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sammiegdeas

sammiegdeas

Joined June 2025

Probably busy calling my mom
quote
sammiegdeas
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“Your passion is contagious“ (Kittle 61).
As future English teachers, many of us enjoy literature, but many students have not developed a love for it yet or have been so deeply discouraged in the past that they have given up trying. My role as an English teacher is to have a passionate joy embracing my students when I talk about a book. My attitude toward a book influences theirs whether I can see it or not. We are the guiding light for our kids!

review
sammiegdeas
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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Pickpick

I found the unique structure of the book challenging, but it was SO worth THIS moment:
“'Thank you, Gideon,' Bright said.
'Thank you, Roberto,' Mr. Howe replied“ (122).
I adored this book because it appropriately addresses school issues and encourages students to advocate for causes dear to them. Most importantly, this story teaches students to communicate respectfully with people with whom they disagree.
*I have had these turtles for YEARS!

natalie_e I love how you mentioned that this book teaches students to communicate respectfully with people they disagree with! It isn't something I immediately thought of but is a very important takeaway from reading this. With topics that can feel very personal and ARE personal to many, it's valuable to have the respectful navigation of those situations modeled for students and teachers. 4d
allisonjackson I can completely agree that the structure of this book was a challenge at first because I started reading without realizing what it was about. But it was such a rewarding read that I can only assume I will give it as a recommendation to all of my students to show them they have a voice that they are always welcome to use at all times! 4d
2 comments
quote
sammiegdeas
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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“'While the meaning of a book may be informed by the author‘s intentions, it isn‘t defined by them. Meaning comes from the combination of what the author puts in and what the reader takes out'“ (Levithan 59).

The beauty of reading is that it is a personal experience with no one correct answer. Authors are reflecting something meaningful to them that they hope to connect to readers' unique experiences but don't expect a uniform response.

haylee.roach10 Yes I love what you said about reading. I think this book and quote specifically is very reassuring to the students who think they're doing reading wrong because they dont see it the way some student do. Teaching kids how to form an opinion on their own and back it with their actions is great and Levithan does a good job explicitly and implicitly implying this. 6d
shelbsreads I loved this quote because I had a similar conversation with an ELA professor this past semester. This is especially relevant when discussing historical texts with authors who have a controversial reputation. While the author's intentions can be interesting to give context about genre or thematic choices, overall, reading is so special because we are all engaged with texts in a unique way. 5d
alaynaroper This is so true! No one persons interpretation is going to be the same as the next, and I think that is beautiful. It does not matter what the authors intention of the characters were in The Adventurers were, but that students found a safe place within the lines of the books, with the help of the world the author has placed in front of them. 4d
2 likes3 comments
blurb
sammiegdeas
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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Initially, the structure of this book confused me, but as I have progressed through it, I am starting to see it come together. Like Flying Lessons and Mexikid, I like that Answers in the Pages introduces a unique style of writing for students to see. A cool assignment to do with this book is to split the class into three groups and have each group become experts on each story and jigsaw it to bring it all together!

William_Harwood As much as I enjoy the chapters of The Adventurers and what they add to the overall narrative structure, these inclusions might cause some confusion by breaking up the continuity of the stories of Gideon, Roberto, and Donovan. I for sure had to adjust to the narrative shifts, and I can see how students might struggle. I think a jigsaw is a great solution! 6d
1 comment
blurb
sammiegdeas
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Young adults are trapped within a liminal space of constant infantilization or adultification, with no gray space. YAL shapes who we are as people and provides the YA community a sense of unity in their discoveries and inquiries. As teachers, we are responsible for sharing meaningful YAL with our unique student body. YAL is not a life map with thousands of paths for our students to explore with whimsy and ambition.
*Fourth Edition

jkmac9717 I agree with what you‘re saying about the lack of gray space. For so long, as Cart details, there wasn‘t any literature catered to the liminality of adolescence, which is why it is so important for this genre to provide a space to discuss slightly more mature issues but in a perhaps more digestible format. I agree that we need to share MEANINGFUL YAL with our students, however I also think whimsy and ambition CAN still happen too with balance! 2w
annagsears Agreed. YAL provides an opportunity for young adults to gain life experience in determining who they will become as adults. This can work two ways, I believe. As you said, meaningful pieces of literature are ideal, as they allow students to learn about society, history, and relationships. However, ambition can also be meaningful in some aspects, as students could consider careers or other life events that they have never thought about before. 2w
JoshuaKincaid I think it is cool how we, as humans, have done this. We long to belong and exist, and the creation of YAL helped adolescents fight their foothold in a way I think. Offering an avenue of a way to discuss mature topics without it being entirely “adult“ is very beneficial. 2w
3 comments
review
sammiegdeas
Mexikid | Pedro Martin
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Pickpick

