The Secret Side of Empty- Part A

So far, I would not say this is my favorite book of the course. However, it is a quick and interesting read, and I am looking forward to finishing the story.

Immigration is something I am not overly familiar with. I would have said years ago that since we live in Montana it is not a big issue for us given our region. With more education and understanding of the issue, I know that is not true and immigrants are likely to move to Montana for many reasons.

M.T. has been very easy for me to connect with. I feel her pain as she struggles to know what her life will be like in ten years. I relate this to the previous books and conversations we have read. Why are some people born playing on third base and she has had to work her way out of the locker room. M.T. is facing huge struggles ahead of her. It breaks my heart that she cannot go to college as she values education and so many others her age do not. M.T. also draws a great connection to this unfairness with her reflection of Julissa's baby on page 50. "Who chooses who gets to be a linoleum floor eater and who gets to grow up on marble floors." This conversation rings true for so many of my students who got dealt the lower hand.

M.T.'s challenge to her teacher covers the issue at hand politically in my opinion (page 121). Those who do not approve of immigrants view them as less than, lazy, looking to live off the government. I think this is such a lie to cover one's judgmental hate for other humans. I do not know the answer to the immigration problem; however, I know that there are real people like M.T. who would benefit the world as a whole so much if they were able to learn, achieve, and work. Education is so powerful, and she is being held back from this opportunity due to a number and piece of paper! Maybe after the speaker and talking with the class I will know more of what I believe to be the solution because the solution is most definitely not a wall.

A few quotes I have jotted down so far:
"Just remember that when someones tells you that things aren't going to end well, that's because they want you to be afraid. Things always end well. Because they never end" (page 39)
"Mackenzie, passing math is real life" (page 61). You can bet I'll be using this one!

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life- Part B

Okay... so I am a liar. Well, kind of. I knew I wouldn't wait a week until the next class requirements to finish the book, but I said I didn't give myself the luxury to read it all in one day. However, after I posted Part A, I did a few things around the house that I felt required to do on a weekend. Then my husband started watching a movie. It was getting "late" on a Saturday night, so I knew I wasn't going to do anything else productive with work, school,  or the house, and I didn't want to watch his choice of movie. I left him to continue reading in the bedroom. "Just another fifty pages to get a little ahead," I kept telling myself.... I finished the book! I have not read a whole book in one day in so very long, if ever actually!

I have a favorite page in this book. And, I know that is a little odd. But, I knew to write the page number down because I was so adamant that this was my favorite page. Page 284. So, not even too close to the end of the book. It isn't just one line or one paragraph... the whole page is quote worthy. I wish we were in class right now so I could read it to you guys and probably cry a little! No one had ever told Fito that he deserved better. I hope that I have done this and continue to do it for my kids! Nobody ever cared enough about him to give him rules. This is my kids' lives. Then they come to my structured class and flourish. Administrators have said things like wow, I am so surprised (insert struggling student's name) is doing well. Students likes rules and expectations. And, in my class specifically, like Mr. V, I care about these kids and they know that. Side note, I am totally crushing on Mr. V...

So, I got my questions answered about Sal's biological mother and father. I love how it all came together! I liked the focus on nature versus nurture. This is powerful for so many teens! I want all my students to have a growth mindset and be like Sal. You can be anyone you want to be. You might have to work your tail off like Fito, or be cautious of your actions like Sal, but you have the power within. Does it stink that you were born in the locker room and not on 3rd base. Heck ya! I have had many similar conversations with kids, and I will be using this analogy next time!

Now I realize, the gay characters were never a main talking point for me when reflecting on this book. I agree with what Kari has said about it not being the whole story, and I definitely liked that aspect of it. I openly accept the LGBTQ community. There is so much others can learn from their struggles and fight, and I hope to see constant positive progression for our world in relations to LGBTQ.

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life- Part A

I had to fight with my mom to be able get the book back so I could read it! She has been watching my niece and nephew during the days at my house this week due to construction at my sister's house. She pulled this book out of my homework stash and insisted she finished it before giving it back! So, she approves as well!

This book is another page turner. I could have laid in bed all day and finished it, but I did not allow myself that luxury.  At first, I was so curious to find out how Sal got to be with his father that raised him. Now that we know that, I am curios to know how his mother passed and if he will find his biological father. This alone is enough to keep me reading.

There are two big ideas that I love about this book and are great for young readers to learn and connect with: emotions and words.

The author has done a fantastic job of expressing the many emotions that the characters are dealing with. I love, love, love (one more love for good measure...) that the dad, Mr. V, tells his son that it is okay to cry. This is so very powerful for young adults to hear. I think we have created a world where so many people think that emotions are bad. Why?! They are so natural and normal. However, we muffle them down and say things like boys shouldn't cry.

I also love how Sam is described by Sal at the very beginning. "She could be a storm. But she could be a soft candle lighting up a dark room." I love this description. I immediately texted it to a few friends. These are my people. People like Sam who are so alive! The emotion of these characters are so well created, and I see students easily identifying with them.

In addition to the author's use of emotions, I also love his use of the importance of words. This is another powerful life lesson. Words are crucial. One's choice in words is so important; however, so many humans do not see or understand this. This book has honestly caused for some serious self-reflection... I will not be waiting a week to finish the second half!

Alexander Hamilton- Graphic Novel

Before beginning the book, I knew I would dislike it. And, after forcing myself to read the whole thing, I can say that I do not have an interest in graphic novels. I think the history aspect added to my dislike, but I probably would not have liked the other option much more. Thinking about how I started the book with a poor outlook, then how I forced myself to chunk the pages in order to get through the book, and then I rewarded myself when complete with the "assigned" section, I feel like a struggling student. My students are not excited to read a book even before hearing what it is about. Maybe, if I would not have had such a poor outlook on the book beforehand, I would not have disliked it as much. This reminds me of the importance of finding books that students are interested in. If there is an assigned book that a class absolutely has to read, prereading activities to aid in interest and comprehension are crucial. They probably would have helped me connect with this text a bit.

I choose this book over the Poppies book because I thought I would be able to learn a bit about history. I have never been good with dates, people, events, etc. I know the big ideas of our history, but the rest has never really stuck. I think this book would be good for someone who knows this story line already. The book covered a lot of content in a short amount of time, I found myself google-ing events and such to get more information in order to move forward with the text. Even with doing this, my comprehension of this text was low. I doubt I would pass the AR reading quiz for this book! While I love the idea of using a graphic novel to teach history rather than a textbook, I do not think this is the book.

I have many students who choose to read graphic novels for their SSR book. I am happy to support them in whatever reading style they are interested in. However, they are not for me!