Biographical Texts & Choosing Not to Read

Change Has Come

This picture book is actually inspired by past speeches from President Obama. The illustrator captures moments from Obama's great words of wisdom and future promise. It invokes a sense of pride in the reader for his country, regardless of political party identification. I would certainly have this book inside of my classroom as a future teacher. I believe it provides insight to the presidential race of 2008, as Obama  unites the many faces (Asian-American, African-American, European-American, Native-American...) of the United States of America. Anyone should find themselves drawn to this book's national pride.

Nelson, K. (2009). Change has come: An artist celebrates our American spirit. New York: Simon &      Schuster BFYR

The Yellow House: Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin Side by Side

This book focuses on the renowned painters, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin. Each page is filled with paintings, some from the two famous painters. I actually learned a lot from this book- I did not know about the painters living with one another for an entire year in Van Gogh's house in Arles, France. The two become very close and eventually for the "Studio of the South", a sort of family of painters in the south of France.  The author of the book includes an extensive list of sources as well as an author's note that details her research in France. The book's detailed account of the painters' friendship  is something I've never learned in the past. I believe any middle grades student would find this book interesting, but artistic students would especially be inclined to read this book.

Rubin, S. G. (2001). The yellow house. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated.

Kennedy Assassinated!

We all know about it; we've all read the historical texts; we've seen the history channel documentary a time or two. One of our most incredible, most challenged president, John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 at 12:34 in the afternoon. We know the killer. We know Kennedy was pronounced dead in a Dallas hospital. What we don't know is the reporter's story. 

This book takes the reader into the hectic  November day of a newly-hired employee of United Press International. He experiences the stress of the FIRST phone call from his boss- "There have been three shots fired!" He soon realizes this will be the most memorable and most publicized phone call of his life. I could not stop reading this book once I started. In all honesty, I was not fully aware  of all of the facts surrounding Kennedy and the events that led up to his assassination. Though this book focuses primarily on Kennedy's assassination, I would certainly still classify this as a biographical book. The book is definitely informative. I learned more about this event and about Kennedy throughout the chapters of this book than I have in the past. 

The book is captivating, and it really shows the reader all of the facts and all of the chaos that took place on that fateful day. Hopefully, I will never experience the anxiety and chaos that comes with a presidential assassination. This book really shows what an individual citizen felt like during the nation's dire uncertainty. 

I would definitely have this book in an upper middle school classroom. However, I would not include it in a lower grade's classroom. It includes a great deal of authentic pictures and medical diagrams that I wouldn't necessarily deem "appropriate" for young children.

Hampton, W. (1997). Kennedy assassinated!. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

Choosing Not to Read: Understanding Why Some Middle Schoolers Just Say No

This article is fascinating! I think every middle school reading/literature/English teacher should read it in order to better understand some of their "more challenging" students.  It analyzes the reasons behind some students' lack of reading desire. It's no secret that a great deal of students think reading is "uncool" or lame, but why is that?

Beers makes the claim that, "... the less students read, the poorer the readers they become... the poorer readers they become, the harder reading is for them..." This is absolutely true. We know that reading is a foundation for knowledge. If one does not read, he or she is likely to not fully understand material in any given subject. On top of that, non-readers, in my opinion, are less likely to develop critical thinking and deeper analysis skills.  Beers makes the point that students who hated reading in school are likely to become parents that hate reading... making for more students who hate reading, and the cycle continues. 

The comments for the alliterate students were really interesting and informative to a future teacher. These students' reasons for choosing not to read are much deeper and more complex than the basic, "... because it's boring" excuse. A number of these students claim they are smart even though they don;t get recognition for it. They blend into the background, because they feel as though that is where they belong due to some past negative influence in their schooling. 

Figure 3.1 shows the five different types of readers: avid, dormant, uncommitted, unmotivated, and unskilled. In the same section, Beers goes on to discuss the various types of illiteracy. Teachers cannot FORCE students to like reading. We can't make students enjoy reading- UNLESS we provide them with captivating texts, suited to their interests. We take the risk factor out of reading; we need to make it a choice, a freedom. I am skeptical of this, of course, for I feel it is easier said than done. 

Beers's discussion on motivation really highlights the importance of a teacher's role to direct learning in a student-led manner. It is important to note that motivational activities must encourage interest as well as the desire to read. The interest cannot simply replace the want to read. 

Beers makes several valid claims in the article as well as provides helpful tips to encourage reading in students who hold a sort of negative stigma about the subject. Though difficult, perceptions about reading can be changed. "We must encourage students that their response are important and valued." When we value our students' opinions, we show them we care. We show they are worth-while, and we show them we listen!