MacLeod, J.E. (2009). Waiting to Score. New Jersey: Westside Books.
Textbook Chapter: 6
Subgenre: Sports, Realistic Fiction
Possible Curriculum Connections: High School Class English Class, Suicide Prevention, Making safe choices
Book Summary:
Waiting to Score is a young adult novel about Zachary Chase, a fifteen year old hockey star. Zach's father was a professional hockey player, but died before Zach was born because he was driving drunk and he wrecked his car. Now, Zach and his mother have moved back to their hometown after some time away, and Zach is trying to fit in to the new community and his new hockey team. He meets a girl named Jane at the hockey rink, and is immediately attracted to her, eventhough she is not his type. Come to find out, Jane is a very sweet girl, although she dresses gothic and wears dark makeup. Jane's twin brother is on the hockey team, and he has a severe drinking problem. Zach eventually wins Jane over, helps get her brother into rehab, and begins to fit in. However, Zach makes an enemy with Mac, the captain of the hockey team, who has a horrible attitude and actually takes advantage of girls who are drunk at parties. Zach tries to help a girl at a party when Mac takes advantage of her, but the girl commits suicide the next day at her home. The suicide rocks the town, everyone grows closer, and Mac's true colors are revealed. In the end, Zach is offered a hockey scholarship, and Mac is turned down because of his reputation.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Want to Read this Book:
Waiting to Score was a pretty good book! The novel was a good mix of sports, realistic fiction, and a little bit of romance. It basically has something that everyone would enjoy! The book also deals with some very difficult issues like rape, suicide, and alcoholism. Although teenage drinking and partying are not portrayed as being negative when done in moderation in the book, the author does make teens see that extreme behaviors can have extreme consequences. Teens may be able to relate to the peer pressure in the novel, and would find Zach to be a good role model. Overall, this was a good book, and I do think most teens would enjoy it!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Class # 4 Reflection
I thoroughly enjoyed our last class session on March 7th. I enjoyed our discussion of Playing with Matches and The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank. It is always interesting to hear other people's reactions to novels, and to hear the varying opinions about the books. I always learn a lot from my classmates!
I also felt like the planning time for my group about the instructional unit plan was very beneficial. We have decided to do a unit on the Holocaust and World War II, and plan to incorporate centers, literature circles, and a small research project into our unit. We are excited about digging deeper into this project!
I also felt like the planning time for my group about the instructional unit plan was very beneficial. We have decided to do a unit on the Holocaust and World War II, and plan to incorporate centers, literature circles, and a small research project into our unit. We are excited about digging deeper into this project!
Book 18- Required Reading: Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Green, John and David Levithan. (2010). Will Grayson, Will Grayson. New York: Dutton Books.
Textbook Chapter: 4
Subgenre: Realistic Fiction
Possible Curriculum Connections: High School literature class; Guidance Lessons on Acceptance;
Book Summary:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is about two high school students who share the name, Will Grayson, and live in separate suburbs of Chicago. The two live very different lives, but are brought together by a twist of fate in the city of Chicago. Will Grayson and his best friend Tiny, and friend Jane, went to the city to see a concert, but Will was not allowed in because his fake id was bad. The other Will Grayson was lured to the city by a friend pretending to be a gay teen named Isaac who Will had formed a relationship online. It turns out that Isaac didn't exist, but Will Grayson did meet Tiny, and the two became boyfriends. However, this relationship did not last, but Tiny taught both Will Graysons a lesson in life. He taught them to be happy and to not be afraid to feel. In the end, Tiny produced, wrote and starred in a musical about his life, during which both Wills attended and showed Tiny their appreciation and everyone ended up happy.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Want to Read this Book:
I loved this book! It started out a little slow for me, and at first, I did not think I would like it. However, by the end, I was fully invested in the characters and desperately wanted everyone to be happy! I love the themes of the book: love, acceptance, taking risks, etc. I really think that teens would be able to relate to the characters in this book whether they are gay, straight, popular, outcasts, etc. There is someone that everyone can relate to! I also thought that this book did a great job of addressing some of the issues that homosexual teens face. Overall, I thought this book was worth reading and would recommend it to high school students!
