Wonder is another book I picked up at the Scholastic Warehouse Sale because I’d seen a bunch of my #nerdybookclub read it and say that it was awesome. And when I finished I said to myself, “I knew there was a reason that my Nerdy Book Club friends are awesome.” Take a look at the … More Wonder by R. J. Palacio
A little preface for this piece… It’s a reader response to a story from Moccasin Thunder, a collection of American Indian stories. One of the more challenging novels I taught during my student teaching was William Faulkner’s A Light in August. I’m actually rather sad that I’ve managed to lose my annotated copy of this … More On "Summer Wind" by Lee Francis
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie This is probably the funniest book in my entire collection. I’ve read it upwards of six times, and found that (on the sixth reading) that the audio (read by Alexie) makes the story even funnier, just because of the nuance in phrasing and emphasis. … More Book Preview: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
wasn’t sure I’d like this novel when it was recommended to me. Interestingly, I might have been the one to add it to the list of books we ordered with the grant we received last year. The Skin I’m In was the winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent in 1998 … More Book Preview: The Skin I'm In
>Lena wants nothing more than her father’s love. She tries to get it by winning a scripture recitation contest. She tries to get it by giving up her daily schooling to help provide for her family. She doesn’t, until the end, realize that she’s had it all along. With his love, Lena’s father tries to … More >Words by Heart
It took me the entire book, I’m embarrassed to say, to realize that the story was not about Reuven’s journey so much as Danny’s journey. It is the fact that Reuven does not understand the ways of Danny’s people or the methods of Danny’s father that make the story really about him. Reb Saunders, Danny’s … More The Chosen: Book Three
At the beginning of this section of the book, the narrator’s father describes the origin of Hasidim. It originated with a guy who walked through the woods and meditated on ideas. He came back, enlightened and taught the people. A cross between Jesus and Buddha. I think Rufus got it right when he said that … More The Chosen: Book Two
The reputation of this book, and Chaim Potok, should precede this post. All of the reviews scream its praises. Through the first book, it seems to be a fairly easy read. A fair choice for summer vacation. It has piqued my interest in Judaism. It had not occurred to me, rather naively, that Judaism might … More The Chosen: Book One
