Book Review: Mindblind

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to graduate from college at the age of 14? To be considered a genius and admired for your intelligence? Or have you wondered what it would be like to not understand the unspoken language of society? To be considered a retard because you are socially awkward? If so, you should read Mindblind, a story about a boy who is both a genius and socially awkward.

Mindblind by Jennifer Roy is a wonderful book for every one to read.  This is the story about 14-year-old Nathaniel Gideon Clark and his life as a teenager with Asperger’s Syndrome.  Nathaniel is super intelligent – he graduated high school at the age of 11 and has just graduated from college at the age of 14.  Many people consider him a genius, but Nathaniel doesn’t think so.  When he was seven, he read in one of his mother’s gifted children books that “a genius is a person who has accomplished something outstanding with his or her talents,” and Nathaniel hasn’t done that yet.  But he wants to and doing so becomes one of his main goals in life.

For anyone who wants to know what it is like to live with Asperger’s Syndrome, this is the book to read.  Nathaniel has all of the typical teenage experiences: he goes to a party, he experiences his first crush, he hangs out with his friends, so it seems like he leads a pretty “normal” life. But because of his Asperger’s, his life is very different, and at times, much harder, than it is for his peers. He doesn’t understand social cues, can’t always express his feelings, and is very analytical.  But he is still a person who has feelings and interests and dreams, and Jennifer Roy does such a great job describing what it is like to live this disorder.   Furthermore, this book received the ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults for 2011.  This book is definitely worth reading!

I absolutely loved this book!  I have never met anyone with Asperger’s Syndrome, so this book was very enlightening for me.  And it really changed my thinking about this disorder.  Nathaniel, for the most part, seems like a normal 14-year-old, except for the fact that he is super smart.  And because he is so smart (there were some equations and formulas in this book that I did not understand), it was an eye-opening experience to see him struggle with simple things, things that I many times take for granted.  And then to read about how he was affected by how other people judged him really made me feel for him.  There were some very touching moments in this book, and that is one thing I loved about it.

Thinking about this book as a future English teacher, I would highly recommend it to students and other teachers.  This book teaches a lot about accepting people’s differences and what it is like for the people who are considered to be “different.”  I think all readers can connect to Nathaniel at one point.  He may have Asperger’s, but he still experiences the same things other people do.

Again, I highly recommend this book to everyone.  Here is a link for more information about the book and author.  The website and book are definitely worth checking out.

Mindblind – Jennifer Roy

Rules- A Newberry Honor Book

Rules, by Cynthia Lord, is such a great book. I finished reading it almost a week ago, but I cannot stop thinking about it. And it seems like the more I think about it, the more I like it. I even had my sister read it because I think it is such a great book. I was, however, disappointed when she didn’t seem to enjoy it as much as I did.

One thing she mentioned was that the book seemed unfinished, that it didn’t have a good ending. I, on the other hand, really liked the ending. To me, it seemed like Catherine finally came to terms with her younger brother’s autism and her life. Throughout the entire book, her brother David constantly quotes words from his favorite book. Many times, he uses these words to express his feelings, something his mom wishes he wouldn’t do. He did it at the very end of the book, too, and Catherine says that maybe her mom has a point – he really does need his own words – but that there are some things that matter more. Such as sharing something special, just her and David. And that’s what those words from the book are – a special thing that Catherine and David can share. Which I thought made for a really touching ending.

Another part I loved about this book was Catherine’s friendship with Jason. I think he really helped Catherine worry less about what other people think and that helped her to relax and maybe even appreciate her brother more. My favorite part of this book is when she makes word cards for him. Because he can’t speak, he uses a book to communicate with others. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to rely on other people for words. They are something that a lot of us take for granted. Even Jason’s mother and speech therapist never fully understood his need for words. Catherine really did so much for Jason, and I think this aspect of the book is the main reason I liked it so much.

