There is nothing, perhaps, more satisfying than hearing statements like these upon finishing a book with students:
"That was goooooood."
"Where can I find more books like this?'
"That's the end? It doesn't even tell us the whole truth."
That last one was my favorite because it was exactly the point. Almost as if I had planted it. Exactly. The. Point.
I demonstrated, too, how the final paragraph of the book, where it says -- "I want to know who I am. I want to know the road to panic that I took. I want to look at myself a thousand times to look for one true image."-- gives me goosebumps. I pulled up my sleeve and showed them the evidence.
Then, I gave thinking homework: "What would one true image of you look like? Just one and only one. What is the one . . . true . . . image of you?" I said it slowly for dramatic effect and then sent them on their way to contemplate truth and identity.
Typical 7th grade stuff.
8 comments:
What's the book?
Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Good stuff.
I have goosebumps. See, there they are; evidence.
I think I'll suggest that book for our next Book Club. It sounds like a good contrast to our current book, "Holidays On Ice" by David Sedaris.
My kids loved Monster, too.
This is how Victor expressed his interest:
"Hey Ms. Ashford...do you have more books like this? You know, ones with lots of white space?"
Ah, yes. They also loved the white space. Nothing wrong with that, I say.
Ah yes, Monster. Way too hard for my kids.
*sigh*
That's why I love you, Jess!
-Lisa
"typical seventh grade stuff. . ."
lovely.
kw
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