Did someone say “summer reading?” Yes, children. It’s almost here: summer vacation. And with that, of course, comes everyone’s favorite assignment, the summer reading packet. Does your school have a packet - or just a list? We’re hardcore, my friends, we distribute an entire packet to be completed for September. I think I’ll even give a test on the required reading. Ooohh. So mean.
And yet not. Did you know that your reading skills can go down two levels over a summer without reading? Add that to the grade level or two you are already behind and, well, that spells disaster.
So how about coming up with a plan for how you’ll handle the reading this summer? Let me help you out: how about starting out with this book, Runner by Carl Deuker.
I picked up Runner when I was wandering around another teacher’s classroom, teaching an especially boring study hall. I have a bad reputation for stealing books from other rooms but, to be fair, I always bring them back. Anyway, I did what I always do, I chose Runner based on the cover and, as usual, I wasn’t wrong.
At first glance, Chance Taylor, Runner’s main character, has an awesome life, living on a sailboat with his dad in Seattle. And that would be really cool - except that the boat is a rickety bucket, he has no other house, he has been abandoned by his mom and (what, the other stuff wasn’t bad enough?) his dad is alcoholic and generally unemployed.
Responsible young man that he is, Chance seems more worried about paying the bills than his dad. Which is why, when offered a shady sounding job that pays cash, he doesn’t think too hard about the details, but takes what he can get. It seems someone at the marina has noticed Chance running a long route to the park and back each day and wants him to incorporate a package pick-up into his routine. Some days, his new “employer” explains, they’ll be a package, other days, not. Chance just needs to casually pick up whatever is there, drop it into his backpack, and leave it in a locker at the marina. No questions, no looking into the packages. The $200 a week it pays is too much for Chance to turn down.
What do you think is in those packages? Drugs? Maybe. Something more sinister? Probably. Body parts? Now you’re being ridiculous. You’ll just have to read it to find out.
LAME FACTOR: Runner is a very clever book with an interesting twist and a very likeable main character. Zero on the lameness scale.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: The adults are the irresponsible ones here, not the kids. If anything, they’re role models.
BRAIN POWER: Runner won’t hurt your little brain. Go ahead and add it to the summer reading list.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
“Mrs. Lepetit, why are you reading that book?” I looked up to see Brianca staring at me with an expression somewhere between disbelief and annoyance. “Excuse me?” “Why are you reading that book? You know how it ends, don’t you?” “Uh, I have an idea,” I answered lowering the book to my lap, “but it will be OK. I’m sure the author will work it out in the next book.” “Mmm. Well, I don’t understand,” and Brianca returned slowly to her desk, shaking her head disapprovingly as she went.
In spite of Brianca’s warning, I actually went ahead and read Linger. I’m reckless like that. Shockingly, I thought it was great. I mean I’ve only been yakking about Shiver over and over again to anyone who’ll listen (or pretends to listen) and this is the sequel.
What makes it so great, you ask? Really? Haven’t you been paying any attention at all? Fine. Grace Brisbane is one of the greatest female YA heroines around. She is still smart (for the most part), independent, and is missing all of the things about girls that I don’t like - whining (I really hate whining), gossiping, obsessing over everything. In short, she is amazing.
That said, I do not like everyone in Shiver. Grace’s parents are pretty much failures as parents. You don’t ignore your teenaged child - unless you actually want them to turn into drug addicts - and if you are stupid or lazy enough to do so, you can’t expect to be able to turn around suddenly and start telling them what to do. In this case, the child is definitely smarter than the parents.
As for the story, we’re still working with werewolves here. Interestingly, even without the werewolves, this story would absolutely still work. The werewolves just make everything more awesome.
So what was Brianca’s problem? OK, so the ending might not be entirely satisfactory, but the direction it takes seems logical - that is, if stories about werewolves can be logical. Besides, the next book is titled Forever, and if you have any higher reading skills whatsoever, you can guess that everything will work out fine.
LAME FACTOR: A very big 0 for lameness - in spite of Grace’s highly irritating mother.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Some drug, alcohol, and sex references but nothing too explicit. It’s hard to imagine that anyone will care - unless, of course, your mom turns out to be like Grace’s mom.
BRAIN POWER: Well-written but manageable for anyone with a brain.
In spite of Brianca’s warning, I actually went ahead and read Linger. I’m reckless like that. Shockingly, I thought it was great. I mean I’ve only been yakking about Shiver over and over again to anyone who’ll listen (or pretends to listen) and this is the sequel.
What makes it so great, you ask? Really? Haven’t you been paying any attention at all? Fine. Grace Brisbane is one of the greatest female YA heroines around. She is still smart (for the most part), independent, and is missing all of the things about girls that I don’t like - whining (I really hate whining), gossiping, obsessing over everything. In short, she is amazing.
That said, I do not like everyone in Shiver. Grace’s parents are pretty much failures as parents. You don’t ignore your teenaged child - unless you actually want them to turn into drug addicts - and if you are stupid or lazy enough to do so, you can’t expect to be able to turn around suddenly and start telling them what to do. In this case, the child is definitely smarter than the parents.
As for the story, we’re still working with werewolves here. Interestingly, even without the werewolves, this story would absolutely still work. The werewolves just make everything more awesome.
So what was Brianca’s problem? OK, so the ending might not be entirely satisfactory, but the direction it takes seems logical - that is, if stories about werewolves can be logical. Besides, the next book is titled Forever, and if you have any higher reading skills whatsoever, you can guess that everything will work out fine.
