To Kill a Mockingbird and Houseon Mango Street

House on Mango Street, i unfortunately have to say was not initially gripping. Perhaps i will need to re-read it again over the summer to find what was to be appreciated in it. I get the the fact that it is to see the streets through the eyes of a young girl, who doesn't always understand all that is going on. i get that she is trying to convey the the trials and prejudices against the poor and the immigrants. i get that there is a sub-plot of her coming of age, and the sometimes exciting/sometimes frightening/ and often discouraging awareness of herself and her friends and cousins beginning puberty. but there is no plot, no conquering of an obstacle, no deep insight- unless you count that there are many names and images in clouds... i dunno, i don't think this book will be in my choice of curriculum, as of now.
To Kill a Mockingbird: I read this in high school. I mean, i was supposed to read this in high school. I am sure i read some of it, and probably took some notes in class; but i couldn't remember a lick of the story. Anyway, i was instantly drawn into this story. I am a slow reader and was trying to be aware of any details i could get as i read, so i lost a lot of sleep trying to get this book done in a week. Unlike Mango Street, this novel is a feast of plot, irony, cultural awareness, and coming of age. I am so smitten with the book, it's hard to write without gushing. I think Scout is just as relateable as Esperanza, i think they mirror each other in many ways... i think it is just a matter of the authors and Lee definitely takes the cake on this one. Diversity is expressed on so many levels, i think it gives a much more mature and honest interpretation of reality. There are several economic classes, though no one is especially wealthy. There are several social classes, based on lineage, though no one's family is truly older than anyoneelse's. Unlike the "black and white case" that Atticus was trying; this novel is about so much more than just black people and white folk.

Using Graphic Novels... and American Born Chinese

I thought this was a very good article, and certainly encouraging. The teachers observed not only the lack of willingness to read in the remedial students but took the time to notice those who read on their own time were reading graphic novels or drawing anime figures on their notebooks. They cleverly incorporated this into the class. though the media is nontraditional and lacks many formal techniques that most lit teachers are going to want to emphasize to their students, it was a great stepping stone to get the students involved in reading and to be excited about it. I thought it was especially clever to start outside-the-box by "reading" a graphic novel with NO text. This took away the mental stumbling-block the kids faced with their anxieties or disinterest in reading. It instead allowed them to focus on and develop a plot. Furthermore, they were then encouraged to implement their own telling of the tale and to eventually write a story using vocabulary discussed in class. There were two additional points i honed in on and hope to remember:
1. The "shades of meaning" chart as a vocabulary boosting and comprehension guide.
2. Having students share their ideas and progress with teachers verbally, rather than writing them. I never would have thought of this, though it seems so obvious; kids who do poorly at reading and writing are not going to do well when this is the only way of communication between instructor and student.
* i did also appreciate the sidebars incorporated into the article, like the "manga primer" and the list of graphic novels used.
American Born Chinese- What a book! I really enjoyed this book
 much more than i ever thought i would! First off, this was the first
graphic novel i ever read, and was honestly hesitant and doubting its
 merit. This book was easy to read and incredibly entertaining! That
 being said, it was also very clever and poignant; it stared in the face
 of discrimination and stereotype and was incredibly relateable. I
 think the tongue in cheek humor was smartly done and easy to
 interpret so that anyone who felt like a minority could appreciate,
 but it also dealt with such universal issues of acceptance,prejudice,
coming of age,defining of the self, love, and misunderstanding that
this could easily become apart of any curriculum.

You Gotta Be the Book

Things i found interesting in this book thus far:
 *many teachers are unfamiliar with new literary criticisms
and New Criticism is still the most prevelant
*it is important to find a way to make reading a rewarding
experience, not just a way to find answers
 * p29- "'students must be free to deal with their reactions to the text,'
which also means that teachers should 'ask students what they see, feel, think
 and remember as they read, encouraging them to attend to their own
experience of the text'"
*when experiencing trouble with or refusal of reading- focus on the individuals-
not just the class
* i also really liked the idea of a teacher-student contract as noted on pg13

LITERACY PROFILE

i truly enjoy reading! unfortunately life giving me extra time to read is another thing, unless you count nightly readings of beatrix potter and berenstien bears.  that is why i love literature classes, i am forced to make the time to read and have been introduced to many authors in the last two years. books are a passion of mine. i will never, never own an e-reader and i began collecting books this past year. it is nothing much yet, i've only purchased some sixty books in the past six months, and nothing too valuable. i have found a couple first editions of obscure books that are worth 50 or 100 bucks, that i picked up for a dollar or two, but i'm sure its nothing anyone would be familiar with. i've been on a pennsylvania kick lately and have been scooping up books by updike, o'hara, jackson taylor, and tawni o'dell- all pa authors. i do not have any favorite authors... i used to be really into palaniuk, but it seems his work has become a cliche of itself. my fiance and i have re-discovered the brilliant talent of jane austin, and she is pleading with me to get with the times and read at least one harry potter book.