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.

Chapter 3 - Mass Media

I had not considered that the generation that I technically grew up in was one of the first to be raised with the abundance of technology we have today.  Although, those who were born in the 90’s will never know what it was like to not have a computer at their home.  I enjoyed this chapter about the mass media and how it can help YA literature and be connected and weaved into YA literature. 

I specifically enjoyed the author’s unscientific survey (although slightly outdated), about what YA’s find appealing about in the mass media.  I was not surprised to see that there was a range of answers and that finding one specific common ground among all students is going to be very difficult.  Consider for a moment all of the cliques in high school, certain groups think and care about certain things and often some of the groups will have some same likes, but the likelihood of all students having one common ground other than school is going to be very minimal.  I think the author’s portrayed that in their survey.  In most of the classes that I have had one of the key things to being a good teacher is finding a way to connect lessons to student’s lives, after reading this chapter I can see that will be difficult to achieve, but that with the help of technology it will be easier.

History of YA - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 begins with the lines that it is “important to know the history of their own fields for 3 reasons. First, they ought to know not merely where they are, but also how they got there… Second, for anyone who cares about the mores and morals of our time reflected in adolescent books, there is a fascination in knowing how they came to be… Third and this may be difficult to believe for those who have not dipped into books out of the past, many of the older books are surprisingly fun to read.”     The authors have spelled out how they feel about the history of YA literature.  It is important for us as teachers to know it and to carry it on into the future for our students.  They then break the history down into year spans and give examples of how history shaped YA literature.

1800-1900 – “Young people were reminded that they were merely small adults who soon must face the wrath of God.”  Louisa May Alcott and Horatio Alger, Jr. were published during this time and were at opposite ends of the spectrum.  Alcott focused on happy families and Alger was stuck on broken homes.  Other books aimed at young adults during this time were Ella Enchanted and Othello. Domestic and Dime novels were also popular, though some authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne did not stand behind them.  Mark Twain also published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in the 1870-1880’s. 

1900-1940 – This was the movement from Romance to Realism in young adult literature.  Some of the books included in English classrooms during this time were Tarzan of the Apes, Pollyanna, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.  This was when the National Council of English Teacher’s was formed.   The books that young adults liked and appreciated (not what they were required to study) during this time were Rebecca of Sunnybrook, and Anne of Green Gables.  They also enjoyed Pollyanna, Pawnee Hero Stories and Folk Tales, By Cheyenne Campfires, The Last of the Chiefs, The Horsemen of the Plaines, and Stover at Yale, among others.

1940-1966 – The US went through many changes during this time, from depression to war to postwar.  There were racial issues left and right, and those often showed up in books.  This was the time when paperbacks became popular, though most thought they were insignificant.  Young adults could easily transport paperbacks, so they caught on with the publishers.  Books became monotonous during this time because of the scarcity of war, and when they were published they focused on the happy things instead of realities.    Hot Rod, Street Rod, Pray Love Remember, Ring Around His Finger, The Coach Nobody Liked, It’s Good to Be Alive, Maggie, Invisible Man, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and jazz Country were among those that young adults chose to read.

All of the information contained within this chapter is necessary for us as future teachers to have because if a student presents one of the novels listed (and trust me, I haven’t hit half of them) in this section, it would be important for us to know something about it.  Young Adult literature had a rocky start, going from the wrath of God to happy to lucky to straight up reality about the world kids live in.  Although some still may claim it isn’t a necessary genre, I think if they understood its past and how it helps the future they may change their tune!

See No, Hear No, Speak No... A Chapter on Censorship

Being a parent and a future educator gives me a unique perspective on censorship; however, simply because I’m a parent does not in any way indicate that I am naïve about the education that children receive outside of a classroom.  In fact, my view on censorship is that it is practically laughable.  While I can without question agree that children should be protected, I do not agree in banning books in an attempt to uphold that protection.  The more censors ban books, the more the books are going to become hot commodities among those the censors swear to protect.

Consider for a moment the following – how often do educators overhear conversations in the hallway of a questionable nature?  Should the teacher or administrator be so simple minded as to assume that all of those conversations stemmed from the reading assigned for homework the night before. I highly doubt it.  All it takes is one older sibling to inform a younger sibling about the art of profanity and suddenly there is a bus full of kids trying on four letter words for size. 

What about the censors themselves?  Have they become so high and mighty to forget and consider the times that they were young adults?  Did they read something in school that they are now advocating the banning of and nearly vomit at the sight of the words or complain because someone was forcing them to read it?  Again, I highly doubt it.  They were more than likely lapping it up like kittens with milk, feeling that they were privileged or special for getting to read something so adult in nature. 

To ban books is just the beginning of a very slippery downhill slope to a world of education that I do not want to fathom.  School classrooms would be allowed to only focus on the books that make it past the censors, school hallways would be void of any conversation, and lunchrooms would be eerily silent because a conversation of any nature has the potential to turn questionable if allowed.  If the censors are determined to preserve purity then they are going to have to do a lot more than ban a few books.  The world that we live in is not picture perfect, but the books that the censors find issue with are generally the ones who help the struggling adolescent struggle a little less. 

Now, I will climb down off of my soap-box and continue with my review of the chapter.  I have to admit that throughout this chapter the authors seemed to have the same viewpoint as me.  They often mentioned some of the same things that I just previously mentioned about the absurdity of some of the censors rationales.  The very last lines of the chapter is one that sums up clearly how the authors feel about censorship, “We believe librarians and English teachers must protect these freedoms [freedom to think and inquire], not merely in abstract, but in the practical, day-by-day world of the school and library.  To protect those freedoms, we must fight censorship, for without them no education worthy of the name is possible.”  I have to admit, I fully agree with them (in case you didn’t get that sense already).

