Coping with Grief and Gaining Empathy Through Story and the Lens of History

Almost unfathomably, this September 11th marks a staggering 20 years since many of us watched in horror as the iconic twin towers fell, and our nation was under attack. As many adults still work to process the shock and trauma of that day, students not yet born in 2001, grow ever more removed from the event, lacking understanding, even as they weather devastating shared traumas of their own: Mass shootings and gun drills, political unrest, and, yes, a pandemic, and the impact of the isolation of quarantine. How do we teach children to cope with such overwhelming trauma, gaining empathy and even hope through the lens of history?

One of the answers is, and has always been, story.

It is well documented that story – especially via literary fiction -- builds empathy and understanding far better than text or nonfiction ever could. Stepping into story, and the metaphorical shoes of children their own age, to "witness" that tragic day and the days after, to feel with their own hearts how we rose from grief as a nation -- as well as changed in both good and bad ways -- is one of the most instructive ways for children today to learn to cope with their ongoing grief.

For the past five years since I wrote my fictional account of two young adults, Kyle and the bird girl, persevering through the trauma of 9/11, not to mention their own personal grief and coming of age, I have visited many schools and met countless readers ages 12 – 18 who have shared how this one little story has changed their perception and helped them to understand. Readers have voiced not only a new understanding of the actual timeline of events that day, but of how important research and source and fact checking are, or how sweeping changes in technology, security and privacy took place, or how the scourge of Islamophobia took a real and dangerous foothold in our country in the aftermath.

As one student recently admitted, “I learned how horrible it was. I used to think it wasn’t that big of a deal, but now I understand.”

Comprehending the value, and necessity, of teaching 9/11, departments of education around the country, including New York, New Jersey, and Virginia have developed 9/11 curriculum, often pairing it with Holocaust teachings. Both those traumatic events in our shared history are often associated with the easy catchphrase “Never forget.” And yet, we’ve begun to. And must not. ____ To learn more about my books, and two wonderful middle grade choices, and how to bring any or all of these stories to your classrooms, you may also watch this brief video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P7fOXdwjNM&t=19s or reach out to me at g.polisner@gmail.com. To never forget, #ReadAndRemember

Scavenger Hunts - The Perfect Distanced Activity, Indoors or Out!

 

 

How I loved scavenger hunts as a kid! And my kids loved them too! So it's no surprise that, eventually, I wrote a children's book that centered around one, the book that came to be known as SEVEN CLUES TO HOME.

WHEN YOU’VE LOST WHAT MATTERS MOST, HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK HOME?

Joy Fonseca is dreading her 13th birthday, dreading being reminded again about her best friend Lukas’s senseless death on this day, one year ago — and dreading the fact he may have heard what she accidentally blurted to him the night before. Or maybe she’s more worried he didn’t hear.

Either way, she’s decided: she’s going to finally open the first clue to their annual birthday scavenger hunt Lukas left for her the morning he died, hoping the rest of the clues are still out there. If they are, they might lead Joy to whatever last words Lukas wrote, and toward understanding how to grab onto the future that is meant to be hers.

Booklist called SEVEN CLUES TO HOME, "a modern day Bridge to Terabithia" and Kirkus Reviews, "a heartfelt tour de force."

We believe it's a sweet, page-turning story about what it means to love, to grieve and to be a friend, a story about holding on to memories even as you pick up the pieces and move on.

May 24th is National Scavenger Hunt day. Scavenger hunts are the perfect physically-distanced activity, indoors* or out. And what better way to engage your readers more deeply with Joy and Lukas's story?! Reach out to me through social media -- or my email g.polisner@gmail.com -- for engaging book-related activities, including mini book-related scavenger hunts, or ways to connect your readers to this story about healing and hope, including free zooms for classrooms or bookclubs of five or more!

*always wear a mask indoors! :)

Back to School: THE BEST LAID PLANS . . . Bringing THE PULL OF GRAVITY into your classroom

Back to School? Teach OF MICE AND MEN?

Looking for a contemporary companion?

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE PULL OF GRAVITY AND OF MICE AND MEN:   People often ask why I incorporated John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men into my contemporary young adult novel, The Pull of Gravity. The short answer is that it was part intention, and part serendipity.

The Pull of Gravity follows teens Nick Gardner and Jaycee Amato who, armed only with the wisdom of Yoda, a rare first-edition copy of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and the vaguest of plans, embark on a secret road trip to try to keep a promise to the Scoot, their dying friend.

