Thursday, July 22, 2004
Summer Reading
Students dread it and I drool over it. Have you visited the summer reading tables at Barnes and Noble lately? Stacks and stacks of books that some teacher somewhere read, loved, and decided that teenagers would benefit from reading during their summer break. I can't help but feel sorry for these students. I must admit that my heart sank a bit as I looked at the dull covers of the three that I need to read for the classes I'll be teaching, and I'm an English teacher! Of course, I loved the books once I started reading them, but even I'm not convinced that your average teenager will enjoy these books or even be able to motivate themselves to finish them.
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons--heartbreaking and inspiring story ideal for Southern Lit fans.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson--a well-written, engaging true story about murder at the 1892 World's Fair! An interesting perspective of an important historical time-period in the US.
Jubilee by Margaret Walker--haven't started it yet--I'll get back to you later...
I'm a bit torn about the whole summer reading thing. I understand the importance of stimulating young minds during the intellectual void of summer pool time and video games, but forcing them to read works that they might not appreciate as much as the English teachers who choose them tends to create in students an antagonism toward reading and literature before the school year even begins.
Oh well, for now, I'm enjoying the excuse to indulge in three good books and recommend that all of you check out the summer reading tables sometime soon. Although the books are torture for teenagers, they are actually pretty enjoyable for those of us reading them by choice!
Students dread it and I drool over it. Have you visited the summer reading tables at Barnes and Noble lately? Stacks and stacks of books that some teacher somewhere read, loved, and decided that teenagers would benefit from reading during their summer break. I can't help but feel sorry for these students. I must admit that my heart sank a bit as I looked at the dull covers of the three that I need to read for the classes I'll be teaching, and I'm an English teacher! Of course, I loved the books once I started reading them, but even I'm not convinced that your average teenager will enjoy these books or even be able to motivate themselves to finish them.
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons--heartbreaking and inspiring story ideal for Southern Lit fans.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson--a well-written, engaging true story about murder at the 1892 World's Fair! An interesting perspective of an important historical time-period in the US.
Jubilee by Margaret Walker--haven't started it yet--I'll get back to you later...
I'm a bit torn about the whole summer reading thing. I understand the importance of stimulating young minds during the intellectual void of summer pool time and video games, but forcing them to read works that they might not appreciate as much as the English teachers who choose them tends to create in students an antagonism toward reading and literature before the school year even begins.
Oh well, for now, I'm enjoying the excuse to indulge in three good books and recommend that all of you check out the summer reading tables sometime soon. Although the books are torture for teenagers, they are actually pretty enjoyable for those of us reading them by choice!