     Rules is also a Newberry Honor book, receiving the Honor award in 2007. According to the American Library Association (ALA), the Newberry Medal award was named for John Newberry, an 18th century English bookseller. The ALA awards the Newberry Medal to “the most distinguished American children’s book published the previous year.” This award was the first children’s book award and is the best known award, and one of the most prestigious, for children’s books.  It was first awarded in 1922.  Only one book is awarded with this honor every year and the book must be an original work written by an American author. After the winner has been chosen, Newberry Honor books are selected.  The Newberry Honor award was first awarded in 1971, replacing the previous Newberry Medal runner-ups.

 
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal

Week 3 Article: Debate on YA Fiction

Young Adult fiction has recently become exceedingly popular – and not just among young adults. It seems like everyone wants to read YA books. Which is good news for me! I love to read; it’s absolutely one of my favorite things to do. I am also extremely fortunate to have a summer job where I can read books while I’m working, which allows me to read quite a few books in a short amount of time. This summer I choose to read some classics, books that I think all English majors should read. So I started my summer with “The Color Purple” and “Their Eyes were Watching God” and enjoyed them. They were both good books. But then I tried reading “The Red Badge of Courage” and couldn’t. I just could not get into that book at all. I didn’t even finish reading it. After about half-way through, I stopped, picked up “The Host” by Stephanie Meyer, and read YA books for the rest of the summer. Which made for a very enjoyable summer.

Reading this debate about adults reading YA books has made me realize that I don’t have to read the classics, even though I am an English major. I read for fun. Plain and simple. And YA books are some of the funnest out there. So while I will still probably choose to occasionally read the classics, most of the books I read will be from the YA section.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-of-young-adult-fiction

Judy Blume and Teen Girls Today

Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” was first published in 1970, but despite its age, I think it is still relevant to teen girls today. This book is told from the perspective of soon to be twelve-year-old Margaret. She is an only child who moves with her parents from New York to New Jersey and becomes best friends with her neighbor, Nancy, who is the same age and in the same 6th grade class as Margaret. Margaret has very typical teen girl experiences throughout the book. Margaret, Nancy, and two other friends create a secret club, talk about boys they like, attend a school dance, get invited to a party, and are assigned to work on a group project with classmates they don’t like. While some of the descriptions, phrases, and events might be outdated, teen girls today can still relate to Margaret and her life.

But in addition to all of the above, this book is about more than a young girl’s experiences in the 6th grade. Margaret is the daughter of a Jewish father and a Christian mother, but she claims that she doesn’t belong to any religion, that she will choose when she is older. Throughout this book, Margaret tries to figure out just what she is. She feels like she needs to belong to some religion in order to really be close to God. She prays to God often and attends several different churches with her friends and grandmother, but she still struggles with what to choose. This part of the book might not be as relatable for girls today. I think society is much more accepting of different religions and many girls may not feel the same struggle Margaret does. Even so, I think this book would still be of some interest today.

I had never read this book before and I liked it. It was a little slower than I would normally like, but it was very short and an easy read. I could relate to Margaret on several occasions, either with things I remembered from when I was 12 or with things that I can see now weren’t as big a deal as 12-year-old girls make them out to be. This book is definitely written for young teenage girls. It’s different from today’s young adult literature in that there is no supernatural or fantasy elements, but the main character is still very much relatable. Girls could read this book and see themselves as Margaret or know a girl like Margaret. It would not, however, hold any interest for teenage boys. All in all, I think this is a good book and worth reading.

Week 2 Article: Digital Reading and Children

This article from The New York Times explains that digital reading is increasing among children. Children are reading more ebooks than they used to, but this doesn’t mean that children are reading more in general. In fact, girls are reading fewer books for fun and more often than not, they spend their time on social media sites rather than reading when using a digital device. Boys, however, are more likely to read for fun if they can use digital device.

I found this article intriguing. With technology such a big part of life today, digital reading is becoming more common. I don’t think digital reading should completely replace actual books, but I think it is important to include ding digital reading in schools.

