Been taking a bit of an actual break this summer – lurking a bit on twitter, running through a few grading/activity ideas in my head, but mostly enjoying my actual free time now that my master’s is finished!! I am looking forward to getting back to implementing new classroom ideas and returning to more regular blogging (hopefully) in about another month here! Since I won’t have required readings for my master’s classes anymore, I am also looking forward to bringing more nonfiction books about math and teaching back into my reading repertoire, so look forward to that in the next update!
You can read previous posts from this series here:
Vol. 01 | Vol. 02 | Vol. 03 | Vol. 04 | Vol. 05 | Vol. 06 | Vol. 07 | Vol. 08 | Vol. 09
In the past 3 months, I have read 18 books, bringing my total for the year to 34. Here are the top 5 from this quarter:
We Crossed a Bridge and it Trembled: Voices from Syria – Wendy Pearlman
This is a compilation of narratives from Syrian voices – from youth to elderly, refugees, doctors, activists, mothers, daughters, and everyone in between. Their individual stories together unveil the background of the Arab Spring uprisings and the aftermath.
Having this in Syrian voices was incredibly powerful. As mentioned in my last post, this book is also one I read because of the Life’s Library book club. I did not know much about the Arab Spring uprisings, or about Syria in general. The book begins with an introduction that provides historical context for each of the sections of the narratives, and Pearlman suggests that readers unfamiliar with the situation read a section of that introduction before reading the corresponding section of the narratives. This created an intense and beautiful experience in reading about the facts of what happened and then reading the reactions and lived experiences of the people who were there. It truly brings those news stories to life.
the mermaid’s voice returns in this one – amanda lovelace
The third in the Women are Some Kind of Magic poetry series, this collection of poems tells the story of women everywhere who have experienced trauma, heartbreak, and abuse. As with the other two in the series, this is full of feminine empowerment and fight.
It’s probably no surprise to those who have read my book recommendation posts previously to see this one here, as both of the previous two works were featured in prior posts. I do think that the first one is still the strongest of the series, but I truly loved this one. I thought the addition of poems from guest authors really added to the messaging and closed out the series very nicely. If I had to describe the three different books, the first one is a quiet reclaiming and empowerment, the second is fire and fight, and this one is sadder and darker, but still triumphant. The messages Lovelace writes are so important for any woman, anyONE to hear, but especially I think many of our students need to hear them. I read excerpts from the first two books in our English classroom on Read Across America day and there are several poems in this one that I would add to that experience.
Don’t Call Us Dead – Danez Smith
This poetry collection reveals the raw anger, hopelessness, and fight of black men in today’s America – specifically black, queer, men.
From the opening poem, this collection hit me so hard. There were so many poems that begged to just be sat with after I finished reading them, that made me think about my privilege and about the way that we make this country unwelcome for so many that are supposedly our own. Smith is a magician with words, communicating the fear, the anger, the sorrow, the questions that are the life experience of black Americans.
Set in the near future, Idir is taking the British Citizenship test. He is so excited to belong to this country. Then the test takes an unexpected turn.
There is not a ton I can say about this one without spoiling it, especially because it is only 112 pages. But it will make you think about what citizenship means, what it means to belong to a country, and how we decide who gets to belong and who doesn’t.
With the Fire on High – Elizabeth Acevedo
Emoni is entering her senior year of high school with her two year old daughter. The responsibilities of school, money, raising her daughter, and thinking about post high school plans are piling up – the only place she finds release is in the kitchen, where she always feels that she knows just what to do. Her culinary arts class turns out to not be what she expected, and now there’s the added worry of how she could ever raise enough money to get to go to Spain with the class.
I was floored by Acevedo’s debut novel (The Poet X), and was intrigued when I found out that this, her second work, was going to be in prose instead of in verse like The Poet X was. I needn’t have worried, because her prose is just as stunning as her poetry, and the story she chose to tell just as vivid and important. The representation of a struggling teen mother who still finds a way to be successful was really important to me, as I teach many teen mothers and see them feeling isolated and alone in their journeys. I think this book can help them find identity and pursue dreams for themselves and their child. I also loved all of the descriptions of cooking and food, and the culture that was so lovingly included in this.
Mastalio. Math. Mavericks. 