Last year, I ended the semester with middle grade texts, but this year because the movie came out, I thought it was pertinent to teach Judy Blume's Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. I somewhat wish I swapped last week with this week (The Outsiders) as the 'Tween-ager' years are something else, too, and coupled with Finding Red would be a good kick-off to conversations about adolescent texts. It's all good, though. They work either way and stand on their own.
It started me thinking about The Wonder Years and remembering when Fred Savage had his sex education class - the scene came out while I was in high school, but it resonated nonetheless as funny. The way the coach drew the ovaries and woman always cracked me up, so I'll be including in class tomorrow, too.
The conversation, obviously, is about the pre-adolescent conversation and how, historically, books like those created by Judy Blume matter. We wouldn't have the texts we have today if we didn't have Blume's contributions (which girls of my generation loved). With the classics for my class, I am asking students if they still stand up and although The Outsiders does (they claim), the vote on Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret has not resonated as well. I'm surprises by the quickness students are calling the book out for its Whiteness and suburban-ness (when that is what the majority of the class consists of). Should be an interesting conversation.
Dental update? It was Yom Kippur so my dentist wasn't there and the old dentist wanted me to come back so he could play with it more. The hygienist. however, said, "I think that tooth needs to be pulled so I'l talk with Dr. Kurdish in the morning."
Joys. It it comes out, I won't have much chewing space left in the right hand corner of my mouth. They need to writer middle-age books similar to the YA novels I'm teaching. I'm getting somewhat tired by all the bodily changes, shortcomings, and removals.
And so it is, God. I'm still here, though.
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