BNW--Singleton (Post 4)

Chapter 2:

Questions I have about this book....

WOW!! What kind of twisted book is this? I cannot believe that I have never read this before. I am most excited about the possibility of what is to come. I am certainly thinking ahead of how do I use this text and explain the significance to today's society. The relevance is quite shocking and I have so many questions. Number one, what is SOMA that everyone keeps addressing? Number two, the main questions that I have revolve around the different castes of children. I am so curious to know what the students who are in a lower caste thinks and if there is some sort of revolt?

This book makes me think of the show we watched in class where the girl didn't want to have surgery to make her "pretty". It's futuristic feel is overwhelming and one that really makes you judge society and the values that we place on people. The one thing that I am intrigued about is the books and literature diss--is the author saying that we do not value knowledge?? Hmmm

Singleton Reading Blog #3 (After by F. Prose)

After by Francine Prose

"This reminds me of..."

One issue that I found when reading this new genre was the fact that the characters are often coming at me in an "unnatural" way--what's with this? For those who have never read this book, (although for the most part I am enjoying it), it is about a school in which a new counselor joins because in his old school there was a murder and as an investigation unfolds, we soon realize that the counselor has much more issues than we knew about--he has plans to try and take over the new school, and eventually wants to be the leader of the world. This plot in one sentence doesn't do the book justice, but I don't wish to talk about that.

From what I have read, the book was written from the mindset of a 15 year old child, but the author, as I am getting deeper in the story, does not seem to develop her characters in this way. Her writing seems to be a little stiff and rigid for the most part. I am more so curious to try and pick up on her writing style so I can better understand if I should be reading the characters in a different way.

After, does in fact have a good plot behind it, one that wants you to keep going deeper into the book as you read. I can appreciate this as a reader, because if I am thinking like my students, they are going to want books that they cannot put down. Now, I am sure they wont be analyzing character roles like I tend to do, but they will mostly want to see how the plot thickens and progresses--this, Prose does a good job with.

For never reading any type of Sci Fi novel, I would say that my curiosity has definitely peeked a little more. I would be more interested in reading more.

The on thing that this book reminds me of was a show I have recently started watching called "Wayward Pines" in which innocent people are pretty much kidnapped from their lives and forced to live in this "community" under the rule of the Sherriff. They are forced to forget their past and "be happy"...in some twisted way, the counselor is trying to do this! He wants the students at the school to forget what has happened (even though I think he is the murderer) and follow what he wants done so he can take over! Crazy!

If you can get past the poor writing style and somewhat stiff and irrational characterization--give this book a try! (And watch Wayward Pines)

ds

Singleton Book Blog Entry 2 "Then and Now"

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

Then and Now...

It's funny how an old childhood memory can transform the greatest change in a human being. Perhaps   a child growing up a little too soon, or a mother doing the best she can to help her child make the best decisions. Dreams are always just a little deferred when we are all forced to face the music and "man-up". I can remember just what it was like for Terrence, my then 22-year-old brother who was facing the same struggle with his life--having to raise a child on his own. How does one balance still being a child in more ways than one and raising one? Is there ever a real line that you cross gradually or are you forced and kicked into it because that's what "manning" up means? Angela Johnson challenges me to critically think about the life that my brother lived (and continues to live) as he lives the life of Bobby. But what's the difference between him and Bobby? That's something I'll never be able to answer--i'm a believer that life gets to us based on how we prepare for it. The part of this book that stood out to be the most is when Bobby goes back and recalls how "Just Frank" would always ask him if he's being a man, Bobby never seemed to fully understand exactly what he meant while growing up, but later in life once he had Feather, he understand just how important that question would be. Being a man. Living up to your responsibilities and taking care of your business. Terrence was asked this same question soon after he told my parents that he and Dee were expecting to have a child. Of course we knew they were not ready—but just how much of a “man” does one need to be? Who judges whether or not you are truly being a man and how does one answer that?

Singleton Book Blog #1 "She don't want me ending up...."

Tyrell by Coe Booth

“She don’t want me ending up like my pops. In jail. Again” (Booth, 5).

This quote is the last quote at the end of chapter one and it sums up everything that I know to be true about this book so far. Novesha is Tyrell’s girlfriend and I already know she is someone who he looks up to and someone who motivates and pushes him to continue to succeed in life—despite his hardships. Tyrell is a book written about the life of a teen who comes from a troubled background—his father has been in and out of prison most of his life and his mother seems to be on drugs most of the time. Tyrell is forced to choose from a life of doing what he has to do to in order to make sure that his family survives or just doing what is right. I believe that this quote is very powerful for a number of reasons—not doing do I think it has a great deal to do with the book, but in life, most of my students can relate to this, growing up in a single parent household who does their best, a parent who is incarcerated, or a parent who struggles to do what is right. Tyrell shows that he too struggles because of the background that be comes from—he grows up in the Bronx in a neighborhood that isn’t the best for him and isn’t conducive to him being successful. Novesha, his girlfriend is who Booth juxtaposes his life with—someone who still lives in a less desirable area, but still grows up a household where she is well taken care of and values education. I believe that this is Booth’s way of trying to show the readers that life in an area that they may know to be true for them does not always have to look a certain way—we can grow up poor and will always be forced to make choices for ourselves that will affect the outcomes of our lives—for Tyrell the choice he is faced with at the end of the novel is whether or not he will stay out of trouble like Novesha tells him, or if he will commit a crime and end up in jail like his father. The choice is simple, yet the implications of those choices are very difficult for him to foresee and handle.