The chapter does a fantastic job of incorporating landmark court cases, including one from Hawkins County, TN, that changed the face of censorship and varied between giving rights to the censors and giving rights to the teachers/librarians.  I thoughrougly enjoyed reading some of the judge’s statements, especially when they hinted it at the nonsense of the censors or school boards.  I was particularly grateful for the inclusion of the “What to Do Before and After the Censors Arrive,” section of the chapter.  I think that having a well thought out plan before something like this occurs in one’s classroom is imperative.  I think the way they broke it down into specific steps is help and beneficial to all of us who are planning on teaching.

I fully agree with one of the statements the authors made in the last part of the text about the fact that generally the naysayer’s just want to be heard, or have a little more explanation.  I think this is a very important point for us to remember.  Often the ones, who bash things, are the ones who don’t understand them, i.e. the women’s group who could not clearly define secular humanism for the member who asked about.  I think by remembering to take time and explain our choices in the classroom will fare much better than arguing back.  Case in point, when I was a junior in high school I read A Prayer for Owen Meany.  The book was fantastic and a wonderful example of overcoming a disability in childhood and adolescence, and showing a true definition of a hero; but, the book is riddled with profane language and more than likely what some would qualify as lewd imagery and is quite blasphemous at one point in the text – and while yes we all felt special being allowed to read such a thing in school, none of us took advantage of this and treated it like children as most censors assume we would.  We looked at the book and explored it for the deeper meaning and the skill of the writing.  I would assume that my 11^th grade AP English teacher was met with some concerns from parents during the time he taught that book, but I would also venture to guess that he answered those concerns with clear, concise and perfectly acceptable reasoning behind his choice. 

Ultimately when considering the chapter on censorship it is important to remember that even though the authors, me, and probably anyone else who reads this chapter feels that censors and censorship is ludicrous, it’s going to occur.  People are going to want to continue to shelter their children from the upsets of growing up in this world for as long as they can, and while I fully support that and believe in protecting my children from as much as possible, I cannot stand behind censors and say pulling classics off a shelf is necessary in that protection.  In order to have a full and well rounded education students should be exposed to the upsets of the world in a controlled environment that gives them somewhere safe to discuss those things and express their feelings.  If I had one word of advice for the parents who are so determined to censor everything except the sunshine and rainbows it’s this – consider how you felt growing up, remember all of the issues you struggled with being called “fat” or “pizza face”.  Now that you’ve considered that, pick up the book and read it with your child and then use it as discussion fodder to help your son or daughter through one of the most difficult rites of passage there is – growing up.

Image taken from Blue Heron Blast, which has a list of books that people attempted to ban from 2000-2009

Chapter One!

Chapter 1 of the textbook, Literature for Today’s Young Adults, is a perfect overview of young adult literature.  The author’s begin by briefly introducing YA literature and explaining its slightly unsettled past.  Before The Outsiders most novels with young protagonists were geared towards adults.  It seems that the authors have a great love for the genre. 

The first chapter gives what the author’s refer to as the “Honor List” of young adult books.  This particular edition’s honor list goes from 1967-1999.  On this list one can find books such The Chocolate War or The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, among others.  The authors are gracious enough to those of us who have encountered YA literature, but never referred to it as such, to give basic characteristics of the best of the best.

According to the text in order to qualify as a YA book, it must fall into the following 7 characteristics:

1. Written from the viewpoint of a young person
2. Very little interaction from the parents
3. Fast-Paced
4. A variety of genres and subjects
5. Multiple ethnic and cultural groups
6. A worthy accomplishment is made or the book is optimistic
7. Deal with emotions that are important to young adults

Now I have to admit that I have to disagree with number 6 only slightly.  Take, for example, The Catcher in the Rye that I just finished reading.  I can honestly find very little optimistic and no accomplishment within the 277 pages of that book.  Holden spends most of his time depressed and running through the gambit of natural teenage emotions (a perfect fit for characteristic 7) and accomplishes nothing, but landing himself in a mental institution at the end! So I’m a little skeptical that all YA novels have to be optimistic or some amazing accomplishment is made.  Nonetheless I very much agree with the others on the list.  As future educators or librarians I think it’s important to notice the characteristics on this list, to be familiar with them and understand them.  With every student that crosses the threshold of our classrooms it is our job to entice them into a love of reading… or at least I think it is.

Speaking of love of reading, chapter 1 also gives a very interesting chart of “Stages of Literary Appreciation.”  The chart serves the purpose of showing people where they are in their love of literature and how they can improve and mature in this arena.  I love to look and think about where my kids are on the chart, of course they’re still on the bottom rung, but I hope that I can successfully instill in them as much of love for books as it seems their father already has for video games.  The chapter ends, with the authors describing each of the rungs of the "literary love ladder."  I like to consider myself at the top of the ladder, hanging out with all the suave people who are aesthetically appreciating literature for more than just its face value.  However, as the authors point out, once you’ve reached a stage of appreciation you never really leave it, you just add it to your collection.  Perhaps that is why I can still enjoy Little Golden Books just as much as I can Twilight any day.

Welcome!

The main purpose of this blog is to write chapter reviews, as well as some book reviews for the Adolescent Literature course I'm taking this summer.  I have a quirky personality and generally have quite a bit to say about things, so do not be surprised if you see the real me shining through my posts. 

I love books and wish that I had more time to read them.  I've developed an unusual habit since beginning my M.Ed. studies that when I read books now, I find myself considering how I would teach the book to a classroom of teenagers.  I'm excited about this class and grateful that it is allowing me the opportunity to read - a perfect excuse to curl up on the couch with a book in hand and claim I'm doing homework!