December 2011
1 post
1 tag
Luis Alberto Urrea: guest blogger at Powell's Book... →
Urrea is on a book tour and blogging as he goes. Sample:
“My wife and I used to joke that the best way to deal with family and your home town was to maintain a 1,000-mile buffer zone. But what you’re really staying away from is the poverty and the struggle of the old days.”
His home town: Tijuana, Mexico.
November 2011
5 posts
1 tag
"Indian 'Shadow Wolves' stalk smugglers on Arizona... →
Los Angeles Times article by Brian Bennett, Nov. 21, 2011, describing “the Shadow Wolves, a team of eight American Indian trackers who stalk drug smugglers though the desolate canyons and arroyos of the Tohono O’odham Nation reservation.” This landscape is the setting for The Devil’s Highway.
2 tags
A vote for "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
I vote for Outliers. What a great—and interesting—book, with so much to offer our freshmen, I think. I like the way Gladwell talks about circumstances and “luck,” and how he characterizes the nature of “getting things done” (for lack of a better term). Yep, that one has MY vote for sure. I’m recommended this book to many people in the past, all of whom...
4 tags
Choosing Me Talk Pretty One Day
I nominated Me Talk Pretty One Day for a few reasons:
1. The text is well written, witty, poignant, funny, touching and thought provoking.
2. Since each chapter is a different story or essay, it’s easy to pick and choose specific parts of the texts to focus on without losing continuity of a plot.
3. Sedaris’ essays discuss a variety of issues that our students can relate to and...
6 tags
Barresi's Short List
I think (here at the 11th hour) that there are some clear frontrunners, especially if the goal is to grab young readers and keep them reading: Outliers (What can’t Gladwell write about and make interesting?); Me Talk Pretty One Day (Sedaris is laugh-out-loud-funny, poignant—the whole nine yards); The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (The non-fiction book of the last two years, it...
3 tags
The Help (why it should be chosen)
Out of the books nominated thus far, The Help seems to be one of those books that fits the selection criteria quite well. First off, it’s highly readable and not difficult to get through. I think most freshman consider “required” reading to be rather intimidating in nature. This book is definitely not that.
There’s plenty to discuss (race relations, class struggle, civil...
October 2011
2 posts
1 tag
Diana Wynne Jones, Year of the Griffin
A funny, raucous tale of six freshman students starting their studies at a Wizarding University that has fallen on hard times. I particularly like the way that the novel captures academic politics and the feeling of stretching one’s wings in an exciting new environment (that isn’t always entirely friendly to one’s ambitions). Some of the students must deal with parents who don’t want them to be...
4 tags
Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: Great for Freshmen
I’m using Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers in my large Introduction to Sociology class this semester and the students love it. One freshman even asked his parents to buy him other books written by Gladwell for his birthday. Gladwell discusses many sociological concepts and refers to sociological theorists so the book is an excellent supplement to a sociology text. Its contents have...
September 2011
1 post
2 tags
"One Amazing Thing" by Chitra Divakaruni
From Erin Delaney: seven reasons she just nominated One Amazing Thing:
I just finished reading One Amazing Thing last night, and I’d like to nominate it for the freshman common reading. I think it’s a good fit for us for a few reasons:
1. It has an international, multicultural focus that we haven’t really explored yet. The book features a diverse group of characters, all...
July 2011
1 post
1 tag
CSUN's CommonRead in The Chronicle.... →
June 2011
3 posts
2 tags
Summer Reading: 10 Titles from Zocalo Public... →
All are non-fiction. I’m just assuming you’re a reader or you wouldn’t be reading this blog.
1) Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit, by Barry Estabrook
2) Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, by Martin E.P. Seligman
3) Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty, by...
2 tags
“With the release of Precious, the film based on Sapphire’s first novel,...”
– The Kid by Sapphire, hardcover, 384 pages, Penguin Press, list price: $25.95, pub. date: July 5, 2011.
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/01/136580422/take-a-flight-of-fancy-into-upcoming-summer-reads
Los Angeles Times book review of The Kid by Carolyn Kellogg: July 3, 2011.
1 tag
Graphic novels: what other programs are thinking
The First Year Experience listserv has been discussing the use of graphic novels in freshman common reading programs today. I thought I’d share a few thoughts. Feel free to reply with additional ideas (or ask me to edit this post).
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: adopted by many colleges in the past; the movie came out in 2007. “It was our most popular selection ever with students....
