A Cart of Books

I spent yesterday creating a book display and preparing a cart of books for 9th Grade study hall. It was hard to figure out which books would be appropriate for 9th graders -- not older teenagers but also no longer children. I wound up drawing on my own reading from those years -- "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," "The Illustrated Man," "A Night to Remember." I added a recent biography of the Romanovs, having read an older one, Robert Massie's fabulous "Nicholas and Alexandra," at that age. And I added a few books that I read when I was younger than 9th Grade but that might still work for some kids from that grade level -- "Gone With the Wind" and "Johnny Tremain."

I added some modern YA authors, like John Green, and I drew from lists of YA favorites to add some books that I haven't read at all, mainly fantasy by the likes of Cassandra Clare. I guess the idea is, kids can check out books from this cart rather than going all the way back to the library. We'll see how that goes. (I used to get yelled at for reading rather than studying, but I guess anything goes to get kids off their phones these days!)

I myself have finally begun Geoff Nicholson's novel "Bleeding London," which as you know inspired our recent Royal Photographic Society project and exhibit. I'm glad to finally read it after all this time.

(Photo: Wildlife near St. Paul's Cathedral, Aug. 30.)