Naturally, this was met with some doubt! But after announcing this, I pulled over a cart of picture books that I had chosen for their narrative quality and the range of genres they represented. This led to a mini "book frenzy," similar to what Donalyn Miller describes in The Book Whisperer, and it was so much fun.

 It also opened the door for crucial conversations about choice!

"Those aren't real books!"

"Can we just read 40 picture books? I could do that in a day!"

So we talked about what makes a real book as well as why picture books can certainly have literary value (it's important to note, for one thing, that picture books often have sophisticated vocabulary and are typically written for experienced readers to read to less experienced ones, not necessarily for young children to read independently), but also about why they won't work for every book that our middle schoolers have to read. Those reasons vary, but in most cases, it's because if a student can read a picture book in thirty minutes or less (and they all did!), they're ready for more of a challenge. 

This is one of the best parts of independent reading, - freedom to say no, empowerment to say yes, and a growing understanding of the personal responsibility that comes with that choice. Our students rose to the challenge on day one, and this was beautiful to watch.

They can do this!

On a final note, it should be noted that during the reading time that followed, everyone read. Everyone read. This is a great time to be reminded that what we ask of our students we should also model, so reading time should be all-inclusive. Our students have busy schedules, too, and if they can do it, so can we! Take some time to read as your children read - you might be surprised by what happens to your own reading life as well!

Silent reading takes practice! It's not always easy for everyone to be still, quiet, and focused on a book for 20-30 minutes, but these kids did it!