Why a good book is a secret door

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Author: leeannecarter

Smile!

Smile!

Reading a graphic novel was definitely a new experience for me. I think I was in the boat of people who thought “comic books” or other graphic novels aren’t considered academic or were just for fun. After reading Smile, I have a whole new perspective. Graphic novels are excellent books for excitement, adventure, and stress free reading. Once I started reading it, I finished the entire book. What I noticed most was how much detail and content can be absorbed from reading graphic novels. Although there are fewer actual blocks of text than a traditional novel, I used my imagination way more and I still gained all of the lessons and enrichment from the text than any other book I could read. If there were to be a student in my classroom who really dislikes reading, graphic novels would be perfect for them to get started because it’s fun and easy to do. Kids really can benefit from comics and other similar types of reading because grammar and paragraphs are not the single most important part of reading. Especially for children, getting excited about the story and being invested allows them to use their creativity and develop a love for reading that will turn into something extremely beneficial for them. I really enjoyed reading Smile and I’m glad to have a new perspective on the importance of graphic novels and how they can play a role in the classroom.

Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming

The book I’m reading for this assignment is Brown Girl Dreaming. I fell in love with this book as soon as I started to read it. The style of writing is very different from something I would ever typically select for myself, so I’m glad that I had the opportunity to read something outside of my usual taste and discover something new that I enjoy. The book holds so much emotion, controversy, and real-life issues that are so rarely discussed in such an up-front manner, which is something I really appreciate about it. From the very start of the book, the civil rights issues in America are brought up and set the stage for a very open dialogue about these experiences that Jacqueline Woodson faced as a child. The form and structure of this book are definitely part of the book that I would typically not select on my own, and I’ve been able to see how much poetry opens doors for creativity in writing. When you are creating your own patterns and structure, you get to choose exactly how you want your message to come across. In this book particularly, I think the author used the verse style to make complex issues simpler. Using less words and a poetic style allows for a lot of hidden meaning and depth beyond the words themselves. This definitely made me read the text in a different way because it made me think more deeply about what Woodson is saying between the lines. I love the idea of sharing this book with students in my future classroom for that reason alone: it gets you thinking. Having students read this book can open their eyes to a whole new way of thinking about ourselves and the experiences that people go through as humans. This would absolutely fit into a classroom in so many ways that would be extremely beneficial.

 

The following poem is made up of lines from both Brown Girl Dreaming and Enchanted Air:

 

My mother is as familiar as the Greenville air.

Watching her, I learn how to help lost things spring back to life.

God gives you what you need, better not ask for more than that.

But times are changing and people are itching to go where they want.

Spoken stories are no longer enough to fill my hunger.

I hear caged songbirds and wild parrots.

And now coming back home isn’t really coming back home at all.

That it’s a simple verse about forgiveness.

No past, no future, just this perfect now.

After Tupac and D Foster

After Tupac and D Foster

For our chapter book assignment I chose to read After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson. This book is packed full of different stories, perspectives, and thought provoking ideas. I am surprised at how short it is for having so much content. Woodson shares the story of two young girls, Neeka and the unnamed narrator. They are the best of friends growing up in Queens. Another young girl named D comes into the picture when she moves to town and the three girls become fast friends. The narrator and her single mother are trying to make ends meet. Her best friend Neeka grew up in a large churchy family with all kinds of their own problems. Both of them come from a world where mothers are everything and fathers don’t play a huge role. But even though their families have rules and curfews, they have parents who seem to care, which is something D would trade all the roaming in the world for. D comes from a broken background with years spent in many foster homes and cities. The group of girls idolize rapper Tupac Shakur because he makes music that they can all relate to.He sings about the things they’re living. They hear his music and have something that is real to them, because his art is very real for them. His music is always there and is something they can all depend on. D Showed up before Tupac had ever been shot, and her mother made her move away the summer before he died. During the time that the girls spent together, they bonded over Tupac and felt as though they lived a hundred lives even though it had only been a couple years. The book follows the story of Tupac and the girls’ lives together as one and promotes so much thought for young and mature readers. Woodson packed in quite a few heavy topics that I think she wants her readers to have an open dialogue about. There is instances of orphans, rap music and gang violence, homosexuality, jail visitations, and failed accomplishments. These are topics that you wouldn’t normally find in a children’s book, and that’s something I really like about this book. I think we often try to shelter kids from hearing about difficult issues, but it is possible to discuss those issues without it being too graphic or dramatic for kids. These are problems that so many millions of people experience, so hiding it and pretending the issues aren’t there won’t make them go away. Children naturally have so much compassion and I think that if we face these conversations earlier on in life, we might end up with adults who have more compassion for people in those situations. After Tupac and D Foster is laced so flawlessly with the relationship between these kids and their love of music, and just how real the impact of our favorite musicians can be on our lives.

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The series book I decided to read is Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney. This book was very popular with students my age when I was growing up, but for some reason I never chose to read them when they came out. I figured I owe it to my younger self to give it a shot and see what it’s all about. I started with book number one and I’ve really enjoyed it so far. It’s written in an extremely kid-friendly way which makes the book more approachable, as well as it includes pictures in comic book style that make for a funny read. I think a student who isn’t a huge bookworm would be able to pick this book up and feel like they would enjoy reading it.

The story is about a student named Greg Heffley, who has just started middle school. He is a little intimidated by the amount of scary, older students, and he’s nervous about his first year. He is an awkward kid and doesn’t quite fit in. This is something I like about the book because there are so many students who can relate to him, making their own fears and problems seem more “normal” and relatable. Greg shares his experiences in the form of his diary, which opens a door to his inner dialogue. Another aspect of the story that kids can relate to has to do with the people in his life. Greg’s best friend is named Rowley, and they start the year off as a team. This idea is comforting for Greg because he won’t have to face middle school alone. It turns out that Rowley starts to gain popularity, while Greg remains an outcast. This is a scenario that plays out in the lives of middle schoolers everyday. Teenage years involve a lot of growing and changing, including your friends. When students read this book before middle school, they will be able to expect and relate to the things that happen to Greg and Rowley. Greg also comes from a family with a mom, a dad, and two brothers. The family experiences everyday conflicts that may seem dramatic and overwhelming to middle schoolers, but they can read this story and realize that every family has it’s issues.

This is a book I would absolutely love to have in my future classroom. Students in fourth or fifth grade preparing for middle school have a lot of fear, excitement, and curiosity about what is to come in the next few years. Reading stories and relating to different characters is a magical way for students to prepare for those experiences. I remember when I was starting middle school and my dad took my to Barnes & Noble. I bought every book I could find about girls going into middle/high school and I read them for weeks. It gave me a chance to live vicariously through someone else, when really I was just learning more about myself. I’m excited to continue reading this story to find out where Greg’s journey takes him.