When I asked him, he said, “I hate it when teachers assign books. Even if I like the book.”
What? Can anyone explain this absurdity to me? I know this exists, meaning I’ve heard other students make the same complaint, but what’s an English language arts teacher to do?
He was reading Dana Davidson’s Jason & Kyra (@2004) and did not want to make time for A Christmas Carol. (I reviewed Jason & Kyra for VOYA in 2004, so I gave him my copy. I didn’t think he’d read it because it’s romance.) The review is available at click more reviews and recommendations
(http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Jason-and-Kyra/Dana-Davidson/e/9780786836536#TABS)
He finished Jason & Kyra in 3 days and said, “What’s next, mom?” My aim as a parent who is trying to raise a reader is to never let him go a day without a book in his hand. So, when he completes one quickly, I feel pressure. I told him about Played (2005).
“Can you get it for me?” he asked.
“I don’t own that one, so I’ll have to check the library tomorrow,” I answered. On the way to school we talked about the issues in the book. OK, I talked and he listened. I wanted him to know where I stood on topics like premarital sex, the treatment of women, and dishonesty. Later that day I found the book and brought it home. He hasn’t said much about it yet, but he will.
But what if the English language arts teacher handed him Jason & Kyra or Played? Would he read it?
