Whatcha Reading?

To me one of my favorite things to think about at the start of each new school year is, "what books do we get to read this year?"  And by we I mean, me and my students.  In the reading class I am teaching this year we will read one novel per marking period (in addition to numerous poems, short stories, plays, newspaper articles, media clips, etc).  First up is S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. 

If I'm being totally honest, this isn't one of my favorite books.  There's nothing I don't like about it, but it would never make my top 5.  Here's the cool thing though.  About 90% or more of the students love it, like love it so much that when I taught them the next year they still said The Outsiders was their favorite book.  What a great way to start the year, especially for students who come into reading class already believing that they are bad readers and they don't like reading.  They just haven't found the right book yet.

The Outsiders proves to students that books can be real.  They can come from an authentic youthful perspective.  They can tell it like it is, they don't gloss over the grittier aspects of life.  The Outsiders is the story of Ponyboy (yes that is his actual name, like on his birth certificate and everything).  And that's all you're getting.  Partly because any way I try to think of to describe it sounds cheesy and this book is anything but cheesy.  But also because I encourage all of my students to check out this blog and I don't want them to know anything about the book before we start reading.

Understanding others...that's kids stuff 

PS Since Monday is the first day of school don't be surprised if there aren't as many posts as normal.  But don't worry, it's just until I settle into the routine of a new school year.