First, I just need to vent how frustrating it is to try to accomplish anything without access to a computer. Our entire Caldwell County Schools computer system (Active Directory, the Internet, all of our files and documents, even the use of Microsoft Word…) has been messed up SINCE LAST WEDNESDAY. We haven’t had access to our files (which was torture…), email, or anything. Every day when we’d come in, they’d make some announcement about how we still couldn’t get on our computers, and I just had to really remember how important it is to be versatile and quick-thinking as a teacher… Today we have a workday because our school is a polling site, and we weren’t allowed to even turn our computers on… until about 15 minutes ago! All of my files are still there (thank goodness!!!), but I’m scared that they’re going to come back on and say that there are problems again… SO, I feel like I am finally connected to my teaching world again – all of the links to websites that I had been using for my multi-genre project are there again for me to see, and my work seems to be saved and safe. Let’s hope and pray that it stays that way!
Okay, just wanted to share that first. While I have the Internet, I figured I’d better go ahead and post a quick response to Siena Cherson Siegel’s To Dance because I forgot to include that one with my other responses.
I absolutely love this book. The story is so beautifully done and the graphic novel approach/format works so well for this type of memoir because the pictures added so much to her memories and really moved the story in a forward-in-time direction. I love the use of detail to make you feeeeel what she felt and the addition of just enough terminology and factual information (about ballet, the history, the famous dancers, schools, etc.) to interest me and add to the flow of the story, but not get the reader too bogged down. And, how beautifully sad that the final ballet is such an intensely powerful story of love and life and death, and it’s used as a kind of memorial dance in honor of Mr. B. I loved it!
I am sorry you have had such a frustrating time. I know when my internet is down for 15 minutes I about go crazy so I cannot even imagine the frustration I would feel after a few days. I am glad all of your files are safe and you are able to be up and running again!
Thanks!
You’re right…the graphic novel approach worked really well for this type of memoir. I can totally see all ages of students connecting with this story in some way and wanting to make their own version!