May 2011
1 post
1 tag
Five titles from the "California Reads" program
“California Reads” is a statewide “program of the California Council for the Humanities (CCH), in partnership with the California Center for the Book (CFB), [ … ] designed to support public libraries in developing programs that will stimulate meaningful dialogue among diverse community members by using works of fiction and non-fiction.” They have recently chosen five...
January 2011
5 posts
Tattoos on the Heart
We’re so sad you didn’t choose TATTOOS ON THE HEART! Looks like there were people who were really pulling for it here. Maybe next time! Feel free to request books from us by contacting Claire - I’d be glad to give recommendations! claire.kelley@simonandschuster.com.
Ranking the 5 finalists
From selection committee member Mary Marca (who will not be able to make the meeting):
My first choice is The Hunger Games. I think this book with its young heroes will definitely engage the freshmen, and with a professor’s guidance they can engage in productive discussions that will help them grow intellectually. It can be used in a variety of courses, except perhaps math and music. The book...
2 tags
Hunger Games and Tattoos on the Heart
From Selection Committee member Bonnie Ericson:
My votes:
1st place: The Hunger Games. Why? Incoming/freshmen will read it and they’ll ENJOY reading it. Potential for discussion and activities.
2nd place: Tattoos on the Heart. Why? Compelling and interestingly organized. Potential for discussion and activities.
I’ve read all five books, and I enjoyed and appreciated them...
Just Like Us
This book could work well as the chosen title—one needn’t read the whole thing to get something out of it, and college students will relate to the girls and their friends. Although I’ve always been very liberal about illegal immigrants, this book made me think about it differently—-beyond how I feel about having people being paid under the table to pick fruit or clean...
2 tags
Tattoos on the Heart
I highly and enthusiastically encourage the committee to select Father Greg Boyle’s Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. This book is a moving account of struggling youth in the Los Angeles area, a wonderful read that will encourage our students to be serious students and work on behalf of others in our society.
Submitted by Marta Lopez-Garza
(This opinion is one of...
December 2010
1 post
Zeitoun
I agree that Zeitoun is a terrific option for the common read. It is very easy to read, well-paced, and informative. CSUN students would benefit from learning about a modern tragedy (the government’s handling of Katrina) and issues with non-Christians in the US. Also, faculty could use individual chapters for teaching, such as Kathy’s conversion to Islam. A student needn’t...
November 2010
4 posts
2 tags
Tattoos on the Heart: A Story of Positive Change
My name is Antonio Gallo and I am part of the Chicano Studies Faculty here at Cal State Northridge. I was pleasantly surprised and excited to hear that Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle may be one of the books selected for the 2011-12 Freshman Reading. Fr Greg Boyle is one of the main reasons why I was able to attend CSUN as a student and am now here as a faculty member, writing this letter...
About Zeitoun: "very appealing, superior writing"
I am a big fan of Dave Eggers, not to mention Dickens (referenced in the NY TImes review), and as long as we are advised on how to pronounce Zeitoun, this sounds like a very appealing book to teach: superior writing + timely issues.
Submitted via email by Elyce Wakerman, Faculty, English Department
2 tags
Pros and Cons of Tattoos on the Heart as a Common...
1. Engaging our first-year students: It’s LA-based and focused on a problem we all face, the growth of gangs. In those ways, it’s a lot like The Soloist. The author, a priest, struggles with how to give other options to gang members and parolees. He founds Homeboy Industries, Inc. I think it will cause reflection too—Boyle says no one who has hope joins a gang. Is this...
1 tag
The Glass Castle: "wonderful"
I have read The Glass Castle and I thought it was wonderful. I think students would like it, too, and the fact that Jeannette Walls is a real person who managed to flourish in spite of that bizarre upbringing makes it all the more fascinating.
Submitted by:
Wendy Snyder, Ph.D.
Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Linguistics Program; Academic First Year Experiences
October 2010
1 post
My Vote for 2011/12: To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is timeless. Even though it was published in 1960, the themes portrayed within the novel are still relevant today. Racial conflict, inequality, the loss of innocence and the power of integrity are all here. In addition to its large themes, the book is readable and written with humor and has one of the most endearing narrators of all time.
Winner of the Pulitzer, To Kill a...
July 2010
2 posts
2 tags
“I wanted to give you my own opinion about The Soloist and how I feel about The...”
– Freshman student at CSUN, writing about The Soloist by Steve Lopez (the 2009-2010 Freshman Common Reading) in an email to her University 100 professor, December 2009.
