She asked me two Friday mornings ago.
Brief review, I teach Chinese junior high students on Friday and the questioner is an 8th grade (Junior middle school year 2) girl.
This girl is amazing with languages. She’s a voracious reader and I’ve begun culling my library and giving books to her in an attempt to support her habit and so she won’t feel pressured to read them right away. Her parents aren’t happy with all of her reading since it is getting in the way of her being number one in all subjects.
Of course I said yes. I read the first chapter on her iPhone last Friday. All I can say is, “wow.”
Later I was circling the room as students were working on sentences using weather vocabulary we had gone over (frostbite, below freezing, heat stroke, scorching, that kind of thing). She was flipping through a different notebook that was filled with her writings and whispered to me, “I can tell reading The Book Thief has really impacted my writing!”
Again, um, wow.
Today I have the privilege again of being at Ed Cyzewski sharing three of my favorite non-fiction Christian books. I didn’t intend for three posts in a row to be about books (Shawn’s amazing road trip and my response to the shootings) because I know not everyone loves reading the way I do. But then my student reminded me of the power of words and ideas. The ways they can broaden us, challenge us, move us, leave us feeling empty or inspired, encourage or deflate us. Leaving me with no choice but to push books again :)!
You can read Three Book Picks by Amy Young by clicking here. I’d only add one more warning to book three … there is some salty language :) … can you guess the book?
p.s. if you’re visiting from Ed’s welcome! Feel free to poke around a bit and make yourself at home. Glad you’re here, Amy
What was her book about? Can you share any of it? Sounds like you may be helping a future novelist.
Mark, that’s a great question! I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I don’t clearly remember — I read it before class with about 35 junior highers zipping around me. I do remember that it was told in first person singular and that the main character had a strong and clear voice AND that I was quite impressed with her writing!