Blog Post #5: BHH and Orbiting Jupiter
When my children were young, I would often read aloud to them. Actually, there was a LOT of reading to them. We went through the entire set of Harry Potter books...twice to be precise, one time for each child. And my son enjoyed the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy. So did I! These times were priceless.
They could follow along with the plot line, and recognize characters and their traits, but, as expected, they were not doing a lot of higher level thinking about what they were hearing. What sort of themes were being communicated in the books? What about character conflict? How did my kids feel about what they heard? In the vernacular, my kids needed some scaffolding! And candidly, my son - the younger of the two, now at age 16 - still does.
I think a tool like BHH is beguilingly simple, and therein lies the beauty. It's something that young readers can use, remember, and understand. It's a marvelous approach that enhances the reading experience.
And, the more I think about it, my belief is that BFF is great for film or theater experiences, too.
Our Book Club's first selection was Orbiting Jupiter, by Gary D. Schmidt. I found the book to be very straight-forward in its plot line, themes, and characterizations. The plot had some surprises, but, to me, it was simple, a little too much so. Naturally, I couldn't put it down, and I think it is a superb read for both older and young adults. A young reader could easily relate to young Jack Hurd, the 11-year-old narrator, and to his descriptions of his world and how it changed when the Hurd family opened their home to Joseph, a troubled 13-year-old who desperately needed what a decent, loving family like the Hurd's could provide.
The feeling of love, and how strong it can be, is a main theme. Joseph fathered a girl, Jupiter, and is driven by an intense, almost primal, love to care for the girl and to be a part of her life. But Joseph's young age and other circumstances, some obvious, and some not so obvious, make this complicated.
Again, I found the book to be a simple read, and would even describe it as a bit contrived. But in most respects this observation is unimportant. The themes, the emotions displayed by the characters, and their development were so easy to see and understand! I found it a complete and total pleasure to take some time away from my busy life, where I am sometimes consumed by what I call the business of life, to think about these messages and how they are what make us humans. Who wouldn't benefit from this experience?
They could follow along with the plot line, and recognize characters and their traits, but, as expected, they were not doing a lot of higher level thinking about what they were hearing. What sort of themes were being communicated in the books? What about character conflict? How did my kids feel about what they heard? In the vernacular, my kids needed some scaffolding! And candidly, my son - the younger of the two, now at age 16 - still does.
I think a tool like BHH is beguilingly simple, and therein lies the beauty. It's something that young readers can use, remember, and understand. It's a marvelous approach that enhances the reading experience.
And, the more I think about it, my belief is that BFF is great for film or theater experiences, too.
Our Book Club's first selection was Orbiting Jupiter, by Gary D. Schmidt. I found the book to be very straight-forward in its plot line, themes, and characterizations. The plot had some surprises, but, to me, it was simple, a little too much so. Naturally, I couldn't put it down, and I think it is a superb read for both older and young adults. A young reader could easily relate to young Jack Hurd, the 11-year-old narrator, and to his descriptions of his world and how it changed when the Hurd family opened their home to Joseph, a troubled 13-year-old who desperately needed what a decent, loving family like the Hurd's could provide.
The feeling of love, and how strong it can be, is a main theme. Joseph fathered a girl, Jupiter, and is driven by an intense, almost primal, love to care for the girl and to be a part of her life. But Joseph's young age and other circumstances, some obvious, and some not so obvious, make this complicated.
Again, I found the book to be a simple read, and would even describe it as a bit contrived. But in most respects this observation is unimportant. The themes, the emotions displayed by the characters, and their development were so easy to see and understand! I found it a complete and total pleasure to take some time away from my busy life, where I am sometimes consumed by what I call the business of life, to think about these messages and how they are what make us humans. Who wouldn't benefit from this experience?
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