Reading!

[DarkArtist]

having a hardtime picking up the Indiana Jones and the army of the Dead book again...started reading this on the flight to CV and just couldn't get into it...it's kinda slow and not grabbing my attention...going to attempt to read it this weekend but not holding my breath.... I might pick up the the third CW novel Stealth this weekend and read that instead.

[JimJamBonds]

I finished reading Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific by R. V. Burgin. As the title suggests its an account of a Marine in the Pacific during WWII. Unlike most books of this type there isn't much "pre war" story and even less "post war story." Its written in the manner of somebody who isn't a professional writer. It reads as if R.V. was in the room telling you the story of the war and how he was involved. While of course there was a professional writer it reads like a conversation and not like a book.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time, a survivors' account of living in the Dust Bowl region during the Great Depression. I've shown a similar video from PBS as background for The Grapes of Wrath with my sophomore students; in fact, a couple of the people interviewed for the documentary were also interviewed for this book. Both a sad and powerful tale of people living with things outside their control, and unfortunately, far too similar to some issues in the country today.

[TeeEye7]

Here's another suggestion on that topic, BCJ:

http://www.amazon.com/Children-Dust-.../dp/0517880946

Jerry Stanley was a history professor of mine whilst I was a youngster in college in more civilized times. It might play well to your student's age group.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Here's another suggestion on that topic, BCJ:

http://www.amazon.com/Children-Dust-.../dp/0517880946

Jerry Stanley was a history professor of mine whilst I was a youngster in college in more civilized times. It might play well to your student's age group.

That does sound interesting!

[JimJamBonds]

I finished reading 1814 The River Wars. Its an alt history novel where the Trail of Tears is changed. The Cherokee move west not because they are forced by Jackson but rather they move because this is the best deal they can get for their people thus avoiding what actually happened. I've started reading 1825 The Arkansas War where the Cherokee nation and the US go to war.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

While I found the title to be too harsh, sadly I found much in Mark Bauerlein's The Dumbest Generation to fit what I see in the young of society today. Obviously playing off the "Greatest Generation" category for those who grew up around the Great Depression and WWII, it shows how education (more the lack thereof) and new technologies are contributing to the intelligence and thinking skills becoming less valued and utile for teens and young adults. In a way, his points support how I'm teaching my students (as the proper way), but it's not easy to be the "old fogey" in terms of how I expect them to think and USE THEIR OWN BRAINS instead of ALWAYS trying to rely on something else to do their thinking and decision making for them.

Oh, and the cover has Transformers raising a flag, like Iwa Jima.

[Maradona]

While I found the title to be too harsh, sadly I found much in Mark Bauerlein's The Dumbest Generation to fit what I see in the young of society today. Obviously playing off the "Greatest Generation" category for those who grew up around the Great Depression and WWII, it shows how education (more the lack thereof) and new technologies are contributing to the intelligence and thinking skills becoming less valued and utile for teens and young adults. In a way, his points support how I'm teaching my students (as the proper way), but it's not easy to be the "old fogey" in terms of how I expect them to think and USE THEIR OWN BRAINS instead of ALWAYS trying to rely on something else to do their thinking and decision making for them.

I love this text. I actually assigned it for a non-fiction independent reading project last semester and the students who read it and those that viewed their presentations were amazed by the numbers he presents in the book. I always encourage my students to email the authors of their texts, living obviously, and ask them something relevant. Mr. Bauerlein was kind enough to respond to each student. A popular alumni of our school went on to be one of his students at Emory, so maybe that was why he chose to respond to them. Regardless, this text is an alert to the emergency happening across the nation when it comes to the youth. Another text along a similar vein is Robert Shaw's The Epidemic, another independent reading selection for my class.

[JimJamBonds]

I finished reading 1825 The Arkansas War. Its an alt history book where a separate country is 'made' for Indians in the 18teens. Long story short there is a war between the US and Arkansas. Its an ok read, nothing special.

Based on BCS's above post I picked up The Dumbest Generation today and I'll start reading it later tonight.

[JimJamBonds]

Well I started reading The Dumbest Generation but I just couldn't do it. Not that it wasn't well written or an interesting topic but because it was just too sad to read. Kudos to BCJ and Maradona for being able to complete it.