Summer 2007:
|
|
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Since I graduated from
high school, it seems everyone would always be surprised that I hadn't
read Catcher in the Rye. I even knew the main character's
name was Holden Caufield, and I had heard about a few of the key scenes.
However, I thought the novel was such a let-down. It has a very
short span of time--like 3 days--and it is all Holden's reflection on
why he got kicked out of another prep school and his views on life.
I kept hoping that the ending would be really redeeming. It was
slightly redeeming. |
|
|
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon.
I'd been wanting to read this book for some time. Since it's on
the 10th grade summer reading list, and all of my Solon teacher friends
are reading and discussing it, I thought now was a good time. I
liked this novel. It was really interesting for me to read a book
from an autistic child's point of view. It was cool to learn how
he thought about the world and how he perceived events. Very
worthwhile reading. |
|
|
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This book was a
gift from either Mrs. Bergen or my sister. They both love
everything by this author. I loved the language--especially in the
first chapter where it describes the swarm of bees in the main
character's room. I really liked the overall plot and message.
However, I thought the foreshadowing was overdone. As a reader, I
would be really nervous about what was about to happen, and then it
would be something like the Queen left the hive or something, not a
life-changing event for the humans. It was quick and easy reading
with a positive message though. |
| |
|
| |
|
Spring Break 2007:
|
|
One True Thing by Anna Quindlen - Ah, I've always loved
Quindlen's Newsweek columns, and after hearing her speak in 2006,
I became a true devotee. I received this book as a present from a
student and truly couldn't wait to read it. What an awesome way to
transition into Quindlen's fiction! This novel is the story of a
24-year-old's process of coming to accept her mother's battle with cancer and
eventual death. The twist is that the novel begins with the
protagonist in jail for euthanizing her mother! |
Summer 2006:
 |
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini- I actually bought this book to
read last summer, but didn't make it to it before school started.
After hearing how much the 12 AP kids are enjoying it as their summer
reading, I took it right off the shelf. WOW! This is the best
novel that I've read in a long time. It totally presented a new
world to me, and kept me engaged in the story the whole time. I
actually would be places with family and friends, just thinking about
going home to read so I could find out what happened next. I also
liked the historical significance of the Afghanistan War and my current
understanding of how ravaged the country would be after war. For
this novel, I especially enjoyed Hosseini's imagery and overall writing
style (zeugma, chiasmus--now, that's more my style). At the AP
reading, one of my friends who had her students read Kite Runner
last year, actually took students to hear him speak. Apparently,
after the book signing, he taught the students to play the card game
mentioned at the end. |
|
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey - This memoir was a present from Mrs. Bergen--before
the whole Oprah controversy about how much time Frey actually spent in
jail and how much of his experience was true or fictionalized. At
first, I was just angry that Frey was such a drug addict that he never
learned how to write well in school. (Can you say Subject-verb???
Vary those sentences, Frey!) However, somewhere in the middle, I
just got drawn into the story (somewhere after he met Lily probably.) and
read for content. I'm glad that I read it. It truly presented
a different experience to me. |
|
Marley & Me by John Groban - This book was a present from
someone who knows how much I like dogs. According to the author,
Marley is the worst dog ever! From reading of his experiences, I can
kind of see where the author is coming from. Marley even got kicked
out of obedience school. I laughed (out loud) and cried through the
family's lifetime of experiences with Marley. (And geez, Apollo is
looking more angelic all of the time!) |
|
Escape from Slavery by Francis Bok - After hearing this author
speak at NCTE about his experiences in slavery (and he's just a bit
younger than I am!), I was drawn to read his recount of slavery in the
Sudan. I just can't believe that slavery is still occurring in the
world. I would like for my students to read all or part of Bok's
experience. |
|
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt - My sister, who is also a
teacher, bought me this book for Christmas. We had heard McCourt
speak at NCTE, right when this book was being released. I had
already listened to the unabridged version of Angela's Ashes on CD,
and it was wonderful to hear the book in McCourt's wonderful brogue.
