Hello November! I've been reading a bit about teaching nonfiction to middle school students, and I thought I'd share some insights I have experienced as of late. To give credit where credit is due, I'm currently reading Reading Nonfiction: Notice and Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst. Words are important. The use of the term "nonfiction" could be a bit of a misnomer in some ways in that not all nonfiction is necessarily accurate. Beers and Probst suggest viewing nonfiction as "informational text" as it avoids defining the text as "true". Their middle school definition for informational text is: The group of texts in which the author makes claims or assertions to readers about the real world, real people, real experiences, ideas, or beliefs. What a cool way to approach this type of text, yes? You are not allowed to just read and let information "happen" to you. The reader needs to engage and determine the author or source's purpose and claims. This is such an important skill for a middle schooler (and all of us) to have. There's a danger in letting commentary or someone's perspective on things becoming your sole source of knowledge. And now for some books... Aaaah, this book is such dang FUN! I loved every minute of it. the Swap by Megan Shull is a take on swapping bodies (a la Freaky Friday) but far more entertaining for the middle school reader, I think. From the publisher: With one random wish, Jack and Ellie are living life in each other’s shoes. He’s her. And she’s him. ELLIE assumed popular guys didn’t worry about body image, being perfect, or talking to girls, but acting like you’re cool with everything is tougher than it looks. JACK thought girls had it easy—no fights with bullies, no demanding dads, no power plays—but facing mean girls at sleepovers and getting grilled about your period is way harder than taking a hit to the face at sports practice. Now they’re dealing with each other’s middle school dramas—locker room teasing, cliques, video game battles, bra shopping, and a slew of hilariously awkward moments—until they hopefully switch back! I love how each chapter is either Ellie's or Jack's perspective (and distinct voice). This was a fun, entertaining read, and I'd recommend it to any age middle school reader. I recently finished Benjamin Alire Saenz's the Inexplicable Logic of my Life. I picked it up because I loved loved loved his novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (see below). I am really digging his stories and characters. From the publisher: Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he? This book is a roller coaster of a story. It's rare for me to be so fully invested in not only the main character, but all of the supporting characters as well. Each character's story is so compelling and important, and each is so richly drawn, there was hardly a moment where I wasn't fully engaged and rooting for every one of them. Due to mature language and content I'd recommend this book for 9th grade and up (or a mature 8th grader). While I'm on the subject of Saenz, I must share with you one of my favorite YA books of all time, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. From the editor: Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be. This book held everything for me: deep, compelling characters; writing bordering on poetry (awesome poetry); and a story line that kicked me in the gut and got a hold of my heart. It's become one of my all-time favs. If you don't trust my judgment, just look at the cover -- it's basically won ALL of the awards. I mean, I don't think they could fit another one on there. :) Again, there's mature content, but I'd hand this to a mature 8th grader.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Mrs. GelorminiReading Cheerleader Archives
September 2020
Categories |
Read With Mrs. Gelormini! |