With the words “vaguest of plans,” those familiar with Of Mice & Men will already recognize a glaring connection between the works: In both stories, plans go awry, and, in the course of the unraveling, Nick and Jaycee (like Lennie and George) learn some valuable, if at times painful, life lessons.

Intention vs. serendipity.

When I started writing The Pull of Gravity, I knew first and foremost that I wanted to write a character-driven piece, the ilk of which I read as a kid from the likes of Zindel, Blume, Konigsburg. To me, character-driven means that the characters are *the* reason you want to know the story, and not the other way around, with the plot driving the story. As Nick and Jaycee formed on the page, I thought, ‘how better to see if Jaycee is as persuasive and intriguing as I want her to be (and the chemistry between the two teens as real as I hope), than by seeing if she can *sell* the merits of an often-taught work of classic literature to Nick, a 15-yr old boy.’ Hence, the muse-driven idea of incorporating a classic novel into my debut was born.

But which piece of classic literature to choose? That is where intention factored in, and the connections between The Pull of Gravity and Of Mice and Men began to take shape.

Why Of Mice and Men?

The main reason I chose Of Mice and Men was for the theme of friendship that reverberates through it. Indeed, the ending of Of Mice and Men may contain the ultimate act of friendship to be found in modern literature. Likewise, friendship is the main theme in The Pull of Gravity. Nick and Jaycee need each other, and their friendship buoys them through a time of change, heartache and pain.

I’ve also attempted to keep some structural similarities between the pieces. Of Mice & Men is a short work of fiction – a novella at 107 pages. George and Lennie’s story takes place over a mere four days. They set out on a Thursday and the story concludes on a Sunday.

While The Pull of Gravity is a longer work at 208 pages, the time frame of the story is brief, and the main part of Nick and Jaycee’s journey, to wit, their time in Rochester, NY, also unfolds Thursday through Sunday.

When I go into classrooms, I love to talk to students about how Steinbeck was able to create so much empathy for, and connection to, his characters in the space of so little time (and so few words) – the reader gets to know George and Lennie and, more importantly, to care about them, in not much more than a mere breath.

Similarly, Nick and Jaycee’s relationship unfolds quickly; they become important to one another – and, I hope to the reader— over a brief period.

Other Common Themes

- The American Dream (“Everybody Wants a Place of their Own”). Both The Pull of Gravity and Of Mice and Men deal with the desire to attain the American Dream: work that is bearable (if not more) and a small patch of land that feels like home. In The Pull of Gravity, Nick’s father is unable to attain this goal, to balance metropolitan career aspirations with his family’s move to the suburbs, which is one of the failures that spurs the main action of the book. Similarly, Jaycee is relegated to her mother’s new husband’s gaudy house, and, moreso, to the fluffy pink bedroom of the new husband’s daughter that will never feel like home.

Disability. 

Of Mice and Men illuminates the prejudices suffered by Lennie because of his mental disability, but also the challenges for George, his friend, in trying to care for him. In The Pull of Gravity, the Scoot has a physical, rather than mental, disability, and while he doesn’t suffer the direct prejudices Lennie does, Nick – just like George with Lennie – grapples with his role as a loyal friend versus obligated caretaker. Of course, ultimately, his love and loyalty shine.

Loss & Loneliness. 

The Pull of Gravity opens with this quote from Of Mice and Men:

“Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! An’ why? Because…because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.’ He laughed delightedly.”

This quote epitomizes the friendship theme that resonates through both stories. Without each other, George and Lennie have no one. Similarly, Jaycee and Nick experience a lack of fitting in, connecting, feeling grounded in their own lives, until they find one another.

Of course, the counters to friendship are loneliness and loss, and these themes also run through both stories. George and Lennie have suffered loss when we first meet them, and, once at the farm, there is the loss of Candy’s dog, of Lennie’s puppy, of Curly’s wife, and ultimately each other. In The Pull of Gravity Nick, Jaycee and the Scoot all suffer loss (whether temporary or permanent), of family structure, of innocence, and of friendship. It is a bond they have in common and that, ultimately, brings them closer together.

*this 2011 essay written with the generous assistance of Paul W. Hankins.

The Pull of Gravity Goes to School(s) #4

Hey, kiddos!

It's almost summer.  And you know what that means? Summer reading!

I hope someone makes you read my book this summer and you hate me for it.

Okay, fine. That's a lie. I hope someone makes you read it and you secretly love me for it (I pretend to be tough, but I'm not. We all want to be loved, you know).

