Welcome kids, to the 2008-09 editions of British Literature and Reader's/Writer's Workshop!
This year we are going to read - a lot. We are going to write - a lot. And most importantly, we are going to laugh - a lot!
Here's what you need to know:
1. Come prepared to work for the entire period. Always have an independent reading book with you - ALWAYS. Make sure to keep up on classwork/homework and do not forget for one minute the importance of every grade. This is your junior year and the most important three letters in your life are G.P.A!
2. Be nice - to me, to your classmates, and to yourself. I can't begin to express how important this is for success. A pleasant learning and working environment is essential and I do not tolerate unpleasantness!
3. Every night, it is your responsibility to check this blog for assignment updates, homework, additional information, links to required readings, etc. Do not forget.
4. Maintain open communication at all times and ALWAYS be honest with me. If you have a question, ask it immediately. You can talk to me before and after class or you can email me at readwriteweiss@gmail.com and I'll get back to you! I check my email regularly between 7:15 am and 10:15 pm.
5. The goal of this course is to increase your critical thinking, to challenge you to take academic risks, and to show that English is a discipline, not just a flowery subject that talks about your "feelings". We're not here to talk about how the literature makes us "feel". We're here to discover how it makes us think.
I look forward to a great year - I am dedicated to my students, to my colleagues, to my job, and to my study of literature. I don't know everything and I don't expect you to - I do know, however, how to find the answers and that's what I'm here to teach you!
Welcome Back!
Ms. Weiss
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Does the library scare you?
I was talking to one of my students the other day and she admitted that finding books in the library is a daunting task for her. I get that - unless you grew up using the Dewey Decimel System, it can be intimidating. In our technological world, what should be easy (finding a good book) often becomes a challenge of search engines and blinking cursors and hypertext links!
Honestly, call me old fashioned but books are tactile and meant to be handled, which is why I believe it's easier to find a good book if you employ a "hands on" approach. Personally, I like to find new books at bookstores rather than at libraries because to me, it's easier to come across a good read at a place like Barnes and Noble than it is for me to find something new at the EB Library. Having said that, I must admit that although I like to find them at BN, I like to obtain them from the library.
Why, you ask? Well, for one main reason - I don't like to buy a book for my personal collection unless it's a book I know and love. That's why I like to read it first for free and then decide if it merits purchase. Gift cards to BN are like gold to me and every time I get one, I take my time planning my purchases and 9 times out of 10, I purchase books I've already read!
From my email to that student who was having a hard time finding books at the library, here's a suggestion: go to Barnes and Noble and spend some time looking around. Look in the New Paperback section and the New Release section, plus, look in the teen section. Because Barnes and Noble encourages reading, you can grab as many books as you can carry and take them over to the cafe, order yourself a Grande Non-fat Caramel Machiatto with Extra Foam and sit back and read!
Explore the first few pages, read a couple of chapters, whatever - they encourage people to read before purchasing! Then, make a list of the books and authors you come across that you like and voila! Now you have a purpose when you go to the EB library!
It's much easier to find good books at the book store because they are displayed nicely but that doesn't mean you have to buy them there...
Honestly, call me old fashioned but books are tactile and meant to be handled, which is why I believe it's easier to find a good book if you employ a "hands on" approach. Personally, I like to find new books at bookstores rather than at libraries because to me, it's easier to come across a good read at a place like Barnes and Noble than it is for me to find something new at the EB Library. Having said that, I must admit that although I like to find them at BN, I like to obtain them from the library.
Why, you ask? Well, for one main reason - I don't like to buy a book for my personal collection unless it's a book I know and love. That's why I like to read it first for free and then decide if it merits purchase. Gift cards to BN are like gold to me and every time I get one, I take my time planning my purchases and 9 times out of 10, I purchase books I've already read!
From my email to that student who was having a hard time finding books at the library, here's a suggestion: go to Barnes and Noble and spend some time looking around. Look in the New Paperback section and the New Release section, plus, look in the teen section. Because Barnes and Noble encourages reading, you can grab as many books as you can carry and take them over to the cafe, order yourself a Grande Non-fat Caramel Machiatto with Extra Foam and sit back and read!
Explore the first few pages, read a couple of chapters, whatever - they encourage people to read before purchasing! Then, make a list of the books and authors you come across that you like and voila! Now you have a purpose when you go to the EB library!
It's much easier to find good books at the book store because they are displayed nicely but that doesn't mean you have to buy them there...