2 tags
Just Like Us: Thoughts from Scott Andrews
[A longer post than most but certainly interesting and comprehensive.]
Cheryl,
I’ve just finished reading the book [Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America by Helen Thorpe], and I thought I would share some thoughts with you about its possibilities for the Freshman Common Reading program.
Many students would be able to identify with the four young...
April 2010
1 post
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn: pro and con from Beverly...
Positive:
1. This novel demonstrates to students the interaction between teachers and students. I use the novel for developmental writing (English 098) and I asked the students to discuss what kind of student and what kind of teacher the book illustrates. The dialogue between the characters (a human student and a gorilla teacher) is a Socratic dialogue. The student/narrator engages in the...
January 2010
3 posts
Better...Not
I read Better over break and found it interesting, but would not recommend it for the freshman common reading. Although it contained good essays and taught the valuable academic lessons of the importance of gathering data and making decisions based on evidence, I don’t think freshmen will be engaged. No emotion, no characters, no plot. Too dry and I fear they would not be able to...
Applying the criteria to Better
* “Does this book engage freshmen, and draw them into reading and reflection?” Doubtful
* “Does this book encourage freshmen to grow intellectually?” I don’t really feel it will engage freshmen, so no.
* “Does this book encourage thought and discussion in a variety of courses and contexts?” Yes
* “Does this book value diverse cultural...
Applying the criteria to Enrique's Journey
* “Does this book engage freshmen, and draw them into reading and reflection?” Hard to tell how freshmen will react. I, as a mother, was drawn in right away (in the Introduction).
* “Does this book encourage freshmen to grow intellectually?” I think about the topic of the book, yes. As readers, no.
* “Does this book encourage thought and discussion in a variety...
November 2009
3 posts
2 tags
Better: "inspires students to be, literally,...
I am torn between saying “Yes, yes!” to Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance, and saying “NO, NO!” because I design both my English 205 (Business Writing) and 306 (Report Writing) syllabi around this book, and if they read it as freshmen, it’s going to be harder for me to use it, since it’ll be a “repeat.” But it’s AWESOME. ...
2 tags
Curious Incident: "Big thumbs up"
I’ve taught The Curious Incident… several times and students respond enthusiastically to the mystery, the wit, and most significantly, to the insight into the mind of an autistic child. The book has that rare quality of being simultaneously accessible and challenging. Big thumbs up on this one.
Elyce Wakerman
2 tags
Enrique's Journey: "an incredible story"
The semifinalists are some really exciting choices! I haven’t read them all but Enrique’s Journey is an incredible story that would really allow a lot of conversation around immigration, border issues, migrant workers, and Central American culture. It’s a wonderful read! That’s my personal pick :)
Erica L. Lovano McCann
Special Projects Coordinator
Office of Student Housing
October 2009
5 posts
The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night Time
I am confident that all books chosen by committee members are titles which represent some area where we would like our students to learn and grow. In many of the titles nominated, we can accomplish exactly that task. With that said, The Curious Incident is a book that chronicles the quest of a boy with autism as he seeks to discover who killed his neighbor’s dog. In the process readers are taught...
Picking Cotton
Kitty offers her “two cents” (her phrase):
Here are two obvious sites to look at:
http://innocenceproject.org/
http://www.pickingcottonbook.com
Reasons to choose the book:
The wrongful conviction issue is ongoing and pertinent.
The book provides both sides of the story and promotes justice (not to mention forgiveness).
The book opens the door to discussion (which can lead to...
Banker to the Poor
Banker to the Poor would be a great pick. Here is a bit from the publisher’s website:
“The simple idea of micro-loans is revolutionizing developing economies. Instead of lending large sums of money to often corrupt bureaucracies, economist Muhammad Yunus founded Grameen Bank to offer tiny sums, as little as $5, to individual craftspeople, tenant farmers, and subsistence entrepreneurs...
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
I am positive this book would work very well for us. I’ve seen other campuses use it. I liked it a lot. Did I mention: don’t forget our posted Selection Criteria? See http://www.csun.edu/afye/Criteria.html
How to post your opinion about a title
Go to the list of books nominated for 2010-11 at CSUN
Jot down the title of the book you’re going to talk about.
Write your opinion on the submission page form.
Give me a little time to notice your post is waiting; when I see it, I’ll post it (unless it’s off-topic or otherwise unusable).