A fashionably late new year new me tag! (2026)

This tag was created by KevinTowleReads‬: https://youtu.be/H8jvQase9y4?si=GTbe0YGDWvviq9mu

I was tagged by Derek Green: https://youtu.be/nR1aIIKSQVw?si=LAvNTzNbc8sU247o

Here are the prompts

Prompts:

1. (Fears) What is one book from your 2026 reading goals that scares you?

2. (Patience) What is the one book on your 2026 reading goals you want to start immediately?

3. (Growth) What book last year pushed you to reflect and/or grow as a reader? 

4. (New Paths) What is one author you plan to try for the first time in 2026?

5. (Self Care) What is one book and/or series you revisit for comfort?

6. (Forging Ahead) What is you favorite debut book or first book in a series you read last year?

7. (Goals) Do you have a specific reading goal or challenge for the year ahead?

8. (Breaking Walls) ***Bonus - Do you have a none book-related goal for 2026 you wish to share? 

9. (Teamwork) Tag Others

Here is my 2025 Reading list: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2025/12/2025-reading-list.html

I tag: 

 @jimsbooksreadingandstuff  

 @Bucky749  

 @mindysbookjourney  

 @danecobain  

 @WilliamsLibrary  

Tag Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x68GfUHYtDeSJLo6gwRKIID

Miss Nelson has a Field Day by Harry G. Allard Jr. and illustrated by James Marshall

(Graded Readers)

After having had success with the first book in this series, I discovered my school library had copies of one of the sequels.  

My students liked this book, for the most part.  Although they got a disproportionate amount of amusement out of the fact that the word "pussyfoot" occurs in this book.  Which made it a bit difficult to refocus them.

Supplementary materials:

Kahoots: I found this Kahoot for this book.  It contained some questions which weren't applicable to my students, so I copied it and made my own edit here.  

Indochine: Movie Review

Links to stuff mentioned:

Growing Up as a French Teenager in Phnom Penh: https://web.archive.org/web/20140322015123/http://www.khmer440.com/k/2013/04/growing-up-as-a-french-teenager-in-phnom-penh/

Roger Ebert's Review: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/indochine-1993

This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:

https://youtu.be/HgneyXvRI04  

and HERE: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2018/12/vlog-scripted-book-reviews-i-ramble-on.html

In this case, the old blog post is here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2014/01/indochine.html

Related Playlists:

Movie Reviews playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6N06WoIoV2fLb6xRYrepTk&si=EDHi2_Y41ACLnCmA

Scripted Movie Reviews playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x49ts8TV1DbXQo8zN_e65us&si=_gzqGAmaz337NVCP

Scripted Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BKcEIufNKlS58JHU_glyL&si=Pje0KQqIqOgWGGUI

Movies I Saw in 2014 Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4WRnfM_TDQClWj8OOCg9f_&si=Uu6SYX9o1qm1Ndhc

2 Stars Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6YM_g241Td4ro4GwuaOLsn

Vocabulary for Physical Education / School Playground

(TESOL Materials--School Vocabulary)

* A Fun Day Outside--Created from this chat here (Made using Google Gemini Storybook)

* Slideshow: slides, pub

* Coloring Sheet: docs, pub

[Note: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson Physical Education p.48-49 from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook and other materials is influenced by that lesson.   But I believe this material could also be used independently for any lesson on school vocabulary, so I'm posting it here.]

The Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy Volume 20: 1961-1962: Book Review

 (Book Review--Dick Tracy)

Started: January 14, 2026

(This is my first time reading this book, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.) 

The Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy Volume 20: 1961-1962: Book Review

* My review of the first Dick Tracy volume here: https://youtu.be/SNIiK2H_ggs

* My review of volume 13 here: https://youtu.be/TFSI6SRDA_E

* My review of Volume 15: https://youtu.be/ib5tKpYTeT8

* My review of Volume 16: https://youtu.be/5D_lW0psQdM

* My review of volume 17: https://youtu.be/ga1P1J0YaMs

* My review of volume 18: https://youtu.be/vkB-_o_H8EM

* My review of volume 19: https://youtu.be/BDjBp4H-dbg

Related Playlists:

Dick Tracy Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7MsTIqdx2oSof-kvNCbeVj&si=f151y-QuLV7qPeB9

Graphic Novel Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6NMoYW6CBw6Qj_cqK8DIeb

Book Review Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7&si=EJ7CG8iO9IouNaYY

Books I Read in 2026: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7YYl7seud9ov0n6dtdHzvj&si=iMERlWtiF0Rq2-uy

I was able to read this book thanks to the Michigan statewide state-wide interlibrary loan service called MeLCat, which may be in danger thanks to a Presidential executive order.  If you, like me, enjoy using MeLCat, contact your local representatives and let them know. 

