| One of the concepts that we often find ourselves | | | | read. I knew that this book had to be shared with |
| stressing with students is the value of literacy - and | | | | students. |
| the "luckiness" that they possess because they have | | | | While still a college of education professor, teaching |
| the opportunity to become literate. Rather than the | | | | pre-service and in-service teachers, I read to my |
| drudgery that they sometimes believe it to be, | | | | students in every class period. I read entire picture |
| becoming literate is a prize - a treasure - and worth | | | | books as well as excerpts from novels and longer |
| the sacrifice that it sometimes takes. | | | | informational books. Until Nightjohn, I had never read |
| The most powerful book I have found in my | | | | an entire chapter book aloud to my students, but in |
| professional life to make this point is Nightjohn by | | | | this case, it was worth the time. I wanted my |
| Gary Paulsen. For those familiar with Paulsen's books, | | | | students to have the same overwhelming experience |
| this one is somewhat of a departure from his | | | | that I did when reading the book. |
| traditional writing, but a welcome one, as far as I'm | | | | Please, go get the book, read it to yourself and then |
| concerned. | | | | to others. It is based on a true story and is told from |
| I had read a review of the book and it sounded | | | | the point of view of Sarny, a young slave girl. It is |
| good, so I bought it. I took it with me to read while | | | | about the slaves who are owned by Old Waller, a |
| out of town doing some workshops for teachers in a | | | | despicable human being. Ultimately, it is a story of the |
| school district in Texas. I started it right before I | | | | struggle and the triumph of human desire. Readers |
| went to bed (I thought), and found that I could not | | | | are left with no question about the value of learning, |
| put it down until I had read all the way to the end. I | | | | and in particular, the value (albeit with costs) of |
| also found it necessary to reread it right away. | | | | literacy. |
| Luckily, the book is a short 92 pages and is a fast | | | | |