Living in Kiowa, California
John recalls his childhood: “My father had been the volcano in the family, while my mother had hovered gently in the background, cooking dinners and applying Band-Aids and keeping everything running smoothly” (77). John now wonders whether Mom’s docility is connected to depression or to being suffocated. Many young readers will probably relate to John’s description of a strained relationship with his dad and his striving to define love: “Surely a son’s love for his father should be a great and ongoing passion—a thing it didn’t take the presence of death to summon out of hiding” (80).
While trying to out-run his confusion, John falls and discovers an unusually-camouflaged chrysalis on property which belongs to the local mill owners. He harvests the pupae to hatch in his terrarium at home, and the butterfly, which turns out to be a rare evolutionary link between butterflies and moths, transforms the town.
During their metamorphosis, John discovers, “pacifism is a beautiful thing in principle. I’m sure violence never did a bit of good in the world, that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is a primitive and barbaric code of justice. But when a bunch of guys set out to stomp on you, there’s a lot to be said for throwing a punch or two back” (146). When John finally works up the fury to throw a punch, his father is on the receiving end.
When John joins the protest march on the mill to save the trees and the butterfly’s habitat in a town where “most of the jobs are the kind that put muscles on arms and calluses on hands,” he encounters an ugly brand of unkindness from a former community of neighbors whose livelihoods are being threatened: “I was caught up in the thrill of the moment—I guess that’s how they get soldiers to march into combat—once you feel that thrill of shared danger and you start marching with a group, you’ll do almost anything before being the one to break away” (166-167).
Besides being a book about environmental wars and strained parental relationships, California Blue by David Klass features athletes, who endure torture to get their names in a trophy case, who suffer grueling practices and performances, who persist beyond “sidesplitting, stomach cramping, muscle twisting, pure distilled pain and fatigue” (39), who pump and push and call on every source of fury they can conjure up to experience the euphoria that derives from the swell of applause, the exhilaration of victory.
So I haven't read my book for this week yet (Going Bovine by Libba Bray) but before I started it, I took a look at her blog, which I used to obsessively stalk circa 5ish years ago when I was reading her Great and Terrible Beauty series. She's hilarious, but her most recent blog post ( http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/58659.html ) I found really inspiring and provided an interesting take on how the standardizing of education doesn't always meet the needs of less linearly thinking students. And then THAT reminded me of a pretty nifty video I found a couple days ago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U) which basically talks about how current education paradigms don't support lateral thinking. I found them interesting, so I thought I'd share these two links with you guys!
ReplyDeleteI read "Seance" by Joan Lowery Nixon and thought the book was mediocre. It may be my personal bias towards mysteries that is keeping my attitude in the less-than-impressed zone. I've never really liked mysteries. Something I did find enjoyable in this book is that it is told from a first-person narrative but there was a few actions of the narrator that were kept hidden from the reader. This kept the mystery a little more difficult to solve as the reader before it was discovered in the story.
ReplyDeleteI would not use this book in a classroom. The motivation for the murders and the wrong-doing was founded in radical religious beliefs along with small town superstition. Although it may be a perspective some students wouldn't be familiar with and therefore a good introduction tool, the events and attitudes was too much. When the mystery was solved, I was left a little disappointed with the "who" and "why".