Anyway, one more TPoG school visit before I part this feature for the lazy, hazy days of June - September. I'll try to bring it back in the fall. Friday Feedback will be kicking strong through the summer. :)

Today I'm sharing  share some of the responses I got from the 9th graders in Mrs. Stotz' class at Windham Christian Academy in Maine. I'm so honored that Mrs. Stotz read TPoG aloud to her students this past winter/early spring. ** So, without further ado, here we go:

Q: What made it a good read aloud? Or what didn't... if it wasn't?

A:  What made it a good read aloud was the fact that we read it as a class. The only downside was that our teacher stopped at crucial moments in the book. - Christopher

A:  I really enjoyed the book, although the teacher seemed to enjoy reading until she got to an exciting part. - Alex

Hah! - gae

A: ... My teacher has a good narrator voice, and sometimes, she spent the whole class time reading. It was bad when she stopped at crucial cliff-hanger moments in the story. - Lauren

Hmmm... Mrs. Stotz, I see a theme developing. ;)

A: This was a very good read aloud because we would stop at the most exciting times. This made the book suspenseful and more enjoyable. - David

A: Mrs. Stotz read it with awesome different voices for each character. The book has many irony parts. - Sunny

and,

A: I did enjoy it because it was read in a narrative tone. When it was read aloud you could feel the emotions of the characters. And at funny parts, it was emphasized and made it funnier. - Seyya

So, let me just take a second to say how amazing I think it is to constantly get feedback from students as to how well (or, um, awesomely!) their teacher reads aloud.  Middle schoolers and high schoolers alike. What a great gift to continue to share with your students!

So, next question:

Q: Did you have a favorite (or least favorite) part or character?

A: My favorite character would probably have to be Scooter a/k/a "the Scoot." His Yoda impressions always seemed to make the moment exciting. "Great you are, young Scooter." The world needs more Star Wars geeks! - Alex

A: Least favorite part: When they were in the hotel. Well, I think that is illegal...? - Hyesu 

*author coughs* Hyesu, they, um, had adjoining rooms. I think that's okay. Except for the part where their parents didn't know. But, um, yeah. *slinks away*


A:  I like Jaycee the most. Some of the ways she dresses -- crazy jewelry, cool clothes -- reminds me of me. I thought she had a really cool personality and depth to her. My least favorite was Nick's dad because he walked out on his family. - Lauren

A: My favorite character was probably Jaycee because she seemed kind. Jaycee was also weird. Troll necklaces??? - David

Um, you mean like this, David:

That was at my book release party, and, yes, my troll
is gold, glittered and bejeweled. My sister made it for me.

A: I didn't like when Nick found out about his dad. - David too.

A: I liked Jaycee. She speaks really fun and honestly. It was fun she knows everything that Nick thinks. - Sunny

Q: Mrs. Stotz class read The Pull of Gravity after they read Of Mice and Men. I asked them, "How did you feel about the references?"


A: I really liked the Of Mice and Men references. The Pull of Gravity was kind of like a modern day version of the novel in several ways. - Alex

A: We had read OMAM before, and it was funny to recognize the references. - Lauren

A: It is more cute. - Hyesu

A: The Pull of Gravity helped to explain some of the things that were happening in the book (OMAM) and added a touch of humor to the book. - Christopher

And, last but not least, my most favorite question:

Q: Did any part of the story make you laugh?

A: Made me laugh quite a bit. - Christopher

A: Yes, many parts ... I believe there was one part about Nick thinking he was being chased by a giant noodle? If so, I thought that was funny because it seemed like giant food was really taking over the world (reference to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). - Alex

and,

wait for it...

come on, we had to bake them for someone,

drum roll....................... and brownie points go to........................

A: When you asked if any part of the story made us laugh, it totally sounded like a trick question. Our whole class was literally laughing out loud whenever we read the book. I loved how you are so good at mixing in humor and drama, and it really made an enjoyable read. Thank you! - Heather

What can I do but give Heather the last word? Thanks to all the awesome 9th graders who participated from Windham Christian Academy! And a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Stotz for choosing The Pull of Gravity as a read aloud.

- gae

** if you'd like to read the other TPoG Goes to School(s) posts in the series, you may find them here:

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/03/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/04/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools-2.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/05/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools-4.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/06/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools.html

The Pull of Gravity Goes to School(s) #2

Las month, TPoG was in the fabulous Jennings Middle School in Indiana.**

This month I feature another awesome group of 8th graders from Megann Tresemer's class from Holmes Middle School in Cedar Falls Iowa.

