Tips for the English Teacher - Thank Heaven's cause I need some! Chapter 11

This chapter is full of tips and tricks for the English teacher to employ in using adolescent literature in the classroom (all of which I will not go into since we were supposed to read the chapter :) ).  It is broken down into simple sections, like using novels or drama in the classroom, so that English teachers can quickly reference some of the recommendations.  This chapter was one of my favorites in the book.  It is one that I plan on coming back to time and time again to refresh myself on how to integrate literature into all corners of my classroom, like the section on using literature in creative writing. 

I can remember so many boring hours spent in a classroom reading and then taking tests on what we had read.  I can barely recall half the books I was supposed to read in the classroom during high school.  I hope that because of this chapter, and this class, my understanding of how to use literature in creative ways to keep students focused and remembering the things they’ve learned will prove to be successful.  One of my favorite points from this chapter was that English teachers should teach literature that they enjoy.  Thanks to this class my literature knowledge has been expanded to graphic novels, poetry, and all types of genres of books, and I plan on continuing that expansion.  While I can’t say that I don’t enjoy the classics like Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice I have been given the opportunity to provide my future classrooms with literature that will reach the students on not just an knowledge level, but a personal level.  I think of all the things I will take away from this class, this is the one I plan on holding on to the longest.  Perhaps if my teachers in school had followed this simple rule, I would have remembered and enjoyed so much more.

You mean there is something besides Fiction?! Gasp! - Chapter 9

Non-Fiction

Generally speaking I’m not a fan of non-fiction.  I find it rather dry, uninteresting, and I have a difficult time understanding why I should care about someone else’s story….. Then I read Never Cry Wolf (and, yes I know that it sounds like I’m trying to get extra credit, but I promise I’m not), Mowat managed to suck me into his plight of having to study the wolves alone.  I began, like him, to want to know what George, Angeline, Albert, and the pups were up to.  I’m happy to say that this book has perhaps changed my view of non-fiction in the adolescent literature world. 

According to the textbook there are several different forms of non-fiction adolescent literature – information books, narrative non-fiction, and journalism.  The text indicates that students choose non-fiction books for a variety of reasons, either they want to learn more about a subject they are already interested in, or they are looking to expand their knowledge of a specific subject.  Regardless of the reason the student chooses the book, the fact that he or she choose a non-fiction book is a step in a great direction. 

The text gives a great list of evaluation techniques for non-fiction books, such as instead of focusing on the plot and characterizations of the book and looking at what information the book presents and who the intended audience is for the book.  The questions will often guide the reader in choosing the best book for the purpose he or she is trying to serve.  Books like Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is a great idea of how non-fiction books can help teens understand the awkward phases they are going through.

Poetry

When I think of high school English class poetry my mind automatically shifts to Chaucer and Shakespeare.  I’m pleased to say that I have read two very good examples of adolescent literature poetry books in this class.  Frenchtown Summer and Out of the Dust are two prime examples of a narrative story written in verse form. I’ve always been afraid of poetry, I know that sounds weird, but I’ve always wondered if I am actually getting what the author wanted me to understand out of it.  Anyway, my point is that poetry doesn’t have to be the rhyming verse that everyone thinks of.  Instead it can be full stories written in a different way, something that will likely engage the students and keep them on their toes.

Drama

Romeo and Juliet.  Julius Caesar.  Othello.  These are the first 3 places my mind goes when I think of drama.  The problem that arises when I think of these is the dry way that we read them when I was in school.  My teachers didn’t encourage us to get up and act out the scenes; instead we had to read them out loud in our different parts at our desk with very little enthusiasm.  Perhaps these dramas would have stuck with me more if we had been encouraged to act out a scene, to put the passion of the words behind them as we read. 

All 3 of these specific genres in adolescent literature are important components.  The students (and even myself) who are likely to go for the story should understand that even in non-fiction, poetry, and drama there is always a story to be found.  With non-fiction the story is usually true, with poetry the story is written in abstract and artful language, and with drama the story is written in a view point of all the characters involved with a clear passion in the dialogue.  As future teachers it is important for us to remember that stories are not always to only be found in fictional literature.

To Learn From the Past - Chapter 8 Historical Novels

The beauty of historical novels, both fiction and non-fiction, is that they are able to transport the reader to a different time without seeming boring.  When reading about history in a textbook format a lot of students fail to grasp how terrifying the situation was for those who lived it, or the changes that the situation brought about.  But, you put a book like Number the Stars, The Diary of Anne Frank, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, and others in their hands and suddenly students can clearly see the fear of the Jews in Nazi Germany, or how the captain on a ship was sole dictator when the ship was on the water.  A clearer understanding of history and historical events are gained from historical novels. 

By the time students reach adolescence they generally have something they are interested in, sports, a career choice, etc., when they find a niche their interest is piqued about, historical biographies and autobiographies give them the opportunity to connect with a great of that niche and learn more about it.  The authors of this chapter do warn that readers of biographies should be careful of hidden agendas of authors who harbor a grudge against the people they are writing the biographies about. 

