The Great Gatsby

     I read The Great Gatsby today for the first time, and I'm not sure what to say about it. I've done some background research and have learned about some of the themes, underlying message, and symbolism  -- and for those things I can appreciate the book. However, I wouldn't say that I absolutely loved the book. I did find myself attaching to the characters rather well. At first I thought Gatsby was some crazy, stalker man, and then I felt bad for him at the end. I also thought that I liked Daisy at the begininng but then found myself not really liking her at all. I thought that the characters were really well developed. I guess I just found following some of the events to be difficult to follow -- that could have been because I read it quickly in just a few hours. Either way, I'm happy to say I've read another American classic.

Freak the Mighty -- Cont.

     I finally just finished Freak the Mighty. I recommend that you all read it. It surpassed even my expectations for it. It’s filled with so much humor and real emotion that it had me laughing out loud and crying in a matter of a few pages. It deals with issues of broken family lives and doing the right thing. It contains ideas on friendship, love, and adventure. I loved this book so much, if you can’t tell! This book would be PERFECT to teach in the middle schools. It contains allusions to King Arthur, which would be a great pre-reading topic to introduce students to. One of the main characters has Morquio syndrome, so students could be able to research that, as well. There is a movie titled The Mighty that was made after this book — I have yet to see the entire thing, but I know it is at least similar enough that teachers show it in their classrooms! It may be worth checking out, too.

NEW BLOG!!

I have created another blog that is not only about the books I am reading. You should check it out because I need followers! Please and thank you. You can visit it at www.coffeeaddictedfutureteacher.blogspot.com

The Book Whisperer

     For those who enjoyed Readicide by Gallagher, I would reccomend trying The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. From what I have read so far, she seems to share many of the same ideas and concepts that Gallagher mentions in his book.
     Miller states in her introduction, "not only do my students read an astounding number of books (she makes them read 40 books), they earn high scores on our state’s reading assessment. I have not had one student fail the state assessment in four years, and an average of 85% of my students score in the 90^th percentile." If this statistic doesn't prove that reading effects test scores, I don't know what would!

     In short: LET STUDENTS CHOOSE BOOKS TO READ AND GIVE THEM TIME TO READ THEM!

     I believe that every person in this world loves reading, they may have just forgot this fact throughout his/her time in school. I really wish that all teachers could read these books. If this happened and teachers started implementing these ideas, there would be a total revolution found in our schools today.

Freak the Mighty

     While I was in Wellington observing for CAL, I saw a 7th grade class reading the book Freak the Mighty. After talking to the teacher about why and how she teaches it, I became very interested in it! I have just started to read it, so I won't be able to go into too much detail yet. However, this book would be excellent to teach in the middle school (grades 6-8). It is written from the point of view of a boy named Maxwell who is bigger than any other 7th grader and has a learning disorder. So, the syntax of the novel is very much like that of a 7th grade boy. He meets Freak, or Kevin, who has Morquio syndrome. The two become an inseperable pair which they later named themselves 'Freak the Mighty' because Maxwell carries Freak on his shoulders and they become nine feet tall together.

      I could easily see why this book is taught in schools. Students could easily relate to either of the characters, and there is a lot of appropriate humor, as well. Students could also research Morquio syndrome and do projects over their discoveries. There is also a movie based on this book called The Mighty. The possibilites are endless in teaching this book! It could also just be a great reccomened read to any student who may be struggling with accepting themselves.

Something Blue -- Finished!

     Well, between all of these books that I have piled up for myself, I have finished another one! Something Blue was such a cute story! If anyone remembers my older posts about this, Darcy becomes less self-centered and completely changes her life. Her preganancy takes an unexpected, surprising turn. I reccomend this book to anyone who likes predictable, girly, feel-good, romantic novels like myself! :)

Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood - Sherman Alexie

A great article written by Sherman Alexie over YA fiction.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/09/why-the-best-kids-books-are-written-in-blood/