1. Still on the lookout for a female novel about spirituality/self-actualization, a female book kind of like Siddhartha or The Alchemist or Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. Maybe females just aren't as into all that navel-gazing that those three books offer. This is for Social Studies. I think the other two choices will be The Alchemist and Ender's Game, and he's looking for a third, but one that is more for the females, but along those lines. I thought Butler's Parable of the Sower might be a good choice, but I'm not sure if it's appropriate for rising 9th graders. I'm not really positive of his thinking with pairing the first two novels together, but I get the feeling he wants the kids coming in thinking about big ideas, about existentialism and things like that, so they kind of fit together.
2. I am so pumped about the rest of the games this week. Wow, they're big.
3. Today, I was in charge of bringing 26 kids down to the Orioles game, and getting them back home, using volunteer drivers, some of whom could take them down and not back. I was stressed out but it's all over now. What a bad game, though it was cool to get an Adam Jones t-shirt and then see him hit his first Orioles home run.
4. So tired... what a long-ass day. I'm unsure how I'm going to get all my stuff done that I have to do.
No Contest
-
Richard Linklater‘s Before Midnight, which opens Friday, has one of the
all-time-highest Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores. Todd Phillips‘ The
Hangover...
4 hours ago
10 comments:
Have you READ "Gate to Women's Country"? Definitely has the coming of age thing on several fronts.
-T.C.
Have you ever read anything by Barbara Kingsolver? I don't know what exactly you're looking for, but check out Animal Dreams, and possibly The Bean Trees, but definitely Animal Dreams. Great, strong, female narrators, spirituality, social justice without getting too preachy, self-awareness/actualization, etc.
Oh, and also: The Poisonwood Bible. I can't believe I forgot that one. It's based around the independence movement in the Congo and the aftermath after Lumbumba was killed and Mobutu took power, but it's told through the eyes of five southern evangelical missionary women (a mother and her four daughters) and deals with coming of age, crises of faith, spirituality, racism, etc.
What about either Wicked by Maguire or The Mists of Avalon by Bradley. Both traditional tales told from a different perspective. I think I'd be more inclined to recommend Wicked, but when I thought of it, I thought of Mists of Avalon as well - maybe because of the fantasy connection.
I would like to second Kingsolver. You may want to check out PRODIGAL SUMMER by her as well. She occassionally does talkbacks with students and is incredibly friendly (though shy) although I'm not sure if she gets out of the Appalachian region.
I like Kingsolver, and have read "Poisonwood" (too much for 8th graders) and "The Bean Trees" (already 10th grade summer reading). I'll check out "Animal Dreams"; it's on my shelf somewhere I think. Thanks!
- EiB
The Red Tent, Anita Diamant?
Handmaids Tale, Atwood?
Martha Quest et al, Lessing?
Atonement, or Saturday, Ian McEwan?
Isabel Allende?
She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb?
P'raps Michael Dorris, A Yellow Raft on Blue Water...
It's more of a coming-of-age story than a book about ideas, but I liked it when I was a teenager.
Have you looked into A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini, the guy who wrote Kite Runner? I haven't read it yet, but it seems to match a couple themes you're looking for.
Also, a sentimental favorite for me is Seaward by Susan Cooper, though it's probably a bit too lightweight for assigned reading.
Hey, what about Yellow Raft in Blue Water, Michael Dorris?
Like Water for Chocolate, Esquavith?
(or something like that)
Ok, now I am done
Ann: While the Handmaid's Tale also came to mind for my wife and me, I think it is even more problematic in justifying its approriateness for the age group EIB is looking at.
T.C.
Post a Comment