As spring break nears, I am building my traveling book pile. When my husband and I travel we tend to pack more books than clothes (see above – my husband’s book stack in a hotel on a recent trip!)

Here is a list of ten books — four current favorites and six books I am packing for spring break:

RECENT FAVORITES

• The News from Spain by Joan Wickersham — a beautifully crafted collection of seven short stories. Last fall I saw Ann Patchett and Tom Hanks in conversation and they raved about The News from Spain.  Wickersham’s prose is exacting and elegant. The book is dazzling in its nuanced revelations about human frailty.
• The Belles by Dhoinelle Clayton — a highly anticipated YA fantasy book. Clayton focuses on society’s obsession with outward appearance. She disguises her commentary in a fairytale-like fantasy. I was bowled over by her two-page author note at the end of the book.
• Far from the Tree by Robin Benway — At first I did not want to read this National Book Award winner YA novel. Teen pregnancy and the search for a biological connection are at the heart of this tale. However, Benway crafts strong characters you will find yourself rooting for throughout the story. She also hones in on the meaning of family in a way that feels modern and fresh. Highly recommend.
• Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy — this powerful biographical free verse novel is a quick read. Written by a niece, Yellow Star tells the story of one Jewish girl’s remarkable survival in the Lodz Ghetto in Poland. The opening say it all: “In 1945 the war ended. The Germans surrendered, and the ghetto was liberated. Out of over a quarter of a million people, about 800 walked out of the ghetto. Of those who survived, only twelve were children. I was one of the twelve.”

NEXT READS

• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – This book is number one on The New York Times teen bestseller list. My students were more impressed Kobe Bryant tweeted his love for the book. I saw the author a couple of weeks ago and she likens Children of Blood and Bone to Black Panther, with magic. Can’t wait to read it.
• The Rain in Portugal by Billy Collins – I find it useful to always have a volume of poetry at hand. Billy Collins’ recent collection is the perfect size for a large pocket or a small bag. I adore Billy Collins and smile just thinking about his gracious, insightful poems.
• The Creativity Project edited by Colby Sharp – This new book gathers a stellar collection of shining lights in children’s literature. As Sharp notes, the idea for the book came about when a group of book creators made up writing prompts to spark the imagination. Therefore, every entry begins with a prompt by one prominent writer/illustrator and the prompt is followed by a story from another luminary. The Creativity Project is every writing teacher’s dream!
• The Turner House by Angela Fournoy & Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff – A National Book Award finalist, The Turner House is described as an epic family saga set on Detroit’s East Side. On the other hand, Pulitzer-prize winner LeDuff digs deep into the actual roots of Detroit to figure out what destroyed his hometown. I am still going back and forth between these books. Both are supposed to be powerhouses – I will probably use the poet’s choice and pack them both!
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – If you have never heard spoken word poet Elizabeth Acevedo, stop reading and get on it! The Poet X is Acevedo’s debut novel and early reviews promise a virtuoso verse performance.

In November, my eighth grade students took on the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge. They wrote furiously every day for a month. I marveled to look across the classroom day after day and see students buried deep in thought or talking to a neighbor about a challenging story point.

As part of the effort, I told my students I would write every day with them. I was nervous about sharing my story ideas and rough drafts. But in fact, sharing my writing made us all brave.

Each morning, I arrived early and wrote in the calm before the school day storm. As the writing days added up, I found myself irritated if someone came into my room with a question while I was writing. My early morning writing space was vital.

Unfortunately, I let the joy of a morning routine fall by the wayside. I thought wistfully about the morning writing time but I did not make adjustments to restore the practice.

The March Slice of Life Challenge provides the same spark NaNoWriMo offered earlier in the year. I think about my posts walking the dogs, on my way to work, chatting with students and driving home. Oh, and my students are “slicing”! It is beautiful to see students select moments to share.

Bottom line: sharing my writing life with other teachers and students made me vulnerable. But, sharing my writing made me a part of a writing community.

I was asked recently to share a list of writers I follow online. One of the beautiful things about writers who blog or post short writings is you get to see these writers outside of the published world. Anyone participating in the Slice of Life Challenge knows that writers express themselves in all kinds of formats — poems, lists, narratives, questions, etc.

Some of my favorite writers to follow:

Two Writing Teachers — This website is a mecca for writing teachers nationwide. During March, the site is filled with links to people who are blogging daily as part of the Slice of Life Challenge. Throughout the year, this website offers wonderful writing about craft, teaching and life.

Spoken word poets (Elizabeth Acevedo, Sarah Kay, Daniel Beatty & Kwame Alexander) — All of these spoken word poets have videos of their work online. I am not sure there is anything more powerful than the spoken word. Check out each author’s sites for moments of heart-piercing brilliance. Even better, see them live if you can!

Kate DiCamillo — I frequently share Kate DiCamillo’s Facebook posts with my students. She can take a walk down the street and describe the scene with such spectacular clarity that not only can I see the setting, I can feel the breeze. Kate DiCamillo is so busy her posts are short, but scroll back through her Facebook feed and you will find some lovely gems.

Jacqueline Woodson — Powerful, giving, reflective, unflinching — all these words can describe Jacqueline Woodson. Her verse memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, is on my “top ten books of all time” list. Read her work, see her when she comes to town, follow her on Twitter/Instagram.

Nerdy Book Club — Every single day, I get an email alerting me to a new post on the Nerdy Book Club website. Guest blog posts from authors, teachers, students and all kinds of readers offer different views of the kid/YA reading world. This rich resource is at turns funny, touching and empowering. I was honored to provide a couple of posts and highly recommend you add your voice to the Nerdy Book community.

Kate Messner — Another prolific author I admire (as a writer and a human being) is Kate Messner. Kate’s blog is filled with posts about travel, her take on issues of the world and her writing. When you read Kate’s blog, you feel as if you have her journal in hand — sketches, notes and all. I learn a lot from reading Kate’s posts.

Jason Reynolds — Visit Jason Reynold’s blog and you will notice that the last post was in 2014. He is a very busy man these days. But, take some time to scroll through these older posts and you will see an intense artist burning bright before much of the world caught on.

Pernille Ripp — This woman is a fierce speaker. In addition, her writing life touches on a host of critical topics of today. As founder of the Global Read Aloud, Pernille brings people together around books. She is not afraid to speak her mind — a blessing for the rest of us!