In a moment of naiveté and hope, I decided to share this book with my students today. We've been studying the ocean and we just talked about tsunamis, so I thought it was pretty relevant. As an additional bribe, I started off by telling them that it was in their reading range and that it was worth 2 Accelerated Reader points. They actually did ask me to read it aloud to them, so I expected...something. Big mistake.
Now, keep in mind that I absolutely love this book. As I wrote the other day, it is a milestone book in my memory and it's very special to me.
As I began to read, students began to cut up and talk. They were giggling about something and not paying attention. One by one, all five girls put their heads down and went sound asleep. The boys made faces and gestures at each other when I wasn't looking (and how can I look when I'm reading aloud?!). After a minute or two, I began to walk around instead of perching on my stool at the front of the room.
As I continued to read, I had to stop several times to wait for students to stop talking and playing. I knew I had arrived at a low moment during this exchange, though. Keep in mind that this book is about two boys in Japan who must deal with the aftermath when a tsunami destroyed the village where they live.
Me: (reading) "...as their black heads popped out of the water, he extended a hand to each of them, pulling them from the surf."
Student: But I thought they were Chinese!
Me: (wheels turning as I desperately try to figure out what I've read that confused him about the race of these characters) Oh! No, that just means they have black hair, not that they are black.
*sigh* Why did I think that I could share this book with them? I was so tired when they left at the end of that period that all I wanted to do was curl up on my couch and sleep. It's rather discouraging.
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