As a teacher, I would love to have a set of ereaders in my classroom. I think they would be a great addition and would serve several purposes. One, which was mentioned in this article, is that boys are more likely to read ebooks. Since boys read less than girls, this would help encourage boys to read. Two, they would be a good accommodation for students who are visual or hearing impaired. Students can change the font size to meet their needs and many ereaders come with a text-to-speech or sound capabilities to play audio books. Three, there is a built-in dictionary; students can simply tap a word and get the definition. I think this would be one of the best uses. Most students won’t take the time to look up a word they don’t know, even if they use an online dictionary. So to be able to do that while still reading the book would be great. I think more students would look up words, which would help improve their vocabulary.

Even if having a class-set of ereaders isn’t possible, many ereaders will let you download a PC compatible version, without having to buy the actual device. So schools could still provide ebooks and let students read them on the computer, while still providing all the benefits of an ereader. With many schools providing students with their own computer or Ipad, ebooks would be an easy addition. Of course, I still think paper books have benefits that an e-book could never have. Paper books will last longer, can be shared easier, and are sometimes just nicer to have. Even so, digital reading and ebooks are things that should be considered for use in schools.

The Hunger Games

THe Hunger Games series has become one of my favorite series. I was hesitant to read it at first because the idea of teenagers fighting and killing each other seemed a bit too gruesome and violent, but these books are about so much more than that. I can’t remember when or why I finally decided to read The Hunger Games, but I am very glad I did.

I think this would be a great book for middle school students to read. It’s full of action, so it would keep even reluctant readers interested, but it also has some really touching moments. Some of my favorites were Katniss’s reaction to Rue’s death and later when Rue’s district sent Katniss the bread.

But one of the things that I like most about this book, and something that I think is important to point out to students, is how the book is better than the movie. In general, I think most books are better than the movies – I have yet to find a movie that is better than the book. Books tend to be better because they have more events than movies. With movies, there is a limit to how much can be included. Also, most movies seem to change the events in one way or another, sometimes even making drastic changes.

But The Hunger Games movie did not. I was shocked at how closely it resembled the book and I would tell my friends that if they hadn’t read the book, the movie would be a good substitute because it was so close to the original storyline. However, after reading the book again, I realize that the book still has so much to offer that a person could never get from a movie. With this book specifically, it was Katniss’s thoughts and perspectives on things. As a reader, there were so many things we learned because Katniss was telling the story. We didn’t get that from the movie because it was from a neutral perspective. And experiencing everything through Katniss creates a totally different experience. The movie may be close to the book, but the book is definitely better.

Reading as a Teenager

As a teenager, I loved to read. Most of my free-time was spent reading and I enjoyed reading assignments in school. However, the classics we read in school were not my favorite books and I would not have chosen to read them on my own. Even though I liked most of them, some enough to even buy my own copy, I still preferred to read other books. I, of course, read all the assigned books. I was a diligent student who enjoyed reading, and I was sometimes excited to read books that I normally wouldn’t. Most of my classmates, however, rarely read the books. They relied on Sparknotes and their friends to find out what happened.

The books I remember reading as a teenager were all horse books. I loved the Thoroughbred series by Joanna Campbell, the Heartland series by Lauren Brooke, the Phantom Stallion series by Terri Farley, and the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. I also remembering reading a book called “Head Games” that became one of my favorites. I don’t remember who wrote it but I thought it was spectacular. When I first read it, that book literally became my world. The events in the book became reality to me and my life seemed so distant. It was about something I had no experience with – role-playing computer games and live action role-playing – but it was also about so much more. Once while reading that book, I had to stop to help my mom with dishes, and I remember being so confused and disoriented. My life didn’t seem real to me anymore.

