Today I Will...

What a quaint and thoughtful book that the Spinelli's have created with Today I Will: A Year of Quotes, Notes, and Promises to Myself.  This book has a page for every day of the year which includes a quote from a children's book, a short "response" to the quote, and an affirmation related to the author's words.  It would make a lovely gift, but could also serve as mentor text for a writing study. 
     Quotes from authors such as Tomie dePaola, Madeline L'Engle, Beverly Cleary are highlighted.  With each quote, you're drawn into the text and want to read more about why the authors chose it... and then to see what they recommend you do as a result of reading it.  I love that the book is genuine, sincere, thoughtful... and intriguing.  As I read each quote, I wanted to search my shelves to see if I had the book from which it came.

     I could see giving this book as a graduation or Confirmation gift.  I could see using passages during a study of inferring.  I could also see readers lifting quotes from their own reading and using this text as a mentor for their own reading response.  I could see reading a page of this book as a daily ritual to start the day with my students.

     At NCTE in November, I was sitting next to the Spinelli's in the "lounge" of the hotel.  I wish I would have found this book before then, I'm sure I would have leaned over and said, "Thank You!"