Thursday, January 31, 2008
This Just In! Student Review of A Great and Terrible Beauty
A Great and Terrible Beauty
Reviewed by Giuli Galiano
Because the cover is so pretty, and because it is a New York Times Bestseller, A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray, stole my attention. I love how the beginning of the novel starts off with a quotation. Whenever a story has a quote in the introduction, it immediately hooks me into reading further.
Bray uses descriptive language to describe the streets of India in raw detail. I always see pictures and hear people speak about the poverty in parts of India and how some cities are clouded in dust and pollution. Bray's stylistic use of detail and specific images bring this observation to life and makes the reader feel like they are walking through the crowded streets of an Indian market place.
My only complaint so far is that the first chapter is confusing. I understand some sort of mystical storm happens upon the narrator, Gemma, and her mother as they are walking through the market place but I'm not quite sure what exactly happened. The same event reoccurs when the narrator moves to London to go attend private school. I hope I found out why this mystical storm and its subsequent spirits keep appearing to Gemma! A friend who has read the book told me it has something to do with superpowers, so the book is bound to get quite interesting!
Because Writer's/Reader's Workshop ends on Feburary 8th, I don't have much time left to read the book - I'm paranoid about loosing the the media center's copy, so I've been storing it in Ms. Weiss' desk. I must find out what happes, though, so I plan on finishing A Great and Terrible Beauty by next weekend. With midterms going on this week, I'm going to brave it and take it home because I am looking forward to reading it during this half day week and at night.
Reviewed by Giuli Galiano
Because the cover is so pretty, and because it is a New York Times Bestseller, A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray, stole my attention. I love how the beginning of the novel starts off with a quotation. Whenever a story has a quote in the introduction, it immediately hooks me into reading further.
Bray uses descriptive language to describe the streets of India in raw detail. I always see pictures and hear people speak about the poverty in parts of India and how some cities are clouded in dust and pollution. Bray's stylistic use of detail and specific images bring this observation to life and makes the reader feel like they are walking through the crowded streets of an Indian market place.
My only complaint so far is that the first chapter is confusing. I understand some sort of mystical storm happens upon the narrator, Gemma, and her mother as they are walking through the market place but I'm not quite sure what exactly happened. The same event reoccurs when the narrator moves to London to go attend private school. I hope I found out why this mystical storm and its subsequent spirits keep appearing to Gemma! A friend who has read the book told me it has something to do with superpowers, so the book is bound to get quite interesting!
Because Writer's/Reader's Workshop ends on Feburary 8th, I don't have much time left to read the book - I'm paranoid about loosing the the media center's copy, so I've been storing it in Ms. Weiss' desk. I must find out what happes, though, so I plan on finishing A Great and Terrible Beauty by next weekend. With midterms going on this week, I'm going to brave it and take it home because I am looking forward to reading it during this half day week and at night.
NIght Light by Terri Blackstock
NIght LIght by Terry Blackstock
Reviewed by Dmitry Ratushnyy
For the first time in my life I am reading more than one book at the same time, which truly is like flipping channels on the TV. I’m not very far into the story, but I’m fairly satisfied with Terri Blackstock’s novel, Night Light. This novel centers on an idea, which frankly, is not very original. Nevertheless this factor doesn’t affect Terri Blackstock’s ability of telling an interesting story. Night Light is about a world that is plunged into the chaos of total human recession. With modern technology rendered completely useless, and human kind relying on the little instinctual intuition that is left behind, after centuries of technology, humanity is bound for extinction.
This Dark Age has thrown mankind into a new era, an era not of enlightenment and progression, but of survival of the fittest. Stripped down to merely our own fragile bodies and a weak will to live, humanity must endure the harsh conditions that men managed to cheat through for so long. This book reminds me a lot of the movie, I Am Legend, which was fantastic and basically shares a similar plot with this novel, except for the references to human-cannibals. I strongly recommend this book.
If you’re wondering what other book I’m reading, it’s Paulo Coelho’s fable, The Alchemist. After reading a few pages of Coelho’s novella, I realize how much I’ve missed reading good books. My next log will be about The Alchemist.
Reviewed by Dmitry Ratushnyy
For the first time in my life I am reading more than one book at the same time, which truly is like flipping channels on the TV. I’m not very far into the story, but I’m fairly satisfied with Terri Blackstock’s novel, Night Light. This novel centers on an idea, which frankly, is not very original. Nevertheless this factor doesn’t affect Terri Blackstock’s ability of telling an interesting story. Night Light is about a world that is plunged into the chaos of total human recession. With modern technology rendered completely useless, and human kind relying on the little instinctual intuition that is left behind, after centuries of technology, humanity is bound for extinction.