It's hard not to LOVE them when they found this perfect resting spot for TPoG:

Yoda never gets tired of this book. ;)

According to Ms. Tresemer,

"Yoda held the book in between classes. Students loved holding him while I read aloud. He had quite a calming effect!"

  

And better than that, here's Yoda reading aloud to the kids:

Hah! Come on, I mean, how can I not give them brownie points?! :)

But enough about them, let's hear what they had to say about TPoG:

I asked, is TPoG a good read aloud? If so, why? If not, why not?

Anna:  "What made the book a good read aloud was that it included a boy and a girl as the main characters."

Morgan: "It made us want to keep reading.  We didn’t want our teacher to stop reading at the end of the chapters."

Meghan:  "I think The Pull of Gravity was a good read aloud because the author made us care about Nick and Jaycee and made us want to find out more about how they were doing."

Mitch:  "It was a good read aloud because there were good endings to chapters. The suspense made you want to keep reading."

But, he added, "What didn’t make it a good read aloud was the unanswered question at the end about ..."

Sorry, I edited out what he said because it contained a spoiler. But I hear you, Mitch. You're not the only person that storyline frustrated. You know where to find me. We can talk... ;)

And, a super duper **BONUS ALERT** Ms. Tresemer weighs in on what made it a good read aloud for her!

Mrs. Tresemer: "What made The Pull of Gravity a good read aloud was that it had a male and female main character, their voices were real, and it had funny parts in amongst the serious. The Star Wars references were so fun for me to read aloud!

Reading aloud, I did change some of the swear words, but the kids could always tell when I wasn’t saying the word that was on the page. Also, I skipped over some of the making out on the bus. I just told them today that I didn’t read all of that, so I’m sure many of them will be checking out the book to read what I skipped! J

I think the girls enjoyed the romance between Jaycee and Nick, but because it came through Nick, it wasn’t too flowery for the boys. I think they secretly enjoyed it, too.

Also, many of my students had read or a teacher had read aloud to them Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick last year, and we had many connections between the two books that we could talk about."

Wow, thanks for that. I'm often curious what the teachers edit when they use it as a read aloud. :)

Okay, onward! I asked who their favorite character was, and why:

Mitch says, "My favorite character was Scooter. He was a realist who wasn’t put down by the truth."

I love that, Mitch! Yes, yes he was!

Ilsa: "I really liked Nick’s mom because she was mean at times but she was also comforting. That is something a lot of moms are like, I think."

Nick: "Jaycee was my favorite character because she’s weird but in a way that works."

And, Jordan agreed: "Jaycee was my favorite character because she said things straight up as they were. She had kind of a weird personality, but it fits her." And, she wasn't the only one:

Michaela: "Jaycee was funny, and I liked how she could read Nick’s mind. She’s just kind of like different. That’s cool."

Morgan: "Jaycee is really up front about things. She doesn’t really care about what people think about her. I don’t like it when girls try too hard."

A brief break to see Ms. Tresemer's class being awesome.

So, did you have a favorite part?

Kristin: "My favorite part was when they were kissing on the bus with the candy lips because it fit their personalities."

*sigh* Me, too, Kristin. Me too.

Michaela: "I liked the part when they woke up and they didn’t know what happened to the bus. It was really intense."

Lupe: "I didn’t like when it said Scooter died and then there was the flashback to the funeral because I was like, what?"

I hear you, Lupe. I get mixed reactions on how it was handled. Some people love it, and some people, not so much. Apologies. (I wanted you to experience how it can take you by surprise even if you are expecting it, you know?)

Ilsa: "I loved the part about the water tower and when he’s delirious."

Kayla: "I liked it when they see Nick’s dad and (womp, womp, womp, spoiler deletion ;)) at the restaurant because it was a nice twist. I didn’t see that coming."

How about Of Mice and Men? Did it make you want to read it, or not so much?

Madison: "The Pull of Gravity made me very much interested in reading Of Mice and Men."

Woohoo! *throws confetti!*

Okay, guys, anything else you want to tell me about The Pull of Gravity?

Jordan: "There should be a sequel. I want to find out more about Scooter’s dad…how he (womp, womp, womp, spoiler deletion). I just feel like there’s more you could dig with between Nick’s dad and (...) and then what happens between Nick and Jaycee and if his dad ever comes back."

