pickIt‘s the second #SweetValleyHighSummer & George Fowler‘s forcing Lila to get a summer job to “build character” by being a mother‘s helper in Malibu. Jess convinces her twin to set aside her plans for an internship at the paper to join her— Jess even comes off as selfless giving Liz the job with the older child & the mansion while she shares a room in a small house six whole blocks from the beach with an infant— cousin to the new teen sensation!
pickIt‘s the second #SweetValleySpringBreak for these juniors & the Wakefield twins join in a 10-day exchange program! They head to Cannes to stay with Avery Glize & her American-hating (but handsome) son, René. Ferney Glize (a Tricia Martin lookalike!) arrives in #SweetValley, haunting Steven. In France, Jess falls in love with a boy who thinks she‘s Liz & Liz fixes not only René‘s prejudice, but his drowning trauma & relationship with his father!
pickIt‘s the 1st #SweetValleyHighChristmas! But this is probably one of my least favorites—it opens at the start of winter break with Liz helping with the Secret Santa assignments while looking forward to Todd‘s visit from VT. But they get the news that Suzanne Devlin begged to come back, supposedly to make amends. Jessica dives in with some help to make Suzy‘s stay miserable. She‘s miserable enough about her health—though Todd makes her feel better!
Time for another remixed classic! I read WUTHERING HEIGHTS over fifteen years ago, and the main thing I remember about it is that it was a lot more intense and enjoyable than I expected. This version‘s off to a good start too.
pickThis chapter really shows how important it is for students to develop strong, reliable reading skills beyond just quick reading and skimming. With so much reading going on online (that is not often taken into account as real reading), teenagers sometimes miss out on deep understanding and critical thinking. It makes you realize how we need to focus more on teaching meaningful and engaged reading to prepare them for realistic challenges.
I find it interesting and a little ironic that young adult literature is thriving while many still claim young adults aren't reading. This shows how the issue isn‘t just a lack of reading, but is a disconnect between what adults define as “real” reading and what young people want to read. I believe that if we give students more choice and let them read what‘s relevant to their lives when we can, they‘ll be more motivated and confident readers.
This chapter made me think about how much reading has changed. Nowadays it‘s so easy to get distracted, especially when you're reading on a device with other purposes. Cart talks about how algorithms can push books that are more popular than actually well-written. Cart doesn‘t totally bash digital stuff, which I appreciate, but I liked that he reminded us not to lose sight of what makes reading meaningful.
pickI liked how Cart talks about how reading is changing with technology. He mentions how things like audiobooks make it easier for people to read, especially if you don‘t have easy access to libraries or if you struggle with traditional books. I also liked the part about online communities. I understand what Cart means about how fast and shallow some digital content can be. Still, I agree with him that both can work together.
Like most, I also read in a variety of ways, whether it be on a Kindle, Audiobook, or a physical book. I find no issue with any. I also think the popularization of writing platforms encourages more reading and creative writing, and a evolutionary develop for the love of literature. I love to give students creative writing prompts, and I think these platforms would be a good outlet for students who want to write and read on their own time.
