Last Class Activity

1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (if you haven't read this, get ready for how intense it is!)
2. Luna by Julie Anne Peters (my life between high school graduation and moving up here)
3. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (This was a pleasant read)
4. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (who wouldn't like this book?)
5. The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth by Alexandra (as a geek, I would hope that geeks stay in charge of the world)
6. I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (too funny!)

I would say that once again Ender's Game would go under this. The way that it drew me in and kept me there before the climax made me feel like I was running a marathon, one that I would happily do again and again. The plot was beautifully written, just as beautiful as a Mozart piece on a lone violin.

I would go with Geeks. There were words that were difficult to read and hard to understand, and the writing was very dark.

I could see Luna becoming a movie. It may be difficult to display the amount of emotions the narrator goes through in the book, but as long as it is a good actress that can act through her heart and eyes instead of relying on others, it would defintely get some awards.

I would say Aristotle and Dante could be banned in some places. The way that it doesn't hint at things, yet shows how normal LGBT people can be. The way it was written would make certain parents upset that the "mindset" of "abnormal" people can be similiar to their own minds. It could make parents think that though their children act normal, they may turn out gay anyway. I still enjoyed the book, I would recommend it to anyone... but I may get in trouble with parents...

Aristotle and Dante was purely dialogue. It made for a quick read, but since it was dialogue, everything was told through it. The way Ari went through his inner thoughts and how he and Dante talked was the whole setting of the book.

I would say that Ender's Game was very vivid. I grew up reading science fiction and fantasy books. While reading Ender's Game, I was able to see everything very clearly and I could even imagine the sounds and smells. Others may not be able to visualize the book as clearly as me, but everyone is different.

I would say Luna could spark more than one research question. I could do a whole unit on Luna. I may even see how my students would react to cross dressing for extra credit. To make sure I wouldn't get in too much trouble (cringe), I would have them only do it for my class during one lesson (a simple movie day) and then ask them how they felt. I would even do research into the whole procedure of changing gender and could fit a lesson into what hormones and chemicals students can easily obtain to start the process.

Luna (ashes to ashes, dust to dust, we all bleed the same color)

In high school, I made very close friends with someone named Joe. He was sweet, kind, intelligent, funny, and so compassionate. Neither of knew when we started hanging out and talking to each other, but it was an easy friendship for both of us. After I graduated a semester before him, he told me that he was gay. I didn’t care; he was my best friend and still is. While reading Luna, I didn’t even think about him and similarities between the characters and our friendship. It’s five years later and he still hasn’t come out to his mom. His dad died not that long ago and left a huge estate and larger inheritance to him and his brother. I don’t care about how rich he is, he is still my best friend. If he started cross dressing, I would pull my hair back the way long haired guys do and start wearing men’s suits whenever we got together. If he ever came out to his mom and brother, I would stand quietly in the background until he asked for help, if he did. We don’t talk that often since I moved to Madison, but we both know that we will always have each other for whatever reason. My own parents don’t know I’m bisexual, but I used to be thought of as a lesbian by my classmates. I really don’t care.

What does all of this have to do with Luna? I felt that this book was so easy to read, probably because of how I was treated in high school and how much I care for Joe. This is one of those books that I think even the most devote person could read and still get a message from. I know I didn’t include it on my bookshelf, but it will be there when I get a classroom to put it in!

Divergent (487 pages of... a train wreck)

I found this book by accident. I was walking around downtown yesterday, trying to find the new library when I came across it and went in. Divergent was on the first shelf my eyes saw and I thought that though I had already read two books to blog about for this week that I might as well read it anyway. I read it in the period of six hours. From beginning to end, I have two words and only two words to describe this book: Train Wreck. I haven’t read something so intriguing and stupid at the same time since The Lovely Bones. Yes, I am a science major, but I used to be an English major before my last college changed my mind. In my advanced fiction writing class we spent one class session discussing crappy pieces of writing that were somehow popular. This was in the days before Twilight, but I bet that series would have made the list. So would Divergent. I couldn’t put it down, yes, but not because I enjoyed it, but because I was holding out that the scene would change, that something different would pop up and I could actually start enjoying the book. There was only one part that I liked and it was because I could not just see the book in my mind as I read it, I could actually see myself there. As a Chicago native, I have ridden the L, I have driven Lake Shore Drive, I have walked through Millennium Park, and I have observed the interactions of Navy Pier.  There is a quick section towards the end of the book that I could relate to. The kiss on the L. I saw it perfectly in my mind and it touched me. Not enough to make me want to read the next book, but enough for me to not diss the book in front of my students.

