Right in the Nook of time!

I gave my daughter-in-law Randi a Nook for Christmas. Randi is a reader - the type of reader that ALWAYS has a book stashed in her handbag or diaper bag - so I thought, of all the people that I know that deserve to have a book right there when they finished their latest read, it's Randi. When my husband asked me if I wanted one, I told him no because I really like the feel of a book in my hands, and while I LOVE to read, I don't read as much or as fast as Randi. I usually have a stash of books that I'm still trying to find time to read, both personally and professionally.

However, I've been rethinking that Nook when Randi told me last night how she is using it in her third grade classroom. I really gave it to her so she could enjoy her reading personally and chose the color Nook because I thought she might also need a book on a moment's notice to read to the girls at the doctor's office or in the car. I hadn't really thought much about using it professionally, but have you ever been looking for resources for a mini-lesson and you come across what sounds like the perfect read aloud that could be used to teach the exact point that you want to make, but you can't find the book anywhere? You run to the nearest Bookstore to try to find it and call the others, just to find out that they don't have it on hand but they could order it for you. The public library doesn't have it unless they order it from another library. By the time you can get it, you've already passed the need! That happens to me all the time and it is so frustrating. Sometimes I go ahead and order the book so I'll have it for the next year but I don't always remember that I've done that and I can't always find the book the next year when I'm ready to use it! Anyway, Randi is now ordering those type books on her Nook so she has immediate use of the book! And they cost about a third of the cost of ordering the book on-line. When she's ready to use the book for a read aloud for the class she just pulls out her Nook and uses it under the document camera if she wants the children to see the words or pictures! How cool is that! She can also organize her Nook library is such as way that she can hold the books in folders so she has all the books for a certain unit together so she knows just where the books is - whether she's planning at school or at home!

Okay - I'm convinced... and, just in case anyone is listening... I have a birthday coming up in February!