Young Adult Lit/Crit

Summer Book Club

Hi everyone! 

Do you live near Binghamton, or want to drive there every couple of weeks? 

Do you want to continue enjoying great discussions about new, up and coming young adult literature?

If you do, this club is for you! 

Someone mentioned last week about wanting to do a book club over the summer, and so I'm here to advertise that great idea.  Here's the great plan:

-- We (whoever wants to meet) read a new YAL book every two or three weeks.

-- Then, we meet at a predetermined place (Barnes and Noble in Vestal came to mind).

-- And we DISCUSS the book, drink expensive coffee, and reminisce about the days of yore (optional, of course).

-- Then, we pick another book, and do it all over again!  Sounds like a great time, huh?

So, if this is something you would LOVE to participate in, regularly or not (we would prefer regularly, really), comment on this post so we can organize and arrange a meeting time/place and our first book for this AWESOME SUMMER BOOK CLUB.

Dawn, and all of those who gabbed about it last week

Boring Professor Stuff

I know I can't compete in this ineresting arena...but just a reminder...blogging on two of the readings, preferably one of them a chapter in F/J OR one of the JAAL articles (I posted on one..you could add a comment and that would count) is the blog assignment for TH night.

You can also choose from any of the critical articles you find in your seminar facilitator's folder.

You can also choose from past articles that you have not posted on previously or that you have a new "read" on....

The options are legion. KES

Stranger in a Strange Land

Wow! I feel like I fell off the face of Blogland and am trying to scramble back up over the ledge... Need... more... upperbody... strength...

My project: As some of you know, I have decided to resign from the writer's group. Unfortunately, the story I was planning to write as YA just doesn't feel like YA to me. It's a very important piece that I've invested a lot of time in, and I just can't allow myself to turn it into something it's not. I know, I know, I could start something new. Sad to say, but I don't think I have it in me right now.

Instead, my attention has shifted to creating a weblog for my students at Evergreen. I started teaching six new classes on Monday (Documentary, Lyrics & Poetry, Prisons, Horror, Multicultural Literature, and The American Family) and I'm hoping to build a bridge among those classes via the weblog.

Two problems have arisen so far: (1) My administrator still hasn't given me the go-ahead, and (2) I am scared to death! I will let you know when it is up and running so you can check it out.

Book Club: I'll be discussing Sexy tonight. I hope some more people will pick it up -- it's a fascinating read, extremely insightful. One of my goals for this class was to read YA books with male narrators. I'm proud to announce that I'm doing very well in that department.

Other things I'm thinking about: Spring is here. I am exhausted. I feel sick and anxious ninety percent of the time. Is this what they call senioritis?

CLASS, 3/31

Getting Ready for Class:

• Blog progress report on your project--update us.

• Book club -- do bring your book! What are you reading?

• Freedman/Johnson -- do annotate -- through ch. 5! We're going to spend some time talking about F/J tonight. Don't forget the HO from a few wks ago--notes on that first important chapter

• Handouts on Lit Circle "discussion" and "assessment" from MOVING FORWARD w/LIT CIRCLES

• Lit Circles (CRISS CROSS, HEAVY METAL, ALASKA) -- do be sure you have your books and a plan for how you want to approach a first c. 1/2 hour discussion

• Handouts on technologies--for Dave's Tech Tips tonight--great way to prepare is to click into Will Richardson's blog to your right here. Not a day goes by that he doesn't have something provocative and important to say about teaching in the 21st century

• Seminar folders out to participants for 4/6 meetings

• Blog invitations for the following week's seminars. Arminda's is available for sign ups--good topic--Ann Rinaldi's historical fiction.

• What's on your mind? Blog it here....KES

From Liz

I thought it was important to post Liz's comment on the main blog! So here it is. I hope she gets lots of responses.

I am, I hope, finally on Eng. 619's blog. I too felt disappointed that we did not have time to discuss the distinciton between being a literature and a literacy teacher. The latter is committed to teaching reading while the former "teaches" literary works. While some folks would consider reading instruction to end in the intermediate grades or in middle school perhaps, I believe it extends well beyond those years and that reading instruction is critical as students encounter increasingly sophisticated literature. So we must figure out what kids need to know to read the challenging texts they will encounter right up through high school.

I thing literature and literacy instruction have to intersect. This was truly impressed upon me when a high school student approached me while reading ETHAN FROME and moaned, "I thought I knew what was happening but where did the army come in?" Of course, there was no army but a blizzard that was described as an attacking force of some sort (I'd have to go back for the exact metaphor.) I realized then that I had to teach reading to this kid - I had to teach him to expect metaphors not just in poems but in prose also. I had to think as a literacy teacher if I was to give this kid access to such writing. At the same time, if literacy teachers do not teach kids to read in the context of rich literature, the value of reading could be lost on students.