This Dark Age has thrown mankind into a new era, an era not of enlightenment and progression, but of survival of the fittest. Stripped down to merely our own fragile bodies and a weak will to live, humanity must endure the harsh conditions that men managed to cheat through for so long. This book reminds me a lot of the movie, I Am Legend, which was fantastic and basically shares a similar plot with this novel, except for the references to human-cannibals. I strongly recommend this book.
If you’re wondering what other book I’m reading, it’s Paulo Coelho’s fable, The Alchemist. After reading a few pages of Coelho’s novella, I realize how much I’ve missed reading good books. My next log will be about The Alchemist.
What I've Been Reading...
Hey readers! Here's a quick list of what I've been reading. I've cut and pasted summaries and links from online sources so you can get a detailed account of or an excerpt from each book.
SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See:
"This absorbing novel – with a storyline unlike anything Lisa See has written before – takes place in 19th century China when girls had their feet bound, then spent the rest of their lives in seclusion with only a single window from which to see. Illiterate and isolated, they were not expected to think, be creative, or have emotions. But in one remote county, women developed their own secret code, nu shu – "women's writing" – the only gender-based written language to have been found in the world. Some girls were paired as "old-sames" in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their windows to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.
An old woman tells of her relationship with her "old-same," their arranged marriages, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood—until a terrible misunderstanding written on their secret fan threatens to tear them apart. With the detail and emotional resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha , Snow Flower and the Secret Fan delves into one of the most mysterious and treasured relationships of all time—female friendship."
STILL SUMMER by Jacquelyn Mitchard
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/excerpts/2007-08-20-still-summer_N.htm
A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY* by Libba Bray
"Gemma Doyle, sixteen and proud, must leave the warmth of her childhood home in India for the rigid Spence Academy, a cold finishing school outside of London, followed by a stranger who bears puzzling warnings. Using her sharp tongue and agile mind, she navigates the stormy seas of friendship with high-born daughters and her roommate, a plain scholarship case. As Gemma discovers that her mother's death may have an otherworldly cause, and that she herself may have innate powers, Gemma is forced to face her own frightening, yet exciting destiny . . . if only she can believe in it."
* The first in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/gemmadoyle/books/great.html
SONGS WITHOUT WORDS by Ann Packer
"Ann Packer’s new novel centers around two childhood friends, Liz and Sarabeth, as they navigate the challenges of their lives as adults, confront loneliness and near tragedy, and test both the limits and the redemptive power of their friendship.
Songs Without Words is a novel about friendship and about family, but it is also very much about suicide. Sarabeth remarks that Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina, which she is reading at a retirement home, are not so much about adultery as about suicide. Adultery is an issue, too, in Songs Without Words, as Sarabeth struggles to climb out of the wreckage of one adulterous affair and to avoid falling into another. But suicide is the mother lode in this novel, just as it is in Flaubert’s and Tolstoy’s. When Sarabeth’s mother took her own life, which for Sarabeth was a “devastating relief,” it deepened the bond between her and Liz. But decades later, when Liz’s daughter tries to kill herself, it threatens to destroy their friendship.
Part of what makes Songs Without Words so deeply moving–and so terrifying–is its extraordinary level of realism, the way Packer captures both the most subtle and most dramatic emotional currents that spark human behavior. What Packer shows with such devastating effect is how fragile even the most seemingly normal families can be, how easily despair can well up to engulf someone like Lauren, who in a moment of self-hatred nearly severs herself from life. But, as much as the novel examines unflinchingly the nature of human suffering, it also affirms, in writing that is as vivid and emotionally compelling as any in contemporary American fiction, the healing power of friendship and of love."
That's all for now - more to come!
SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See:
"This absorbing novel – with a storyline unlike anything Lisa See has written before – takes place in 19th century China when girls had their feet bound, then spent the rest of their lives in seclusion with only a single window from which to see. Illiterate and isolated, they were not expected to think, be creative, or have emotions. But in one remote county, women developed their own secret code, nu shu – "women's writing" – the only gender-based written language to have been found in the world. Some girls were paired as "old-sames" in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their windows to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.