Of course, being an English teacher like McCourt, reading his experiences
in the classroom was truly delightful. McCourt will be in Cleveland
this fall as part of the Cuyahoga Library Series. |
Summer 2005:
|
A Breathtaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers - This
was a long book. Several years ago, all of my students were reading
this book, and I finally got around to it. Now mind you, I'd already
heard Dave Eggers speak at NCTE, and I wasn't particularly impressed.
However, the book was pretty good, and I'm happy that I read it.
|
|
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom - After loving The Five
People You Meet in Heaven so much, I decided to read Albom's previous hit.
As a teacher, I found the book particularly touching. I also
appreciated the opportunity to learn more about ALS. |
|
What the Dogs Have Taught Me by Merrill Markoe - This book of
essays was a present from Mrs. Bergen. I loved the essays about dogs
and what they must be thinking based on their behavior. (Mostly how
to get more treats--which totally sounds like Apollo:) )
|
|
Scrapbooking Everyday Moments by Creative Keepsakes - So, do
you count this as real reading? It was definitely pleasurable and
surely reveals what else I've been up to this summer. |
|
Scrapbooking Solutions by Creative Keepsakes.
|
Summer 2004:
|
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to
Punctuation by Lynne Truss - This is definitely the funniest book on
punctuation I've ever read. The more confident you are about your
ability to punctuate correctly, the better you'll like it.
|
|
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery - Okay, so I
finally read this delightful book after so many French students have
encouraged me. |
|
Perma Red by Deborah Magpie Earling - This author was
presenting at the same NCTE session where I met Ella Minnow Pea's Mark
Dunn. After hearing her views on the significance of personal
stories to teaching, I opted to read her book. Presented by multiple
narrators, it's a tale of a 1940s Native American woman and the three men
who love her. It was an enjoyable read. |
|
I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson - For some
reason, I enjoyed this chick lit novel about a woman too busy to know what
her children's favorite toys are. |
Winter Break 2003:
|
|
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom - A signed
copy of this novel was presented to me for Christmas 2003. I obviously
couldn't wait to start reading it. The main character Eddie works at
an amusement park and dies, gets to Heaven and starts meeting people whose
lives he's affected in some way or another. Sometimes he knows the
people, and other times he's only vaguely familiar with them. It was
interesting to read about one person's view of Heaven. |
Summer 2003:
|
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - I received this novel as a
present because it was supposed to be the next To Kill a Mockingbird.
Other than a young protagonist, I'm not sure I see the connection. I
really liked the book however--so much so that I kept passing it around so
others could read it. Katie holds the record for speed reading
though--she finished it in one day! It's about a 14-year-old who is
raped and murdered and who tells her story from Heaven. It's
hopeful, an easy read with a unique plot. Read
more
about Sebold's source for inspiration. |
|
Lucky by Alice Sebold - I decided to read Sebold's memoir
because I had liked Lovely Bones so much. I wouldn't
recommend this one though. It was too gruesome and violent and what
makes it worse is that it was true. |
|
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - Spending
every day in a school setting, it's hard to remember that there's a whole
side to "school life" that I'm missing. The ninth grade protagonist of
this novel certainly has a rough time trying to fit in, at home and at
school. It's kind of about the Friday night life of teens from a
freshman's point of view. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing
this one, Matt. |
|
Twelve by Nick McDonell - Another teacher at the AP Language
grading recommended this debut novel to me. It's written in very
short (sometimes only one page) chapters with about five main characters
who coexist. (One is a drug dealer.) The setting is NYC over
the last three days of 1999. Oh, and the most unique feature, the
author was 17 when he wrote the book! |
|
An Island Like You by Judith Oritz Cofer - This collection of
short stories is easy reading but provides many perspectives on what it is
like to immigrate from Puerto Rico and grow up in a barrio in New Jersey.
All of the teen characters are connected by living in the same El
Building, and each faces a different challenge. |
|
Bluish by Virginia Hamilton - This fifth grader book is about a
character who comes to school in a wheelchair and how her classmates learn
to accept her even with her debilitating illness. My sister, who
teaches elementary school, lent it to me, but I wanted to read something
by Virginia Hamilton who taught at Kent State and passed away last year.
|
|
