Summer reading. Reading lists.

Griff · 07-15-2008, 08:03 PM

Lil' Griff's school follows the NYS curriculum. This year the board of Regents has decided that all kids going into 7th grade should have a book assigned and a thick stack of worksheets to fill out. The assigned book and sheets appear to target poor readers (she had to pretend she didn't know a vocabulary word from the bookto do the section she worked on yesterday). So she's doing the work while reading the stuff she wants but it seems to me most kids will be turned off to reading by this approach. The booklist last summer was received much better.

So far this summer, I've read 2/3 of the Baroque Cycle - Neil Stephenson. I've got Daniel Siegel (brain science), Greg Bear (sci fi), and Bernard Cornwell (historo-fiction) in the que. I'll be reading more stuff on stone masonry and epee fencing as well.

glatt · 07-16-2008, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griff

So far this summer, I've read 2/3 of the Baroque Cycle - Neil Stephenson.

Are you able to keep all the characters straight?

I found that I needed to keep a pencil and a couple index cards on my bedside table, and would make lists of all the characters and who they were. There must be 40 characters in each book, and you never know if a newly introduced character will be abandoned in 20 pages and can be forgotten, or will continue to appear throughout the book.

Good books though.

Griff · 07-16-2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

Are you able to keep all the characters straight?

Sometimes it takes two or three pages but then it'll shake itself out. Note cards on characters are a good idea. I think the books would flow better if I could dedicate big blocks of time to them. The Cornwell books are better for a chapter a night.

That second book got a lot better about 2/3 of the way through. The letter format was a bit tedious. I'm hoping book 3 is written more like book 1.

lookout123 · 07-16-2008, 12:59 PM

I read LOTF in freshman lit. It was ok, but the teacher's endless blathering about the significance of the relationships was over the top. Kids treat eachother in a malicious manner? really? With no rules or authority figures the previous social structure might disintegrate? say it ain't so.

07-15-2008, 08:03 PM	#1
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Lil' Griff's school follows the NYS curriculum. This year the board of Regents has decided that all kids going into 7th grade should have a book assigned and a thick stack of worksheets to fill out. The assigned book and sheets appear to target poor readers (she had to pretend she didn't know a vocabulary word from the bookto do the section she worked on yesterday). So she's doing the work while reading the stuff she wants but it seems to me most kids will be turned off to reading by this approach. The booklist last summer was received much better. So far this summer, I've read 2/3 of the Baroque Cycle - Neil Stephenson. I've got Daniel Siegel (brain science), Greg Bear (sci fi), and Bernard Cornwell (historo-fiction) in the que. I'll be reading more stuff on stone masonry and epee fencing as well. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

07-16-2008, 12:59 PM	#4
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	I read LOTF in freshman lit. It was ok, but the teacher's endless blathering about the significance of the relationships was over the top. Kids treat eachother in a malicious manner? really? With no rules or authority figures the previous social structure might disintegrate? say it ain't so. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

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