Why a good book is a secret door

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Author: rhunter7

El Deafo

El Deafo

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was a great representation of how books can be enjoyable, inspiring and educational. The way that the pictures actually tell how Cece feels being deaf, and how she expresses that through her emotions, thoughts and her alto ego is really fabulous. There is also a way that the author explores boundaries and pushes toward subjects that might be harder to talk about, but are a great educational tool when done in a cleaver way.

This graphic novel is set in the late 70s when technology wasn’t as progressive as it is now, and people weren’t as excepting, or at least thats what Cece thought. Cece is a young girl who lived a normal life until she has meningitis and lost the ability to hear. She was fit with a very large and bulky device called a phonograph that allowed her to hear in school, due to the teacher wearing a microphone. However this large device made it hard for her to wear her favorite clothes. She also was self-conscious about the ear phones that were attached to the device. Furthermore it was hard for her to have friendships because she felt that everyone acted weird around her, because she was deaf. But she didn’t want to tell her friends that she found it annoying when they talked slower or annunciated certain words when talking to her. The other aspect of this book is that when Cece feels uncomfortable about a situation, or doesn’t like what she is going through she imagines herself as a super hero, El Deafo who is brave and strong and confident.

Basically this story has many underlying lessons, how to overcome a hardship and that accepting who you are is extremely important in order to have other relationships. I think this book would be a valuable tool to teach in the classroom. And it could be aimed at really any grade, the pictures allow younger students to figure out the story, and the topic and story can be one that any age can relate and be interested in. I also think this would be great to teach students about acceptance and how everyone has feelings.

Monster… that is all

Monster… that is all

  1. A) Monster, by Walter Dean Myers was not only an interesting book to read, but it was intelligent, thought provoking and overall a great read. First things first the topic of the book being about a young boy who is going through all the court judicial system due to being part of a robbery was definitely an interesting topic to read about, but the way the book was written made it even more interesting. The book is written in both first person journal and third person screenplay all by the main character, Steve Harmon. I believe this made the reader more inclined to take to heart and focus more on the journal sections because it was all the emotions of a teenage boy. The screenplay was also interesting because it gave us another view on the court scenes, instead of just hearing the thoughts of Steve. I believe this was a great design for this type of story line because it pop culture with all the crime shows there are a lot of court scenes on television and the reader is able to visualize what Steve is going through.

 

I think this book would best be used for older grade levels, most specifically in late middle school or high school. The reason is due to the topic and the events that happen in the book. It would be very hard for younger students to understand and grasp. I believe this book could be used to give examples of other forms of writing, as well as for lessons in the judicial system, or maybe for a book project. However due to the subject I could also see this being a hard book to teach so therefore it might be best used for a book project.

 

  1. B) Poem:

 

I hate this place. I hate this place.

 

I cant write it enough times to

make it look the way I feel.

 

I hate hate hate this place

 

I wanted to be away from this place so bad,

Away from this place,

Away from this place.

 

I want to catch words one day.

I want to hold them then blow

Gently,

Watch them float right out of my

Hands.

 

I knew one day I’d need

My own wings to

Fly.

So what’s up with this Greg dude?

So what’s up with this Greg dude?

The series that I decided to read was Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 1 and book 2. To be honest I don’t know why I haven’t read these books sooner, they are hilarious. The initial reason for choosing this book to read was because at the elementary school that I work at the kids are OBSESSED with these books. I mean they could tell you every single title AND the color of the cover page. So I almost felt obligated to see what all the fuss was about, and let me tell you I was not disappointed.

The series is about a young boy named Greg who is just beginning his adventure in middle school, everything from friends to bullies to just school in general. But this book is also about Greg’s family dynamic and the “struggles” of being a pre-teen. The book is set up as if it is Greg actually writing in his Diary that his mom got for him, so the font looks like hand writing and there are pictures that go along with what Greg is talking about. At first Greg didn’t want to write in his journal, but after some thought he decided that it was a an okay thing to do, even after his older annoying brother Rodrick found out.  Another character that is important in the series is Greg’s  best friend Rowley. And even though Greg sometimes thinks that Rowley is annoying, childish, and sometimes weird, they are truly the best of friend.

There are definitely some central themes in this book. When we observe Greg’s friendship with Rowley, it teaches that even though someone is different than you, friendship is a vital part of life and it’s okay to be different. Also there is the lesson that family is important even if there are some sibling rivalries going on. And also being a kid is hard, but its just part of life. That being said I think these books are geared toward older elementary school kids because of Greg’s age, but I definitely think younger kids could read these books. They may not understand or relate to everything, but its a relatively easy book to read (in terms of words and length). Because I believe that these books could be read by elementary school kids, and the lessons are so beneficial I could definitely see myself using these books to teach a lesson or two to my future students. They are not only a good read, but the pictures make it fun as well. Students could start their own diary as part of a writing lesson, or they could use this book for a book report. There are quite a few ways these books could be helpful to students of all ages.

Another thing that is interesting about this series is that because they are so popular, there is a website and a movie. So depending on the age of the children and the school policy, the students could read the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book and then watch the movie as a reward for reading. There is also a really great website for the series.

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Reading In the Wild

Reading In the Wild

So far in my reading of “Reading in the Wild”, I am really enjoying the different examples that Donalyn Miller includes to help with the topic she is explaining. I feel like is gives a better view into the minds of young people and the way they view reading, but it also helps us as future teachers grasp how to teach reading. I also think it is a vital point that reading at school, and not just expecting your students to read at home is a huge things teachers should take away from this book. I work with second graders in an after school program, and if we didn’t “force” them to read for at least 20min a day, I know for a fact they wouldn’t. So that being said I believe that it’s important to have students read as much as possible. I think that because I wasn’t a reader as a child, and would only read books that I was forced to read or that my mom read, I am most excited to teach reading in a way that is fun. I think that incentives are huge, and they make kids want to reach the fun prize. So that is something that I can really use to my advantage. I am also interested in helping students reach goals and to help improve understanding. However I am most afraid that even if I make reading fun, there will still be students who simply refuse to read. As a teacher, especially a new one, this could really stress me out because literacy is such a huge deal in the school system.