Today’s post comes to us from Christina as she discusses her volunteering history working with young children, and as she prepares for her upcoming mission trip to Rwanda.

What does Fall Mean? Apparently, Lots of Required Reading

What does fall mean? Fall means I’m darn glad I don’t work with children any longer. I spent five years working as a reading and writing tutor for first-through-fifth graders. The elementary school where I worked didn’t have a classroom for me, so I carved out my own spot and conducted reading classes at a small table in the back of the cramped, dusty library in order to provide a “homey” space for children to sit while they disobeyed me and kicked each other under the table. Most of my days were spent in thirty minute sessions with small groups of kids who were struggling with their weekly class reading. Because of this, I usually would read the same story three times a day, for five days straight. And I did that for five years in a row, with the required reading never changing. That means I have read Mr. Putty and Tabby Fly the Plane roughly 375 times, along with Hedgehog Bakes a Cake and My Robot. Yup.

What does fall mean today? Now that those days are over, I have advanced to non-fiction, grownup  reads come fall. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’ve been struggling to finish Anna Karenina. However, the struggle has now been taken out of my hands, as I currently have three books that are required reading for various groups I’m in moment. All are non-fiction, and while they’re good reads that will make me feel smarter once finished, I’m longing for the day I complete them and can jump back into stories with characters and plot. At this point, I may be willing to peruse that hedgehog baking book again.

While I work on comprehending how to alleviate poverty and be a good neighbor through my required reads, you tell me, what does fall mean for your reading? And if you’re looking for some great reads to add to your fall lineup, be sure to check out the Kbuuk bookstore today and explore what independent authors have to offer to provide that welcome respite from your required reading.