him motivated to check out a book so he could complete his English IV summer reading assignment.  He really wanted to re-read (or not) a book he already read last year for a class to complete this assignment.  He must have suggested we read Animal Farm (the book he read already) 50 times, but I reassured him that finding a new book the right thing to do.  Reluctantly, we set off to find a book from the list.

So let me just say one thing.  The senior list isn't very good.  You guys going into English I should celebrate--like throw a party over your list.  (think confetti and cake here)  The English IV list is full of real classics...and when I say "real classics" I mean, books that are old and were popular when people used horse and wagons and explored the West.  But the list says that a book for this assignment must have literary merit.  As an English teacher, I do understand we all need to read books like that.  But the real problem is that I promised that I would read the book we choose WITH my student.  What was I thinking?  I wanted to run to the YA section and get a vampire book...  We finally decided to check out 1984 (one of my favorites off the list and a book I had already read).  Book was not there.  Not cool.  We trudged on.

So after several failed attempts at finding a book that sounded decent (and wasn't too long), we found Captains Courageous by the same author as Jungle Book.  It wasn't too long and looked good enough.  They only had one copy, so I sent it home with the student to get a jump start.  I reserved my copy, and I anxiously await the day until it comes in...  It sounds like a story like "The Most Dangerous Game" (remember that one from freshman year?).

With my book reserved, I had enough time to check out Jude, a YA book that looked and sounded great and a bunch of books for Cale (39 Clues, a Boxcar Children series book, the Odyssey, and a couple books on tornadoes).

So it was a successful day at the library.  And no email yet from the library saying Captains Courageous is in and waiting for me.  Ahhhh, can't start that assignment....yet.

How's your summer reading assignment coming?