Saturday, December 29, 2007

My Reading Resolutions

I generally don't make New Year's Resolutions because I think that if there's something you really want to change, there's no time like the present! But, as 2007 is coming rapidly to a close, there are a couple of reading resolutions that I'd like to keep in mind for 2008.

1. I want to read more non-fiction. The great majority of what I read is fiction, but I'd really like to branch out and read some really great non-fiction titles this year. New and old, kids and adults... My goal is 2 a month, but I'm hoping that I can surpass that. I'm off to a good start because I'm doing booktalks in March on Women's History Month, so I already have a big list of history and biography books to get to. Let's hope I can keep it up all year! (And, of course, the Cybils lists are an awesome resource for suggestions...) (I am not the only one with this resolution... and check out an awesome list of appealing non-fiction for YAs over at The YA YA YAs.)

2. I want to read and review all the Caudill nominees. I read 15 of the 20 nominees for 2008. I want to be 20 for 20 in 2009. And, if possible, I'd like to be done with them by the start of summer so I can give recommendations to the kids and (hopefully) teachers who will be hounding after them this summer. (Last summer, our local school district gave a continuing education credit to any teacher who read a certain number of the nominees, so they were in high, high demand all summer. Woot!)

There is a slight possibility that I might be on the next Caudill committee, which would give me a third reading resolution... but we won't count chickens before they hatch, so we'll forget about that one for now. And, of course, I'm doing the Printz Award Challenge and the Expanding Horizons Challenge (so excited about both of those!).

So, you've heard my 2008 reading resolutions... do you have any of your own??