Reading Update: My Sister's Keeper

I will admit it. I cried on this one. I honestly can say that I don't remember the last time a book made me cry, but this one got me. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult was published in 2004 so it is not a new read, but for some reason, I had never read it before - or Jodi Picoult for that matter. And what a discovery I have made!
    Picoult's masterful writing called for the re-reading of some beautifully crafted passages. Take this one for example when two of the characters are watching shooting stars:
     But Anna keeps her eyes glued to the upended bowl of the heavens. "I know you want to ask me why I'm doing all this."
     You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." 
     Anna lies down, her head pillowed against my shoulder. Every second, another streak of silver glows: parentheses, exclamation points, commas - a whole grammar made of light, for words too hard to speak" (200).
     In addition to powerful writing, the storyline is compelling and 423 pages slip by. To briefly summarize the story without giving away too much, it's about a family's journey as they cope with their child's terminal cancer. Kate was diagnosed with leukemic cancer at the age of 2, and Brian and Sarah, Kate's parents, decided to have a designer baby, Anna, who would be genetically identical to Kate in order to help Kate's body fight the cancer.  From the moment of her birth, Anna's body was used to provide spare parts for Kate, and finally at the age of 13, Anna sues her parents and files for medical emancipation as they ask her to give Kate one of her kidneys, knowing that by refusing to give a kidney she is condemning her sister to die. Anna's decision causes the family and the court system to try to find the "right" answer in an unprecedented situation.
P.S. I watched the film adaptation after finishing the book. Consensus: Skip the movie and read the book. There is no comparison.

Practical Considerations:
     The length of this book and the various points of view would make me cautious in recommending this book to middle school students or to high school readers who struggle. A different character narrates each chapter and the changing point of view could be challenging for young and/or struggling readers. The delicate topic also calls for mature readers.

Classroom Reading Program - Thank you, Readicide

    A little too much time has passed since my last post, but as  I sip some coffee and wait for the cable guys to show up (nothing too romantic this morning), I find myself appreciating the slower pace. I haven't been reading any professional texts for the last two weeks, but I think my mind has slowly been digesting the information I've eagerly pored over during my teaching hiatus.
    So, I, like, get it. Kids need to read. And they need a balanced diet of informational text and fiction. And they need choice. And relevance. And embedded reading skill minilessons. They need to be held accountable for doing the reading, and the reading should challenge them. In lots of ways.
    I like Kelly Gallagher's suggested Article of the Week. I agree that many people (including both teens and adults in this category) are ignorant of important local, state, and national news, and I think the opportunity for students to stay abreast of current affairs should be built into the school day.
     I like that Gallagher holds his students accountable for reading one book a month. If we preach that students need to read, then we should expect that students read. Like Gallagher, I think it's important to provide time in class for students to read independently books of their own choosing. I understand some kids have homes that are not conducive for silent reading, and I also believe that carving out precious classroom time sends the message that this type of reading is important. And it is.
     After finishing Gallagher's book Readicide, I agree with him that so many of our students relate reading to boring passages that are followed by multiple-choice comprehension questions. Unfortunately, so many students have missed the opportunity to learn that reading can be fun. It's essential that students learn that often we read simply for pleasure; therefore, asking students to read books of their own choosing and consistently providing students time to do this reading is a staple of my classroom reading program.
     This last thought in regard to reading dawned on me as I skimmed Instagram photos and caught up with the lives of friends who crossed my path many, many years ago. I discovered that one of my friends bought a fixer-upper with her new husband, and they spend every waking moment (and every spare penny) turning the house into a home. Another friend was able to come home to central Montana for Thanksgiving despite her demanding work schedule. However, it's this third Instagram post that got my wheels spinning.
    In this post, a friend was vacationing in South Africa with her husband. However, her previous posts showed her in Tuscany; Spain; London; Munich. I realized she wasn't on a grand European tour but this nomadic lifestyle is her norm. So, naturally, I wanted to know what she does for work. She is a total rewards director for Microsoft. After learning this tidbit, I next wanted to know what exactly a total rewards director does. After a bit of Google research, I learned that total rewards directors help put together benefit packages for employees of corporations. Then, ahem, I googled the average salary of total rewards directors. Salaries varied widely, but I would say 200k seems to be a realistic expectation. And I thought to myself, "Wow, good for her. I've never even heard of a job like this."
    And that's when I had my "aha" moment. Students probably haven't heard of her job either, but it sure would be cool if they did before they head off to college and declare a major. With the staggering cost of college, it's be nice to make as many informed decisions as possible during those college-tuition years because nobody wants to waste thousands of dollars switching from one major to another, or even worse, graduate after four expensive years and realize that they actually would prefer to do something else. I also don't want my students to pigeon-hole themselves into a career path simply because they don't know any different.
     So, on top of the AoW assignment and the monthly independent reading book, I would also include regular reading assignments about careers. Imagine if students explored a different career choice each week. By the end of the school year, students will have been exposed to approximately 36 different careers... which is a heck of a lot more than I ever considered before packing my bags and heading off to college.