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A Summary of Gerald Graff’s “Disliking Books” Gerald Graff’s disliking books starts off as him declaring that his early fear of reading made him a better teacher to his students. It seems he had a lot of pressure put on him to read from his father who would push him to read, but Graff never became interested in reading likely because it felt forced if he was to enjoy reading it would have to come naturally. And though he speaks of his childhood in a sort of rough manner being a culturally mixed neighborhood and that the rougher working class children might beat him up if he was too peculiar or different or intellectual. He enjoyed the more practical pursuits in math and science rather than literature, as they would apply to everyday life and would make a good career field to go into, and when Gerald was child, boys who were bookworms were deemed "sissies" and beaten up.
Sherman Alexie, a Spokane Indian boy who taught himself to read by the age of three, grew up being ridiculed for his reading passion. However, since then, he has published numerous books and earned numerous awards, including the World Heavyweight Poetry Bout title in 1998. Alexie was raised with poor/middle-class standards, but was always surrounded by books, his father purchase. Alexie never let the stereotype of Indians slow him down, and refused to fail because he knew he smart, arrogant and lucky. He read every time he had an opportunity including: late at night, during recess, at lunch, after finishing class assignments, and while traveling to powwows or basketball games.
The circumstances in which a child is raised can affect their feelings towards literature. If parents are supportive of a child’s education, they will grow up with more happiness towards learning and reading. For example, Jeannette Walls, in her memoir, The Glass Castle, tells how though she was raised in poverty, her parents supported reading. In the same way, Eudora Welty, in her memoir, One Writer’s Beginnings, explains how she was raised in a loving home by parents who completely supported reading. Whereas Walls was raised in poverty, Welty was raised with money.
Analysis of “Superman and me” “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and me” is a very interested story written by Sherman Alexie. Alexie was a motivated 3 year old Spokane Indian boy from the Washington State reservation, who loved to read. He learn how to read from looking through Superman comic books and assuming the picture were meaning a certain thing. The little boy and his family grew up on an Indian reservation, and was label as middle class people in accordance to the reservation standards. Growing up on this reservation the little boy was told that Native American should be dumb and unintelligent.
Stephen L. Carter saw a future without reading. He saw what life would be like without the complexity of novels and forward thinking. In “Reading For Pleasure Is in Painful Decline,” Carter illustrates how reading amongst people has not progressed but digressed. Simply being at a screening of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and seeing two girls discuss the importance of reading for pleasure, his mind was exposed to the reality of today’s world sans reading and the knowledge that is adhered with it. He justifies that by reading a fiction novel and later moving into more challenging works, people can further the boundaries of their knowledge.
The first time one is able to comprehend the meaning of a word is a momentous childhood moment that is forever engraved in one’s memory. Books and reading are significantly impactful to people’s lives; Mark Twain said that, “books are for people who wish they were somewhere else.” This statement is apropo for Sherman Alexie, who was a Native American living on a reservation during the time he learned to read. Sherman Alexie convinces his audience that an education is crucial to being successful by using personal anecdotes to captivate and create a connection with his audience and repetition to reiterate the importance of having an education. Alexie's use of personal anecdotes fortifies the impact he has on his audience.
Home is Where the Learning Starts Children start to love reading at a young age, but when reading textbooks the love for reading slowly starts to deteriorate. Most kids hate to read in school because it’s nothing they are truly interested in when in all reality children need to understand how important reading is. In the essay “My Literacy History” by Dedrick Skinner and “The Lonely Good Company of Books” by Richard Rodriguez he explains how he did not know why reading was so important, but as he grew older he understood its values. I also developed a love for books at young age when my mom began to read to me, but as I grew up I felt reading was a struggle because I didn’t understand its values like Rodriguez.
In “Reading Books Is Fundamental,” Charles Blow describes the effect that reading had on him and his family growing up. Growing up, he was
Eudora Welty was an American novelist whose books centered around the American South. Welty is famously known for her book, The Optimist 's Daughter, which she earned a pulitzer prize for in 1973. In Welty’s memoir, “One Writer’s Beginnings” she reminisces on her childhood memories during the early 1900s in Jackson, Mississippi. Her memoir focuses on her early life with reading and the impact it had on her life. The intensity and value of Welty’s early experiences with reading and books is displayed through her descriptions of the librarian, Mrs. Calloway, her own experiences with reading, and the descriptions of her mother’s influence on her life as a reader.
Practically everyone read one or two books, and then there was the occasional student who 'd managed to thumb through five or six. I was one of the last to be called on. “Kayla?” Mrs. Fisher said, prepared to tack on a book or two more. “Twenty-seven,” I’d said, and smoothed out my filled-up reading log.
The history of my literacy has been a long road of a frustration and learned lessons. As a child, I was a bit of a loner so reading and writing were the closest thing to a social life for me. The things that I bottled up inside came out through my writing and it became somewhat of a pass time for me. As long I could remember literacy as has been an important value for me in my life because from very young age I got express my true self without being judged by the outside. Even though in my later years I would deal with some heartaches and set back that lead me to give up on my love for reading.
Despite the negative stereotype of American Indians, the objections and disapproval of fellow Natives, and the criticism of others, Sherman Alexie went on to become a successful writer that has inspired many. Alexie overcame many obstacles that would have deterred him from his goal, but he was able to remain steadfast and continue on in his pursuit of writing. As a result, he has published many literary works that include several short stories, poems, and a variety of novels. He allows his culture to seep into his writing, and continues to inspire young American Indians who also desire the path of knowledge.
Today the books that always manage to get my attention are usually the books based on true events. My earliest memory of being read to isn’t necessarily being read to by my parents but being read to by teachers. Both my parents were always working, so they never had time to read to me. I didn’t have any older siblings to help me so when I started school, it was the first time I was exposed to reading.
My experience as a reader isn 't as extraordinary as many, but I love to read. I had some great teachers throughout my education that taught me to enjoy reading challenge oneself and not be intimidated by it. Through college and today I do not have much time to read, other than school books speech, education ,and reading. Those are the sweet books I know read.
The world of picture books soon came to a close and so arrived the multitude of textbooks along with simple chapter books. My mind wasn’t ready to fully comprehend all that was being thrown my way. Which in turn caused me to fall behind my classmates as a consequence, I was sent to Guided Reading more than my peers. We would sit in a tiny room around a tiny table with three to four other students. They gave us picture books to start with.
