The Outsiders (book 2, week 2)

Timothy's book selection for week 1 summer reading was a huge success. Oh, the gross stuff we learned from How They Croaked: King Henry VIII's 300 pound body exploding in his coffin; George Washington's rotting teeth with abscesses and carbuncles in his mouth; and Edgar Allen Poe's fascination with death and misery after everyone he loved died of tuberculosis. We even read that Albert Einstein's eyeballs are in a bank safe deposit box somewhere in New Jersey. Who knew?!


In fact, the book was so engrossing (ha! a pun!) that Timothy finished it BEFORE the week was over, and last night I was reading in bed when I looked over and noticed that Joe was reading it, too.


For book 2, week 2 we are switching gears with The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I remember seeing a copy of the book when I was in middle school, but at that time a book about a gang of boys did not interest me at all. For that reason I didn't read it until I was in high school when the boy on the bus gave me a copy to read on the ride home. When I got to the chapter when Johnny died, I cried bawled right there on the bus. In front of everyone.


(BTW, you can read about the boy on the bus here.)


Anyway, this is a good book with some complex themes, and I'm going to enjoy sharing it with Timothy. I also have some plans ...


-To set the mood, I am going to first show Timothy the trailer for the movie. Very dramatic.
-We are going to do a line-by-line analysis of Robert Frost's poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay.
-I will give Timothy a list of characters with a brief description of each one.
-At the end of each chapter we will either have a chapter discussion, or he will write a one-paragraph summary.
-There will be a unit test on The Outsiders. Oh yes. Got it off the internet.
-When Timothy finishes the book we're going to have a family night and watch the movie.


And there you have it, The Outsiders. I just need to make sure and have a box of tissues handy. You know ...


Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.