An old woman tells of her relationship with her "old-same," their arranged marriages, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood—until a terrible misunderstanding written on their secret fan threatens to tear them apart. With the detail and emotional resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha , Snow Flower and the Secret Fan delves into one of the most mysterious and treasured relationships of all time—female friendship."
STILL SUMMER by Jacquelyn Mitchard
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/excerpts/2007-08-20-still-summer_N.htm
A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY* by Libba Bray
"Gemma Doyle, sixteen and proud, must leave the warmth of her childhood home in India for the rigid Spence Academy, a cold finishing school outside of London, followed by a stranger who bears puzzling warnings. Using her sharp tongue and agile mind, she navigates the stormy seas of friendship with high-born daughters and her roommate, a plain scholarship case. As Gemma discovers that her mother's death may have an otherworldly cause, and that she herself may have innate powers, Gemma is forced to face her own frightening, yet exciting destiny . . . if only she can believe in it."
* The first in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/gemmadoyle/books/great.html
SONGS WITHOUT WORDS by Ann Packer
"Ann Packer’s new novel centers around two childhood friends, Liz and Sarabeth, as they navigate the challenges of their lives as adults, confront loneliness and near tragedy, and test both the limits and the redemptive power of their friendship.
Songs Without Words is a novel about friendship and about family, but it is also very much about suicide. Sarabeth remarks that Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina, which she is reading at a retirement home, are not so much about adultery as about suicide. Adultery is an issue, too, in Songs Without Words, as Sarabeth struggles to climb out of the wreckage of one adulterous affair and to avoid falling into another. But suicide is the mother lode in this novel, just as it is in Flaubert’s and Tolstoy’s. When Sarabeth’s mother took her own life, which for Sarabeth was a “devastating relief,” it deepened the bond between her and Liz. But decades later, when Liz’s daughter tries to kill herself, it threatens to destroy their friendship.
Part of what makes Songs Without Words so deeply moving–and so terrifying–is its extraordinary level of realism, the way Packer captures both the most subtle and most dramatic emotional currents that spark human behavior. What Packer shows with such devastating effect is how fragile even the most seemingly normal families can be, how easily despair can well up to engulf someone like Lauren, who in a moment of self-hatred nearly severs herself from life. But, as much as the novel examines unflinchingly the nature of human suffering, it also affirms, in writing that is as vivid and emotionally compelling as any in contemporary American fiction, the healing power of friendship and of love."
That's all for now - more to come!
Friday, December 14, 2007
A Brief History of the Dead
A Brief History of the Dead
Reviewed by Chung-Yi Chang
What I am reading now is a book called A Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. When I first saw the book cover, which pictures an invincible man wearing a long black coat with only his hands visible, it truly intrigued me. Although I bought this book before summer began, I haven’t had a chance to read it until now but so far, it has been a page turner for me. I am about two thirds through the book, which has about two-fifty pages.
Let me give you a brief history of A Brief History of the Dead. In the book, between life and death, there is a middle ground where people live called “The City”. The dead live in The City, and they can live there as long as someone alive on earth still remembers them. No one knows how big The City is because no one has seen the edge of it. Also, no one knows where they go after those alive have completely forgotten them. In The City, there are always people arriving each day and The City's only newspaper, run by Luka Sims, brings news from the other side to those living in the afterlife. Recent arrivals tell of a virus call “the blinks” which is sweeping through Asia, and suddenly, The City is quickly overrun by new residents who quickly disappear as all of those who remember them being to die, too.
As the population of the city dramatically declines, a few people remaining, including Luka Sims, find out that they all share a connection - they have all been kept alive in The City because they are all remembered by a woman named Laura Byrd, who is trapped on an Antarctica research station with her supplies running low. Brockmeier fuses two story of the dead and the live beautifully into a romantic novel.
The book also mentions a very interesting point which is how many people could you remember, if you sat down and tried to make a list? We're not just talking about folks you know well, but anyone whose face you can conjure up—your mail carrier, that girl at the coffee shop, an old teacher. One character in the book, Pucket, tries to do just that and comes up with an estimated number around fifty-thousand.
So far it has been a thrilling book, if you like mystery and the struggle between life and death, then A Brief History of the Dead is must read for you in your spare time!
Reviewed by Chung-Yi Chang
What I am reading now is a book called A Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. When I first saw the book cover, which pictures an invincible man wearing a long black coat with only his hands visible, it truly intrigued me. Although I bought this book before summer began, I haven’t had a chance to read it until now but so far, it has been a page turner for me. I am about two thirds through the book, which has about two-fifty pages.
