The Giver by Lois Lowry

From Goodreads.com

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back

I read this in school, back oh, ya know 199-. I loved it and am thinking about teaching it to my 8th graders. So I re-read it. It really goes along with dystopias and a lot of my kids have already read The Hunger Games series and a bunch of them dabble in the others.

I love the characters in the book. I love the "wrongness" of the society. I however, forgot how uneventful the story actually is. It's very passive.

OK so back to the positives. I love watching Jonas transition into different way of thinking. I love how he starts off with his trusting ways and then slowly starts to question everything. He doesn't just up and change his thoughts one day, like that (imagine me snapping my finger). One of my favorite parts is when he starts to see the color red.

The Giver - which I wish he had a name. He had to have had a name. He is a perfect example of a nurturer. He's kind, loving, and hates putting Jonas in pain.

Again, back to the plot line of the story. Jonas is like everyone else, Jonas is chosen and the Receiver, Jonas gets memories, Jonas changes his way of thinking. Jonas continues this way of thinking, Jonas decides to leave the community. Jonas takes the baby and runs and then he maybe dies or maybe he doesn't. It's over.

COME ON! What happens to the community!?!?!

Some quick thoughts

I think I may use the Uglies instead of this

Great community for a dystopia

I love the memories that are given to him

How many of you have read this one?

Whats your favorite dystopia?

Hey everyone! I am looking for some reads for my students! I was thinking about doing a literature circle unit all with dystopia students. What is your favorite dystopia book and why?

Mine is The Giver. Maybe it was because it was the first dystopia I ever read. Maybe I just feel for Jonas as he comes to all those realizations. I love other ones too. But I am curious if you have a favorite and why.

Thanks for the help.

Teaching the difference between fact and fiction?

A discussion came up about a book in my school that I teach in, The Chronicles of Vladimir. There are a few scenes (or rather sentences) that are definitely grotesque. It was called to attention because a faculty member thought this wasn't appropriate because of a situation, and maybe she's right. (The thought of banning or judging books always makes me cringe) and the faculty member is just looking out for the student. No problems there but I did some looking around and The Hunger Games has come up a few times because of the berry scene at the end of the book which implies suicide. And then an uneducated reader said that the English teachers (being me) should only teach the classics where all things literary are clean!

*UPCOMING RANT*

UM HELLO! I am pretty sure George kills Lennie, and Piggy is killed by everyone, Hester is ostracized, Tom is shot 17 times right before he makes it over the fence, and the family in The Pearl! Yes, classic literature is very clean. HA!

But I think the bigger issue is how do you teach a child that fiction is exactly that, FICTION? What if they can't see the difference? How would you approach this?

Wordsworth Classics Reading Challenge 2011 (2)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare!

One of the great Shakespearean tragedies, Macbeth is a dark and bloody drama of ambition, murder, guilt and revenge. Prompted by the prophecies of three mysterious witches and goaded by his ambitious wife, the Scottish thane Macbeth murders Duncan, King of Scotland, in order to succeed him on the throne. This foul deed soon entangles the conscience-stricken nobleman in a web of treachery, deceit and more murders that ultimately spells his doom - taken from Goodreads.com

As an English teacher you would think that I would be a huge fame of Bill (as I so lovingly call him). I'm not really. However, Macbeth, is a play that I can read over and over again. I love the deceit, the plotting, the out and out betrayal among friends and so easy! Now this is drama!

Macbeth - what a back stabber! I love him. How quick he turns from his noble quest for the queen when the queens dangle the crown under his nose, fulling knowing that those he/she' are manipulative. And Lady Macbeth - I just love the scene where she tries to rub out that damn spot!

The witches- what great manipulators! They totally set everyone up...including Banquo - even though he dies in the end. My favorite part of the play are the predictions. I think Bill did a great weaving and crafting them. I imagine that people back in Globe theater were shocked and impressed with the way they came out.

GREAT ONE!

5/5

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Book one of the Wordsworth Classic Reading Challenge was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein! I recently finished it with my senior English class.

Synopsis from Wordsworth Classics website - Begun when the author was only eighteen and conceived from a nightmare, Frankenstein is the deeply disturbing story of a monstrous creation which has terrified and chilled readers since its first publication in 1818.

The novel has thus seared its way into the popular imagination while establishing itself as one of the pioneering works of modern science fiction.

I am an English teacher. I love the classics, but this being the first time I have read this novel, it's not my favorite. Like some of the classics, it gets bogged down with pretty words and the meaning can get lost. My seniors had a hard time paying attention to this book, but we did it! And like I knew they would be, they were surprised to discover that the monster's name is not Frankenstein.

I also was surprised by how much I hated Victor Frankenstein. For as much as the monster made him suffer, I could not believe how selfish he was. The monster killed his family. I get it, a bad thing, but Victor should have warned them, been upfront with the monster, something to try to preserve the lives of his nearest and dearest, but no! He was too caught up in what he had done. I think of all the main characters I have read about, I hate him the most. But good literature evokes emotions!

The monster is a monster but he was created that way and I don't mean physically. His hatred and misery are caused by others. And without a proper mentor to guide him morally or the love of a companion or father to show him compassion, what did Victor and reader expect?

I feel for the monster.

PS. Book 6 done.

My book challenge selection so far! Anyone have a good suggestion?

So I have been thinking about the Wordworth Classic Reading Challenge 2011 and what I would pick to read.

I have made the following list

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (because it is a favorite of a very dear friend of mine)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (because I am going to read it with my seniors)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Re-reading this one - best love story - so true to how love really is)

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol (Can't believe I have never read this?!)

