Every year I make bookish goals, and every year they somehow manage to be the same and completely different. This time, as I look ahead to 2026, I decided to find new ways to read forward—by looking back. Back to 2013 (the earliest I think I listed goals on my blog though I did write about joining reading challenges earlier in 2011), and back to lists full of reading challenges, reviews, comments, and also that 33-page rule I made for myself. Back to goals shaped by who I was then… and noticing how many of them quietly grew alongside me.
This year, my bookish goals come in two parts:
- A Top Ten list shaped by how I read now and by the work I do with students.
- A throwback reflection – one goal each from previous years.
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For this week’s Top Ten theme of Bookish Goals
Looking Back to Read Forward: My 2026 Bookish Goals
Part 1: Reading With Intention (Reader + Teacher Edition)
For 2026, I want my reading to feel purposeful without feeling overwhelming. My aim is to make it meaningful for me as a reader, and helpful for my students
Read through a teacher’s lens.
Notice how a book might support developing or hesitant readers. Frindle by Andrew Clements is a great example: accessible language, strong voice, and a premise that invites discussion without heavy lifting.
Choose books that invite rereading.
Look for rhythm, repetition, predictability, and comfort. These qualities build confidence. My own kids loved many books, including Bill Cotter’s Don’t Push the Button and Carol Diggory Shield’s Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp: stories that feel good to return to again and again.
Keep a tiny “reader–teacher” notebook.
Books like Wonder by R.J. Palacio (alternate: Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña ) makes one wonder: Why might this work for a struggling reader? I jot down one sentence per book to capture that thinking while it’s fresh.
Read aloud often.
Read to students. Read to myself. Rediscover the power and joy of sharing stories. Some to start you off: The Phantom Tollbooth or Dragons Love Tacos or the lesser known The Great Brain series. And any other books I listed in this post too!
Seek high-interest, low-stress books.
Books like the ones in the Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce or the really coolly-named How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell with illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully hook readers without overwhelming them.
Revisit old favorites with new eyes.
Ask yourself: Why did this book work so well? I know I want to look back at a few myself, this time paying attention to the invisible scaffolds that made them stick.
Model gentle reading strategies naturally.
Rereading, chunking, and visualizing don’t need to be labeled to be effective. Books like Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo guide readers to slow down, picture the scenes, and process events one chapter at a time—all while staying fully engaged in the story. The strategies live in the reading experience itself: by showing how characters think and react, readers naturally practice comprehension skills without it feeling like “work.”
Let format flexibility rule.
Think about the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I’m currently rewatching the movies with my son, and it reminds me that for reading – audiobooks, paired reading, or traditional print all count. The Audie Awards page is a great place to discover strong audio options
Celebrate effort over completion.
Pages attempted. Chapters explored. Confidence built. Some books make it clear that finishing isn’t the point. Titles like Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White or The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate offer satisfying chapters that can be read in chunks. Readers can dip in, explore, and still feel progress, even if the whole book takes time.
Keep reading playful.
Voices, doodles, sticky notes, laughter—joy first, always. Books like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems practically demand interaction, while books like The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka invite readers to laugh, debate, and engage with the story in playful ways. When reading makes room for humor and imagination, readers are more willing to take risks, experiment, and explore text without pressure
Reading isn’t about the number of books I finish – it’s about enjoying the process!
Part 2: Throwback Reflections
Looking back through my bookish goals from 2013 onward, I chose one goal from each year that still seems meaningful now. TBH, many of them are still meaningful, but then I might end up with a zillion goals, so…
- 2013: I will not continue to read books if I find them uninteresting even after 33 pages. → My earliest permission slip: honor reader choice (even if everyone else loves the book).
- 2014: Start on the review of a book as soon as I am done reading it. → Not about speed, but about capturing first impressions while they’re still alive.
- 2018: Read (and discuss the books we read) with my kids more: from picture books at bedtime to middle-grade read-alouds on lazy weekends.. → A reminder that reading is richer when it’s shared.
- 2021: Focus less on how many books I read and more on everything else around reading. → Intention over quantity
- 2023: Climb Mount TBR… or at least make it to base camp. → Progress over perfection, especially since the TBR keeps growing.
- 2024: Keep bookish goals fun, creative, and pressure-free. → Joy is the fuel for sustainability, and I see that even more so now as a teacher. Reaffirmation of what I knew when I was working on cultivating this joy in my own children (who are now adults – well, kind of!)
- 2025: Mentor a young reader and build a legacy library. → Reading not just for myself, but for the readers I hope to inspire.
And Now, the End of This Post
💬 Dear reader, if I could carry just one of these goals from part 2 into 2026, which should it be—and why? Which of your own bookish goals has stayed with you the longest? Which of the part 1 goals inspire you the most? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
