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The post-apocalyptic narrative reveals the horrors of a society fallen after the spread of a deadly disease. The critical skill this novel encourages readers to develop is understanding the entire story from the interview-style retelling of one character, connecting the dots as information is revealed. It presents the issue of how quickly the world was devastated when the concern was for humans to take care of themselves, rather than humanity. -->

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12. This is Where I Leave You - Jonathan Tropper

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12. This is Where I Leave You - Jonathan Tropper

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<-- Judd thinks his life couldn't get any worse  until his father passes away and he finds out he has to sit shiva with his family of psychos for a week. This novel confronts every sibling archetype of a crazy family; the boring one, the wayward one, the one who figured it out, and the one who never grew up. Clever and humorous, Tropper highlights the true value of family. His novel prompted me to wrestle with the question of whether or not we should extend more forgiveness and patience to family members than anyone else? You can't pick your family, after all.

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This semester's reading has changed my reading life in more ways than one. I was astonished to find that, even as a book-lover, I was missing out on so much fantastic literature. I learned to expand my genre and modality horizons. It was so refreshing to force myself to make time to sit down with a good book and not feel bad for enjoying it. I found that devoting time to reading made me a better writer in assignments for other classes as well as in my personal writing. It boosted my creativity and stamina for productivity. I forgot how delightful it was to find a new book arrived on my doorstep or flip through prologues for fun on shelves of bookstores, libraries, and for the first time in my life, a comic book store! This semester I devoured books of poetry and graphic novels, neither of which I had read prior to this semester. Additionally, I rediscovered my love for non-fiction reading. Every book I read was my new favorite! I thoroughly enjoyed taking time to let myself get lost in a topic and let my curiosity run free.

Ben Westhoff's Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap became my new favorite book. It launched a desire in me to investigate and learn all I could about NWA's members and their influence on the music industry. My curiosity took me down endless rabbit holes, the biopic about the group, Straight Outta Compton, as well as countless interviews with the men and a newfound love for their music. My research also lead me to draw connections from the 80's group to today's music scene. As a self-proclaimed music lover, I was astounded at how little I knew about the rap scene, past and present. I unlocked a love for music I had previously neglected. It even went so far as to heighten my sensitivity towards the struggles of inner-city youth, much like the stories recounted in rap songs.

As a future teacher of literacy, I will welcome all genres and modalities in the classroom. If students are reading, they're learning. Any text that guides a student to a new way of thinking or ignites passion is encouraged in my classroom. Our class texts taught me to rethink my view of what students should read in the classroom. In my schooling, it was 100% class text and 0% free choice. Now, I see the benefits in allowing students to choose what they read. They get the opportunity to read about what interests them, at their own pace and level. They also get to take ownership over their reading, a step towards developing lifelong reading skills. Additionally, there is immense power in pushing students to read genres outside their comfort zones, as I experienced this semester. It encourages the building of reading stamina. Most importantly, it may lead students They never know what passions they will discover in a book they never thought they would pick up.

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The novel's protagonist, Liam, grapples with his female identity, Luna. This novel in particular novel raised a question that had honestly never dawned on me before: is there a danger of typecasting minorities through representation in literature? Liam is a likable and relatable character, however, he often comes off as angsty and cynical. Although he is merely one member of a demographic, the text prompted me to wonder if Simon as a character reflects a negative impression of LGBTQ youth?

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10. Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick

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10. Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick

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Quick's novel tells the quirky recovery story of Pat as he returns to his life after his release from a psychiatric institution. This text is unique from the rest in that its protagonist is an adult, rather than an adolescent. Also special to this novel is the way it approaches mental health from the perspective of a character who is aware of his illness and actively working to help himself, however, he is not aware to what extent his illness impacts his life. Quick approaches mental health struggles through the perspective of humor and innocence. He illustrates the serious effects of mental health struggles, but in a light-hearted manner. His writing humanizes mental health and gives readers a character whose troubles readers can emphasize with.

