Queen B Reads The Atlas Six: Week One

Setting clear expectations before we read can make all the difference.

Welcome to Week One, Day One of the first ever Queen B Reads The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake! I am so grateful to those of you who have chosen to join me on this journey. I can’t wait to learn with you in the coming weeks.

Today, I want to start with some opportunities to pre-read with some anticipation questions. It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I realized how much I take the pre-reading process for granted, especially in my personal reading. When I select a book, I rarely think critically about the background information I may need, the context that may have inspired the storytelling, or even the ways my own bias may be influencing how I approach the text. I might reach for a book because I’m familiar with the author or because I’ve “heard really great things from friends,” but I’ve made it a personal goal to become more intentional about how I prepare to read, regardless of why I’ve chosen a book.

Before we begin, I want to remind you of some basic guidelines for commenting and sharing this space with your fellow readers. Here are Queen B’s Ground Rules:

1. Frame your disagreements respectfully.

   1. You can do this by asking a clarifying question to understand someone else’s perspective, or you can do this simply by giving the reasons you disagree.

2. Use safe, affirming language.

   1. Any hateful, bigoted, or harmful comments will be deleted and reported.

3. Stay on the path.

   1. It’s easy to get carried away exploring side-quest topics in discussions, and you’re more than welcome to bring up your own ideas, questions, and resources that supplement your reading experience. But please keep your comments connected to the purpose of this space. In the words of my mother on any hiking trail, “Stay on the path. People out for a run don’t get murdered on the path!”

Because this is a space we’re building together, what are some ground rules that would improve your reading and sharing experience here? Feel free to drop your suggestions in the comments, and we will treat Queen B’s Ground Rules as a growing list each week.

With that, here are some of the questions I’m asking as we prepare to read The Atlas Six, along with my personal thoughts so far: