I‘ve been in a bit of reading drought this year. As much as I encourage my students to make time to read for pleasure, I find it really hard to make the time to do the same. There’s just always something else to do—papers to grade, lessons to plan, blogs to read (and write).
This weekend, however, I forced myself to make time to read Angie Thomas’s debut novel, The Hate U Give. I’d been seeing a lot of positive press lately, and despite having a half dozen or so other books waiting on my nightstand, I started The Hate U Give on Friday and by Sunday, I was finished. It had everything that I love in a reading experience—complex characters, thought-provoking plot, and a compelling voice—oh, the voice. Ever since I put the book down, Starr’s voice has stayed with me, her words in my head as I’ve been turning over so many passages, wondering, thinking, questioning . . . Read more.
Slices of Life 