Reading Challenge: Rebecca Caudill 2014

Wow, two posts in one evening! I thought it would be less confusing to split them up. I have recently created two reading challenges for myself. The one I'll mention now revolves around the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award. Essentially it's an award voted on by kids in grades 4-8 who have read one or more of the nominated books. My challenge (to myself) is to read all twenty nominees by the time school begins in August. I somehow managed to squeeze in four of them over break (hmmm, and how much grading do you suppose I accomplished? Ahem.), so I'm already 20% there! These are the ones I've tackled so far:

They were all enjoyable, but I especially recommend "The Lions of Little Rock," set in 1958 when the governor of Arkansas orchestrated the closure of all four Little Rock public high schools for the entire school year in order to avoid integration - amazing book!

The reason I began reading these books is that our school has a program called "Book Champs;" after a kid reads one of the books on the list, he or she discusses the book with a teacher who has also read that book as "proof." We weren't able to do that this year as the 2013 books didn't arrive until nearly the end of the first semester (thank you, unreliable funding), but all of the 2014 books are already in. I am determined to read them all so I can be available for any discussion! Also, because they are great books!

I'll discuss my other self-reading challenge at a later date - it's sure to please the nerdiest reader!