Response to American Born Chinese

This book was definitely different from any other book I've read. I had never thought of reading graphic novels before, and I didn't really know what they were until I got to college. Even now, I feel a little bit of resistance towards graphic novels because they are not your traditional book. I think I am resistant to the graphic novel because I am very comfortable reading a traditional novel with no pictures. I find comfort in creating images in my head based on what the words are saying, so having pictures in front of me is something that will take some getting used to. I noticed that I didn't give as much attention to the pictures as I should have. I was really focused on the words, and not so much the nonlinguistic representation that was happening with the pictures.

Even though I had trouble feeling comfortable reading this book, I think it is a great text for any classroom because it gives students a different way of reading. Instead of so much pressure being put on students comprehending what a text is saying through words, the students can give more attention to the skill of nonlinguistic representation. Students will be able to work on constructing meaning through the pictures instead of through words and paragraphs. The limited amount of text can also make this book more appealing to the resistant reader because there will not be a lot to read. Also, for students who worry about how long it will take to finish a novel, they will feel comfortable knowing that this book will not take them a lot of time to read because there is a focus on pictures instead of words. I think that introducing students to multiple kinds of literature will help foster a desire to read more because once you introduce the students to literature that interests them, they will hopefully go out and discover other books that they find interesting. A graphic novel could be the key to getting resistant readers comfortable with reading.

Response to Night

WOW! What an emotionally difficult book to read! I had never read a piece of literature such as Night before, and let me tell you that I loved it was nonfiction. Reading nonfiction had never crossed my mind before, and especially when it comes to Holocaust literature, I only think of The Diary of Anne Frank. However, I am now immensely interested in reading my nonfiction pieces of literature because those are real world stories by real world people. I think when any student reads this book, they will be emotionally affected and floured at the notion that the details actually happened about 60 years ago. The details in the story are gruesome and very descriptive, but they are the true events that the author witnessed and was a part of. I think that students today can greatly benefit from this novel because it is nonfiction, and it will remind students of the horrors hatred can inflict upon the world. If anything, this novel is a great reminder to appreciate humanity and fight for social justice. If I was going to teach this novel, I would print off a map and highlight the journey the author took and the different places him and his father were taken after they were ripped away from their homes. I think that the visual journey of the author will make the details more concrete to the students and allow them to see how many different regions the war affected. Overall, I think this book is a great piece of nonfiction that should continue to be taught in the classroom in order to ensure that students are aware of the devastation mankind can inflict on one another when prejudice and hatred consume people.

Response to Romeo and Juliet

I think it is safe to say that Romeo and Juliet is the most well known Shakespeare play. I say it is the most well known play because of the many remakes that have been made about the play, the quoted lines of "Romeo Romeo, where for art though Romeo" and "Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet," and the constant references that are made about two families who hate each other and forbid their children to be together. I think that one of the reasons all high school freshman read this story, is because of the familiarity and connections students can make to the characters, and the struggles they face. I think the play represents a great opportunity for students to connect with the characters and strife's they face as young teenagers. Some students might currently be in a situation where they parents forbid them to date someone.

If I was to teach this play, or any play by Shakespeare, I would introduce my students to Sparknotes No Fear. This sight is found on Sparknotes.com, and it is dedicated to Shakespeare and putting his plays into modern English that students can better understand. One problem I face when I read Shakespeare is his use of old English. Even though that was the standard English at the time, people today do not speak or write like that, so it can be very challenging to comprehend what is being said. Therefore, I think that No Fear Sparknotes is great for any student because it has the original Shakespeare text right next to the modern English version. This is great because students can read the play in modern English while still being able to see the same passage in old English. If I was the teacher have a hard time comprehending old English, I cannot expect my students to be able to. Thus, a modern English version can break down barriers and resistance to Shakespeare because it will be comprehendible to the students, and they will be able to get involved with the story better.

Response to Alexie

This was the first time I had read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Indian, and I loved it! It was such a great story about pursuing dreams and not settling. I also really liked that it was based in Spokane, so I instantly felt a connection to the story because it was set in an area I am familiar with. I think that if I ever got a teaching job in the Spokane area, student would feel an instant connection to the story just like I did. When a story feels familiar to you, it is easier to get into the story and feel a connection to it. I also think this story would be good for any 9-12 grade English class because it deals with issues the students are facing. Issues such as discrimination, masturbation, first love, and trying to become successful. The book is written from the adolescent perspective, so I think that will easily resonate with students and allow them to start personally connecting to the story. Another interesting part of the book is that Alexie includes a lot of drawings to enhance what he has just written about. The pictures will be a great way to break up reading and simplify the text for students who are resistant to reading. It would be a good idea to design a lesson around some of the drawings in order for students to understand the impact they have being combined with text. Another important aspect of the story, is that it is nonfiction. By reading a nonfiction story, students can feel inspired by Alexie's determination to become successful and not another alcoholic reservation Indian like so many people in his community have become. Overall, I think this book is very beneficial for students and is a great reading! I hope at some point in my career, I have the opportunity to teach this novel.