Read-a-louds........what makes a good one?

Hello Room of Readers!

Well, you have finished "The Liberation of Gabriel King". As this is the first time I have used this a a class read-a-loud, would you share your thoughts with me?
I'd like to know:

What would you rate this book as a read-a-loud on a scale of 1 to 10? Why?

Do you have a favorite book that has been a class read-a-loud from the past few years in school? Why is it your favorite?

What qualities should a book have to be a good read-a-loud?

Central Tensions

Hi Class!
I have been reading Mr. Geranis' class reading blog and following one of their conversations about central tensions. In class we have talked a bit about that, especially when we were developing our own characters and plots for our fiction stories in writing.
Have you ever thought about what types of tensions there can be? Here are 4 types that we may come across in our reading:

Character versus character: This is a conflict between two characters ( or more). In The Liberation of Gabriel King, Gabe has a conflict with Duke Evans throughout the book. Duke will not stop bullying Gabe, and Gabe does not know what to do about it. Frita has a conflict with Mr. Evans. Mr. Evans is rude and calls her names because of her skin color.

Character versus self : This is when a character is struggling with him or her self. It could have to do with fears, or needs and wants. In LOGK, Gabe struggles with his huge list of fears. He tries to dominate his fears and constantly worries about being a coward.

Character versus society: This is when a character does not fit in, and is struggling with a group of people and norms. For example, in LOGK, Frita and Gabe are friends, and this causes conflict for them as much of the society ( in this case, the town) does not believe that they should be friends. Terrence is struggling with society and the unfair behavior and treatment that occurs from one group of people to another.

Character versus nature: I can not think of an example from LOGK, but this is a tension in which the main character has conflict with nature. This is most often found in survival and adventure stories. Hatchet by Gary Paulson is a classic example of a boy struggling to survive, alone in wilderness. (This is a great book if you have not read it!!)

Sometimes you may only find one or two of these types of tensions in books, at other times you may come across more. If you want to read more on central tensions, you can go to "Bloggin with your Noggin".

So, my questions to you are the following:

Do you prefer any of these types of tensions?

What types do you most often find in the books you have been reading?

What type or types do you have in your current book? ( give an example or explain the tension from your story)

"X"

In class today we had a great discussion about Malcolm X and his fight for equality during the 1960's. Did you agree with the "black power" movement as an alternative for African-Americans that did not believe Martin Luther King Jr's, non-violent movement was affective? If you were alive during the civil rights movement how would you have helped gain equality of all citizens in the United States, would you have helped at all?

- Mr. Elwell

"I Have a Dream..."

Today we heard Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan and a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During our class discussion a lot of students mentioned that they were "moved" by some of the words in these texts. What line moved you the most, did any line relate to a memory you have had in your life?

- Mr. Elwell

Insight

Frita has told Gabe that he needs some courage, some perseverance and now she told him he needs some insight. Frita then announces to Terrence that Gabe is afraid of him.

Discussion points:

How has Terrence's attitude toward Gabe changed during the story so far? What do you think has caused it to change?

Has Gabe's feeling toward Terrence changed?

If you were going to give Gabe advice on how to deal with Terrence, or how to try to see things from Terrence's point of view, what would you tell him?

Courage and Perseverance

In today's reading, Frita told Gabe that he needs more perseverance. What do you think she meant by that? If you do not know what that word means, how can you find out? Make sure you do before answering this question.

Do you think Frita is a good friend to Gabe? Why or why not? Give me some examples from the book.

Frita and Gabe are working on their courage by facing their fears. Do you have something you are working on that you are trying to conquer or make better?

Audiobooks- Hear Any Good Books Lately?

This morning as I was driving Jeremy to school, I listened to an interview with Neil Gaiman, the author of "Coraline", "The Graveyard Book" and many other stories. Mr. Gaiman was talking about audiobooks, and how much he loved being able to record himself reading his own books for people to listen to.
In the interview, a few other authors and actors are also interviewed. The interview caused us to have an interesting family discussion in the car and it made me think of you all as you are such strong readers and have gotten so good at sharing your thoughts. I am anxious for you to listen to the podcast and share your thoughts with me about audiobooks.

Neil Gaiman interview on NPR

Here are a few discussion points to help you get started after you listen.

Have you ever listened to an audiobook or stories on tape? If not, what about someone reading aloud to you?
Do you prefer to read to yourself or listen to a story? How does the experience change if you are listening and not reading the text?
Do you think reading a text and listening to the same story can be the same experience?
Is reading a book and listening to it the same thing?
How can listening versus reading a book be helpful?
Are you considering listening to any books in the near future? If you are, what ones?