Well, Jordan, Mitch agrees: "You had better have a sequel coming to answer the unanswered question."

Let's leave Mitch with the last word! :)

A HUGE thanks to Ms. Tresemer and her awesome 8th graders for welcoming The Pull of Gravity into their school year.

-gae

** Here are links to the other TPoG Goes to School(s)! for the 2011-2012 school year:

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/03/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/04/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-school-3.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/05/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools-4.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/06/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools.html

The Pull of Gravity goes to School(s)!!!

That's me in the middle, with the kids from Jennings Middle School.
I love those guys. 

Happy Monday!

Oh, yes, oh yes, it is!

Why? Because today is the first in a new First Monday of the Month series on my blog called The Pull of Gravity Goes to School. Yeah, original title, what's your point? :)

Over the past six months, I've been luckier and luckier to have my book get picked up by schools in one capacity or another -- into the curriculum, as a choice book or summer read, or as a read aloud -- and, let me tell you, I am grateful!

I'm also unbeliveably fortunate to live in a time that allows me to pop into a classroom half way around the country. Through the magic of Skype, I've been to classrooms in Michigan and Indiana, and am about to pop into one in Pennsylvania this week. Of course, it's my absolute favorite when I can be there in person, but, either way, being in a school or a classroom with my target readers is one of the most rewarding experiences I, as a YA author, get to have.

As such, on the first Monday of each month, I'm going to highlight some of these visits on my blog. I've asked the students some basic questions about the book and have gotten some amazing responses. In fact, I've gotten so many awesome responses, please know there's no way I can use them all. I will highlight them the best I am able, with the feature each week morphing, depending on the types of responses that roll in.

**Here are the LINKS (TWO, THREE, FOUR and FIVE) for the other TPoG's Go to School for the 2011-2012 school year) ** 

So, without further ado, this week, The Pull of Gravity goes to Jennings Middle School in Indiana, where awesome 8th grade teacher, Ms. McGriff, read it aloud to her students last month. Let's hear what they had to say!

Look how happy they are! Coincidence or TPoG? ;)

Was TPoG a good read aloud? Why?

David: Yes... the fact that Ms. McGriff is good at reading. I mean, the book is good either way.

Jason: No, because I had already read it myself and didn't wanna listen again.

Katelyn: Yes. Because ... we read it every day. If I was just reading by myself, I doubt I would have had enough time to read it in my own time. It was just a really good book!

Kristen: Yes... normally, when teachers read a book out loud they are extremely boring and I don't enjoy them. But when I heard Pull of Gravity I could read it again and again...

Brianna: Yes...my teacher read with really great expression like she was the characters of the book. I felt like I was watching a movie.

Star: At first, I'll be honest... I didn't think I was really going to like it. At all. I really don't like it when books get read aloud in class. But as I listened to the book, I started to like it. I like it a lot, to be honest. I love the imaginative and colorful character Jaycee. Nick seemed kind of whiny at first, but in the end I liked him a lot and felt as if I understood him. The Scoot could probably be my favorite character...

and, last but not least, the classic, award-winning answer of the day:

Jacob: Yes, because it took up more time in class so we did not have to do work.

:)

Speaking of favorite characters, who was your favorite character, and why?

Heather: Jaycee because of her personality. She's so prepared and smart. She makes the middle and last part of the book come alive!

Skylar: Jeremy because he's so honest.

Star: My favorite character was the Scoot. Even though he knew he'd be facing death at any time, he still evaluated an excellent plan and saw to it that it was excuted. He seemed so funny with all those Star Wars references . . .

Shelbi: Jaycee... she didn't care what people thought of her. If they didn't like her, it was their problem.

Keragan: Nick, because he gets very nervous when he was around Jaycee and he also is embarrassed by his dad.

Notice the troll buttons... :)

A lot of readers don't like the dad. Or, at least they get mad at him. Who was YOUR least favorite character, and why?

Heather: Nick's dad because how could someone leave their family just to lose weight? That was stupid. If I was Nick, I wouldn't read his emails either.

Jasmine: Jeremy, because he didn't care about anything or anyone, just himself. 

Ham Stacks: Well . . .I reckon Nick's dad because he lied to Nick and was a very lowsy dad.

Jacob: Jeremy, cuz he seems kind of mean.

 
Briana: ... I liked them all. Each character played their own part in their own way.

Michelle: The news reporter because he was annoying.

Kelsey: I liked all the characters.

