RAE’S READS

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This year (2025) finds me with 53 years of teaching “under my belt.” I have taught all levels from pre-K “(library lady” or “book lady”–volunteer) to juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled in my Advanced Writing class at the university where I have just completed 34 years. My first paying teaching job was junior high, and I spent 13 years with ages 12-13, the “difficult years.” I had some of the “funnest” experiences with this age group. When I was no longer the “young, fun teacher,” I taught in an elementary school setting before sixth graders went on to junior high, teaching language arts blocs, an assignment that was a “dream-fit” for me. After completing graduate school in my 40s, I went on to community college, then university teaching. This past fall I accepted a part-time teaching job at Apogee Gulf Coast Schools in its first year at the Alvin campus. After my Better Half died n 2022, I achieved a lifelong dream: opening a bookstore of my own, Rae’s Reads. A year later, I sold the house we had lived in for 47 years and moved into the bookstore. My goal is to circulate and repurpose books. Just as teaching is “in my blood,” so is a passion for reading, writing, libraries, and everything bookish. This blog will be open to anyone who loves books, promotes literacy and wants to “come out and play.”

LOVE IT? READ IT!

Rae Longest's avatarLiteracy and Me

This is loosely based on and inspired by an outstanding article by Katherine Center in the   Pearland Journal, “You Can Fall Back in Love with Reading.”

What makes us, the reader, fall in love with a “really good book”? According to Center, “Really good stories make you feel alive…If a story keeps you up at night reading–that’s a great story.” She goes on to say different [books]can…meet different needs–at different times in your life.  Literary novels can delight you in their finely wrought language and [subtly]…A mystery can utterly absorb you in the process of solving a puzzle.  A thriller can make your heart thump with fear and then bathe you in relief.”

I think as a graduate Lit. major, I suffer from false “elitism” or what Center aptly labels “literary snobification.” As I read, the author “told” me to practice “desnobification.” And she spoke to my heart. Like…

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5 responses to “LOVE IT? READ IT!”

  1. carhicks Avatar
    carhicks

    Wonderful post, thanks for sharing. I loved reading aloud to my classes. We did so many activities to extend reading such as paper bag reports, dioramas, write the next scene or act it out etc. If reading is a chore, no one will want to do it. I hope i I stilled the love of reading in my students as well as my own children.

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    1. Rae Longest Avatar
      Rae Longest

      I know you shared your enthusiasm for and love of reading in your students! I can just picture what kind of creative, caring teacher you were (are?) What levels did you teach? We used paper bag “Biography bags” in my sixth grade Language Arts classes back in the 80’s. Oh my…memories!

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      1. carhicks Avatar
        carhicks

        I am retired now. I taught in elementary schools (JK to gr. 8) and pretty much taught all grades. I was a teacher librarian for 5 years and partnered with many teachers for literacy programs as well as teaching students with special needs for over half my career. I miss the kids, not the paperwork and hassles.

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  2. Rae Longest Avatar
    Rae Longest

    My friend, Debbie (at Readerbuzz) had the same jobs/assignments you did. She retired yesterday (Fri.) and is headed for a vacation in Italy today. Your career is very interesting! Both of you are obviously very interesting, good people. I’m glad I know you both.

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  3. Rae Longest Avatar
    Rae Longest

    p.s. Debbie also lives in the same town and is the one who got me to “touch” a computer for the first time back in 2013, started me blogging, and gave me the idea and motivation for my Little Free Library.

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