For this week's assignment, I read The Rag and Bone shop by Robert Cormier. I've heard this author's name quite a few times since this class started, and I figured picking up a mystery novel by him would be pretty neat. I was very impressed with this book. The psychology behind false confessions has always interested me, and Cormier goes into the thought processes of both the interrogator and the twelve-year-old boy who is the prime suspect in the murder of a little girl. By examining both sides of this interrogation, the reader can see the techniques that Trent (the interrogator) uses to make Jason (the boy) feel intimidated, uncomfortable, and ultimately guilty. What I truly loved about this novel, though, was the fact that it did not have a happy or hopeful ending. Not even remotely. In fact, the entire thing was disturbing, and I believe that such emotion is an important element to bring into a classroom. Books like this showcase the darker sides of humanity that so many novels overlook or dull down. On another note, the title, "The Rag and Bone Shop" comes from this poem by William Butler Yeats. Trent quotes the last two lines frequently throughout the book, and it has a chilling effect. Trent, toward the end of the novel, showcases the darkest parts of the human heart that are described in these lines,and the repetition of this poem brings that to the forefront of the reader's mind. Trent is haunted by his late wife's words "You are what you do," and he does do some horrible things. As a result, he becomes a horrible thing, and the reader is left with a bitter impression of the man. On a more stylistic note, the story is told in a third person omniscient point of view, and it would be a great way to introduce students to that particular method of narrative, and how it can be used to great effect. I highly recommend reading this book! Even though it was disturbing and depressing, it was a very fun read. I'm excited to read more by Cormier in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis week I read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer and one of my biggest concerns with this book in relation to the classroom is the non-realistic vibe that it gives off. Obviously Meyer's novels are extremely popular with young adults right now and they are certainly not "bad" but I don't think I would ever bring this novel into the classroom. The plot line of the story is kind of cool, the whole vampire and mortal love story, it's attractive and intriguing to young adults so that part is okay. But there are strong references to sexuality in the novel that it can become distracting and, at time, inappropriate. I went to The Day of Dialogue and heard a speaker discuss the Twilight series in terms of sexuality/rape and she pointed out that every time Bella and Edward (the novel's main characters) kiss, it is portrayed as having sex. The couple does not actually have sex until forth novel, once they are married, but in this first novel, every time they kiss there is a strong sexual energy that comes off. Also, when Bella is captured at the end by a Vampire, the sexual energy, especially the reference to rape keeps getting stronger. The vampire that captures Bella has set up a video camera to capture him "killing" her and says that it is for Edward to see. He also tells Bella things like 'she won't feel a thing' etc. I never thought of this scene as a reference to rape until I heard the speaker at Day of Dialogue and then, after re-reading it, the points are definitely there. I think it is great that young adults read this book for pleasure and I hope they continue to, but I would not teach this novel because the 'cons', if you will, of the novel out-way the 'pros' that could be beneficial in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI read Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. I enjoy reading her series, but as Betsy Stated, could not see myself teaching this in the classroom. Most recently there has been an uproar regarding the racial and ethnic portrayal. The book and movie series are making Native Americans once again seem as "savages" and unable to control temper. I never looked at the books nor movies this way, but when someone brings to account the presence of the issue, it cannot be ignored. I have not heard, as Betsy has, about the rape. I have heard about the domestic violence we see amongst the relationships in the book. Now, I read the series when they first came out and to me they were an escape into a realm not of my own, but I do see where dilemmas occur to this date.
ReplyDeleteThis week I read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I had heard a great deal about his book and was very excited to read it. I ended up coming out of the book with mixed feelings. I thought the writing of it was rather simple and would not do much to teach or challenge high school kids. Perhaps freshmen would get more out of the writing than older students. What was nice about the style of writing was how casual it was. It stepped outside of itsel and used meta-humor and was definitely a light-hearted read that most young readers would enjoy if they were interested in sci-fi themes. The story did lead up to interesting philosophical topics that could make for good discussion. Ideas about the universe, our existence, possibility of life on other planets and the relationship between human life and the rest of the universe are all confronted in the book. Within the classroom I could see this book helping students develop their own personal voice. The story shows that comedy can be created in unique writing styles and the ideas don't always need to be concrete and realistically supported. I really enjoyed the fun that the text had in telling the story.
ReplyDeleteFor this week, I took note from our guest speaker and picked up Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. This book is A) Creepy B) Riveting and C) Weirdly enjoyable. It is the intense, and sometimes heartbreaking, story of a girl named "Alice." She has lived the past 5 years with a man named Ray who rapes her daily, and forces her to remain in childhood (he feeds her BC and acne pills before the age or 11). This book is highly enjoyable and debunks a lot of the "why didn't she run, tell someone, do something" myths I feel our society is highly responsible for. I feel that this book could be beneficial for those students who want to look at this dark part of society. I would not make it a full class read, as it is highly disturbing and not for everyone. However, this book has great merits in the use of dialogue, recurring themes, modes, and tropes present throughout, and the great use of terror and fear. Sometimes emotion can be hard for students to put in their own writing, and I feel like this book handles this idea rather nicely!
ReplyDeleteI took advantage of the sports genre this week to read one of my favorite authors Walter Dean Meyers. I read his book titled Slam!, which was a fantastic read/story.