Katelyn: Nick's mom because it seemed like she didn't really do much to help out with anything. Like she wasn't involved.

Did you have a most favorite or least favorite part?

Zachary: (most) -- when they were wrecked they were knocked out.

Kristen: (most) -- when they started the big trip. I think that was everyone's favorite part.

Jacob: (least) --when they kissed it was very disrespectful of their surroundings. They are too young to be doing that.

Nicholas: (least) -- the Scoot dying was the saddest so it was my least favorite.

Hannah: (most) -- When Jaycee got sick at the hotel and Nick was taking care of her until she felt better.

Ham Stacks: (least) -- when Jaycee and Nick kissed. It was completely shasta mcnasty. Ewwwww, growdy. (a direct quote ;));

Kameron: (least) -- when Scooter died;

Makayla: (most) -- at the end on their way home, it was kind of a mystery where the bus driver went.

and, drumroll for the brownie points:

David: (least) -- when the book ended.

:)

Believe you, me, I loved them back. :)

So, maybe most important to me, did any part of the story make you laugh?

Catherine: Yes, when Jaycee had the wax lips!

Nicholas: Yes, the part about the thermometer.

Courtney: Yes, I laughed just about every time Jeremy spoke.

Cheyenne: Yes, I forgot though.

And, finally, the most dreaded question of all... did you learn anything you didn't know from The Pull of Gravity?

Aaron: about the disease Scooter had.

Jacob: no!

Kelsey: It made me want to read Of Mice and Men. I think I will some time.

Star: I honestly couldn't tell ya.



Huge thanks to Ms. McGriff's class at Jennings Middle School for doing this with me!

- gae

p.s. once again, the links to the other posts in the 2011-2012 series:

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/04/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools-2.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/04/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-school-3.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/05/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools-4.html

http://ghpolisner.blogspot.com/2012/06/pull-of-gravity-goes-to-schools.html

Sunday Shadowing on I-94

That is Jen Vincent.

And this ----------------------------------------------------> is Colby Sharp.

(yeah, I did that arrow thing because I can't get my blogger photo arranging to cooperate with me today. So be it.)

Jen and Colby are teachers. The are also super, awesome

NERDIES!  

Clap your hands if you believe in Nerdies.

Okay, fine, whatever.

Colby and Jen both have terrific blogs in their own rights (Sharpreads and Teach Mentor Texts, respectively) but they also do a feature together every month called Reading Along I-94. In Colby's own words,

     "Each month Jen and I read a book together. We take turns selecting the book. About once a week we chat together in a google doc about the book. Sometimes we are in the doc together, and sometimes we type in the doc alone and then let the other person know that they can respond when they have time. We post our discussions on our blogs. It is super fun and VERY nerdy:)"

This month, Colby picked The Pull of Gravity for their I-94 feature:

Colby and Jen, fighting over TPoG.

and I am a (crazy, stalker) fan of his, and incredibly honored, so I've decided to follow along.

Btw, if you want to know why I'm a crazy, stalker fan of Colby's, this is basically all you need to know:

And, while I don't crazy stalker girls, Jen is pretty darn amazing, too!

So, anyway, here's the link to Colby's introductory post on TPoG, or if you don't want to read it (sigh, I know, I know, it's Sunday and the Giants are playing today: Go, GIANTS!), this is the takeaway from what he had to say:


"I can’t help but wonder how my life in high school would have been different if I would have had great books like The Pull of Gravity to read instead of books that made me want to jump off a cliff."

Macmillan, if you're reading, I think that's a great blurb for the cover of the paperback!!!

So, without further ado (because that was quite enough ado already up there, don't you think?), here here are the links to Part 1 of Jen's and Colby's Reading Along I-94 posts (this week's posts are not done in Google Docs, because Jen wasn't available, but the following three Sunday's will likely be :)).

Jen's, in which she shares the awesome word, HAMARTIA (I still don't know if it's real): http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/02/read-along-on-i-94-pull-of-gravity-part.html

and

Colby's, in which he sees fit to post a sweaty and unmade-up photo of me from after yoga two weeks ago in my Nerdy Book Club t-shirt: http://sharpread.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/1118/.

I warn you there are SPOILER ALERTS in the posts. And, if you want to hear what I had to say, check the comments!

Until next Sunday shadowing along I-94. . . HUGE thanks to Colby and Jen.

*adjusts rear-view mirror, and takes off*

Don't text and drive.

- gae