Independent+Reading

===Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. --Francis Bacon ===

Book Recommendations: Share the books you love!

**Read six (6) "books" each grading quarter.** Choose a well-balanced diet of texts--short stories, poems, articles, blogs, videos, images, podcasts, and books--appropriate to your reading level.


 * 1-299 pages = 1 book
 * 300-599 pages = 2 books
 * 600+ pages = 3 books
 * 10 articles of appropriate length and difficulty
 * 10 themed articles--on one particular topic/theme (requires separate MLA annotated bibliography)
 * At least four (4) of the six required reads must be BOOKS; you may count no more than two (2) article sets of ten as part of your independent reading each quarter**.**

**Exercise a balanced reading diet.**
 * Read for pleasure and for learning--deeper, analytical reading.
 * Read fiction & nonfiction, poetry & prose, old & new.
 * Read print and digital texts, including magazines, newspapers, blogs, websites, online articles, photo essays, videos, podcasts, and, of course--books.
 * Keep an annotated reading list of books as a PAGE on your blog. Consider using GoodReads to create a snazzy display of books you've read.
 * Keep an annotated reading list of articles as a separate PAGE on your blog.


 * Keep a reading journal **, showing ACTIVE, CRITICAL reading.
 * Your journal is not the place to revise and edit and compose polished pieces: It's the place to record what's going on in your brain when you read. Jot, doodle, list, graph, draw your thinking!
 * Review the reading journal page to see what should be going on in your brain when you read and get detailed instructions for your journal.



Check out the thINK page for more details.
To sum up your independent reading requirements...
 * Read six "books" each quarter.
 * Keep an annotated reading list on your blog (one for books, another for articles).
 * Keep a reading journal, leaving tracks of your thinking. (Reading Journal Rubric)
 * Write three (3) thINK's each quarter.