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When You Love Your Students…

When you love your students, you’ll jump on Amazon every payday and order things like what you see below…

One of my students had told me about Numbers and had even loaned his copy to me.  It was a little rough, but only because the setting is England, and the main characters’ (teenagers) language is a bit course.  The ending was open, though, leading to the sequel, The Chaos.  My student bought this book but hasn’t read it because he’s trying to finish a book I recommended for him.  I wanted to read the second book and have a copy of both for my room…hence the order.

The other book I ordered this go-round is this…

I learned about Everlost from the 100 Book Challenge group that I’m a member of on Facebook.  The author is Neal Shusterman.  He also wrote Unwind
and Unwholly.  I’ve friended him (or his fan club) on Facebook, and I love the way he goes about naming some of his characters.  Recently, he asked for suggestions on Facebook.  He’s nearly finished writing the third installment of the Unwind series, and he needed some help .  It was a lot of fun to watch the process.

I don’t know if my students fully appreciate the things I do for them.  I doubt that most of them do…right now.  I think that years from now, when they remember their time in my class, they will remember the little things, like brand new books, appearing about every two or three weeks and the book talks that accompanied their entry into the classroom.

I’d do just about anything, including standing on a chair (which my principal caught me doing) to get my kids excited about reading and, most importantly, about learning, which are life-long processes that won’t end until their last breaths are taken.

 

Unwind – A Book Review

Saturday night, I stayed up rather late…

Until 4am!

Why?

Well, I could not put down the following book…

I ordered this book, Unwind (by Neal Shusterman), from Amazon after Christmas.  My friend, Barb, had suggested the title for one of my students.  He likes books that are a little “out there.”

I couldn’t resist reading it first, and let me tell you…WOW!

I was blown away.

The book is set in the future after the Second Civil War has been fought over reproductive rights.

As a result, a compromise was met whereby children between the ages of 13-18 can be “unwound.”  What this means is that they are sent to harvest centers where their body parts are removed to be used for transplants.  Meanwhile, the party line is that being unwound means that your life becomes meaningful, and you live on in others’ lives.

This book brings up a number of controversial topics, making the reader think…a lot.

The book brings together three main characters along with a host of other minor characters who are trying to avoid their sentence.

I won’t spoil the climax, but I will say that someone gets unwound, and the description of it is heartbreaking.

I think this book would make a wonderful read aloud, but it is a bit long…over 300 pages.

Still…maybe…

The book is the first in the trilogy, although there is Unstrung, a short story, about one of the characters and his adventures that we did not learn about in the first book.

I’m going to purchase the other books, eventually.

If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read, this is the book for you!

By the way, I write all of my book reviews of my own volition.  As a reading teacher, it’s my job to motivate students to read.  I like to share the gems I find with anyone who reads my blog.