The Best Laid Plans

I recently finished The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis. I could see this book being a humorous introduction to Canadian Politics. Its a pretty quick read and I thought very funny. The characters are story line were pretty thin but I’d still recommend it as a light hearted way to discuss both politics and literature.

Some of the questions I see coming from the book are…

What is honor?
How can we change what’s wrong?
Is any plan foolproof?
Who is the real you?
What is your dream job?
How do you promote a cause?
How do candidates get your vote?
What divides a nation?

The Last Unicorn

I really loved this book. I liked how it was written. I liked the characters and I thought it works both on the surface as a generally entertaining story and on a deeper allegorical level. I know some students might dismiss it as ‘kiddie’ when they see the title but I think there are a lot of deeper questions that are worthy of discussion.

What makes a character believable?
When is a risk worth taking?
How do you make decisions?
Does beauty matter?
How do you find your purpose?
What inspires people?
Does everyone love being in love?
Can appearances deceive?

I Am David

Pardon me here guys. I’m playing a bit of catch up. You’ll probably see lots of new posts over the next little while. I’ve been reading a lot but haven’t had time to write up my impressions.

I read the book ‘I Am David’ by Anne Holm recently. The story is about a twelve year old boy named David who has spent his entire life in a prison camp in Eastern Europe. The book details his escape and subsequent journey.

Some of the big questions this book deals with are…

Is beauty important?
Where do people find hope?
What do you need to survive?
How can we change what’s wrong?
What makes you suspicious?
What’s really normal?

Stardust

I recently finished the book Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I thought it was a wonderful example of a re-imagining of fairy tale stories. Gaiman thrives in doing this as his other books as seen in his other books such as American Gods and The Graveyard Book. If you liked The Neverending Story or The Princess Bride you’ll likely love this book.

The questions this book asks for me are…

Can where you are change who you are?
How would you describe yourself?
What makes a good couple?
Can appearances deceive?
Do we have our priorities straight?
What makes your imagination soar?

Japanese aesthetics

For those of you considering traveling to Japan or just those of you with an interest in Japanese culture,  I found these comments from  Donald Keene’s The Pleasures of Japanese Literature very insightful. 

A.   The first principle is the power of suggestion rather than explicit statement. 

1.    Budding or fallen cherries are better than those in full flower. 

2.    The crescent moon is better than the full moon. 

3.    Autumn and spring are better than summer or winter. 

B.   The second principle is asymmetry, which is always preferable to symmetry, (i.e., in tea services, vases, or 

floral arrangements). 

C.   The third principle is simplicity.  

1.    Houses are better unpainted than painted.  

2.    Japanese food uses few spices and sauces. 

3.    The scent of plum blossoms is better than that of lilacs. 

D.   The fourth principle is perishability.  

1.    Old pottery is better than new. 

2.    Cherry blossoms are prized because their time is so short. 

3.    Temples are made of wood rather than stone or brick. 

Blankets

Blankets is a graphic novel by Craig Thompson. Without a doubt this is something I’d like to have on the curriculum in my classroom. I can see it inspiring a lot of students to express themselves in new ways. There is some sexual content and discussion on religion

that might not be acceptable in more conservative teaching environments. 

My questions for this text would be. 

a. What makes you feel like an outsider?

b. How do you know what’s right?

c. What is your ultimate loyalty?

d. Why is love so complicated?

e. Where do we get our values?

Speak

I just finished reading Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak. With the straightforwardness of the story and the clear relevancy to students’ lives I could see this being a mainstay in many classrooms. 

The big questions it raises would be

a., What makes you suspicious?

b. Does beauty matter?

c. Is it brave to suffer in silence?

d. What triggers a sense of alarm?

e. Who is the real you?

f. Have you ever felt out of place?

g. What makes you feel like an outsider?

Into Thin Air

I just finished reading this fascinating page turning account by Jon Krakauer of the 1996 disaster on Mount Everest. I can see this book appealing to a lot of students on a lot of levels. Its something I would very much like to see in my classroom as a study of non fiction journalistic writing. 

Some of the ‘Big’ questions I would use to help shape a reading of the book would be….

1. What can people learn from nature?

2. Can people live up to high ideals?

3. What drives human behavior?

4. Is anything worth dying for?

5. Can reporters always stay objective?

6. What can we learn from disaster?

7. When is a risk worth taking?

8. Why do people seek danger?

9. How do you make decisions?

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The House of the Scorpion

I just finished reading Nancy Farmer’s House of the Scorpion.  A story of friendship, family, survival and hope. I’m not completely sold on having this as a classroom textbook but I would definitely consider it if I had a class set. 

Some of the ‘big’ questions I could organize units around for this book would be….

1. What if everyone were the same?

2. What makes you feel like an outsider?

3. What makes someone remarkable?

4. Are people more alike or different?

5. Who sees the best in you?

6. Who owns the land?

7. What divides a nation?

8. Why are there “haves” and “have nots”?

 

The Book of Negroes

I just finished reading The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. I thought Aminata Diallo was one of the best characters I’ve come across in fiction; totally believable in every way. The book raises a lot of professional questions for me. 

1. What are some resources for examining character development?

2. What are some ways of teaching novels with so many historical references?

3. How realistic would it be to tie this in with a unit the history teacher is doing?

4. How do I best help students tackle a novel of this length?

Some possible ‘big’ questions for students to tackle would be…

1. What does it mean to persevere? 

2. What motivates you?

3. How do racial issues impact relationships?

4. How do you control your emotions?

5. How can people honor their heritage?