Teachers, Start Your Engines!

All over the South, kids are back in school already. Up here in the Northeast, where I'll be for another month or so, Labor Day is the target date for giving up our summers. Until I left the South, I had no clue what Labor Day even was. As my daddy used to say (OK, maybe he used a tad more colorful language):
"Farmers and farm animals don't care about Daylight Savings Time or Labor Day Weekend."

How true.

But I've digressed enough. It is time to prepare for school. So whether you are the teacher, the student or the parent, there's plenty to think about. Let books be way up there on the list, please.

Did you get your summer reading done? Did you stock your classroom full of books? And parents, how about donating a book to your library in honor of a family birthday, or just plain giving books as gifts, all around.

This month, I'll be catching up on a few books I've saved to review. Fall is a big time for publishers to send a whole bunch of new kids' books into the world. Stay tuned.

If you're reading this and you are a teacher getting your room ready, organizing class lists, etc., you owe it to yourself to read this amazing post. One teacher's take on what NOT to do at the beginning of the school year. Very thought-provoking.

And while I'm at it, I may as well steal the quote she has on her blog.

“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or a duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift."
Kate DiCamillo