...but it is time to move on to more classics.
Our next unit will take us up to the start of January, and it is called "Reader's Paradise." Reader's Paradise is a unit I stated many years ago as a way to encourage good reading and good reading responses.
The basic concept is for students to choose books that are generally considered "classics" in its genre. For example: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a recognized Science Fiction classic--as well as perhaps the first true science fiction novel, and a good one at that. Moby Dick would be the greatest classic for sea stories, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a classic detective mystery--as is anything Agatha Christie. Lord of the Flies is a classic adventure story that every boy should read, and A Tale of Two Cities is required reading for anyone who loves historical fiction--and some of the best writing in the English language.
Most "classics" can be downloaded for free on iBooks.
The point is to choose a genre you already love and then "find" the greatest books in that genre and then choose one to read and start reading. No margin notes, unless you want.
Read for at least 30 minutes and post a brief blog post on what you are reading and how it is starting out.