In connection with Cart's From Romance to Realism, Mexikid depicts the liminality found within young adulthood. The Martín family's journey is funny, heartwarming, and inspiring. Pedro illustrates the joy, confusion, embarrassment, and hilarity of transitioning from childhood to young adulthood. While still interested in “infantile“ games and toys, he understands real-world, “adult“ concepts, which is a beautiful and scary thing for young adults.

blurb
sammiegdeas
Mexikid | Pedro Martin
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Mexikid would be a fun and unique mentor text to introduce students to the world of creative writing. Literature takes so many forms outside of plain words on a page. If I used Mexikid as a mentor text in my classroom, I would encourage students to share their life story with me in words and images like Martín does. This activity would be a great way to introduce students to using mentor texts and get a glimpse into my students' lives!

jessicaking Love this! I think this lesson would work well in the beginning of the year, perhaps using the first chapter or so of “Mexikid“ where MartÍn illustrates his family and their dynamics. The collaboration between the text and the personal work of students would certainly begin to support their understanding of literature as many different forms and shapes, including memoir and graphic novels. 2w
katiegregory Teaching this book would create a fun opportunity to collaborate between art and English classes, since we could write the story in ELA and draw the graphics in art. I think it would be awesome to even see students work together, with one student writing and another illustrating, if schedules don‘t align well for direct collaboration. Focusing on graphic novel design can also help students notice the meaning behind the design of other books. 2w
1 like2 comments
blurb
sammiegdeas
Mexikid | Pedro Martin
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I admire how Mexikid tackles relevant issues surrounding Mexican-Americans in an age-appropriate way and a truly funny manner. The stylistic choice of a graphic memoir style subverts the humdrum of prose that many students so dread reading while conveying meaningful messages. While the Mexican-American experience is not one-size-fits-all, I feel my students will feel seen and validated in their experiences through Pedro “Peter“ Martín.

tatumlanders I also really enjoyed the representation present in this book, and Pedro Martin talks about his experience more in the Q and A at the end. Even within his family, there is a distinction between the children born in America and in Mexico. This book was a powerful depiction of what it means to fit into the spaces in between descriptors. Even students who aren't Mexican-American can find parts of Pedro's experience to relate to. 2w
1 comment
review
sammiegdeas
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Pickpick

I cannot express how much I loved this book enough. I resonated with the various trials and tribulations of being a kid that are presented across the stories. I would've loved to read as a 6-12 student because it's relatable and manageable. I most enjoyed how it shows many styles of writing that students can use to shape their own writing. This book reminded me that despite our differences, we become one, immersed in the scribbles on a page.

haylee.roach10 Yes!! I loved this book. I wish I had access to this when I was their age because it would have been a great introduction to memoir, essays, and biographies that were not “boring“ for a middle schooler. I would definitely explore this text as a mentor text in my own classroom as the representation was natural and not forced or performative because all our students ask for us is honesty and realness. 3w
1 comment
blurb
sammiegdeas
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A quality that I have appreciated throughout reading this book is its diverse content. Literature teaches the power of words, and this book has shown how impactful words are across cultures, interests, values, and identities. For young readers, this is an easy and quick read that packs a powerful punch. I would love to use it to show students that meaningful messages can be conveyed in many ways, whether that is a short anecdote or a hefty novel.

William_Harwood Not only did this book contain a multitude of perspectives from different backgrounds, but it did so while being immensely relatable in many of its narratives. I feel as if each of us has found a handful of short stories in this collection that speak to us, and I believe that our students would be able to discover a few that speak to them. 3w
1 comment
blurb
sammiegdeas
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As I began reading Matt de la Peña's piece, I thought, How can I connect with this piece? I am the antithesis of the narrator, yet as I finished the piece, I felt a connection to the narrator. This struck me from a teacher's and a reader's lens. While we may not directly connect to the story or characters, little bits resonate differently across my classroom. How cool is it that the same story can be read differently to each student I teach?

jessicaking LOVE this! Perfect example of what I think both the individual authors and the collector of these combined stories is trying to communicate to readers. Even though each of these stories can be very specific in place, time, community, ability, and so forth, the reader is able to pull even the slightest connection from the disconnection that they may feel while reading. 3w
1 comment