I'm so excited about this new school year and getting to know my students better. One new thing that I have implemented this year is required independent reading. Students are required to read three novels on their own per semester. When they finish each book, they will create some kind of product to demonstrate their understanding of and engagement with the text. These products can include but are not limited to book talks, book jacket illustrations, comic strips, character interviews, dioramas, epilogues, letters, skits, slide show presentations, and any other creative project that the student may dream up. I know I'm going to be very impressed with the creative genius of my students.
On another note, I finished On the Blue Comet, and I loved the ending. Students who like time travel or a plot that makes you think will really enjoy this book.
I also read another YAL (young adult fiction) book this week, Thin Wood Walls, by David Patneaude. A young Japanese American boy, Joseph, and his family must deal with prejudice and relocation efforts after the attack on Pearl Harbor during WWII. This book intrigued me because I knew very little about the U.S. government's efforts to relocate these families during the war. I came away from the book with some new knowledge and a desire to know even more about this subject. It's a great work of historical fiction, and I think students will enjoy getting to know Joseph and his family.
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