Comments on: (Last Week of) Summer Reading https://mothersofbrothers.com/last-week-of-summer-reading/ All about life with boys...and life in general Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:09:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jessie https://mothersofbrothers.com/last-week-of-summer-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-29438 Jessie Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:10:54 +0000 http://mothersofbrothers.com/?p=7990#comment-29438 I feel that suffering through the classics builds character. Some of stayed with me (Great Expectations, Of Mice and Men) more than others (Moby Dick). And at least buying the Cliff Notes shows ingenuity..... I feel that suffering through the classics builds character. Some of stayed with me (Great Expectations, Of Mice and Men) more than others (Moby Dick). And at least buying the Cliff Notes shows ingenuity…..

]]> By: East Coast Surfer Jr. https://mothersofbrothers.com/last-week-of-summer-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-29337 East Coast Surfer Jr. Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:48:20 +0000 http://mothersofbrothers.com/?p=7990#comment-29337 Um, actually I'm not panicking to finish. I'm almost done :) Um, actually I’m not panicking to finish. I’m almost done :)

]]> By: Nikki Benner https://mothersofbrothers.com/last-week-of-summer-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-29333 Nikki Benner Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:53:54 +0000 http://mothersofbrothers.com/?p=7990#comment-29333 I think some of the classics are so removed from our modern experiences, to read them and truly understand their themes you need to know more about the social and historical context in which it was written. I think many of the themes in these books are bigger than summer reading. To pick one example of the classics from above, I think it would be double-plus-good to see a discussion of the Internet providing a medium for the revision of history and news as compared to Winston's job, or the evolution of the "villain" in our entertainment and mass media as a reflection of a modern "seven minutes' hate". Those sorts of themes need more attention than a summer reading provides, IMHO. I'm going to totally disagree with you on Life of Pi, though. That book is extremely bleak. Yes, the narrator claims Pi's story has a happy ending, but the reader needs to put their faith in the story with the tiger in order to believe that claim. I think some of the classics are so removed from our modern experiences, to read them and truly understand their themes you need to know more about the social and historical context in which it was written. I think many of the themes in these books are bigger than summer reading. To pick one example of the classics from above, I think it would be double-plus-good to see a discussion of the Internet providing a medium for the revision of history and news as compared to Winston’s job, or the evolution of the “villain” in our entertainment and mass media as a reflection of a modern “seven minutes’ hate”. Those sorts of themes need more attention than a summer reading provides, IMHO.

I’m going to totally disagree with you on Life of Pi, though. That book is extremely bleak. Yes, the narrator claims Pi’s story has a happy ending, but the reader needs to put their faith in the story with the tiger in order to believe that claim.

]]> By: Sue https://mothersofbrothers.com/last-week-of-summer-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-29331 Sue Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:58:19 +0000 http://mothersofbrothers.com/?p=7990#comment-29331 Here's an interesting take that worked for a 4th grader, but maybe not the older kids....the town library had a reading challenge with prizes awarded for certain numbers of pages read. Things like ice cream vouchers and baseball tickets. The kids entered the ISBN numbers of books that they read online and at the end could print a 'list' of images of the book covers of the books that they had read. Then they gave each kid 2 iron or transfers so they could print the book covers (in mirror image) and iron it onto a t-shirt---12 per side. Maya was challenged enough that she wanted to get book covers on both sides of her shirt, and then realized that the other kids could critique her book choices.....so she actually removed some of the easier ones from her list (the fillers) so no one would tease her about it. A paper copy of this was also accepted by the teachers for the summer reading. Unfortunately, they had to go back today. Hope the boys finish their reading in time to enjoy their last days of summer!! xo Here’s an interesting take that worked for a 4th grader, but maybe not the older kids….the town library had a reading challenge with prizes awarded for certain numbers of pages read. Things like ice cream vouchers and baseball tickets. The kids entered the ISBN numbers of books that they read online and at the end could print a ‘list’ of images of the book covers of the books that they had read. Then they gave each kid 2 iron or transfers so they could print the book covers (in mirror image) and iron it onto a t-shirt—12 per side. Maya was challenged enough that she wanted to get book covers on both sides of her shirt, and then realized that the other kids could critique her book choices…..so she actually removed some of the easier ones from her list (the fillers) so no one would tease her about it. A paper copy of this was also accepted by the teachers for the summer reading. Unfortunately, they had to go back today.

Hope the boys finish their reading in time to enjoy their last days of summer!! xo

]]> By: Meghan @ Life Refocused https://mothersofbrothers.com/last-week-of-summer-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-29328 Meghan @ Life Refocused Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:35:35 +0000 http://mothersofbrothers.com/?p=7990#comment-29328 I am SO with you on this! I do think that schools have "dumbed down" the literature that kids are reading by allowing books like Hunger Games and such on summer reading lists. However, since my partner is an English teacher, I do know that teachers are earnestly wanting students to *actually read* something, and the classics just don't often do it. I think the hope is that by picking contemporary books, that students will engage in reading. It's a tough call. I am SO with you on this! I do think that schools have “dumbed down” the literature that kids are reading by allowing books like Hunger Games and such on summer reading lists. However, since my partner is an English teacher, I do know that teachers are earnestly wanting students to *actually read* something, and the classics just don’t often do it. I think the hope is that by picking contemporary books, that students will engage in reading. It’s a tough call.

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