All-school read

Sam — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:29:00 +0000

If you could make all the students in grades 8-12 (plus faculty) at an all-girls prep school read one book, what would it be?

Rules:

It can be fiction or non-, all one author or essays by multiple authors, on just about any subject.

It should be available in paperback by May, to keep costs down.

This book will be part of next year’s summer reading. That means they have to read and understand it on their own; they won’t talk about it in class until the fall.

It has to be engaging enough to hold the interest of 13-18-year-olds, including English-language learners, with as varied reading levels, interests, and backgrounds as you can imagine.

If the author might be available to speak (and not insanely expensive), that’s a huge plus.

Last year we read Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which I think was about as well-received as can be expected for something everyone had to read. This year we want something that won’t feel like a re-tread of that style and those themes.

I spent some time Googling all-school read programs, and it doesn’t seem terribly common after middle school. I was surprised at how few lists and suggestions were already out there. Let’s start a resource the whole internet can use!

Group Read: Wide Awake, by David Levithan

Sam — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:27:50 +0000

To celebrate the inauguration of President Obama, I hereby announce a Group Read! The book is Wide Awake, by David Levithan (author of the fabulous Boy Meets Boy), and it begins:

“I can’t believe there’s going to be a gay Jewish president.”
As my mother said this, she looked at my father, who was still staring at the screen. They were shocked, barely comprehending.
Me?
I sat there and beamed.

Lest you think only the usual liberal suspects get to join in the President Stein glee, the book continues, “I think it was the Jesus Freaks who were the happiest the next day at school.” I just read the first couple of pages as I was cataloging it, and by the end of page 3 I was sniffling (and also totally caught up in the story, and the near-future world).

So: it’s a fast read, and we have a couple of weeks before Jan. 20. Buy the book from your favorite independent bookstore or check it out of your library and get readin’! Bloggers, get your readers involved, too! On the 21st we’ll plaster the internet with our reviews and comments.

Conservatives, Republicans, non-Obama supporters: please join in! This is a book about faith and love and standing up for what you believe in, and I think we can all relate to that. I want to hear everyone’s thoughts, not just people who agree with me.

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Parenthetical » group read

All-school read

Group Read: Wide Awake, by David Levithan