ReplyDeleteWritten in 1996, the book depicts the life of Greg “Slam” Harris as he struggles to survive the streets of Harlem, at their peak of drug traffic, and pursue a high school basketball dream. Greg gets sent to a white high school Latimer because of a re-alignment of the district, and creation of “feeder” schools. While at Latimer, Slam has a hard time keeping up with the academic challenges, as well as fitting into a white world.
Basketball and the NBA are what he is chasing, but his teachers, drug trapped friends, new teammates, and his ego are holding him back.
This would be a terrific book for the classroom in lessons about race or social struggles. I think students of all backgrounds can relate to Slam as a protagonist. They might be struggling with homework, parents, and video games rather than race, violence, and drugs but they will still be able to relate to the constant struggle as a young adult. Awesome book, well written, highly recommend it!
For my book this week I read "Living Dead Girl" by Elizabeth Scott. This is the story of a young girl who is kidnapped by a man named Ray when she is 10 years old who calls her Alice. She is repeatedly abused and is "kept young" by Ray making her take pills to prevent her from getting acne and her period from starting. One thing I loved about this book is that addresses the notion that the victim should have done something, or should have said something. This concept that society created does not make it any easier for victims of abuse to move on and overcome the emotional and psychological trauma endured. And this book does a wonderful job of pointing out exactly why saying or doing something is extremely hard for the victim. I don't think I would teach it in a classroom though, it is a very intense and emotional read and some students may not be comfortable reading it. Having said this, I do feel that the book is a very valuable piece of literature and deals with a very difficult subject in a mature and manageable way.
ReplyDeleteI decided to read a sports book and after seeing the title on a few young adult sports novel website AND in the library I chose Inexcusable by Chris Lynch. Wow. The book chronicles a senior football player's year and the events that surround him. The reader receives an introduction to his family and the girl of his dreams, Gigi. Any high school boy could relate to him, and as a girl I still was very interested in the book. He's a senior athlete but a lot goes on with that, such as the drinking and partying.
ReplyDeleteNot only was the book about football but also about rape--all written from the male perspective. I wound up reading the book in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. The characterization that Chris does is phenomenal and I could easily see this book being made into a play or movie. As you read the novel from the main character's perspective you feel as though you are in his head 100%.
If I decided to use this book in the classroom I would want to approach it very gently as the issues brought up could be too close to home for some people. However the book does not contain a lot of graphic scenes or foul scenes. Lynch wrote the book very tastefully.
I am so thankful I found this book as it was really wonderful to read a story like this from the perspective of the male and it kept me interested the entire time.
I chose a bit of a twist for this week’s novel. I chose a sports book, but decided on a biography of Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Meyers. Basically it went through Ali’s life from childhood to present day, focusing on the boxing aspect of his life. Not only was Ali an influential athlete of his time, but his religious and political choices threw him into the media’s spotlight for his entire career. I would teach this book in a completely different way than I would teach a sport’s novel with a young adult as the protagonist. With a famous figure as the main character throughout the book I think it opens up the possibility of teaching lessons on personal choice, and overcoming obstacles not only as a professional athlete, but as a figure in society as well.
ReplyDeleteThis book would also be extremely useful for coaches of any and all sports. As a teacher my goal is to seek out a coaching job and interconnect my students and my athletes. Throughout my four years of high school I participated in three sports, every single year. School taught me things I would not have learned on the court or field, but by participating in sports I learned so much more about life, and determination. I think I owe a lot of my work ethic to the coaches I had in high school, because they pushed me to do things I did not think I could do. I think it remains our jobs as teachers to do the same with our students. This novel would assist teachers in providing an inspirational message for students of all backgrounds in addition to effective use as a coach of any sport.
For this week, I read the novel A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. This book was a very interesting read in that it plays with time and perspectives and incorporates many different subplots, that include romance, mystery,and the struggle for women to gain a role in society. The main character Mattie, struggles to become an author in 1906, and is unwittingly tied to a girl that is murdered. This novel would be fun to incorporate into the classroom because it contains the different perspectives, and it also uses colorful vocabulary. I may hesitate to bring this novel into the classroom because it would mainly appeal to girls with the main character being a girl and struggling with that. However, it does present some teachable themes such as gender roles and following one's dreams while simultaneously teaching readers about the historical norms in the 1900's.
