For my series I chose to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I had never read these books before, and I’m very excited that I got the chance to read them! I think that they would be a great resource to keep in mind for students who claim that they hate reading. I wouldn’t consider myself to be a huge reader, but these books were easy to read as well as entertaining. Because they are so relatable for middle school age students and they include illustrations to go along with the stories the author seemed to almost trick me into reading. I also liked how the “chapters” or diary entries are set up. Because each day deals with a different issue instead of always building on what was just read it makes it easy to read a diary entry or two, put the book down, and come back at a later time without feeling lost or confused. I would definitely recommend this book to students who cannot focus on one story for too long because it contains so many different events happening in each entry that it almost felt like I was reading a bunch of smaller stories.
This series would work well as a mentor text for students. I would have them read the books and then work on their own diary that they can use to describe their day to day life along with illustrations. I would also like to allow them to write either fiction or non-fiction, whichever they are more comfortable with.

One idea that Miller stressed is the importance of choice when it comes to reading. I really like this idea because in my own experience, being forced to read a book that I do not want to read with the intention of being tested on it at the end is what made me dislike reading altogether. Looking at the assignments that are often given in correlation to reading, Miller says that “teachers might realize that instead of encouraging students to read, these mindless assignments make kids hate reading” (p. 3).

Because I am not a huge reader myself, I am nervous about teaching reading to my students. I find that I do not make the time to read as she says is a problem for many wild readers. How can I recommend that my students read for a certain amount of time at home while I myself do not follow my own advice? She also says that wild readers don’t keep track of their reading through specific amounts of time or reading logs, but how can I make sure that students are reading if I cannot track their reading? But she addressed the fact that reading is not all or nothing. Reading for a couple minutes a few times a day is better than not reading at all because I can’t find thirty minutes straight to read. I can read for a few minutes instead of the time that I spend uselessly on my cellphone. Though I am nervous about teaching reading when my own reading habits are not in check, I hope that through her advice I can improve my own literate life before I begin teaching.