It is extremely important for teachers to keep historical novels within the classroom because they not only serve a purpose of great literature, but they serve a way to keep students interested in history (which history teachers should thank English teachers for!).  The students, as mentioned in the text, are often surprised to find that they have read historical novels already when the teacher tells them that something they’ve previously read falls into a historical category.  I think that is part of what makes the historical genre unique is its ability to transport readers to different times and places often without his or her knowing!!

Harry, Lyra, Barney, Jonas, Oh My! - Chapter 7

Childhood is based around fantastic ideas, children can pretend to be anything they want to be, but what happens when the children grow up?  Can they still pretend?  Of course they can and that’s where the beauty of the fantasy genre lies.  As mentioned in the book, people love to attack the fantasy genre of literature because it is not real, but is “imaginative.”  I find issue with the fact that so many people have a problem with imagination.  In my memory the most memorable attack on a fantasy book was and is all the issues people seem to have with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.  Witches, Wizards, Muggles, Dragons, Qudditch, what is wrong with the world that children would want to imagine they had magical powers??  The answer is nothing, but plenty of people found fault with the ideas fearing that the children and adolescents reading the books would grab the nearest broom and pretend they could cast a spell of light.  (In the interest of full disclosure my father in law is one of the fruit loops people who find fault with these books).  Another much attacked book (and movie) is Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass which is the book that I am reading this week.  The book was very attacked for being on the opposite end of the religious spectrum as The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

Science Fiction is also discussed in this chapter.  Boys are always drawn to science fiction, and I think the caption with the picture best describes the attraction to the genre, “… boys like science fiction because it provides an opportunity to read romances without feeling the stigma attached to ‘girls’ love stories.”  I think this is a perfect description of this genre; Star Wars of course comes to mind, even though that really isn’t literature.  War of the Worlds is mentioned in this chapter, as well as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  Both of these books deal with space travel, aliens and other fantastic ideas, even though the delivery is very different – one does so in a dark way, the other is very lighthearted and humorous. 

Several of the books that I have read for this class this summer have been utopian/dystopian based books.  Those stories of societies that are intended to be better than what we have currently, but are often worse than our worst nightmares.  Usually the stories are classic hero stories, of those that rebel against the system in favor of something better than the complete control of some self righteous group of “elders” or “committees.”  These books, as mentioned in this chapter, are generally scary books for adults serving as reminders of potential things to come, but for adolescents they often serve as reminders to be thankful for the freedoms that we have.  The Giver is a great example of this, as well as The Hunger Games, and Uglies.  All three of those books have been based around societies that have been utopian on the surface, but dystopian in reality.

All of these specific types of genres are important to us as future English teachers because of their pure attraction to young adults.  They are often heroic stories where the protagonist has to overcome something great in order to gain wisdom and sometimes save damsels’ in distress.  They hold stories that young adults can lose themselves in and lets them exercise their imagination in ways that do not involve playing pretend in the backyard.

Boo! Did That Make You Laugh?? - Chapter 6

I was fascinated by the beginning of this chapter when the author’s said that they “remembered English teachers who pleaded with us to ‘read only the best – the classics.’”  Truthfully, that statement made me giggle a little.  Consider for a moment the fact that Jane Eyre had a mysterious element to it in the laughter that radiated from the upper room.  Frankenstein is a venture into a supernatural story of combining the dead to bring a monster to life.  Many of the classics in the English classroom have elements discussed in this chapter, so I don’t think that we need to defend our reasons for wanting to read books that consist of adventures that we would like to go on ourselves, or encounters with the supernatural that leave us checking under our beds at night.

Adventure

I am yet to meet a kid, adolescent or an adult who doesn’t like to go on an adventure.  Kids in backyards everywhere imagine that they are somewhere else (the popular kids show The Backyardigans is famous for this idea) and usually on some very big adventure in which they are the hero.  The beautiful thing about adventure books, like Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, is that it gives the reader the chance to imagine themselves somewhere without ever leaving the comfort of his or her room. 

Mysteries

I’d like to meet the reader who hasn’t read at least one Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book and want to pretend for days that he or she was a detective in charge of solving a very big case.  As one grows older the mysteries in novels often become more in depth and puzzling, but the thrill of solving one before the characters in the book remains.  For example, the book we read this week – The Fallen Man by Hillerman, was one in which two mysteries begged to be solved; who was rustling the cattle, and who killed Hal Breedlove? 

Supernatural

When reading the focus box on page 192 of the text book, the only thing I found myself thinking was that if we were to look at a similar focus box written recently that so many books by Stephanie Myer would be on that list.  Her famous Twilight series makes a foray into the supernatural world mixed with the real world in a way that doesn’t scare the pants off of someone.  I also wonder how many students realize that most of them have read books that fall into the supernatural category when they read R.L. Stein’s Goosebumps.  The books that make us check our window locks twice and triple check our closets and under our beds are fascinating to the human mind.