Textbook Chapter: 4
Subgenre: Realistic Fiction
Possible Curriculum Connections: High School literature class; Guidance Lessons on Acceptance;
Book Summary:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is about two high school students who share the name, Will Grayson, and live in separate suburbs of Chicago. The two live very different lives, but are brought together by a twist of fate in the city of Chicago. Will Grayson and his best friend Tiny, and friend Jane, went to the city to see a concert, but Will was not allowed in because his fake id was bad. The other Will Grayson was lured to the city by a friend pretending to be a gay teen named Isaac who Will had formed a relationship online. It turns out that Isaac didn't exist, but Will Grayson did meet Tiny, and the two became boyfriends. However, this relationship did not last, but Tiny taught both Will Graysons a lesson in life. He taught them to be happy and to not be afraid to feel. In the end, Tiny produced, wrote and starred in a musical about his life, during which both Wills attended and showed Tiny their appreciation and everyone ended up happy.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Want to Read this Book:
I loved this book! It started out a little slow for me, and at first, I did not think I would like it. However, by the end, I was fully invested in the characters and desperately wanted everyone to be happy! I love the themes of the book: love, acceptance, taking risks, etc. I really think that teens would be able to relate to the characters in this book whether they are gay, straight, popular, outcasts, etc. There is someone that everyone can relate to! I also thought that this book did a great job of addressing some of the issues that homosexual teens face. Overall, I thought this book was worth reading and would recommend it to high school students!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Book 17- The Kite Rider
McCaughrean, Geraldine. (2001). The Kite Rider. New York: Harper Collins.
Textbook: Chapter 6
Subgenre: Adventure
Possible Curriculum Connections: Chinese Culture; Circus; Middle School Language Arts
Book Summary:
The Kite Rider is an adventure book about Chinese twelve year old Haoyou and his family. At the beginning of the novel, Haoyou witnesses his father's death as he was forced to fly on a kite to check the wind as punishment for his disrespectful behavior. Shocked and saddened by his father's death, Haoyou begins to make kites himself, and eventually builds a kite in which he can fly on. Word gets around about his talents at flying, and the leader of the Jade Circus makes a contract to have him fly in his circus as "Sun Sparrow." Come to find out, the leader of the circus was actually on a quest to assasinate the Khan, who was a great leader in China. Haoyou survived many different quests in this novel, and in the end, he saves his mother and sister from a life of servitude at a drinking house. Haoyou is blind in one eye due to a great fall he has on one of his quests, but he considers that to be a small price to pay for all of his adventures and quests. He, his mother, and sister all escape.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Not Want to Read this Book:
Personally, I thought this novel was difficult to read and follow. The plot was interesting, but the Chinese names and language made it confusing. There were a lot of details that bogged down the flow of the book, but I know that is simply a style choice by the author. I did enjoy the story line of the boy who goes on a quest and flies in kites through the sky, but overall, the novel was not my favorite. I do not think that teens would particularly enjoy this novel. Since the language is difficult and unfamiliar, I think the novel might frustrate the young adult reader. It is also a fairly long book and the plot is a little slow in the beginning, so many readers may give up on the book before they make it all the way through it!
Textbook: Chapter 6
Subgenre: Adventure
Possible Curriculum Connections: Chinese Culture; Circus; Middle School Language Arts
Book Summary:
The Kite Rider is an adventure book about Chinese twelve year old Haoyou and his family. At the beginning of the novel, Haoyou witnesses his father's death as he was forced to fly on a kite to check the wind as punishment for his disrespectful behavior. Shocked and saddened by his father's death, Haoyou begins to make kites himself, and eventually builds a kite in which he can fly on. Word gets around about his talents at flying, and the leader of the Jade Circus makes a contract to have him fly in his circus as "Sun Sparrow." Come to find out, the leader of the circus was actually on a quest to assasinate the Khan, who was a great leader in China. Haoyou survived many different quests in this novel, and in the end, he saves his mother and sister from a life of servitude at a drinking house. Haoyou is blind in one eye due to a great fall he has on one of his quests, but he considers that to be a small price to pay for all of his adventures and quests. He, his mother, and sister all escape.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Not Want to Read this Book:
Personally, I thought this novel was difficult to read and follow. The plot was interesting, but the Chinese names and language made it confusing. There were a lot of details that bogged down the flow of the book, but I know that is simply a style choice by the author. I did enjoy the story line of the boy who goes on a quest and flies in kites through the sky, but overall, the novel was not my favorite. I do not think that teens would particularly enjoy this novel. Since the language is difficult and unfamiliar, I think the novel might frustrate the young adult reader. It is also a fairly long book and the plot is a little slow in the beginning, so many readers may give up on the book before they make it all the way through it!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Book 16: Nonfiction
Rubin, Susan Goldman. (2009). The Anne Frank Case: Simon Wiesenthal's Search for the Truth. New York: Holiday House.
