Taylor’s Comments (group member since Jan 12, 2012)

Taylor’s comments from the EDUC 567 Spring 2012 group.

I was really shy as a child (and also never was a fan of poetry), so I think I would have been a little embarrassed by a poem. I don't think I'd be as much embarrassed by the work though than by the attention.

Personally, I was surprised to find that Smile (by Raina Tegemeier) was a graphic novel upon opening the book. Did Smile meet your expectations? Did you have a favorite graphic from the novel? If so, please describe the graphic and explain why it was your favorite. Include the page number if you know it! :)

I really like Alex's description of the baseball players as a ship. I thought of the baseball players in the Negro League as being the crew of the ship. Their entire environment, including other baseball leagues, other individuals, restaurants, means of transportation, discrimination, etc. constituted the sea. In thinking about it this way, the players chose to direct the ship as they wish. They persevered against tough waters and directed the sail in the way that they saw best fit against the sea that they faced. This included such things as having to drive through the night without eating, or using the bathroom in the woods in the South. Although the sea provided a struggle for the ship, the ship faced its challenge and embarked on a journey of ups and downs.

I loved Rules! It is a very simple and honest read, and I like that Lord chose to take the perspective of Catherine instead of David. Although a lot of David's autistic tendencies were described, we never really get inside of the head of David, but instead feel for Catherine as she describes the looks she gets, the stares she gets, and the way she tries to stand up for her brother despite it all. I think Lord does a great job of depicting the thought process of a twelve year old girl who is struggling to fit in. The structure of this book, centered around rules and pictures, was absolutely brilliant, and I loved to read as Catherine struggled to put her feelings into words for Jason. Furthermore, Lord does a fantastic job of writing about an often avoided topic- autism. At the end of the book she writes that her daughter asked why no books were written about this subject, and that was her inspiration for this book.

My favorite quote of the book was, “...choosing words is harder than I thought." I think this quote really just sums up the book. You can feel every emotion in the world, but when it's time to put it into words, you can try, but in the end, it's the feeling and the memories and what's inside that counts. For example, she tries to describe her feeling as "murky" at one point. She captures the word, the picture, but it is extremely tough for her to really describe it. It is hard to choose what words a person should know when what counts most, is just a feeling within.

I have read The Giver one time before, but it has been almost 10 years since then. When I read The Giver the first time, I remember I loved it. I do not think I fully understood the message, but instead read it as a fantasy story. Actually, I think I almost envied how orderly, perfect, and easy that the world seemed. However, when I read The Giver for a second time, I saw it in a completely different way. I still really enjoyed the book, but I found that the book has more depth to it than I thought.

The first message that I got from reading The Giver is the importance of freedom. I felt angry as I read the characters laugh about how people would make the wrong choices if they were given the freedom to choose their spouses or jobs. The Giver really showed me how lucky I am to live in a society that gives each individual the freedom to live his life in whatever way he chooses. Sameness is such a foreign concept to me, and I cannot even imagine a world without colors, seasons, hills, and the little things such as these, but I realized I just felt really bad for the characters because they truly knew no other way. It was exciting when Jonas began to realize that their way of living was wrong, and it just made me want to open all of the characters’ eyes up to how much more there is in life than the orderly, emotionless lives they currently lead. I also enjoyed when Jonas learned the true meaning of emotions; this made me realize the importance of love, happiness, friendship, and even grief and regret in life.

Like most of my classmates, I do not remember reading about the Stirrings when I read this book the first time. I feel like I would have been curious about this as a ten-year-old, but I guess I must have been too immersed in the story and skipped over it without thinking too much of it. I do not think fifth or sixth grade students are mature enough to deal with this topic, but I think it is okay for older middle school students.

When I read this book the first time, I remember being shocked by the actual meaning of “Release.” Reading The Giver the second time, I did remember what it meant when one was released, but it evoked a more emotional response from me this time. It is completely inhumane and crossing the line to take a baby’s life because it looks the same as another individual or to take an older person’s life because they are no longer productive. To celebrate killing the Elderly completely baffles me. These citizens are living in a completely brainwashed lie, and the worst part is they do not even know it is wrong. Hearing Father say in a sweet, singing voice “It’s bye, bye to you, Gabe” like it was nothing after a year together made me so sad.

I definitely realize the importance of the transactional theory after reading this book the second time. I understood the book on a completely different level the second time I read it. I believe my age, knowledge, political beliefs, and perception on life all may have influenced my own interpretation of The Giver.