Bruce's Best

            Playing in Traffic by Gail Giles

            This book automatically appealed to me because of its title. One of my close friends wrote a novel titled Freeze Tag on the Highway, and Giles title reminded me of Brian Krans’ second book. Giles book is about Matt who is a high school nobody. Matt’s life is transformed by a Gothic girl named Skye when she offers him experiences he would have never thought possible. Don Gallo’s article “The Very Best Possibilities, Part Two” brought this book to my attention. 

            Harlem Summer by Walter Dean Myers

            I have always been interested in Harlem. Again, I was immediately attracted to this book because of its title. Once I read Gallo’s description in his article “ Summer Reading 2008,” I was hooked. In this work sixteen-year-old Mark Purvis gets a job at a magazine and subsequently meets some of Harlem’s finest, such as Langston Hughes and W.E.B. DuBois. This adventure story could easily be paired with a unit on the Harlem Renaissance. 

            Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

            I really need to read Walter Dean Myers apparently. In “Off the Shelves” Myers rap inspired verse novel is described as “ideal for reading aloud” (90). This is the type of book I would love to use in the classroom. The verse also reads like rap lyrics, which could be very appealing to students today. I could see this novel working very well in urban areas. The book also is related to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet because it follows a teen romance and the theme of star-crossed lovers. 

            Paper Towns by John Green

            I’ve been hearing all about John Green in our class, so it is only fitting I choose one of his novels for my list. This novel follows Quentin as he is reunited with Margo who soon disappears sparking a road trip search for her. Quentin’s narration outlines a comical and reflective journey for love. This book will obviously appeal to high school students. I could see this novel working very well in any environment because of the familiar themes discussed throughout its pages. Mark Letcher’s article “Off the Shelves” is a great resource for texts that will appeal to high school students, and John Green’s Paper Towns seems to be one of the most interesting.

            Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle

            In Don Gallo’s article “Rarefied Air” many gritty Young Adult novels are discussed. The one that stuck out the most to me was Janet Taylor Lisle’s Black Duck. I was attracted to this novel because I have always been intrigued by the Prohibition era. I would love to teach a unit on it. I think students love the stories of the Untouchables and Al Capone. I always enjoyed learning about the stories of that unique time in American History. Lisle’s novel revolves around an old man in Rhode Island and his experiences with a liquor smuggling operation when he was younger. According to Gallo, “there are mystery, suspense, intrigue, betrayal, and a satisfying ending” (115). 

Nonfiction: Clear and Close

            Until College I was not exposed to a great deal of nonfiction reading in the classroom. Nonfiction writing was always a part of my schooling, but it usually seemed dry and boring. It was not until I started reading scholarly articles and more periodicals that I began to appreciate and enjoy nonfiction.  Publications like The New Yorker and The Economist perked my interest in the library during study breaks, and I found myself reading more and more newspapers and editorials. My professors also made great use of nonfiction. I specifically recall my time in Dr. Grant’s Rhetoric course when we would read through nonfiction works and pick them apart slowly. This deconstruction of rhetorical pieces helped me to become a better constructor of arguments. Now I truly believe nonfiction to be a valuable and engaging classroom tool that is clear and very close to students. Nonfiction is all around us, and it is written in such a way that captivates and calls the reader to action.

            In Jennifer Wells’ article “’It Sounds Like Me’: Using Creative Nonfiction to Teach College Admissions Essays” the author describes how nonfiction opened up an entire new set of knowledge for her students. Wells used nonfiction because “it is grounded in truthfulness, requires authorial reflection, and reflects stylistic techniques usually ascribed to fiction” (48). I believe nonfiction is truly one the best types of literature we can rely on for the reasons stated above. Not only that, but I believe nonfiction is more effective in helping teachers improve student writing. Nonfiction tends to be what students respond to most. The issues and problems addressed in nonfiction are done so in a much different way than fiction. When reading nonfiction it is clear what you are reading about. Nonfiction also offers a degree of freedom and a change from the usual academic assignments. Anything in which “the author doesn’t pretend to be objective and unbiased” seems to appeal to students (48). I know it appealed to me.

            The appeal of nonfiction also stretches to the idea of motivating students to speak and take action. The main goal of nonfiction works is sometimes just that. According to Pace and Adkins “nonfiction addresses important issues in a way that is interesting and easy for a reader to understand” in order to engage students (Fist 48). The authors state that nonfiction is about “real people with intriguing stories” (49). Those are exactly the types of stories students need to read if they are struggling with English or Language Arts classes. It is those types of works that get students thinking, talking, and writing. Nonfiction is close to students, and it can ignite a flame within the classroom if used correctly. The issues found in nonfiction works can be the spark teachers are looking for. I wish more time would have been spent on nonfiction during my high school days, but thanks to this week’s reading I am definitely more invested in becoming an expert.  

Dr. Pamboukian interviewed by Pittsburgh City Paper

A local English professor looks at portrayals of medicine in Victorian lit — and how they inform thought today.

Dylan Thomas Recording