Bad Books are All Around Me

Until a few days ago, I was starting to think that nobody knows how to write anymore. Several months ago a student recommended a book to me- one she said was "the best book I've ever read." It's called The Shack. I bought it- after all this one was on the Bestseller List! I read it, and I have to say, I could not believe anything so poorly written could have gotten on anybody's list- except maybe one which I won't mention here! I do understand why a middle school girl might like it because it's one of those saccharine stories that tugs at your heartstrings and dares you to believe that there really might be more out there than what we can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. The intention of the book is not bad- maybe even admirable, but where was this guy's editor? The sentence structure was atrocious -among other things. I also found some of it offensive. The best example was when the main character was talking to Jesus (yes, Jesus- the Lord- not Jesus, the cute boy in 3rd period class), and he (the man) tells Jesus that he's surprised by his looks. Jesus replies with something like, "OH, it's the NOSE, isn't it- well, you know I'm JEWISH." So let's keep extending those stereotypes, shall we? Maybe it was the author's attempt at humor- I don't know, but it really wasn't funny. I trudged on through this horrible excuse for literature and can't remember when I was so happy to finish something. Interestingly, many teachers at my school read it and loved it. Maybe they could get past the grammar, but I really couldn't. If any of you read it, please let me know what you think.

Next, I picked up a book about a teacher with Tourette's Syndrome. I think it's called The Front of the Class. It's autobiographical, and I was impressed with the author's desire to become a teacher in spite of his Tourette's, but there's something off-putting about an author with the "look how great I am" attitude. He writes about his awards, about how much he loves the kids- which is a good thing if you're a teacher, but there is not one anecdote in the entire story about what he actually does in the classroom that makes him a great teacher. He does mention bean bag chairs and computers, but what about strategies? What about how one gets that reluctant learner interested? What about how much our students teach us? And worst of all, to me, is that he says he's a great teacher, but he wants to become an administrator! Administrators often say that they loved teaching, but they become administrators to make change from the top, and that is such BS! I have only met one administrator in all my years of teaching who really cared about what's best for kids. 99.9% of them become administrators in order to 1. make more money or 2. to gain power or 3. to do both #1 and #2...and that's it.

So where am I going with this? I picked up a book a few days ago called A Private History of Awe, and so far, it is lovely. The writing is magnificent, and the author is not blowing his own horn. He is dealing with an elderly mom and a new granddaughter simultaneously, making observations about each and giving his history as well as our country's history during the 50's and 60's at the same time. This is the kind of writing I want my students to see and to hear- the kind of writing that I hope will help them become better writers themselves. It is so refreshing to have found something worth reading.