What is Ms. Fitz reading?
Here’s the view from January 4!

In August, I set a few reading goals for the 2019-2020 school year. One of them was to focus on our collection when I was choosing my books to read, in order to highlight books that my students have access to and to increase their reading and their excitement about sharing books. But somewhere around October, that perimeter started weighing on me. My reading slowed down as I struggled to get excited about my next title, or handed a book to a kid mid-read because of their interest. By the end of November, I felt totally stuck and struggling to enjoy reading at all. I found myself cursing my goal and longing for the shelves of the public library. And then I realized: If I hate this restriction so much, why am I keeping it? Who’s the adult here?!

I’ve learned in the past that I am not the best reader I can be when there are limitations in place. When my selection is limited or assigned, I lose my joy and my drive, and find myself reluctant to read at all. I think that deep down, no reader likes to be confined or told what to do; it’s the reason I’m so passionate student choice and zero pressure in the library. So I decided to swallow my pride and nix that expectation for myself. I set a goal, I tried it, and then I realized that it wasn’t working for me. Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, goals just don’t work. I’ll keep the goal in my mind when I’m reading, but I’m okay with letting it go. In the end, nothing is worth losing the joy that comes with reading. And wouldn’t you know it – the moment I gave myself the freedom to read whatever I wanted, that magic came right back.

Of the 19 books I read this month, 6 are available for checkout from our library and 2 were suggested by students and families.

In December I really loved Roll With It, More to the Story, Dear Sweet Pea, Best Friends, Frankly in Love, Sick Kids in Love, Gracefully Grayson, I Can Make This Promise, and Redwood and Ponytail. (I loved Frankly in Love and I Can Make This Promise so much, they’re already noted on my possible best of 2020 list!)

Where will my reading take me next? I’m not sure! But I do know that I’m about to head to the public library to pick up four new books on hold. None of them are available in our library yet, and I’m really excited anyway.