It's A-Okay to Reread in April 2013!

We are excited to announce our plans to reread in April! If you want to join in, feel free to grab the button for your posts. Share you links in the comments so we can visit and see what you are rereading and why you value rereading as a reader and as a writer! 

Jen:

April is almost here! This year really seems like it's cruising! Last year in April, I decided to reread some of my favorite books. Until recently, I didn't have an interest in rereading books except for The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger which is my all-time favorite book. I think I've read more and more books that I truly love and that I actually want to reread over and over. Here are the books I reread last year:

Jen's 2012 April Rereads:

Time Traveler's Wife *finished reread 4/6/12*
Wonder (audio) *finished reread 4/4/12*
Graceling *finished reread 4/20/12*
Charlotte's Web *finished reread 4/9/12*
Hurt Go Happy *finished reread 4/28/12*
Marty McGuire #1 *finished reread 4/20/12*
Finnikin of the rock (audio) *finished reread 4/16/12*
Night Circus *finished reread 5/12/12*
Fire (audio) *finished reread 4/27/12*
Maniac McGee (audio) *finished reread 4/9/12*
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (audio) *finished reread 4/20/12*
Outsiders (audio) *finished reread 5/2/12*
First Part Last (audio) *finished reread 4/3/12*
Stargirl (audio) *finished reread 4/23/12*

This year, I'm rereading again and I'm really excited to have that feeling of knowing it's okay to take a break from new reading and to do some rereading again (although I'll still be reading new books here and there). I'm also super excited because my focus for rereading this year is to look at mentor texts for my own writing. I've been thinking a lot about my own writing lately and am reading to jump back in as the summer and Teachers Write rolls around. I'll be reading and sharing my favorite snatches of text from this year's list of rereads. Many of them I have reviewed here and you can click on the titles to see my reviews. 

Jen's 2013 April Rereads:

The Fault In Our Stars
Wonder
Okay For Now
Bink and Gollie #1
Bink and Gollie #2
All-American Girl
Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always
From What I Remember...
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Hound Dog True
The Dreamer
Naked Mole-Rat Letters
Gabby and Gator
Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly

I made a trip to the library and collected books 
around my house for my April rereading bookstacks! 

Kellee:

When I first joined Twitter and my PLN, rereading was one of the strategies that I did not see the importance of. When I first heard that teachers allowed their students to reread and actually encouraged it, I did not see the benefit of it; however, it was a teacher who I really trusted who I first heard this from, so I decided to give it a chance. I have discovered that often, on the first reading I get so enthralled in the story that I often miss a lot of the nuances within a book and it is on a second read that I really get into the meat. Or, as I have begun reading the first time for review, the first time I am critical and take notes while the second time, I just enjoy. More and more I find myself wanting to reread because I want to get that second helping of a book. 

Kellee's Rereads of 2012
Amulet #1 by Kazu Kibuishi
Knights of the Lunch Table #1 & #2 by Frank Cammusso
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Willy's Pictures by Anthony Browne
Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
Lon Po Po by Ed Young
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Messenger by Lois Lowry

I loved rereading last year and I was so happy that our Rereading is April series pushed me to do more, so I kept it up all year. This year, I plan on rereading at least 2 books this April: Hilda and Harlem because I loved them and want to reread to be able to better review for you all. My other rereads may not happen in April, but I hope to reread as many as I did last year.

Kellee's Plans to Reread in 2013
Some books I cannot divulge because it is part of the Walden Award Committee
Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson
Harlem by Walter Dean Myers

Hope you will join us by revisiting books you love. 
Happy (re)reading!! 

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