tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post2989676767200209949..comments2024-03-26T17:32:38.865-04:00Comments on YA Outside the Lines: Characters Who Don't ReadBrian Katcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15159532800819759917noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-47382838972890634062015-01-27T19:44:11.655-05:002015-01-27T19:44:11.655-05:00Excellent post! And yes! Casey in Sweet Dead Life ...Excellent post! And yes! Casey in Sweet Dead Life is not fond of school. He's very bright, but he's less than interested for various reasons. And yes, Story of Girl and Prom both work! Perhaps this was part of the appeal (beyond everything else!) of Jordan Catalano in My So Called Life… Nah. It was how he leaned against the lockers. And the wall...Joy Preblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00532958575068320212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-47659759815133388102015-01-26T19:05:13.148-05:002015-01-26T19:05:13.148-05:00thanks, Allie! I've meant to read that book al...thanks, Allie! I've meant to read that book also!<br /><br />*adds to list*Carrie Mesrobianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16305292109198218306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-48769098450700914722015-01-26T19:04:50.796-05:002015-01-26T19:04:50.796-05:00Thank you, Ed, for all that excellent work buildin...Thank you, Ed, for all that excellent work building readers.Carrie Mesrobianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16305292109198218306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-2656915468757791302015-01-26T19:03:45.965-05:002015-01-26T19:03:45.965-05:00This was also my experience when I did a class at ...This was also my experience when I did a class at a county correctional facility. "The only time I read is when I'm in jail," one guy told me.Carrie Mesrobianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16305292109198218306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-49628382989921947462015-01-26T19:03:10.349-05:002015-01-26T19:03:10.349-05:00Prom for sure! Also I think Story of a Girl might ...Prom for sure! Also I think Story of a Girl might work...Carrie Mesrobianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16305292109198218306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-67535334261082064452015-01-26T17:49:49.498-05:002015-01-26T17:49:49.498-05:00Graffiti Moon is great for that! The guy MC not on...Graffiti Moon is great for that! The guy MC not only doesn't read but can't read. I don't remember if it mentions exactly why (dyslexia, or something?), but he drops out of high school because he doesn't want anyone to know. When he was in school he got his best friend to write his essays for him.<br /><br />It's one of my favourite books. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06604396849894656344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-10830245483242746072015-01-26T16:55:28.247-05:002015-01-26T16:55:28.247-05:00Teachers know that if you make kids into readers, ...Teachers know that if you make kids into readers, then they can pretty much do anything else thrown at them academically.<br />The reason I became and stayed a childrens librarian.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17845973738171406153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-24572079697617371712015-01-26T13:51:46.414-05:002015-01-26T13:51:46.414-05:00I think that kids read more than they realize beca...I think that kids read more than they realize because social networking sites like Instagram, Twitter (though I do love Twitter), and Facebook all come with captions, Tweets, or status updates that they like to read. It's when they have to sit down and read entire books without pictures or places to leave comments that they often let their minds wander and they become impatient. That doesn't mean that they're not capable of reading entire books; it's just that teachers have to try new strategies to get them to enjoy reading "traditional" stories again. <br /> Also, I think that you're right that kids want stories about characters that they can relate to; I've stopped reading more than one novel where I couldn't relate to the character's life or values at all. Neurotic Workaholichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06775298184138766683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-14040387579577106912015-01-25T22:08:11.927-05:002015-01-25T22:08:11.927-05:00I will say: as someone who works as a library cler...I will say: as someone who works as a library clerk, day in and day out, how we speak of books inside narrative is NOT how people truly read. I see, smell, hear all kinds of people who read books just as diverse as our world itself. They're usually in the form of Patterson, Clancy, King or some other formulaic mystery/romance/thriller/suspense writer but these are FAT books that people read and read and read. We've a whole library card for a local juvie system, and these kids check out some savvy reads. I love, love, love it! So we need to adjust how we write about readers, as you say, Carrie. Our depiction of readers is dangerously lopsided.Anthony L. Isomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11692372512747494474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-58230602318175911372015-01-25T17:54:14.078-05:002015-01-25T17:54:14.078-05:00thank you! thank you! Carrie Mesrobianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16305292109198218306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-47632904232371478732015-01-25T15:18:01.127-05:002015-01-25T15:18:01.127-05:00I could not possibly love you more than I do at th...I could not possibly love you more than I do at this moment (as I frantically edit my 3rd book with a non-college-bound hero) A world of yes to all of this. Natalie D Richardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17073957192387152361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-26380888376317326662015-01-25T14:21:04.338-05:002015-01-25T14:21:04.338-05:00Such a good post, Carrie. I can't think of ver...Such a good post, Carrie. I can't think of very many YA books that feature non-readers. The kids in Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson? Some of Sara Zarr's books?Jody Casellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17892174349776047862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-69437843500613699392015-01-25T14:05:01.251-05:002015-01-25T14:05:01.251-05:00Thanks, Carrie. Glad I came across as intended. TL...Thanks, Carrie. Glad I came across as intended. TLT's "Rich Teen, Poor Teen" post has some great suggestions, as well as even more in the comments.<br />http://ow.ly/HUgotAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-47986874527958081912015-01-25T12:53:39.845-05:002015-01-25T12:53:39.845-05:00I'm glad you mentioned this bc I'm going t...I'm glad you mentioned this bc I'm going to make a list of titles. Thank you! Carrie Mesrobianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16305292109198218306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-14004363224081482842015-01-25T11:27:05.901-05:002015-01-25T11:27:05.901-05:00I don't want to be that author, but I'm so...I don't want to be that author, but I'm so going to do that thing where I say, hey, I have a novel like this. It's raw, and no one with a pedigree or even a middle class lifestyle will find themselves in it. Sorry if this seems self-serving. So not the point. It's TAP OUT.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-75975654456511291402015-01-25T11:16:40.512-05:002015-01-25T11:16:40.512-05:00Interesting! I'm glad you posted this. It'...Interesting! I'm glad you posted this. It's something to think about...Yvonne Ventrescahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06935915085584796351noreply@blogger.com