I truly enjoyed being with you all last week - you are a great learning community. I must tell you that I zipped through an old, but good, title today - Katherine Paterson's JIP. I had never read. It has a strong plot relating, much to my surprise, to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1852 - that only comes out at the end. It would be a good read for a struggling middle school reader - a good lit circle choice for the lower readers because it is quite accessible but substantive. It is loaded with issues to discuss and would reinforce social studies learning also.

Karen, I am sure you will have much to share from the Walter Mayes (sp?) workshop today. Two of our teachers attended and gave it star reviews when they returned.

Stay well all and enjoy your books - Liz

Literacy and Literature?

Good morning,

I appreciated the questions and comments that fueled our discussion with Liz last night. Can we continue that conversation on the blog in this next week? I wonder, too, how the readings from MOVING FORWARD w LITERATURE CIRCLES support or add to our discussion with Liz.

I'm interested in the distinction Liz made last night between the English teacher as a teacher of literacy or as a teacher of literature? That came toward the end of class which meant we couldn't explore that notion fully.

Do share your thoughts. And please, too, post responses to Liz's visit. She promised to check out our blog.

Good reading this week. And, round #2 lit circle participants--tell us about your book and what you hope to do next week. KES

Lost and Found?

Hi, does the LL Bean Black/Blue tote bag found in OM G10 belong to any of you??? It's in the dean's office. I know how painful it is to lose "stuff." So do let me know if you're missing a bag. KES

Class on 3/9

Dear Teachers,

On the agenda for TH night--we're catching up a bit:

(TO BLOG--tell us all about your 619 project! )

• Book Club (Do blog--what are you reading for book club?)

• Paper Critiques (bring those same 3 copies of your draft-that have been burning a hole in your briefcases/backpacks)

• Freedman/Johnson--same chapters we read for last week

• Handouts from 2/23 ("What Adolescents Say About" etc.)

• Lit circles (come prepared to enact whatever process you have put into place for discussion of the whole novel)

• Form lit circles for after break--round #2

• Check in on how projects are going--clarify seminar dates

• Tech Tip-some exciting new ways to manage your online life...

I look forward to seeing you. I will be in my office tomorrow afternoon. And tomorrow night before class. Please do stop in if you would like to browse for new titles and/or discuss your seminar or project with me. KES

Tonight's Class Cancelled

Dear Teachers, Recent weather reports from Cortland and south of Cortland have me concerned about all of your driving tonight. The Syr. area is pretty much still clear but the Cortland/Ithaca/B'hamton area closings give me reason to cancel for tonight.

I had considered this decision even earlier in the day due to my having to say goodbye to my beloved Australian Shepherd, Cady, this morning. I have spent the day crying and hoping you would all understand that I needed you to keep us on track tonight because I wouldn't be much good.

This has been coming for some mos. but as all of you who have loved a pet know, one is never prepared.

I appreciate reading all of your blog posts on a variety of readings/musings/what you've been thinking about as a result of writing your paper draft (which, now, is DONE for next week, right!), etc. etc.

I am planning to post extended times next week when I can meet w/each of you individually before the upcoming break. I will also post some revisions to the syllabus and a calendar for seminars.

So keep reading and posting to our lively blog. I know all of the posters appreciate commenters!! KES

Last Night's Discussions

I look forward to your sharing posts on some of the things that came up in your discussions last night. Would you please share what was most interesting in either your discussions of the novel OR of the readings for last night. The blog is an "after-the-discussion" reflection space.

I am especially interested, too, we all are, in hearing about your lit circle books and the way you worked through how you plan to take them up for more talk next week. Ditto your book club selections. I'm interested, Dawn, in what you think about WEETZIE BAT, Jackie, TEACHER MAN and HITLER YOUTH (yes the book found a reader last night), Dave, ANANSI BOYS, Nick, RAINBOW HIGH, James, SWIMMING TO ANTARCTICA (does swimming get more interesting?), MATT F, those new comic books, etc. etc. I just started SCRIBBLER'S DREAMS, M. Pearson's earlier novel, which so far has very interesting parallels to the Romeo and Juliet story. Would be a good book to use alongside the play.

This is also a good site to provoke all of us to consider your paper topic as it develops and if you're writing about LORELEI, talk to the author! Good reading!

And yes, it would be a nice bonus to actually get a comment on one of my posts. KES

And yea, we're all wondering what the writers' groups are up to. Anybody want to tell us?