Humor

Life often sucks.  It’s as simple as that sometimes.  Especially for the adolescent who is struggling along the footpath from childhood into adulthood.  If we didn’t have humorous books to fall back on, or laughter in our lives some how, well I doubt that any of us would make it past age 13.  I love that the qualify Louise Sachar’s book Holes in the humorous category.  I chose to read that book for one of my earlier YA choices, and found myself giggling all the way through Stanley Yelnats’ adventures of making it rain again at Camp Green Lake.

I think as English teachers it is imperative that we do not write off these genres of books.  Most all of them have something great to offer to the readers, a way to escape the mundane and tediousness of life.  If a student is having a bad day, but has the opportunity to throw himself into an adventure in the Canadian mountains, he will certainly come out for the better on the other side.  Heaven knows that I did and still do!!

Without Hope, Very Little Is Left.... Chapter 5 - Romance Novels

I’m a sucker for the Romance novels; both the trashy completely pointless ones, and the ones that teach you a lesson and make an impression.  As this chapter indicates one of the true marks of a romance novel is that it leaves you feeling like there is a glimmer of hope for the main characters at the end.  Perhaps that is the reason that I am so compelled to read books in series such as the book that I read this week, Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies because there is a hope at the end of the book that compels the reader to pick up the next book to see how Tally rises up against the Specials.  Or, the Twilight series, where girls hope that a boy will love her as passionately and deeply as Edward loves Bella. It is no wonder that romance novels of all kinds are such successful sellers, kids, teens, and adults need to hold onto the hope that happy endings in life are real and achievable.  From Cinderella being crowned the queen to the unlovable protagonist who falls in love with the hard hearted hero in the adult novel, people need to feel the hope that is conveyed through the written word in a romance novel. 

This particular chapter dives deeper into the characteristics and types of romance novels, such as adventure/accomplishment romance.  The type of romance novel where the happy ending comes from the protagonist surviving something and earning a great deal of wisdom and knowledge from it, ending the book with the hope that the knowledge he or she gained will be carried with him or her through life.  Many of the symbols of accomplishment come from physical things that young adults can relate to, like sports.  So many of the novels mentioned in this section deal with the physical prowess of athletes, both fictional and non-fictional.  That is another beautiful thing about the romance novel; it does not have to be rooted only in fiction.  There are true life stories of people who have overcome adverse situations and ended up on the better side of life. 

I adored the definition in the book given about the love romance – “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back.”  Who, especially a female with a head full of romantic ideas and believes that chivalry is not dead (aka me) couldn’t get behind that definition?  In reading some of the criticism of the love story romance novel I was surprised to see the problem that one critic had was that “we read these books to escape from reality, but end up frustrated because they are what we want reality to be.”  Really?!  Of course it is what we want reality to be!!  Readers, including young adult readers, need to feel that sense of hope that the world and all boys or girls are not going to obliterate your heart like a garbage disposal.  That is why the love story and the romance novels of all kind will continue to be a symbol of hope for all mankind!

From a teaching perspective, the romance novel is one that is easily integrated into the classroom curriculum.  With multiple types of romances to choose from, adventure, accomplishment, western, and the love story – the stories of hope for young people are plenty.  I have no fear that I will easily be able to work up multiple lesson plans on these novels and have students enjoy and engage in the books.  Romance novels are what I originally fell in love with in literature, because as a teen I needed the sense of hope that he world would not crumble around me, though it felt that it would some days.  I hope that if I can open up the world of these books to my students, they will find the same sense of peace that I did when I read them.

Pictures courtesy of Amazon.com and Love.Joy.Happiness Blog.

Chapter 4 - The New Realism

Before this class I had never considered the genre of Realistic Problem novels.  I knew that there were some books that I related to easier as a teenager, but I never considered that it was because they related right back to me.  I believe that this genre is so important for students to engage in.  Adolescence is not a time of upbeat happy endings always; it is a time of confusion, unsure footing in life, and life lessons that will be carried forever.  By reading realistic problem novels students are introduced to characters like Ralph and Piggy, Scout and Jem, Holden Caulfield, and Jerry Renault, to name a few, to whom they can relate. 

All of the characters that are mentioned face some kind of tragedy or life choice that will change things for them.  Which is one of the criteria that is mentioned in the book for a realistic problem novel.  All of them are in some way forced to cross the line into adulthood whether they are ready for it or not.  I think that while a lot of these novels are taught in school, it is too often that the lessons that are applicable to the student’s lives are often overlooked.  I hope that when I’m a teacher that I can secretly work in a way for the students to bring the “coming of age-ness” of these novels to the forefront of the student’s minds and to let them know that they are not alone in the issues they face day to day.