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February 18, 2010

I Admit: I Am a Big Crybaby


So Betsy Bird has outed me. She runs the fantabulous Fuse #8 Production blog and is in the process of publishing a great series on her reader's picks for the top 100 children's novels of all time. Here's the link to today's post about #55-51.

Yes, that's me she's quoting (right at the top of the post!) in reference to Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins. Actually, Katherine Paterson has much to answer for. When I was in fifth grade my teacher read aloud both Gilly Hopkins AND Bridge to Terabithia. So the tears flowed freely that year.

It's true. When I read Gilly out loud to my students, I'm always sniffly at the ending. It gets me every time.

Are there any books you read out loud, just knowing you're going to cry? And you do it anyway?

One of the few things my fifth graders don't get sassy about is how I get a little teary when I read Pink and Say. They get so into that one, and have so many questions when it's over, they don't have time to tease me about it.

It's been a while since I read Charlotte's Web out loud to a class, but that one does it too. I don't read books that all of their classroom teachers read to them and since Charlotte is a favorite, I skip that one. I'm sure I'll be blubbering away when I read it to my daughter one day soon. Oh, and don't even get me started on Dobby the house elf...