Books the Make You Think, Books that Make You Feel
Some books challenge your brain. Others touch your heart. Some books do both! What books have you read lately that got you thinking about things you never thought of before? What book's character made you shiver in fear or shake with laughter, clench your fists or want to hug your kid brother? What one, special book was so powerful it became part of YOU?
Thinking and feeling are two sides of the same "brain" coin. Exploring how and why you respond to a book - either through thoughts or emotions - is key to understanding yourself. Below are excerpts from two winning letters from past LAL contests. After reading each excerpt, think about what thoughts or emotions the books trigger in their readers.
Letter #1
Dear Mrs. Lowry,
...with each passing paragraph, each turned page, each new chapter, I realized The Giver was different. I couldn't understand why your characters had no recollection of animals. I didn't understand the Ceremonies of Age. I didn't understand what was meant by Release. Release. When I got to that part of your book, I became frightened...I have a younger sister. I reread the passage, hoping I had interpreted it wrongly. But your chilling words were still on the page...
It wasn't until the end that I realized this book was a warning to this generation and to the next, to ten generations from now and 100 generations until then. It is up to us to make sure that our children's children will always be able to ride a sled down a snowy hill...
~ by R. Pynn, Brooklyn, NY
Letter #2
Dear Mr. Sleator
I believe there must be "creatures" living on other planets, and frequently argue this point with friends. Your book Interstellar Pig made me think so hard it was difficult to concentrate on anything else. I'm not going to tell you how well written or how much fun your book is. I really want to tell you what went on in my mind as I read it and how I reacted.
Event though I am a 12-year-old girl, I felt like the main character, a teenage boy. When Barney played interstellar game, I whispered where he should move next. When he was fighting off the extraterrestrials, I was helping him, even though my body was not...
~ by Lindsay, Wauwatosa, WI
Click here for Activity 1.2
Thinking and feeling are two sides of the same "brain" coin. Exploring how and why you respond to a book - either through thoughts or emotions - is key to understanding yourself. Below are excerpts from two winning letters from past LAL contests. After reading each excerpt, think about what thoughts or emotions the books trigger in their readers.
Letter #1
Dear Mrs. Lowry,
...with each passing paragraph, each turned page, each new chapter, I realized The Giver was different. I couldn't understand why your characters had no recollection of animals. I didn't understand the Ceremonies of Age. I didn't understand what was meant by Release. Release. When I got to that part of your book, I became frightened...I have a younger sister. I reread the passage, hoping I had interpreted it wrongly. But your chilling words were still on the page...
It wasn't until the end that I realized this book was a warning to this generation and to the next, to ten generations from now and 100 generations until then. It is up to us to make sure that our children's children will always be able to ride a sled down a snowy hill...
~ by R. Pynn, Brooklyn, NY
Letter #2
Dear Mr. Sleator
I believe there must be "creatures" living on other planets, and frequently argue this point with friends. Your book Interstellar Pig made me think so hard it was difficult to concentrate on anything else. I'm not going to tell you how well written or how much fun your book is. I really want to tell you what went on in my mind as I read it and how I reacted.
Event though I am a 12-year-old girl, I felt like the main character, a teenage boy. When Barney played interstellar game, I whispered where he should move next. When he was fighting off the extraterrestrials, I was helping him, even though my body was not...
~ by Lindsay, Wauwatosa, WI
Click here for Activity 1.2