The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

One time I read about a person who, when going to visit a new city, tries to read a novel set in that city. I think this is a great idea, and I have wanted to try it, since reading this idea. So when I saw that the IRA conference would be held in Chicago, I looked for a book set in Chicago. A student in one of my classes recommended this book, and I also recommend it to you! The book is technically not a novel, because it's actually nonfiction, but it reads like a novel. There are two simultaneous storylines, one about the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, and one about a serial killer who uses the setting of the World's Fair to put his terrible plan into action. These two seemingly different "stories" become interwoven in an intriguing way.

During my visit to Chicago, I was interested in seeing some of the fabulous buildings described in the text. Unfortunately, many of the buildings were no longer standing, except one. Seeing this one building did help me connect to the text, and I also buildings and streets that were named after people described in the book, which helps it "come to life".

International Reading Association Conference - Chicago

I am attending the IRA Conference in Chicago (http://www.reading.org), along with 20,000 other teachers. I am not kidding! It's an exercise in patience, enduring lines, and witnessing cranky teachers.



The session I am attending is about weblogs and wikis, and as a part of the session, we have actually each created our own blog. I am so excited! This is something I have heard about, but now I feel like I really know what it is. Also, creating a blog gives the traditional make-it-take-it teacher workshop a whole new meaning.

My daughter and many of my undergraduate students have blogs with Xanga or My Space, and frankly, I felt a little left out.

What is the purpose of my blog? As a classroom teacher, I had a sign outside of my classroom door that said " I am currently reading...." and I would periodically change a card with a title of whatever I was reading. This card prompted lots of discussion with my students, fellow teachers, and even students from other classes. We made connections based on the text, and other teachers began doing something similar. So I thought a blog might be a good way to continue this activity in a format that my current students could access.

I have the strong belief that for us to be skilled teachers of reading and writing, we must be readers and writers ourselves. The best way I can promote this idea is to share the ways reading and writing are used in my life.

I invite you to read these reflections on my reading and writing experiences and to share connections to your own experiences. In this way, we are creating a community of readers and writers.