Blogging With My Students

     This week I began asking my students to set up blogs for English and/or Novels class. They will be writing about the books they are reading, about what we're doing in class, and about their thoughts on school in general. I'm hoping that writing for an audience will help them become more focused as writers. Therefore, this blog is becoming one for both my students and my Samford class.
     I've read three pretty good books this week. The first book, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, written by John Green and David Levithan. WG, WG is about two Will Graysons whose lives unexpectedly become intertwined. Anyone who has read John Green before knows that his books can sometimes be over the top, but they are always funny and often insightful. The story centers around the first Will Grayson and his best friend Tiny--who is actually extremely large, extremely gay, and who is writing a fabulous musical for the Gay-Straight Alliance at their high school. Green continues to examine social issues in ways that relate to  teens, and Levithan's writing is very good as well. I came away with a good laugh and had a lovely time reading this book. This book may not be suitable for immature students who are unable to issues such as homosexuality or other "high school" topics, but many students will love it.
    I also read John Green's latest book The Fault in our Stars this week. This book just hit the stands this month. My goodness, I don't know where to start with this one. Although this book focuses on a difficult theme (dealing with teen illness), it may be one of my favorite books by Green. He continually finds ways to interject humor into the lives of his characters no matter what the circumstances are surrounding the story. I LOVE students who are like so many of his characters. Hazel Grace, the protagonist, is one exceptional young lady, and her boyfriend Augustus may be an even greater character. They meet at a cancer support group and soon the adventure begins. For Green lovers, this book will rank right up there with Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines.
    The third book of the week, Entwined by Heather Dixon, is about a seventeen year-old princess named Azalea who becomes involved in a magical plot that threatens her family and her friends. Set in the half magical world of Eastbury, Azalea must find the clues to restore order to her family and her father's kingdom. This book had some pretty good reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I did enjoy it, but I'm not SUPER exited about it. I do think that students who enjoy a bit of magic and a historical romance will devour this book.
    I recommend checking John Green, David Levithan, and Heather Dixon out on the web. John and his brother Hank also produce some wonderfully funny podcasts ( Vlogbrothers on YouTube).