This Week in Booktube: February 1, 2026

(These are the Booktube videos I watched this week. As always, I encourage you also to check out each of the videos I've linked to down below.  Support Booktube.  And let me know what you've watched this past week.)

Google document: docs, pub

CPL Radio Books of the Week - January 27th, 2026

Reading This Life Fight Fascism With READING BOOKS

Michael K. Vaughan New History of the DC Universe

Steve Donoghue: Epic Comic Book Wednesday: The New History of the DC Universe!

Bookish What Does and Doesn’t Matter

William's Library 41st Birthday Hangout

Randy Ray Why I Chose a Life with Books

Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar You Can't Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson

Jeff Palermo Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov - BOOK REVIEW

EarnestlyEston Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov - Book Chat

Derek Green History nerd reads Conan the Barbarian!

Bucky749 Paradise records: Green Lama radio show review

jim's books reading & stuff 1 min review: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Mindy's Book Journey January Bookish Updates (Reading Update, TBR, Book Club, Haul)

Joseph Francis Burton Let's Run!! 25 Jan 2026

John David (NicholasOfAutrecourt) The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller by Carlos Ginzburg

Michael K. Vaughan Will I Leave Behind Thousands of Books?

Shelly Swearingen It's awful and I'm grieving

Steve Donoghue A Long, Chatty Book(Tube) Report for 24 January 2026! Plus: Mail!

Big Hard Books & Classics Top 5 Vonnegut Novels

Reading This Life We Are BACK Supporting Others!

Dane Cobain The Arts Show 260

Bucky749 Movie storm : Charlie Chan at treasure Island review

Books I'm Not Reading Library Tour Part One of Fiction

Tell Tale Books David H. Keller 2: A Phenomenon of the Stars | Review

Steps for Learning -ot Words

(TESOL Worksheets--Steps for Learning CVC Words, -ot Word Family)

Google: docs, pub

[Notes: This is an example of a Steps for Learning CVC words worksheet using the -ot word family.  It links to material that I've previously posted on this blog here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.  In contrast to the last learning steps I posted, this one is missing a few links.  The missing links are for times I omitted a step because it seemed like my students didn't need the extra support at the time.  I may go back and add in the missing steps at a later date.]

1	Word Family -ot | Phonics Song for Kids | Jack Hartmann
2	Introduce words and sounds and pictures
3a	drill words: receptively
3b	drill words: productively
4a	match words to pictures
4b	match the words to pictures memory game
5	write words: copy them
6	write words: whiteboard practice
7	write words: match to picture
8	2 word combinations: introduce
9a	2 word combinations: drill them receptively
9b	2 word combinations: drill them productively
10a	2 word combinations: match words to picture
10b	2  word combinations: match words to picture memory game
11	2 word combinations: copy the words
12	2 word combinations: match combinations to picture
13	2 word combinations: write the combination matching
14	2 word combinations: whiteboard practice
15	2 word combinations: write the combination
16a	read longer sentences/ story on slides
16b	read the longer sentences/story on worksheet
17	Longer sentences: Match the sentences to the picture
18	longer sentences: copy the sentence
19	Whiteboard practice
20	longer sentences: write the sentence
21	introduce contrasting CVC family
22	contrasting CVC family: drill words
23	contrasting CVC family: match the cards to the pictures
24	contrasting CVC family: whiteboard practice
25	contrasting CVC family: write the words
26	Contrasting CVC family: longer sentence/story
27	Contrasting CVC family longer sentence story: Match the sentences to the pictures
28	Contrasting CVC family: write the sentence/story: whiteboard practice
29	Introduce consonant clusters and digraphs
30a	consonant clusters and digraphs: drill words receptively
30b	consonant clusters and digraphs: drill words productively
31a	consonant clusters and digraphs: match words to pictures
31b	consonant clusters and digraphs: match words to pictures memory game
32	consonant clusters and digraphs: write words: copy them
33	consonant clusters and digraphs: write words: whiteboard practice
34	consonant clusters and digraphs: write words: match to picture
35	consonant clusters and digraphs: read longer sentences/ story
36	consonant clusters and digraphs: longer sentences: copy the sentence
37	consonant clusters and digraphs: longer sentences: write the sentence

I've received shout-outs this week from two different booktubers.  Videos are linked to below, and thank you to both of them.

Started: The New Teen Titans Volume 13 by Marv Wolfman