Books I Love to Teach
Is there anything better than falling in love with a story or a character that you can revisit whenever you want? I love reading, but mostly, I love when a student realizes the beauty and power of words on a page.
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
I can’t teach this book without being transported back to my own freshman year of English. I don’t know if I loved it as much then as I do now, but it’s one of those books that you must revisit as an adult.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – Jonathan Safran Foer
This is my first year teaching this novel, we are only 74 pages in as a class, but wow! For those of you who are not familiar with this novel, it takes the reader on a journey with 9-year-oldOskar (a unique, highly intelligent boy) who lost his dad in 9/11. My sophomores are only 15 years old; they weren’t alive when the attack took place.
Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
Syracuse Stage is bringing this novel to life in an adaptation of the award-winning London play this October and I’m so excited! Christopher John Francis Boone is one of the most unique narrators I’ve ever encountered making this a terrific book for teens and adults alike. His adventure through Swindon, England forces us to examine just how similar we all really are.