ReplyDeleteI read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak as my Historical Fiction book. It was a stellar novel.
ReplyDeleteSet in Germany during World War II, narrated by the voice of Death, the story chronicles the life of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl.
The story was heartbreaking, but in its description of the atrocities of this war it was also very illuminating and thought provoking about the nature of life and what it means to be a human being.
Of interest, is the way the author illustrates the duality of humans. People are never purely evil, nor purely good. While the Germans as a country were certainly responsible for the persecutions of the Jews, individually many were innocent and persecuted themselves by their own countrymen.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is when Death says,
"The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have endless ability to be in the right place at the right time. The consequences of this is that I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both. Still, they one thing that I envy. Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die."
Please disregard my above post as I posted it to the wrong place.
ReplyDeleteFor this week's reading in the Mystery Genre, I read Dead on Town Line by Leslie Connor. This short book was written in narrative verse. The writing is stunning and provoking as it tells the story of Cassie Devlin, now dead, a ghost.
Cassie chronicles the events leading up to her death and some events that happen afterwards. I think one of the more interesting points that the book raises has to do with questions of afterlife. Do we have a spirit? Where do we go after we die? Do we stick around in an in-between world if things are unresolved?
The book also illustrates the reality of death for friends and family members. Why do we mourn? What is grief? Do we have rituals that help us deal with this process?
A question that may be worth exploring with students is how the format of the book is able to bring about these questions to the reader without actually asking them.
Awaking from a year-long coma, Jenna Fox attempts to rediscover her forgotten self and finds quite a few unexpected answers and revelations along the way in Mary E. Pearson’s mystery novel The Adoration of Jenna Fox. This sci-fi/mystery novel was quite entertaining and creative in its format with its integrated poems throughout the piece. I can see this novel being quite helpful in a middle school setting where students might be having difficulty with defining their own identities.
ReplyDeleteI think that this novel might be useful collaboratively with a lesson on new technologies and possible carriers in scientific or mechanical engineering in a higher level classroom. I personally do not recall English teachers in my middle and high school classrooms discussing possible career opportunities and feel that it could be encouraging for students who might otherwise overlook such possibilities.
I think that there were a few aspects of this novel that could have been improved including character development and conflict resolution. As future (or possibly current) teachers, I don’t believe that it is our job to find “perfect” books for our students. As long as students can recognize good writing and possibilities for improvement, the teacher has succeeded.
For this week I read the mystery novel, Double Eagle by Sneed B. Collard III. The premise of the book boils down to a treasure hunt conducted by two boys on an island off the coast of Alabama.
ReplyDeleteTo be quite honest, I was expecting this novel to be a bit in the "Hardy Boys" vein, simply due to it's premise, and I was a bit hesitant to get into it (no offense to "Hardy Boys" fans! Just not my cup of tea). However, I was delightfully surprised by Collard's characterization of the narrator Mike, and his friend Kyle. Also, Collard managed to capture the vibe and history of the deep south in a way that was both authentic and fun.
There's an interesting relationship between the two boys in the novel. Both hail from different socio-economic classes, and there's a bit of a rivalry at the beginning of their friendship (mostly in Mike's head), and their relationship is textured nicely by these circumstances.
However, my only complaint is that there's an opportunity in the novel for one of the boys to really express some of the hardships that is implied he has to deal with in his family life. An opportunity for a BOY to break down and maybe shed a tear. Yet, it doesn't happen. I'm curious if Collard simply didn't want a situation like that to detract from t pace of his mystery novel. It's just slightly unfortunate, I think, because we could do with more boy role models breaking the stoic stereotype in our media.
The book I selected to read for this week is "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton. I decided to read this one because I believe it is the story of Ponyboy's survival.
ReplyDeleteI think this book would be a blast to teach in the classroom arena! It has so much to offer as a teaching tool: Bullying, Social issues, race issues, class systems...just to name a few. I'm actually writing my unit plan on this book.
I recommend this book to all.
For this week, I read "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" by Mark Haddon. It is one of my new favorite books. It was so amazing! It's the story of 15-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone who loves animals, prime numbers, maths and the color red but doesn't understand people and their emotions and hates the color yellow. Christopher is autistic, and goes to a special school. When he finds his next-door neighbor's dog murdered, he sets out to find the murderer.
