Today, I am asking my students to reflect on their favorite narration to help prepare for when we start to read Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain this weekend. It's a great family story, but it is unique in the sense that it is told from the point of view of the family dog. Their favorite narrator can be a first person narrator that is a character in the novel, or it can just be a novel whose third person perspective is unique or clever.
1. Who is your favorite narrator? What is your favorite narration? 2. Tell readers about the novel and the narration. 3. Why is this your favorite? Why might others appreciate it as well?
One of my favorite narrators is Christopher Francis Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. Christopher is an autistic 15-year-old boy living in Swindon (England) with his father. The novel starts with Christopher discovering the dead dog of his neighbor. Being unable to properly communicate with the police at the scene, Christopher becomes a suspect, which is made worse when he is arrested for assaulting one of the officers. No one really understands him except for his father, and maybe the readers. Christopher sets out to solve the mystery of the dead dog, uncovering secrets of the neighborhood and his past as he does.
I really enjoy Christopher's narration because to the best of my knowledge Mark Haddon has perfectly captured the inner mind of an individual with autism. I was fascinated to see his thinking, from counting the colors of cars to his intense reactions to lights and sounds. Getting into the head of this character makes you empathize with him, and you feel even more proud of the obstacles Christopher overcomes that may seem like nothing to you or me. Christopher is truly an original gem that readers will enjoy.
This novel was turned into a play that premiered in England in 2012 and made its way to Broadway in 2014, where it won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play and the actor playing Christopher won for Best Actor as well. Last year, I was able to see a performance in Detroit while it was on tour. The play was simply fantastic. If you think a novel getting into the head of an autistic teenager is cool, just wait until you see how it happens on stage.
To read about my previously selected narrators, click the images.
[Full Disclosure: This is a repeat post from the previous school year.]
Having finished reading their first novel of the semester for this course, it is now time for the students to write their first book review. The students will review Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Each book review will start with a summary, include two parts of the novel to evaluate (not just analyze - evaluate), and finally give their overall recommendation. The evaluation part seems to be the hardest for my students because they are not used to using stuff like theme and characterization to express their opinion, only literary analysis. To help, I created one body paragraph that might serve as an example for my students. (FYI: I do not agree with this evaluation, but I thought it would be fun to branch outside of my comfort zone.)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone suffers because of its negative theme for children. When tracking down a rogue professor who means to steal a magical item that promises eternal life, the main characters Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger follow him down a trapdoor. This path leads them to a series of challenges that guard the stone. The first task is a strangling plant known as the Devil’s Snare. Harry and Ron are trapped, but Hermione is free to help. She remembers that this plant hates light, but she does not have the resources to start a fire. Ron shouts, “ARE YOU MAD? ... ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?”(278). Hermione remembers she has a magic wand, makes some fire and saves the day. The lesson here, obviously, is that no one needs hard work because magic will always be there to save the day. This is a horrible lesson to teach the youth of America because it will only create a generation of lazy individuals who wait around for a Hogwarts letter instead of actually trying in school and getting into a good college. Humans need to face their problems head on in this life, and thinking that there is a magical resource to come and save you is dangerous. Humans need to be in control of their own life and do what it takes to achieve goals in the real world. The unrealistic message of this book to its readers makes it a poor choice.
I used theme as one of my main topics to evaluate this novel. Yes, I had to analyze the theme and say what the author's main message was, but I continued to use that as an evaluation tool for whether the book is good or bad. This extra step is crucial in writing a book review. For more information, please check out the directions on Moodle and the grading rubric included in the directions. [New Resources]
1. Good Book Review explanation
2. Bad Book Review explanation
3. Sample student book review on The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (36.5/40)
At 5:00 AM, my phone buzzes, and it won’t stop. I’ve already
hit the snooze option three to four times now (as planned in advance), so it
really is time for me to wake up and turn it off. I find my way to the bathroom
in the dark, steps I’ve made so many times I don’t need the light switch any
more. I turn on the wireless speakers for my Pandora station and begin the
routine. By no later than 6:00 AM, the teeth are brushed, my hair is styled,
today’s shirt is ironed, a matching tie is knotted, the lunchbox is packed, and
I’m out the door. However, there is one thing you won’t find in my routine, to
the horror of all mothers around the world, mine included. This morning, I did
not make my bed.
My bed only gets made each time the sheets are washed, and
my sheets are only washed when I remember that’s something an adult is supposed
to do on a regular basis. On a normal day such as this, the bed remains unmade.
It was left unmade yesterday, and I bet it will stay unmade tomorrow. I believe
this is how it should be.
Reason 1: Ain’t nobody got time for that! In a day full of
mind-numbing tasks, why should I add one more? Why should precious minutes be
spent smoothing sheets, layering comforters, or fluffing pillows? All you’re
going to do is unmake the thing in less than 24 hours anyway. Time is precious!
Of all the chores in the world, making the bed is hardly as useful as taking
out the trash, watering the plant, or bringing in the mail. But let’s be real,
I’m actually taking that extra moment in my day to read an extra page or
chapter, justify one more episode on Netflix. Why not? I deserve it. And at
night? After a long day of activities when I crawl up to my bedroom, I want to
slide right into that cozy, Alex-shaped bed sheet cocoon. Making the bed in the
morning would only delay the sweet prize I’ve rightly earned for making it
through the day: sleep. I will let nothing stand in my way, not even a duvet
cover.
Reason 2: My bed is a symbol. It is an uprising against the
idea that everything in life must always be perfect 100% of the time. This is a
valuable reminder I seldom take to heart. In a world of teaching, I perform for
an audience of 100+ students who are eager to notice the new pimple on my nose,
the rare crack in my voice during lecture, or the frequency of which I wear any
given shirt/tie combination. I know I shouldn’t care as much, but I do. The
worksheets must be completely free of errors. Any jokes must be perfectly
timed. The piles of paper must be at precise right angles on my desk. Earlier
this week, I went up and down the stairs three times, googled a handful of online
articles, and changed my clothes twice because I couldn’t figure out whether
the brown or the black dress shoes were more proper for my navy pants. I
shouldn’t care this much about perfection or appearance, but the reality is
that I do. And then I look at my bed. My bed doesn’t worry about crisp hospital
corners or if it can bounce a quarter off itself. It’s a safe place. A place
that says, “Come and relax.” A place that says, “Let it all go.” A place that
says, “See, I’m messy, too, and that’s okay.”
So, no, I did not make my bed this morning, and I do not
have plans to make my bed tomorrow. Unmade beds are a thing of beauty, and I
believe in them.
This post was recorded using Vocaroo.com. You can also listen to it by clicking here.
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For more Mr. Davidson examples of "This I Believe" essays, check out some of my favorite previous blog posts for this assignment:
1. Millennials, a post in which I come to terms with my Generation Y being absorbed into the Millennial generation of my students
2. The Power of Being There, a post in which I decide how to best support my students, motivated by an attempt help my students cope with the loss of a classmate
3. Choosing Awesome, a post in which I decide to spend more time focusing on the positive
I really enjoy Christopher's narration because to the best of my knowledge Mark Haddon has perfectly captured the inner mind of an individual with autism. I was fascinated to see his thinking, from counting the colors of cars to his intense reactions to lights and sounds. Getting into the head of this character makes you empathize with him, and you feel even more proud of the obstacles Christopher overcomes that may seem like nothing to you or me. Christopher is truly an original gem that readers will enjoy.
