Chapter 4 Reflection

Realistic fiction is my very favorite type of book to read. I enjoy reading about things that could happen to me and I really like relating to the characters that I am reading about. My husband is the exact opposite of me. He loves to read fantasy books and sci-fi books. As a result, our house is full of an odd assortment of books! :)
Looking at the list of all time best young adult books, I have actually read quite a few, one being for this class :) My very favorite on the list is Holes by Louis Sachar. I used to choose this book as a read aloud when I taught in Third Grade. It is a very engaging story with great characters and a happy ending. The perfect read aloud.
Realistic Fiction, or the problem novel, is such a popular choice for young adults because the material is relatable. When I am engaged in a novel that I am reading, I feel as though I am part of the story. I can feel what the characters are feeling and I can see the story playing out like a movie in my mind. When I was a young adult I often felt as though the adults in my life just didn't understand what I was going through. It what so re-assuring when I would read a story about a character that was going through the exact same things that I was. I think that this is one of the fantastic things about the young adult novel.
I really enjoyed reading about the teaching suggestions at the end of this chapter. I am taking another class right now about how to help adolescents who struggle with reading. We just got through studying about how to conduct a Anticipation Guide. It is such a great tool for getting your students excited about the novel that they are about to read. The open ended questions lead to some great debates within the classroom. It is great to revisit the opinions after they have completed the novel to see if their opinions have changed. What a great tool!