Ain't that cute?

Saw this and thought our class would appreciate it

http://www.unshelved.com/2013-4-5

My mother and I used to work in a library. Together we had 25 years of paid experience (35 years including volunteering). One day one of my coworkers came up to me with some printed out comics... about a library. I instantly became engrossed and my mother was in a position to actually order the books. The interesting thing is that they sometimes publish a comic on a book read by fan that submitted the artwork and idea. This link is to one of the books on our list. I didn't read the book, so I have no clue how acurate it is, but thought others may like this.

Part Time Indian (the grass is always greener on the other side)

Part time Indian

This wasn’t the most intense book I have ever read, but it was definitely the saddest book I read in this class. Compared to the books I will blog on next week, it was downright playful. I think that was the author’s idea, to be able to give the reader a taste of the book without making them feel as if they were living it. I chose to read this book because I would like to teach Native Americans in hopes of bringing serious awareness to their poverty. That, and also I enjoy the idea of working with instead of against nature, something that I feel the Native American culture signifies greatly.

So, how about the book? Well… I felt that the climax of the book came towards the beginning and that everything after it was just the conclusion of what happened after the climax. The plot was beautiful and the writing style was wonderful, but I couldn’t see myself recommending this book to any of my students. It may confuse new or reluctant readers. Lifetime readers may want to analyze it further than my science teaching could go. I would still keep it in my classroom for those who may want to read it, but I would leave a note in it asking them to not come to me with questions on it.

Mockingjay (dinosaurs eat man... women inherit the Earth)

Mockingjay. It is something never meant to exist. A symbol of how nature always finds a way. Katniss is now in the district that has been thought to be forgotten. Peeta has been taken to the Capitol. District 12 has been bombed into nonexistence. The Rebels are fighting. And Katniss has been made into being the Mockingjay, the symbol of the Rebellion. She fights as she is directed, a puppet no longer belonging to the Hunger Games, but now belonging to the Rebels. She is still expendable. And Peeta… will he be the same after one side wins?

So as this was the second time I read the series, I had an idea how it would all turn out. So I paid more attention to the background details, like where the districts were located and what they were responsible for.  Then, as I like listening to music when reading or writing, I also looked for songs that I felt reflected the districts or some person from them:

District 1: Luxury Items

Song: “Rich Kids” by New Medicine

District 2: Masonry

Song: “Army of Me” by Bjork

District 3: Technology

Song: End of Line (David guetta remix)

District 4: Fishing

Song: “Sleep Alone” by Bat for Lashes

District 5: Power

Song: “Bones” by Young Guns

District 6: Transportation

Song: “Midnight City” by M83

District 7: Lumber

Song: “The Pit” by Silversun Pickups

District 8: Textiles

Song: “Stand Up” by All That Remains

District 9: Grain

Song: “Sober” by Tool

District 10: Livestock

Song: “Vilify” by Device

District 11: Agriculture

Song: “Fell on Black Days” by Soundgarden

District 12: Coal

Song:  “My Songs know what you did in the dark” by Fall Out Boy

District 13: Nuclear

Song: “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons

A strange or funny coincidence.

Silly

Ever have a feeling that something you have seen in animal behavior has happened in your household? It can happen with any type of animal, especially birds. Usually, you walk into a room and instantly get that strange feeling that the silly behavior of your pet parrot reminds you of your little brother. More like your father, as they both make slurping sounds when your father drinks his morning coffee. While it may be cute that your bird is making slurping sounds to imitate your father, it is not cute that your father is slurping. And you hope that your bird doesn't make other sounds that your father makes.