Slice of Life 2025 - Reading Together

Reading is often a solo activity--at least when we are adults. Fortunately, I'm a teacher librarian so reading in community is a common occurrence for me. This week I read Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor with six different classes of first and second graders. I read Cougar Crossing by Meeg Pincus with illustrator Alexander Vidal with four different classes of fifth and sixth grade students and I read The Gardener of Alcatraz by Emma Bland Smith with illustrator Jenn Ely with four different classes of fifth and sixth grade students. I also read Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan and illustrated by Mercè López with three classes of kindergarteners and one class of third graders. Whew! We are reading the picture books for the California Young Reader Medal and are almost finished. With so many eyes and ears on a book, lots of things are noticed and shared. 

I've found ways to read in community outside of work too. There is a local group called Books that Blaze and we're reading Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Pérez for Women's History Month. 

I'm also in a book club that is mostly library and education related folks and we met this week to talk about A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza. That group is a lively one and I don't like to miss it since the host loves to bake and makes a cake or pie every time we meet. She even makes enough so we can take some home afterwards! We talk about the book we read together and then we share about all of the other good books that we've been reading. 

Storygraph also has a some cool ways for us to read and engage around a book. They have buddy reads to set up for you and a friend or two and they also have readalongs for bigger groups. I've done a few of those and will likely do more. 

I also write for a Young Adult blog called Rich in Color. There, the other bloggers and I do group book  discussions several times a year and that's always fun too. 

I also participate in a blog hop sometimes called It's Monday! What are you reading? where we share the books we've been reading over the past week - or longer if it has been a while since posting. 

And finally, this month I'm also participating in the #RamadanReadathon on Instagram. We're reading Fledgling by S.K. Ali. I've read and enjoyed all of her other books and am excited to be reading at the same time as others so we can share what we notice, wonder, love, and know about the book. 

Sometimes I just want to fly through a book and enjoy it by myself, but I find that sharing books with others is also extremely rewarding. Having a space to talk about the books and share enthusiasm or even our lack thereof makes me happy and lets me enjoy the book beyond the pages. Happy reading to you whether alone or with a group!