Here I am again! Embarking on another unit – I have made it halfway WooHOO!!
As I make a start on ETL402 I am taking stock on one of my favourite parts of being a TL – finding literature to support the curriculum. As I read my eyeballs to death when studying, I yearn to read more literature, YA included, so I have reinvigorated my love for audiobooks. What’s not to love?
Jackie French once said you are never too old to be read to, and that is so true. I have fond memories of, as a young child, listening to cassettes of Alice in Wonderland, Secret Garden and Black Beauty and so on. My Nanna instilled this love of audiobooks and reading in me, however the love was lost during my adolescence. This, of my past, motivates me more to be an advocate for reading to teens, even when they are surrounded by all their assessment.
As I see in my own children, the classics don’t necessarily engage the current generations – my 10 year old daughter takes after me and loves mystery and thrillers but has been known to occasionally dabble in some of the classics. My 12 year old girl loves graphic novel and historical fiction. All of these choices are wonderful and I love that they love reading but it makes realise the trends students are reading. I see it more with the book promotions my team highlight each term for the Middle School students. I think we all understand the importance of knowing trends as a TL, and I think in preparation for ETL402. I have not long returned to working with teens, after 8 years with primary kids, which is why I love following the likes of Megan Daley, Liz herself and other TL leaders in our field. In starting the readings for this unit and I have been affirmed, along with my own observations at work, that literature choice is so vital to engage our students in reading – on all levels.
I look forward to broadening my understanding of literature and how it can support the curriculum and enhance teaching and learning.
Just WOW! I loved this book. This book is so relatable for teenagers – we have a long wait list for boys and girls alike. It is a powerful story of finding your voice to stand for those who can’t speak for themselves; finding justice in a discriminating world; fighting the good fight; and discovering who you are. It also explores the realistic relationships, assumptions and dynamics that is common among teenage friendships
Starr is a girl living in two separate ‘worlds’, black and white. She is a hero in her own right, with the courage to make change both worlds, more than she thought possible. A raw, and sometimes confronting, story of the ghetto, prejudice and the journey for justice.
While this is set in America, it certainly has its place in for Australian readers. I would recommend this for 14 year olds to adult.
Image courtesy of Booktopia