Man, do I know how to keep a blog going or what?! Forgive me.
This year I taught my first literature based English course and I think that I just didn’t want to talk about books when I wasn’t at work. I really underestimated how much my 12th grade students hate reading. I thought that if I simply told them how much I liked the books that they would say, “Ok, I will give it a try.” Nope. getting them to read was a mess. I didn’t want to assign worksheets for them while they read, I just wanted them to enjoy the book. Stupid idea. Long story short, we soon had an agreement and things worked out fine. These are the books that they read this school year and their average reaction:
The Kite Runner– Mixed, but felt strange that they liked a book with a rape scene.
Animal Farm– Liked talking animals that get drunk.
1984–Liked, I had a difficult time discussing all of the sexy time scenes.
Nickel and Dimed–Hated it. Hated her. Broke my heart a little.
The Great Gatsby–They dug it. Really dug it. Hated Daisy!
When the school year starts up again I will include student reactions to these books. Next year I will also be teaching the 11th grade British Lit course, so updates on that as well.
But back to the task at hand: My personal reading reactions.
My fellow book nerd buddy at work, Colleen came into my classroom two weeks ago and handed me a hefty book, The Way the Crow Flies , saying that she just finished it and I needed to read it next. Since I have been in the thick of grading students work before they leave for the summer, I have not had that much time to read, but I have somehow find the time to make it happen.
I will say that Colleen was right, the book was great, but it is also a disturbing book. It deals with molestation and that is not generally a theme that I seek out for entertaining reading. (Does anyone?!)
The book follows the young life of Madeleine McCarthy, the daughter of a Canadian Air Force member and her assimilation into a town during the Cold War era. You experience the issues with being the new girl, trying to make the “right” friends and be a young girl during this challenging time in our collective history as well as the challenge of being a young girl in any time.
The characterization was incredible. MacDonald’s ability to so accurately write this book from the point of view of this 9 year old girl is amazing. There were many times in the book where I can remember thinking exactly the same thing that the main character Madeleine said and thought. Her relationship with her brother Michel was one that reminded me of mine with my brother Jim; being treated as the younger sister that is teased to the point of tears and in a few minutes being treated like buddy. It was similar to the relationship between Holden and Phoebe in The Catcher in the Rye, my favorite book.
The book as two different plots between the main character Madeleine and her father Jack. As the book continues, the book seemingly separate stories come together in the end that makes you pause and say, “Man, that was good writing”. It was a couple major twists and leave you shaking your head.
The problem that I have with the book is that the content can be very disturbing and it makes you feel like a creeper if you suggest it to people. In fact, after I read one of the more disturbing parts I went to school and told Colleen that I hated her. It reminds me of The Kite Runner; it is great book but you feel gross telling people that you like it. My students had a real problem stating the the liked the book because they thought that it implied that they liked books about rape. As one student stated, “I really liked The Kite Runner, and I feel icky saying that.”
So yes, I really really liked this book and I suggest you read it, but don’t hate me and think that I am a creeper.
Next up: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.
Nerd Hearts Books 