LAME FACTOR: A very big 0 for lameness - in spite of Grace’s highly irritating mother.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Some drug, alcohol, and sex references but nothing too explicit. It’s hard to imagine that anyone will care - unless, of course, your mom turns out to be like Grace’s mom.
BRAIN POWER: Well-written but manageable for anyone with a brain.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Do you have any friends named Betsey? How about Lana – or even Sue? I’m guessing not. When your little brother is a complete moron, do you suggest that he “hush” – or do you perhaps say something stronger? My money is on stronger.
OK; so I’m always yakking about how reading isn’t lame and listing amazing books that you should be reading. I think I should also warn you, then, when lameness occurs. And here it is, children: Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan.
The story behind Killing Mr. Griffin sounds pretty cool: students hate strict teacher, decide to teach strict teacher a lesson – oops! – something goes seriously wrong. As a reasonably strict teacher myself, I think it’s just common sense to read these kinds of books. I need to know what the students are plotting so I can “watch my back,” so to speak.
It all sounds good, right? Eh. I thought the story was interesting, but the more I read, the more something was really off. First, the names. Betsey? Really? The last time I heard the name Betsey was when I was in high school which was – well, let’s just say it was in the 20th century. Then, the setting details. How many of you actually make Jell-o out of package? Why would you, when it comes in those amazing little plastic cups? What about television? What do you watch? Idol? DWTS? Not, I assume, The Newlywed Game or Let’s Make a Deal.
The more I read, the more I realized that this story was taking place in the 70’s, so I looked at the date in the front of the book and saw that it was originally published in 1978. That would be fine if the story was supposed to be taking place in the 70’s, but the author seems to have gone back in and added modern details like references to Google and cell phones. In the meantime, big things like mothers don’t seem to go to work during the day, but rather, sit around and play cards, are left like they are normal. I could be wrong, but I don’t think mothers have done that since Bewitched was running in prime time. (Yes, it was a TV show before it was a movie.)
My biggest complaint about Killing Mr. Griffin, however, is that the dialogue is completely unnatural. As a middle school teacher, I have a really good idea of what students sound like – and this isn’t it. “Will this do?” one teenager asks. Huh? I wish you spoke like that.
In my opinion, if the author wanted an updated version of her book, she should have changed much, much more. It isn’t enough to add a couple of pop culture details without eliminating those that are really dated. It’s like giving Ebenezer Scrooge an iPhone and trying to make us believe the story took place last Christmas. OK; so I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea.
In the end, the story wasn’t terrible – but the dialogue was awful. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
LAME FACTOR: Pretty lame. I give it a 3 out of 5.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Are you kidding? This is the 70’s. Well, I supposed they might object to the whole killing your teacher thing – and the one small reference to drugs and alcohol – but overall it was really tame.
BRAIN POWER: You will be blown away by the amazing sentence structure of the characters. Just kidding. It wasn’t overly complex.
OK; so I’m always yakking about how reading isn’t lame and listing amazing books that you should be reading. I think I should also warn you, then, when lameness occurs. And here it is, children: Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan.
The story behind Killing Mr. Griffin sounds pretty cool: students hate strict teacher, decide to teach strict teacher a lesson – oops! – something goes seriously wrong. As a reasonably strict teacher myself, I think it’s just common sense to read these kinds of books. I need to know what the students are plotting so I can “watch my back,” so to speak.
It all sounds good, right? Eh. I thought the story was interesting, but the more I read, the more something was really off. First, the names. Betsey? Really? The last time I heard the name Betsey was when I was in high school which was – well, let’s just say it was in the 20th century. Then, the setting details. How many of you actually make Jell-o out of package? Why would you, when it comes in those amazing little plastic cups? What about television? What do you watch? Idol? DWTS? Not, I assume, The Newlywed Game or Let’s Make a Deal.
The more I read, the more I realized that this story was taking place in the 70’s, so I looked at the date in the front of the book and saw that it was originally published in 1978. That would be fine if the story was supposed to be taking place in the 70’s, but the author seems to have gone back in and added modern details like references to Google and cell phones. In the meantime, big things like mothers don’t seem to go to work during the day, but rather, sit around and play cards, are left like they are normal. I could be wrong, but I don’t think mothers have done that since Bewitched was running in prime time. (Yes, it was a TV show before it was a movie.)
My biggest complaint about Killing Mr. Griffin, however, is that the dialogue is completely unnatural. As a middle school teacher, I have a really good idea of what students sound like – and this isn’t it. “Will this do?” one teenager asks. Huh? I wish you spoke like that.
In my opinion, if the author wanted an updated version of her book, she should have changed much, much more. It isn’t enough to add a couple of pop culture details without eliminating those that are really dated. It’s like giving Ebenezer Scrooge an iPhone and trying to make us believe the story took place last Christmas. OK; so I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea.
In the end, the story wasn’t terrible – but the dialogue was awful. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
LAME FACTOR: Pretty lame. I give it a 3 out of 5.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Are you kidding? This is the 70’s. Well, I supposed they might object to the whole killing your teacher thing – and the one small reference to drugs and alcohol – but overall it was really tame.
BRAIN POWER: You will be blown away by the amazing sentence structure of the characters. Just kidding. It wasn’t overly complex.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)