ReplyDeleteThis novel was not fantastic for the murder plot because it is solved maybe half way through the book, but it is spectacular for the writing. It is written in the first person and it gives the reader a chance to see what it can be like for people on the spectrum for autism.
It's not only a mystery novel, but an adventure novel, a multi-cultural novel and a realistic novel. It fits many genres, but it is unique among books that I've read so far. I think it is valuable for anyone to read because it is nearly inevitable that you can go through life nowadays without meeting someone who is autistic, and if you understand how one might think on the spectrum, it is easier to understand others. Also, it made me think about things that I do that are similar to Christopher. Therefore making me realize how similar we all are, including those separated by "disabilities".
I took an interesting approach with this week’s book. I did what I consider survivor fiction, but with an LGBT book. As I somehow think that this issue, especially with all the bullying and suicides in the press recently, is much more of a contemporary survival issue than perhaps getting lost in the woods (not to discredit that as another approach to survival fiction, however).
ReplyDeleteI read Michael Thomas Ford’s novel Suicide Notes. This novel is about 15-year-old Jeff, who wakes up in a psychiatric ward one day. Though he doesn’t want to deal with his issues, so instead, he focuses on being a “smart-ass” and sarcastic. But slowly, Dr. “Cat Poop” bonds with Jeff as well as some of the other ‘inmates’ in the ward. Jeff soon realizes that while he doesn’t have it great, he certainly doesn’t have it as bad as many of the teens in the ward. Some have terrible family lives, some have tried killing themselves multiple times. Jeff slowly comes to recognize that he tried to kill himself because his best friend’s boyfriend found out that Jeff was gay. He has to come to terms with his sexuality, which is extremely hard for Jeff. But the story has a happy ending and we realize that we’re all not that different in the end; and Jeff overcomes his issues and “survives.”
By the way, this book reminds me almost exactly like a newer movie out called It’s Kind of a Funny Story. I’d highly, highly recommend the movie (though it’s actually based off of a YA novel of the same name).
Having not read a mystery in long time, I chose to read Robert Cormier's book I Am the Cheese. The book opens with a young boy, Adam Farmer, riding an old, barely working bicycle from from Massachusetts to Vermont. He is going to take his father a birthday present. The next chapter is two people talking about events, and what seems to be the Adam's first person past tense account of specific details of his childhood. The story continues contrasting between Adam's bicycle ride and his later memories. Of course, it is not until the very end of the novel that Adam's situation is clarified. The novel is an adventure story as we follow Adam throughout his bicycle trip, and also a psychological thriller/mystery. Complex and intricate, Cormier combines different tenses and two seemingly different stories into one without confusion or loss of character development. The plot does not overshadow characterization, imagery or other literary elements, which I feel some mysteries do. Instead, it I Am the Cheese turned out to be a well-written, coming of age story with an adventure quest, interesting dialogue, characterization, motifs, metaphor, incredible examples of foreshadowing, and many other teachable elements. In a reflection of his book Coermier asks: "Who would read this complex, ambiguous story? Certainly not young readers", yet later he explains how how popular it is, and that he receives numerous reports of fans reading it twice. He also admits that the books success: "reminds me to follow my instincts as a writer, no matter their ages. But especially if they're young", which I thought was a really great point for both the author and we as developing teachers. I think challenging material like I Am the Cheese allows the reader to at first struggle with comprehension, but eventually learning the satisfaction that comes with slowly earned understanding.
ReplyDeleteCody,
ReplyDeleteYour question is a good one for the author when he comes to visit.
So seriously, I've been dying to read Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game since I first saw the cover in the Glasgow Public Library in, mmmmm, third grade or so. Something about the creepy little girl dressed up as witch (is she a real witch? is she wicked? or just totally spooky?) intrigued me, but I never picked it up with any real intention of reading it until I remembered it as a mystery for this class.
ReplyDeleteThe Westing Game is a Newberry Award winner, so its pedigree is already strong, but it has been continually in print since its original publication in 1978, which also speaks strongly for its inclusion in a classroom, if not a curriculum. While nominally it is a mystery, and follows many of the whodunnit? mystery tropes (bombs explode; suspicious characters are in disguise; people must work together to unravel clues that could lead to a fortune), in reality Raskin's novel is a testimony to the power of diversity and how embracing individuals of varying races, ethnicities, abilities, genders, etc., only makes society stronger. Teachable elements include the strength of diversity, but you might also have your students compose their own mysteries or "whodunnits", and, as most of these YA books demonstrate, identity is mutable and ever-changing.