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9. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli

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9. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli

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The blossoming love story of high schooler Simon and his secret admirer give much-deserved representation to the LGBTQ community. This novel was the first I had that presents a romance between two boys with the same complications as a heterosexual relationship, rather than portraying the relationship as abnormal or with additional obstacles to overcome. Although the novel's characters are likable and their humor is mature, their angsty attitudes would likely not grab readers beyond their high school-years.

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Living with her siblings in fear of their abusive father, Anke finds volleyball to be her only escape. Although the novel's protagonist is in high school, the themes of the story are very mature. Chaltas' novel encouraged me to question the characteristic of resilience and how people build the ability to bounce back from tragedy.

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Written in prose and blackout poetry, Rhyme Schemer tells the story of Kevin, the seventh grade bully who suddenly finds himself the victim of his own tricks. A refreshing lower-reading level read, the novel shines a new light on the harmful outcomes of bullying. As the story kept me on the edge of my seat, I developed the critical reading skill of making predictions about plot outcome. Watching Kevin's life turn from bad to worse in one short school day pushed me to look at bullying with a new perspective: that perhaps bullies abuse because they themselves are abused.

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6. It's Kind of a Funny Story - Ned Vizzini

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6. It's Kind of a Funny Story - Ned Vizzini

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The story of Craig, an incoming freshman diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder after the pressure of acceptance into a prestigious high school destroyed his social life and distorted his view of the big picture of life. This novel presented a genuine and honest look into the life of a young person, like many in the US, dealing with mental health issues. Getting inside Craig's head by reading the story of his spiraling summer helped me better understand what many of my future students may struggle with. I became more critically literate by identifying the clues of Craig's worsening condition as well as the existential factors that affect it.

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3.The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros

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3.The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros

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Through a series of short vignettes, Cisneros tells the stories of a year in the life of Esperanza, a young Mexican-American girl. In today's time of heightened sensitivity to immigration policy, it is always beneficial to read a text that offers an up-close and personal view of what it is to live far away from home. Cisneros' story is humanizing and heartbreaking. It encouraged me to read critically with the mindset that this story could very well be reality for my future students. It pushed me to think critically about how environmental factors and events of one's childhood impact their personality over time.

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The story of juvenile criminal, Steve, put me in shoes I never would have thought I'd find myself in. From the caring eyes of Steve, I saw the School to Prison Pipeline in new light. It exposed me to the cruel system that traps many young Americans, the ages of my future students. I had to grapple with the judicial system as an establishment as well as what defines the justice it aims to serve.

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Alison Bechdel's witty tale of her upbringing and young adult life was truly a new experience for me. As my first graphic novel, it shocked me how eager I was to turn each page. It shook the dust off the creative artistic part of my brain. Content-wise, she recounts the memories of her childhood as well as the formidable events of her young adulthood in her time of discovering her identity; such as the death of her father, her discovery of a love for literature, and her coming to terms with her sexuality. The juxtaposition triggered a contemplation of Nature vs Nurture. I wrestled with the events of my own childhood influenced those of my young adult life. This novel expanded my critical literacy by pushing me to self-reflect and consider the argument of what is inherent and what is a result of our upbringing.

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1.Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap - Ben Westhoff

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1.Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap - Ben Westhoff

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<-- This novel was particularly compelling for me. The story of the boys from the hood who grew up to pioneer of gangsta rap and revolutionize the music industry was one I had never heard before. It was a truly an eye-opener. The history launched a time of extensive research and self-reflection for me. I began to see incredible creativity and story-telling in rap songs I had previously written off as raunchy and obnoxious. Even more, I realized that music was a means of survival and a much needed outlet for personal reflection for gangsta rap artists. I see the beauty of self-expression in a world of art I didn't even know existed This text, along with the lyrics of the artists mentioned in the story, developed my critical literacy more than anything I have read in a long time.

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Kaur's personal story of hurting, healing, and loving is told through brief free verse poems. Her words are elegant yet striking to the core. This text opened my eyes to a perspective on abusive relationships and self-love I had never seen before. Additionally, her style of writing  is poignant and raw in a refreshing way. Kaur's work encouraged me to look inward and notice how many of her words were true about myself, as well. I learned to read with the critical lens of seeking to gain insight into how I can empathize with issues women deal with worldwide. -->