Book Report

Question: What does a poem have to do with a book report?

Answer: The poem has two sides to it, one positive, one negative, in response to the book. The question is in the middle of the page, the positive response on the left, the negative response on the right.

Example: What did I think about the book? Positive: “Loved it.” Negative, “Hated it.”

Unfinished sentence: “It was the….” Positive, “Best.” Negative, “Worst.”

Unfinished sentence: “The Ballyhoo Review gave it five stars. I give it….” Positive, “Ten.” Negative, “No more than three.”

Unfinished sentence: “The beginning of the book was….” Positive, “Engaging.” Negative , “Boring.”

Comment: And so on. The best parts of the contrasting positive and negative statements occur later on the page. Sorry, it would not be fair to copy the entire poem, but you could read it yourself by requesting it at ncte.org. Your students might get a kick out of it. RayS.

Title: “De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum (A poem for Two Voices).” SD Collins. Language Arts (May 2011), p. 396.

NOTE: ESL (English as a Second Language). Beginning on June 27, 2011, I began a series of article reviews dealing with teaching English as a second language. This series of article reviews continues right through the present time in July 2011. The articles suggest practical techniques for working with ESL students. You will find these reviews at http://www.raysteh2-rays.blogspot.com/. The title of the blog is “Teaching English How To….”  RayS.