This was the first book that I really felt something with. I enjoyed all the horse books I read, but this book was different. I remember how I felt while reading it and it was such a good feeling – and addictive! I don’t think I’ve read a book yet that has made me feel that way, but some have come close. I hope that I will eventually find a book that creates that feeling again and that getting older doesn’t affect that chance.

I want to re-read that book, see if it has the same effect on me. It may not because I know what happens now, but it would be fun to try. Trying to find a book that makes me feel like that makes reading so much more exciting; it’s almost like a treasure hunt for a hidden jewel. I wish everyone could experience reading like this. It’s definitely life-changing and people need to experience it for themselves to understand.

Week 1 Article: Rating YA Books for Mature Content

This week I read an article about rating YA books for mature content. Published on the US News website, this article explains that a recent report shows that the majority of young adult literature has at least some profanity. It seems like inappropriate words are occurring more often in books, and while I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing, it does worry me as a future teacher.

Personally, I do not use profane words, but I know that is not the case for most people and especially not for most adolescents. Therefore, I don’t think reading these words in books is really going to have a negative effect on teens. In fact, it may make books more appealing to some because the books are basically speaking the everyday language of teenagers.

I am, however, worried about sharing these books with my future students. I do not want to offend any student or the parents, and that makes me cautious about the books I plan to keep in my classroom. In my education classes, my teachers have emphasized how important it is to keep parents informed on what I do in my classroom and to have permission slips for any activity – even the ones that seem completely harmless – because I can never be sure that the activity won’t upset someone. This is a very good point, but I don’t want to have to send home a permission slip for every book a student chooses to read in my classroom.

And even though I am worried about having these books in my classroom, I don’t want books to be rated like movies. I think that would be very detrimental to the quality of books. If parents are concerned about the content of the books their children are reading, then they should read them first. Or, better yet, I hope parents would trust me as a teacher to help their children understand the content and point out the valuable life lessons.

Beth Yoke, the executive director of the Young Adult Library Services Association, is quoted in this article, saying, “books can be a safe way for young people to explore edgier, sensitive, or complicated topics, and they provide parents the opportunity to help their teens grow and understand these kinds of sensitive issues.” As I mentioned above, I believe the same thing. Books, even the ones that describe in great, somewhat graphic detail the realities of life, are invaluable to students. Even so, it is imperative that parents pay closer attention to what children are reading, but instead of prohibiting them from reading certain books, they should read them together.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/05/18/is-it-time-to-rate-young-adult-books-for-mature-content

A Literate Life

Before reading the article, “Living a Literate Life, Revisited” by Douglas Kaufman, I had never thought about what a literate life meant or how it applied to my own life.  But after reading this article, I think that it is probably one of the most fulfilling lives that a person could live.    I especially like the idea that it is more than just writing and reading but is also asking questions and learning.  That is something that I can see myself doing in my future classroom.

Kaufman described that teachers should write, read, and share their thoughts with their students.  It is important for students to see their teachers writing, reading, and thinking.  I think that my main strength would be reading.  I love to read, and when I am reading a good book, I can read for hours without stopping.  I could very easily read along with my students and discuss books with them.  That would be very easy and a lot of fun for me, and also one thing I’m looking forward to as a future teacher. 

My weakness is writing, and I am very weak at it.  I just don’t write, unless it is for class.  I have never really enjoyed writing.  Creative writing assignments in middle and high school were always the hardest for me, and I still cringe at the mention of them in my college classes.  As a future teacher, I don’t see myself writing poems or short stories to share with my students.  However, I know the value of doing that, so I will make it a personal goal to start writing something, even if it is a journal or maybe a letter to a friend.

As of right now, my literate life consists of reading and learning new things. I do ask myself a lot of questions that, because of the internet, I can find answers to quickly. Reading and finding information are both things that I could share with my students. Showing them how to find answers to their questions might be one of the most important things that I could teach them. To develop my literate life, my goal will be to write more. That is definitely the area that I need to work on, and hopefully I will improve throughout the course of the semester.