Let me give you a brief history of A Brief History of the Dead. In the book, between life and death, there is a middle ground where people live called “The City”. The dead live in The City, and they can live there as long as someone alive on earth still remembers them. No one knows how big The City is because no one has seen the edge of it. Also, no one knows where they go after those alive have completely forgotten them. In The City, there are always people arriving each day and The City's only newspaper, run by Luka Sims, brings news from the other side to those living in the afterlife. Recent arrivals tell of a virus call “the blinks” which is sweeping through Asia, and suddenly, The City is quickly overrun by new residents who quickly disappear as all of those who remember them being to die, too.
As the population of the city dramatically declines, a few people remaining, including Luka Sims, find out that they all share a connection - they have all been kept alive in The City because they are all remembered by a woman named Laura Byrd, who is trapped on an Antarctica research station with her supplies running low. Brockmeier fuses two story of the dead and the live beautifully into a romantic novel.
The book also mentions a very interesting point which is how many people could you remember, if you sat down and tried to make a list? We're not just talking about folks you know well, but anyone whose face you can conjure up—your mail carrier, that girl at the coffee shop, an old teacher. One character in the book, Pucket, tries to do just that and comes up with an estimated number around fifty-thousand.
So far it has been a thrilling book, if you like mystery and the struggle between life and death, then A Brief History of the Dead is must read for you in your spare time!
The Bar Code Tattoo
The Bar Code Tattoo
Reviewed by Kelly Wang
I recently finished a book that left me in deep thought. It is titled The Bar Code Tattoo.
The story begins with a girl named Kayla who is having a meeting with her guidance counselor. It is in the future and times have certainly changed and technology is far more advanced. Everyone now has an imprint on their arm... of a bar code. The purpose of the bar code, or so they say, is so people no longer need to carry cash or any form of ID. Also, the bar code is supposed to come in handy when people are rushed to the hospital because all of their medical records would be known immediately.
As Kayla and her counselor discuss her issue about the art college she wants to attend, she can't help but notice the tattoo on his arm. She leaves feeling awfully depressed because she has no chance of getting into the college of her choice because she is bad with computers. After this scene, strange things begin to happen to her family - this is right after her father and mother get their bar code tattoos. Her father gets laid off and her parents start to fight constantly.
One day, Kayla joins a group that is against bar code tattoos. From the other group members, she learns that strange things keep happening to people who have bar code tattoos. Some people from far off countries have been known to try anything to have the tattoos removed. When Kayla returns home from the meeting, she sees her father being loaded into an ambulance. Her mother tells her it was the tattoo that did it, that her father has committed suicide!
In the end, Kayla finds out everything about the power of the tattoo and that information ranges from advanced knowledge of diseases to the fact that the tattoo basically controls everyone who has it! I won't spoil anymore, but I really recommend this book, particularly because it contains, sci-fi, suspense, horror, and even a bit of romance.
Reviewed by Kelly Wang
I recently finished a book that left me in deep thought. It is titled The Bar Code Tattoo.
The story begins with a girl named Kayla who is having a meeting with her guidance counselor. It is in the future and times have certainly changed and technology is far more advanced. Everyone now has an imprint on their arm... of a bar code. The purpose of the bar code, or so they say, is so people no longer need to carry cash or any form of ID. Also, the bar code is supposed to come in handy when people are rushed to the hospital because all of their medical records would be known immediately.
As Kayla and her counselor discuss her issue about the art college she wants to attend, she can't help but notice the tattoo on his arm. She leaves feeling awfully depressed because she has no chance of getting into the college of her choice because she is bad with computers. After this scene, strange things begin to happen to her family - this is right after her father and mother get their bar code tattoos. Her father gets laid off and her parents start to fight constantly.
One day, Kayla joins a group that is against bar code tattoos. From the other group members, she learns that strange things keep happening to people who have bar code tattoos. Some people from far off countries have been known to try anything to have the tattoos removed. When Kayla returns home from the meeting, she sees her father being loaded into an ambulance. Her mother tells her it was the tattoo that did it, that her father has committed suicide!
In the end, Kayla finds out everything about the power of the tattoo and that information ranges from advanced knowledge of diseases to the fact that the tattoo basically controls everyone who has it! I won't spoil anymore, but I really recommend this book, particularly because it contains, sci-fi, suspense, horror, and even a bit of romance.
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