Textbook Chapter 11
Subgenre: Biography, Nonfiction, War,
Possible Curriculum Connections: Middle School Unit on the Holocaust
Book Summary: Simon Wiesenthal, a Polish Jew, was a survivor of the Holocaust. He was within minutes of losing his life on two separate occasions in the concentration camps he was in, but was spared because of his artistic ability and by what he calls miracles. As a result, Wiesenthal spent the rest of his life trying to hunt down Nazi war criminals and see that they were punished according to the law. One of his most famous and most passionate cases was tracking down the Gestapo who arrested Anne Frank. He felt very passionately about this, as some Europeans believed that Anne Frank never existed, and that she was just a pretend martyr for the Jews. After years of searching and going down the wrong path many times, Wiesenthal got a break and found the soldier who arrested Frank's family. He admitted to arresting her, but he was not charged because there was no proof that he did anything against the law. Wiesenthal was disappointed with the results, but he was proud to have set the record straight that Anne Frank was real.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Want to Read this Book:
I personally love to read nonfiction, and especially biographies. This one was exceptional! Although it was not very long, the biography goes into great detail about Wiesenthal's experiences in the concentration camps, without being too graphic. The book also portrays a real life mystery of sorts, and teens would be caught up in trying to figure out who the actual man was who arrested Anne Frank. Students will be able to relate to Anne Frank's story, as well, and the book could be a good discussion starter about history's truths and how sometimes cultures like to ignore bad things about the past.
Textbook Chapter 11
Subgenre: Biography, Nonfiction, War,
Possible Curriculum Connections: Middle School Unit on the Holocaust
Book Summary: Simon Wiesenthal, a Polish Jew, was a survivor of the Holocaust. He was within minutes of losing his life on two separate occasions in the concentration camps he was in, but was spared because of his artistic ability and by what he calls miracles. As a result, Wiesenthal spent the rest of his life trying to hunt down Nazi war criminals and see that they were punished according to the law. One of his most famous and most passionate cases was tracking down the Gestapo who arrested Anne Frank. He felt very passionately about this, as some Europeans believed that Anne Frank never existed, and that she was just a pretend martyr for the Jews. After years of searching and going down the wrong path many times, Wiesenthal got a break and found the soldier who arrested Frank's family. He admitted to arresting her, but he was not charged because there was no proof that he did anything against the law. Wiesenthal was disappointed with the results, but he was proud to have set the record straight that Anne Frank was real.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Want to Read this Book:
I personally love to read nonfiction, and especially biographies. This one was exceptional! Although it was not very long, the biography goes into great detail about Wiesenthal's experiences in the concentration camps, without being too graphic. The book also portrays a real life mystery of sorts, and teens would be caught up in trying to figure out who the actual man was who arrested Anne Frank. Students will be able to relate to Anne Frank's story, as well, and the book could be a good discussion starter about history's truths and how sometimes cultures like to ignore bad things about the past.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Book 15: Heartbeat by Sharon Creech- Poetry
Creech, Sharon. (2004). Heartbeat. New York: Harper Collins.
Textbook Chapter 5
Subgenre: Poetry
Possible Curriculum Connections: Middle school poetry unit on narrative poetry.
Book Summary:
Heartbeat is a narrative poem written in book form about twelve year old Annie and the relationships she has with those around her. Annie's mom is expecting a baby, and the story tells how Annie at first fears having a baby sibling, but then gets excited as the birth gets closer. The book also highlights Annie's relationship with her grandfather, who appears to be suffering from Alzheimer's or dimentia, and sometimes does not remember important events in his life. Finally, the book tells about Annie's friendship with her friend Max, who struggles with loss in his life, but deals with that loss through running. Annie also finds joy in running. In the end, Annie's baby brother is born, and her grandfather gets to hold and enjoy the baby as well. Many of Annie's fears are relieved as the story progresses.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Want to Read this Novel:
I personally love Sharon Creech's books! She is one of my favorite authors. This book is a great mix of poetry and a narrative story, and it flows beautifully. I love reading her poetry books, and my students love them as well! Love that Dog, and Hate that Cat are two of my students' favorites, although they are written for a lower reading level. The story is interesting, and the poetry allows Annie to express her feelings in a different way than narrative writing would. I think teenagers would love this story because they can relate to Annie's fears and relationships. Annie is very mature for a twelve year old, and she is dealing with the birth of a new sibling and the aging of her grandfather, so her life is changing dramatically. Also, poetry is a great outlet for teens to express their thoughts and feelings, so this book may inspire those teens to pursue that further.