The Best of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (I do have a slight obsession with the movie so some background might be good)

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Duman (A true story of betrayal and revenge...hoping to read this with my students)

Silas Marner by George Elliot (Read this as a 10th-grader, liked it but can't really remember it)

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Oh the scandal, reading with my students)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare (It's one of his best of the best)

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Plain curiosity)

New Years Book Challenges.

I'm going to take on a challenge or two this year... well with reading. Lord knows I take on enough challenges but these ones are going to be for me (and my sanity). I am first taking on the challenge

Challenge: Wordsworth Classics Reading Challenge 2011!

I have to set my target somewhere in here. I am not going to lie. I am shooting to be a noble. I am opening my students help me out with this. If you want to participate in this challenge look up http://derangedbooklovers.blogspot.com/.

Peasant: 1-4 books
Bourgeois: 5-8 books
Knight: 9 – 12 books
Noble: more than 12 books

I'm not sure what my list is going to be yet...

My next challenge, which I have not signed up to do with anyone, (and maybe I will) is to read 100 novels this year. Too often I fall into the "I don't have time to read for my own enjoyment" category and I hate this. If I set myself a goal, I have to follow it. I am starting with Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. I intend to post the books that I have read like I have been doing. I do think that I will change the format, "Steal" the synopsis from the book and then give my review without giving away any details. I hate it when people ruin books so I will not do it!!!!!

Maybe I will approach some students and other teachers about this idea? It's a thought worth expressing, I think.

Clockwork Angel

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all

I finished the novel Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Claire. This novel is a wonderful supernatural world. Likened to the Harry Potter world, the author creates a world that works with the "mundane" world. I fell in love with the character test and her insecurities. She is a wonderful 16 year old girl trying to save her brother who has disappeared and in the process is forced to become part of the supernatural world. She is rescued by several characters and they take her in. You have a wide range of characters, the female trying be the leader in a man's world, a husband who can only see his inventions, a prissy teenage girl who just wants to be married (the story takes place in London during the 1800's), the wild boy Will with hidden secrets and Jem who carries a hidden addiction.

I am part of Team Will... end of story.

The plot was well-developed and I was intrigued from the very beginning!!! Has anyone read this one? I think what I loved the most about the plot were the twists. Clare had me going, "No way!" a few times.

I loved the book and was very upset when I learned the sequel would not be coming out for awhile!!!

I also did some research on this author's other works and what she has done is written a series for the same world except it takes place in modern day. The Clockwork Angel is a prequel series to the Mortal Instrument series. A friend of mine, Nadine, has started this series and really enjoys it! It is a must for classroom shelf and also for the supernatural reader!

The Bright Side Project as a teacher's resource

As I start to come down from the "THANK GOD I AM ON VACATION" feeling, I am turning my attention back to school, which is something that I enjoy doing. It is like a fresh canvas (not that I could draw anything) and I can do anything I want on it and know that somewhere in there is going to be a brilliant idea.

I have kept on my educational reading (online and traditional) and have some great ideas however, I took a conference from a brilliant lady on creative writing notebooks and since then I have been looking for daily prompts to put in my notebook for my kids and the best resource for some five minute writing prompts (or longer) has come from a website called The Bright Side Project. On this website, there are designer giveaways and to enter you have to answer a simple question. Today's question was "What makes you feel lucky?" I wrote that I have a good support all around me and this one pair of jeans (in a nutshell at least). But that could easily be turned into a paragraph. They could tell me why that makes them feel lucky or an event that made them feel lucky, and then my mind just spirals into short stories. :)

NOOKStudy

I am not 100% sure of what is being offered but it sounds like Barnes and Noble is offering a free application called NOOKStudy. This program, at least it says it will, offers organizational and cool tools, get etextbooks with 40% off, over 500,000 books for FREE, and the capability to access the materials whenever and where ever. I did sign up to here more and if you clink on the above link you can too!

Summer vacation is finally here... kind of?

I spend all year keeping my head above water with my classes while trying to incorporate all the new things I am learning and think would benefit my students. Any teacher who is like this know how exhausting this is (but very worth it). This year I was the senior class advisor and that means putting on Class Night and helping with Graduation (again, exhausting). It ended at 12:30 for me and at 4:34, I am already wondering how I will spend my summer.

And, buried deep inside me, I already know. I am going to work on both personal and professional development. I am going to focus on writing and how I can help my students write more and better. I am going to read as many books as I possibly can so that I can suggest and converse with my students. I am going to plan new lessons that hopefully will "ooh" and "ah" my students and administration. I am going to go to several workshops to see what everyone else is doing because I feel that is the number one way to improve, plus I will surf the net to see as well.

Summer vacation is another way to say get ready for next school year. It is a good thing, I know and it will only make me better (right?).

So, the first thing, finish the edits Marie sent me on my book. Second thing expand and condense the book. I imagine something like an accordion when I say that. :)

Scrivener

For all the new writers (or even experienced writers) this program looks like it would be great for visual people, like myself. As soon as school is out, I am going to test out the 30 day trial and help with the novel that I am currently working on. I am hoping that will help me "fix" the problems Marie, Nadine, and I are finding.

And on the teacher side, what a great program for a Creative Writing class or for the English classroom in general. It looks like it could really help develop student writing (and mine) and it would be great for students who need the visual map to help them (like me).

http://literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.html

St. Peter and English teachers

I found this on one of those daily calenders. It made me laugh and I wanted to share it.

St. Peter hears a knocking at the Gates of Heaven and calls out, "Who's there?"
"It is I," a voice responds.
"Oh no, not another English teacher," sighs St. Peter.

Hope you enjoy it!