Othello by William Shakespeare : Shakespeare Made Easy

Othello by William Shakespeare has been one of my favorite stories to teach. I have had magical teaching moments with this play.

I have taught it with students in "college prep/advanced" classes at a private high school and taught it with students in a multiple grade-level, continuation high school class of "struggling/disengaged" students.
(If I tried to create a description of my students to which no person would object, I could get no further in this post. Suffice it to say, I have read Othello with a variety of students, and many educators respond to the fact that I have done so, with a negative response of some sort.)
Despite whatever controversy there may be about teaching Shakespeare to students with lower academic skills, I recommend it. I recommend using an adapted version like the one published by Barron's :"Shakespeare Made Easy". I would NOT say it makes anything easy, but it offers a variety of accessibilty which is useful.

In a short review, this is what I want to share: EVERY time I read Shakespeare with my students, I have one or two students in each class period enter the conversation for the FIRST time in my class. Students who were either not confident, not interested, not learning become the leaders of discussion when we read Othello. I believe it is the beautiful language and the complex characters who remind us of parts of ourselves but who are so much more intense. I think it is the romance, the jealousy, the bawdy talk, the unraveling of tragedy.
The side-by-side modern English and original text format allows students and teachers to use both sides. By the time we finish reading, I have students choosing to read aloud from both sides--simultaneously. So as one "character" speaks in words closer to Sahkespeare's own, another character answers from the next desk in language more like that of today. And all the students are engaged because they want to know what happens next.

This was supposed to be a short post. Read it, teach it "---Then must you speak of one that lov'd not wisely but too well."

By Lauren, Secondary English Teacher

Salsa Stories

When children read Salsa Stories (written and illustrated by Lulu Delacre) they will be experiencing cultural traditions from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Mexico, and Peru. In this story, a young American girl, Carmen Teresa, receives a journal at her family's New Year's party. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends tell stories from their Caribbean, South American, and Mexican childhoods and hope Carmen Teresa will record their tales in her new journal. Each story becomes a chapter in the book.This book includes recipes from Hispano-America and beautiful linocut illustrations. It is perfect for upper elementary school students.

-Barbara, Elementary School Reading Teacher

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

This is another favorite of mine. I like it so much, in fact, that I am currently reading it aloud to my support students (tenth grade struggling readers) and get this, they actually ask me to read more because they are so into the plot! This book follows three main characters: Connor, Risa, and Lev who are all about to be unwound. In this futuristic society, all babies must be born but at the age of thirteen to eighteen, parents can choose to unwind their children (have them killed but use every part of them as organ/tissue transplants so officially they are not dead). Connor, Risa and Lev have all been ordered to be unwound (Connor because his parents see him as a screw up, Risa because she is a ward of the state that just lost their budget, and Lev is a tithe--tenth child in his family and thus given as an offering). This story not only builds great suspense and strong character development, but it deals with very sticky topics such as abortion, murder, religion and what it means to be alive or dead. It’s a fabulous read and I highly recommend it.

Julia, High School Teacher

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

This is a fascinating read. The book takes place in the future on a planet settled by earthlings looking for a better life. In this society, a terrible disease is believed to have swept through the country, killing all the women and making it possible for all the men to hear each others’ thoughts. Young Todd, the protagonist, is about to be of age (13), when he finds his world turned around and everything he ever believed to be true, actually a lie. This is an extremely suspenseful, action-packed novel that will leave you at the edge of your seat. Read with a box of Kleenex and the sequel--you'll want to read it right away since this book has quite the cliff hanger.

Julia, High School Teacher

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I highly recommend this series. I have suggested it to many of my teenage students after reading it, and all have devoured it happily. The story is reminiscent of “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson. The protagonist, Katniss, lives in a society that has twelve districts outside the capital city. Due to a civil war the capital won, each year “The Hunger Games” are held to remind the districts that they were defeated and are at the will of the capital. For the games, two children from each district are sacrificed to fight to the death. These “games” are mandatory viewing for the districts. Katniss’ little sister is chosen to fight and Katniss steps in to take her place. From here, the story commences. Truly, a read you won’t forget.
Julia, High School Teacher

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, #3 in the Gallagher Girls Series

Third in the Gallagher Girl’s series, Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover, by Ally Carter has everything a girl, teen, or woman for that matter, whose alter-ego is a spy, thrives on. There is action, romance, cool spy gizmos, and intrigue! The basis for the series is an elite girl’s prep school, the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, is actually a serious spy school for girls. They train the best of the best—secret service, CIA, you name it, all unbeknownst to the world outside its doors. This particular book focuses on Macy (a Gallagher Girl), the vice presidential nominee’s daughter, her safety or lack thereof, and Cammie (our protagonist) the headmistress’s daughter. Their skills are seriously tested by the school and bad guys; mystery surrounds exactly who really is the target, and why. We get an intimate look into the school, how it was founded and the extraordinary teacher’s specific talents and secrets. The Gallagher Girls have a sisterhood of a whole different level. It is a page-turner, complex enough to hijack an adult’s weekend--I can’t wait for the next book! C. Murray

Zen Shorts

Zen Shorts,

by Jon J. Muth, is a philosophical picture book that leaves the reader both thoughtful and peaceful. Muth presents three classic Zen stories: one about the power of giving, another about the true essence of fortune and misfortune, and a third about forgiveness. These stories are presented in a gentle frame of a relationship between a wise, giant panda and the three siblings who are his neighbors. The calm panda, named Stillwater, responds to each child’s need with a story to suit them. The gentle relationship between the Panda and the children is painted in soft watercolors, and the embedded Zen lessons are black ink strokes against solid pale colors. It is a beautiful book to simply look at. All the Zen stories are familiar classics, but the telling here is clear and engaging and accessible to even young children. My high school students have debated the lessons of the Zen stories and then chuckled at the image of a small boy resting atop the belly of the enormous panda. I leave it on my desk, and students pick it up to show their friends. My own young children ask to see it and to hear it again and again.
It is beautiful introduction to the concept of Zen, but is a lesson in the broader concepts of what it means to live without assumptions, and with freedom.

By Lauren, Secondary School Teacher and Library Manager