Talking Books With @ladylexile!
[What is this and how can I participate?]
Today we discuss anecdotes, helping students read, and books that matter.
Important note: I haven’t changed or edited any of the answers. I’ve only formatted the book titles so they were clearer, but nothing else. Because I’m incapable of shutting up, my comments are between brackets and in italics, so you can distinguish them clearly.
[Image description: a square titled “Know the blogger”. Name & pronouns: Hannah, she/her; country: Grew up in Asia (China and Thailand) but moved to the USA for University and has stayed here afterwards /end]
1. What is a (funny, curious, etc) anecdote about something book related that has happened to you?
Growing up we lived in a tiny village with zero bookstores or any access to books in English at all. My mom used to send money to the library we were members of in the states and they would ship us a crate of all their culled books- too beat up, unpopular, or old. It was like Christmas! My reading range wide and deep because I had to find something I loved in all sorts of random books. I still remember reading a sports series about hockey, which I had no interest in whatsoever! But it was something to read! And now it’s a great resource because I can read all kinds of books and recommend to my students, even if their interests don’t match mine.
2. Last book series you read obsessively?
I’ve been tearing through the Agatha Heterodyne series by Foglio. It’s a novelization of their amazing steampunk webcomic and makes me cackle on the regular. Lots of plot twists, ridiculous scenarios, and a talking cat. My other current fave, I’m alternating as the books become available from the library, is the Parasol Protectorate series. In an alternate history where vampires and werewolves jostle for for social power under Queen Victoria, Alexia Tarrabotti is Souless, able to transform any supernatural back into a mortal. It’s got Pride and Prejudice style concerns about such items as gloves and social norms, mixed with hilariously dry humor and mysteries (also a massive octopus automaton…obviously).
3. Do you do buddy reads?
[She’s a reading intervention teacher working with high school kids who have recently immigrated to the US]
My students are all in reading intervention so they are typically six to seven years behind grade level. I spotlight books! I pick a selection of books that all deal with a similar theme or style and create a spotlight display for kids to check out. The goal is for kids to see that if they like book a, like an encyclopedia brown book, they might also be interested in young Sherlock or Cam Jenson books!
4. Have you ever been caught reading in class?
Constantly! My teachers generally let me since I was always on top of my coursework and could keep up with in class discussion as well. 😆 I even used to get in trouble for reading while driving my motorbike. It was a straight road with no traffic but still…what was high school me thinking?!? We did have an unbreakable rule banning books at the dinner table though.
[Sounds like the best way to have an accident… Good thing you grew out of it!]
5. Thoughts on annotating books?
Ooof. I have to teach kids to annotate but I almost NEVER annotate myself. It’s more likely I would mark something up while reading a nonfiction text. I do keep a notebook for powerful quotes or lines that catch me.
The really importsnt thing right now is diversity in books, by topics but especially by experience! We need main characters and plots that feel authentic, nuanced, and reflective of reader’s lives.
For teachers, huge push for half price books donation boxes! I got literally hundreds of books for my library from these FREE boxes. Do you have to do some digging and culling? Of course! But it gave me a wide range of topics and levels to begin engaging students with.
For other readers, as you are broadening your own shelves, consider if you might be able to donate a copy of that wonderful Queer book you read, or the graphic novel with a super cool Black heroine leading a sci-fi adventure. For many teachers we desperately want these books in our rooms to get to our kids but the new books are $$$. If you read it and ran out of shelf space… Look for a local public school!
My students became readers when I could match them with a book that MATTERED to them. Keep listening to what others around you are saying as they share their favorites because that’s a glimpse into their selfhood at a beautiful angle.
[This is so important! I remember, when I was in high school, that I always had classsmates that said that they only read (if at all) books that they liked, and my answer to that was, always, without fail “well, me too!”. To these people, books that they could like was a brief category of a few books they happened unto one time when they were lucky, instead of realizing that there are thousands and thousands of books for all types, styles, and hobbies.
To hook people into reading, what we need is books that resonate with them, that make them laugh, that make them feel they’re not alone. We need people to understand that there is always going to be a book for them, they just need to search a bit.
And if you’re looking to donate, here are some literary charities that could use help! It’s an article from November 2020, but donations are needed regardless of the season!]
You can follow her at @ladylexile.
Thank you, Hannah! It was a lovely dicussion.
Next interview: Wednesday, 10th of February
2087
kaledo-art
areudirty
ellievsbear
