Meme: High School Daze to Praise

Paul at Quoteflections has tagged me for this meme:

• Select and briefly review one teen novel, classic or modern, which is a sure antidote to the daze of high school.
• Title your post Meme: High School Daze to Praise
  
• Include an image with your post.
  
• Tag four blog colleagues.

While I have been a constant reader all my life, I've developed sympathetic amnesia of most of my high school years and have a very tough time remembering any novels that may have personally helped me better cope with high school.

But from my experience as a school librarian, I can certainly endorse Orson Scott Card's 1985 novel Ender's Game. Enjoyed by both young adults and old adults, I call it science fiction for people who don't like science fiction. Ender Wiggins, the protagonist, is the classic underdog who Brer Rabbit's his way through military school, relying on wits, not physical strength. His educational program foreshadows the role gaming should play in education. And Card's "Internet" allows children a voice in public political discourse -  with Ender's siblings being judged by the quality of their ideas rather than their age or appearance. It is a very cool book.

I hope Card's recently publicized homophobic views don't keep kids from reading this book. It is certainly one of my favorites and one which has gotten any number of kids hooked on reading.

I tag:

• Chris Harris
  
• Cathy Jo Nelson
• Kim Cofino
• Rob Darrow
• Carolyn Foote
  

Comments

[Paul Cornies]

Hi Doug,
Thanks for spreading the Meme: High School Daze to Praise. One hopes that in a round about way students will find something that engages them. For many it will be found in literature.

Like you,I also enjoyed science fiction as a lad. Michael Crichton's Andromeda Strain was fascinating.

I hope your readers will peruse my post at Quoteflections about Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. It's perfect for a Grade 9 class.

Best wishes,
Paul

[Bethany Smith]

Ender's Game is actually one of my favorite books. Not only am I a fan of it from a "science fiction" standpoint, but also from a "teaching" one. Although I love the story itself, Card's view of education in the future both scares and delights me. The predestination of Ender and his siblings evokes the "tracking" of students into pre-college vs. vocational etc. at such an early age. I worry sometimes that our students would just rather be in a boat in the middle of a lake, not worrying about "saving the world." I would love to see some of my pre-service teachers compare and contrast Ender's world with not only our own, but also what we would want education to be.

OK - so all quotation marks aside, this book is very dear to me - and the follow-ups were quite good as well (I love the one about Bean).

Thanks for sharing :)

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Bethany,

I had not thought about the "tracking" aspects of Ender's world, but yes, it is there. I was delighted with Ender's gaming and experiential education on board the academy ship.

Thanks for the comment!

Doug

[Quintonya]

Um.........to me sorry but dis book iz horrible i dont lyk it n tew me itz jus borin sorry not trying tew be disrespectful tew da author but i mean really. But thanx 4 writin it s0e i can read it tew n0e nt tew read it again but da 1st tym i read it it wuz ok but az i keep readin it more den 2 tyms den it gtz more borin s0rry.

Quintonya