Mr. Walden's (Mostly) English Blog

Books, Books, Books . . .

"... [F]or some of us, books are as important as almost anything on Earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die. They are full of all the things that you don't get in real life--wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. And quality of attention: we may notice amazing details during the course of a day but we rarely let ourselves stop and really pay attention. An author makes you notice, makes you pay attention, and this is a great gift. My gratitude for good writing is unbounded; I'm grateful for it the way I'm grateful for the ocean. Aren't you?"

-- Anne Lamott, from Bird by Bird, a wonderful book about writing

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Student Book Recommendations

I'm always compiling lists of books to recommend to students. If you have a great book to recommend to your fellow high school students, please respond with the author and title. No anonymous posts allowed -- you'll need a Google account to reply. (It's free, and it only takes a few minutes to set up.)

Or, if you prefer, drop me a line on Schoology.

A Few Tips for Writers (I saw these on a poster.)