Textbook Chapter 5
Subgenre: Poetry
Possible Curriculum Connections: Middle school poetry unit on narrative poetry.
Book Summary:
Heartbeat is a narrative poem written in book form about twelve year old Annie and the relationships she has with those around her. Annie's mom is expecting a baby, and the story tells how Annie at first fears having a baby sibling, but then gets excited as the birth gets closer. The book also highlights Annie's relationship with her grandfather, who appears to be suffering from Alzheimer's or dimentia, and sometimes does not remember important events in his life. Finally, the book tells about Annie's friendship with her friend Max, who struggles with loss in his life, but deals with that loss through running. Annie also finds joy in running. In the end, Annie's baby brother is born, and her grandfather gets to hold and enjoy the baby as well. Many of Annie's fears are relieved as the story progresses.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens Would Want to Read this Novel:
I personally love Sharon Creech's books! She is one of my favorite authors. This book is a great mix of poetry and a narrative story, and it flows beautifully. I love reading her poetry books, and my students love them as well! Love that Dog, and Hate that Cat are two of my students' favorites, although they are written for a lower reading level. The story is interesting, and the poetry allows Annie to express her feelings in a different way than narrative writing would. I think teenagers would love this story because they can relate to Annie's fears and relationships. Annie is very mature for a twelve year old, and she is dealing with the birth of a new sibling and the aging of her grandfather, so her life is changing dramatically. Also, poetry is a great outlet for teens to express their thoughts and feelings, so this book may inspire those teens to pursue that further.
Book 14: Playing with Matches- Assigned Reading
Katcher, Brian. (2008). Playing with Matches. New York: Delacorte Press.
Textbook Chapter: 4
Subgenre: Realistic Fiction
Possible Curriculum Connections: High School English Class
Book Summary:
Playing with Matches is a novel about a 17 year old boy named Leon and his experiences with love. Leon is a high school student who is not part of the "in" crowd. He rarely goes on dates, has a few friends, and is beginning to wonder why others do not want to hang out with him. However, he befriends a classmate named Melody, who has severe facial scars from a burn she suffered in childhood. A friendship quickly blossoms into a relationship, and the two are very happy together. However, Amy, a popular girl who Leon has had a crush on since elementary school, suddenly takes interest in Leon, and Leon dumps Melody for Amy, which crushes Melody's heart. After a few dates, Leon realizes that although Amy is beautiful, they have very little in common, and he does not really enjoy spending time with her. Melody is obviously furious with him, but in the end, she says that they can still be friends, but that is it.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens would want to read this novel:
This was book was just ok. If I were to give it a ranking out of 10, it would probably be a 5. I did enjoy reading a book that has a male protagonist, and I am sure that male high school students would enjoy reading a book from a similar perspective as their own. I did like that Leon, the main character, overcame the stereotypes of teenage boys, and actually did want to go back to the girl with the good personality, instead of the girl with the good looks. Teens would want to read this book because they can relate to it. Leon is just like any other teenage boy who is trying to find himself and form relationships with others.
Textbook Chapter: 4
Subgenre: Realistic Fiction
Possible Curriculum Connections: High School English Class
Book Summary:
Playing with Matches is a novel about a 17 year old boy named Leon and his experiences with love. Leon is a high school student who is not part of the "in" crowd. He rarely goes on dates, has a few friends, and is beginning to wonder why others do not want to hang out with him. However, he befriends a classmate named Melody, who has severe facial scars from a burn she suffered in childhood. A friendship quickly blossoms into a relationship, and the two are very happy together. However, Amy, a popular girl who Leon has had a crush on since elementary school, suddenly takes interest in Leon, and Leon dumps Melody for Amy, which crushes Melody's heart. After a few dates, Leon realizes that although Amy is beautiful, they have very little in common, and he does not really enjoy spending time with her. Melody is obviously furious with him, but in the end, she says that they can still be friends, but that is it.
Personal Reaction/ Why Teens would want to read this novel:
This was book was just ok. If I were to give it a ranking out of 10, it would probably be a 5. I did enjoy reading a book that has a male protagonist, and I am sure that male high school students would enjoy reading a book from a similar perspective as their own. I did like that Leon, the main character, overcame the stereotypes of teenage boys, and actually did want to go back to the girl with the good personality, instead of the girl with the good looks. Teens would want to read this book because they can relate to it. Leon is just like any other teenage boy who is trying to find himself and form relationships with others.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)