The Assignment

   Once you choose your book, you will provide me with the title; a brief summary of what you know about your book (you might rely upon your reading of the Notable Book List annotations, and NY Times book reviews for this information); why you are reading about the book (I'm interested in being a doctor....I have a true love for baseball....I'm curious about....); and the kinds of questions/issues you want to consider/discuss in relationship to your book.
      If two or more of you are interested in reading the same book, or a book that addresses the same question (What are the results of global warming? Who was Lincoln? What are the central themes in Kingsolver's fiction? What makes for great poetry? Are labor unions necessary? (you finally get your chance Ben!)
      Remember our own Niskayuna graduate and Pulitzer Prize winner Gilbert King will be coming to speak to us in January; some of you may be interested in reading his book. I will honor groups of your devising, even if the students are in different sections of 12H. So, talk to your friends!
   When I have this information (by the 18th of December), I will create blogging groups, you will create your blog, identify the topics/posts that you will create and you will be ready to get reading and blogging.
     Without knowing your book or your group, I will suggest some possible, although generic,  topics. The very best topics will be generated specifically from the group's book/s. 

• What style does the writer use? Is it effective?
• How does the writer structure the book? Why?
• What is the setting? Why is it significant?
• What's the most moving passage in the book? Why?
• What's the relevance of the conflict, character, ideas of the book in the modern world?
• Identify a central conflict and its importance.
• Identify a central symbol and its importance.

The blogs will be graded based upon the following:

• The quality of the choice of topics
• The quality of the ideas, discussion and details in the post
• The quality of the writing

• The completeness of the blog posts (5 minimum)The insight, number and writing of the comments to each blog entry 

The total assignment is worth 100 points

New York Times Notable Book List

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

      While it’s certainly a pleasure to bring a paperback to the beach on a lazy August day, there is also something cozy and comfortable about curling up with a good book, a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate (with marshmallows!) on a snowy, dark winter afternoon.

     Your assignment is to find a contemporary book from the New York Times Notable Book list of 2010, 2011, 2012 that you would like to read and to read it.

     The list is available either by going to the New York Times website or by googling NewYork Times Notable books. There are many great fiction and nonfiction books on the list, and the list has books of interest for people of all stripes.

     One of the great features of the New York Times list is that there are thumbnails about the book, book reviews and excerpts from the book that you can access directly from the list.

While reading the book you will be assigned 5 blog entries.

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