I read Libba Bray's Going Bovine as an'Adventure' novel of sorts. Essentially the novel chronicles the hallucinogenic journey Cameron, a disillusioned and cynical teenager, as he struggles through on a cross-country philosophical journey upon learning that he is dying of Mad Cow disease. With the guidance of a very weird variety of friends, from Dulcie the punk-rock angel to Gonzo the hypochondriac dwarf, Cameron attempts to find the mysterious Dr. X and save the world from the clutches of threatening fire giants. Despite the complete absurdity of the story, the novel itself manages to be surprisingly intelligent and heartfelt, provoking as many quandaries as laughs.
ReplyDeleteThis book presents a number of teachable aspects. One of the most obvious is how well it works as a paring. Bray derives blatant inspiration fron Don Quixote, but also the book's website claims On the Road and Waiting for Godot as inspiration for the novel. I would even recommend pairing this book with Homer's The Odyssey to offer a comparison between two different types of somewhat hallucinatory and mythologically steeped hero's journeys.
(Also on a completely indulgent and personal note, I also found this book hilarious. But I also tend to find ironic/slightly morbid/ridiculous to be very funny.)
One of the most pivotal survivalist books of of time has to be Cormac MacCarthy's The Road. This dark narrative into the destruction and rebirth of humanity provides young adult readers with a look into the depravity of man when faced with a global catastrophe. Though the themes may be a bit dark at times and there seems to be absolutely no hope for the world, his novel is a necessary for young adults as any other book. His novel follows the lives of a father and a son traveling through the wasteland of civilization. They are beset by enormous and at times insurmountable challenges, but, through their love for each other and the basic human instinct of survival, are able to scrounge out an existence. Eventually the young boy must go on without his father and though the death of the man is poignant and heartbreaking, there is hope in his departure. This text provides readers with the lesson that no matter how dark the world may seem and no matter how desolate our situations may be, hope always remains.
ReplyDeleteAt the corse of this novel is an environmental perspective, with climate change and global waring on the horizon, this text can teach us a great deal about humanity and as teachers we should enlighten these themes to our students.
1.) Many people see this text as life after a nuclear disaster, but it was written as a catastrophe caused by nature. How does this change one's reading?
2.) This theme of environmental destruction can lead to a discussion on sustainability and working towards renewable resources.
3.) A class could discuss the overwhelming sense of darkness that accompanies this novel and whether or not it is necessary for authors to write in such a dark way.
4.) Themes of hope are sparse in this novel, but they are the most pivotal parts of the text. One can discuss the difficult yet rewarding nature of finding hope in the sea of black.
5.) The Necessity or unnecessary nature of punctuation in literature!
For this week, I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. (If you look at science fiction, everyone else seems to have read it for that week). The story is about Katniss Everdeen who has volunteered in place of her sister to compete in the Hunger Games – a morbid form of entertainment and control over the other districts making up Panem. The Capitol tunes in on TV to watch 24 kids fight to the death where there can only be one winner.
ReplyDeleteThis book breaks the common theme of the “damsel in distress.” Katniss takes on the role of being the survivor and the independent female; something that is a new and refreshing for literature. This book is part of a trilogy (which is amazing) and supposedly is in the works to become a film. This book represents the bonds of family and friends and how that bond can make you who you are, and get you through the worst parts of your life. Katniss vows to win the Hunger Games for her starving sister Primm and their mother, which keeps her fighting throughout the game.
For my adventure novel, I read Going Bovine by Libba Bray. Having previously read her novel A Great and Terrible Beauty, I knew going into the book that I would enjoy it. Bray's writing is fresh and character-focused; Going Bovine could easily be used to teach voice, among other things. As Alex mentioned, the novel follows the story of Cameron, an apathetic junior in high school, through his final weeks of life, following his diagnosis with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, more commonly known as Mad Cow disease.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to teaching voice, the novel could also be used to help students think about death and dying, what it means to live a full life, and the nature of reality.