Book Club: Eleanor and Park
Throughout my exposure to education as a both a future educator and a lifelong student, I can confidently say that human connection plays a massive role in a successful education. As a teacher, it will be one of my biggest priorities to challenge myself to connect with my future students in ways which allow them to grow independently in a safe space.
Of course, as a lover of all things having to do with literature, it makes perfect sense for me to believe that reading is one of the best ways to make these connections! The relationship one develops with a novel is personal, and whether it is loved or hated it is a lesson learned. The independence which comes from reading is a great way for young adolescents to branch out and grow at their own pace. Not only do young adolescents learn personally, they also have the opportunity to learn together by recommending books to each other. The benefits of being exposed to novels and reading are endless, and I will forever identify myself as an advocate of reading as learning.
A book I believe is worthy of recognition for this age range is Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park. Protagonists Eleanor and Park are navigating their unique and tricky home lives when they find each other and decide to take on their problems together. Eleanor and Park surfaces ideas of relationships which young adolescents may be too shy to otherwise ask about. While I’m not claiming that Eleanor and Park has all of the answers for relationship struggles and other hardships that life presents, it is a good way for people of this age to find comfort in relating to characters.
Young adolescents are at a crucial point of development where the amount of information they are taking in can often be difficult to sort through. Eleanor and Park offers information which allows for growth but also with the space for outside figures to have dialogue with the plot.
It has been quite a few years since I have read this novel, however I am excited to reread and have the opportunity to relate to my future students!
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing your opinions on this book. My PLC group had discusses reading this book and I'm curious to see the different aspects of the plot that would be able to connect to classroom. This novel, as you said, seems to not have all the answers but it offers unique experiences that can relate to the already busy lives of adolescents. Relationships are something that are constantly changing and adapting. So, I look forward to see how Eleanor and Park is able to impact our decisions when it comes to helping adolescents with relationships.
Hey Sarah!
ReplyDeleteMy PLC group didn't discuss reading this book, but I am so glad I read your blog post about it! Your ideas surrounding the book make a lot of sense. Navigating relationships for anybody can be a struggle. Depending on an endless list of factors, students' experiences navigating relationships in their own lives can be drastically different and or nonexistent. This book seems like a good place for students to see some answers to questions they might have regarding that.
Hi Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI like how you talked about the importance of human relationships in teaching. All of my favorite teachers I had growing up were the ones who cared about me as a person as opposed to simply a student from 8-2 on week days. The book you are reading seems really interesting I am sure that now that you are re-reading it you will pick on more ideas that will help you as a teacher.