We Beat the Street by The Three Doctors

This book was a totally different read than Blink! I enjoyed it and was impressed with the plight of these young men. I felt the writing here, whether Draper's or the doctors', is simple and accessible and there is plenty of action for reluctant readers. I hadn't realized it earlier, but this book is adaptation of an adult autobiography titled The Pact. More advanced readers may want to read this title.

I felt this book spoke directly to young people growing up in similar circumstances, but that is not to say that even the students in our suburban high school wouldn't be inspired by their message. I think one of the concepts that resonated with me is the idea that surrounding yourself with people who have similar goals and ideals is an important way to stay focused, and out of trouble. I wish more students heeded this message.

I also thought the fact that the boys don't live "choir boy" lives makes the story even more believable. Hunt even gets in trouble while in medical school. Students need to see that there are options, and even if you do screw up, it is not the end.

I think this book has a niche with reluctant readers, it is an easy read, and moves fast. I could see this having applications in the classroom. Much of the literature we teach deals with people overcoming adversity...this would be a good title to use in conjunction with such books. Using it in a literature circle might also work, perhaps grouped with other true stories of survival, especially stories from people in other cultures. I think we tend to see only our narrow world, and this would help to expand our students' global perspective. The fact that these doctors have a nonprofit foundation (http://www.threedoctorsfoundation.org) might be something we could explore in connection to the book?

Anxious to see what you all thought.

Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

As we explore the text Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, what we need to keep in mind is the benefit for our students to be exposed to non-fiction. Blink offers students ideas to think about their daily interactions with others. The message of trusting our first instincts and reading cues from others is a skill everyone can benefit from. Using stories to introduce skills like the Statue that Didn't Look Right and Paul Van Riper's Big Victory allowed the reader to make connections and were intended to be interests grabbers. After reading Blink, would this be a text you would use to give students the opportunity to read non-fiction? How would Blink be utilized in a classroom? What feedback do you feel students would share after reading this text?