Soundtrack-catcher in the rye

This was a part of my book project (done with Alyse). I enjoyed this part the most because I enjoy really anything involved in music. It was fun and interesting to try and see either what type of music Holden would have liked, or what type would have narrated the story well. One band that had a lot of music that he would probably have liked is "Say Anything". I found this to be super interesting since I actually used to listen to them a lot, especially in my rebellious young teenager age. I would post our soundtrack, but I'm interested to see if anyone else comes up with the same thing. Does anyone have any interesting or unique songs they associate with the book??

I Am The Messenger - too religious?

After reading IATM, I really thought about some things in the book. It was probably one of the most religious books I had read in school, and I didn't really know how I felt about it. I really liked the book, and the plot was pretty interesting, but when it started getting involved in religion I felt a little unsure. Maybe it is because I am not a very religious person myself, but it seemed pretty off base when he started thinking of  himself as a saint. A lot of people are capable of doing good deeds for others, and just because he was getting directed to by someone in the mail doesn't mean he is being led by some higher power. I don't know about the rest of my group, but I would of liked it a little better if that part would have been left out. Any thoughts?

College Lit as a whole

Going into this class, I didn't really know what to expect. I knew it was a college reading level, and we would be reading classic novels, but I didn't expect to get so deep into them. We really analyzed the books more than I thought we would, and had some great discussions as well. Even though we all didn't always agree with each other, it was an awesome learning experience hearing all of the different opinions. I know this class will be of value to me, probably more than a lot of other classes the high school offered. I think of myself as a more developed reader now, and I will take that skill to college. My favorite memory was probably when Alyse brought me in the private party for my graduation : ). Anyone else want to share their favorite memories, class related or not?

Persepolis Reflection

An element that interested me the most was reading a memoir instead of a fiction novel. It was much more meaningful this way, and hit me more emotionally. It's interesting to see the war and revolutions through her eyes, especially because she writes it as a child. It's also interesting that she writes in a child's voice, instead of reflecting more as an adult. It really breaks it down easier to understand, and makes you feel like you're a child in the same situation.

As for enjoying the reading experience, I'm kind of torn on my opinion. It is a wonderful plot line, and has great voice and characters. I think I may be torn because of the fact that this is the first graphic novel I have read. I've never experienced reading like this, and it's something that people need to get used to. I would much rather prefer reading a novel and imagining things myself, instead of having the images drawn out for me. Maybe if I read more novels like this, I will appreciate them more.

I do recommend highly that you keep this in the curriculum. It is a great learning experience, especially for kids who don't broaden their reading perspectives. It definitely gave me a new look on graphic novels, and I would tell anyone who was thinking about it to at least give it a try.