888 Challenge

Since I fizzled out on reading AND posting, I am going to focus on ONE challenge at a time. If I get going on the one, then I will add others. Or if I can join in on others by overlapping with the one I pick to start with: The Triple 8 Challenge.

I am going to work on updating this list in the next few days, but here is a start.

8 Health Related Books:
1. The McDougall Program
2. Eat More Weigh Less
3. The China Study
4. Body Clutter
5. Stop It!
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8 Picture Books (this will overlap with the Celebrate the Author challenge)
1. January- How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head by Bill Peet
2. February- Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
3. March- Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
4. May- Swimmy by Leo Lionni
5. June- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
6. July- Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
7. August-Pagoo by Holling C. Holling
8. September- Curiuos George by H.A. Rey

8 Newberry Award Winners
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8 Christian Non-Fiction
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8 Christian Fiction
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8 Education Related
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8 Ambleside Online Titles
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8 Books that I've Read Before and Want to Read Again
1. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
2. Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier
3. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
4. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
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First Book Finished

I have finished my first challenge-related reading. :-) Though the Fall Reading Challenge is the first challenge that I decided to do, I finished a book from the Newberry list: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. I really enjoyed the book, and I hope to do a short review of it another time. I just wanted to say, "I'm off and reading!"

The Newberry Project

This challenge is definitely for me. It is ongoing, with no set parameters other than to read and enjoy Newberry Award winning books. I've often thought I should read more of them, and actually bought a few recently to preview and decide when to read them to my daugther. So I have some on hand and can get started on an "official" reading list for this project.

I will list the books that I have read in the past, though I imagine that I will want to re-read them . It has been years since I've read any of these (in some cases dating back to my own childhood).

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Note to Self

Blog hopping when one can't sleep can lead to dreams of accomplishing grand feats not pondered ever before. (In other words, who knew there were so many reading challenges out there and what awesome ideas those challenges might lead to?!)

This one might really help me out with reading biographies if I decide to include that and participate in the 888 challenge, and the idea of expanding it to include memoirs and autobiographies sounds great! Of course, I really like the title of the challenge: "In Their Shoes". Just looking at the lists started by others is inspiring!

And then there is the First in a Series challenge which sounds fun.

Or the Themed Reading challenge.

Celebrate the Author would be a great one to do with my daugther as we could learn more about favorite children's authors as we "celebrate" their birthdays by reading one of their books. What fun!

(And with that, I must shut down this computer and turn off the lights!)

Pondering Another Challenge (Before the first one even starts!)

Coming up with categories and books for this challenge sounds fun. I know I need to make it through the fall reading challenge first, but I am going to start thinking about 8 categories under which to read new books.

Of course, I will have a category for "Children's Literature" (as in: for early readers). One for "Christian Non-Fiction" and I think I'll try "Christian Fiction" as well.

I used to really enjoy mysteries, but it has been awhile since I've read any and I'm not sure if I'll make that a category or not. My preferences have changed over time.

Hmmmm......let's see, how about "Award Winners"? This could include youth or adult awards such as the Newberry or Pulitzer prize. "Historical Fiction". "Biography" (this makes me nervous to think about, since I can't recall ever reading one other than those for young children----but as I want my child to grow up reading them, I'd better set a good example). I should start on some related to "Nature Studies" as well. Books on motherhood or parenting are usually interesting to me as well, and I actually have some on my shelf that I haven't read yet.

I also think it might be interesting to pick an author and read 8 of his/her books or to read from a "classics" list. Also intriguing is the idea of a read-around-the-world type of list or books specifically about missionaries to different countries. Of course, picking 8 books from the Ambleside Online reading list would help me to start previewing books for future use in our home school.

Decisions, decisions! And fun ones to make at that! :-)

Fall 2007 Reading Challenge

The challenge officially begins September 23, but while I have a minute, I'm going to list my planned books:

1. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
2. Push Not the River by James Conroyd Martin
3. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
4. The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney
5. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

This will be my first online reading challenge. I think it will be interesting to see what others are reading and also to challenge myself to delve into something other than non-fiction education/homeschool related books for a bit (I bought the first three at the beginning of August and haven't started one yet). I'll be sure to post updates as I complete each book.

A Blog About Books

It has been fun hopping around the blogosphere and learning about different reading challenges. (It all began here.) So I thought I might give one a whirl in the near future, and this will be a place to keep track of my lists and notes.