It was quiet this morning. I looked around the classroom, wondering why it felt extra calm.
Reading.
Reading is why.
There were a bunch of kids reading.
I should have collected the data. How many kids were reading? What were they reading?

Am I right that reading is catching?

A few weeks ago, we finished a chapter book read aloud: Legends of Lotus Island. Kids started signing up to have a turn to read the second book in the series. So I ordered another copy of the second book and the third book. The librarian lent me another copy of the second book and even gave me a few copies of the first book. Last week I ordered book four, gave it to a student on Monday, and he brought it back finished today. The next student on the list started reading it right away.

Is reading maybe catching?

I noticed we had kids reading each of the books in a series, so I had to take a picture.
“Sit on the couch in order and hold the book up,” I said.

“I’m going to really read it,” the student who had just gotten book four said.

“Yeah,” one of the other readers said, “Me too.”

After the picture, it was time for morning meeting.

“Can I bring this to share?” one of my readers asked, clutching book four.

At sharing, he said, “I am reading book four of Lotus Island!”

And another student said, “I finished that this weekend.”

“Was it good?” I asked.

“It was my favorite one,” he said.

I wondered when Christina Soontornvat might write book 5. I mean, we need to keep this momentum going!

Around the circle, another student had a book in her hands. “I just got this Wings of Fire book this weekend,” she said.

“It’s the newest one.”

So, it isn’t just about one series then . . . reading is catching.

It’s funny. I know that this is how it works – a series inspires readers, readers inspire more readers… a reading culture is created.

But when you see it start to happen, it’s a little like magic.

Magic and pressure – because I gotta fan those flames with more real books!