“You Gotta BE the Book”

Part 2

After reading chapter 3 of You Gotta BE the Book by Jeffery Wilhelm, one of the sections that I found interesting was entering the story world and relating to characters. I really enjoyed this part of the section because I could relate to it. Whenever I read I put myself into the story. Most of the time as the main character and then while I read and they are explaining different situations the characters are in I can see it in my head as real people. Or there are even times where I’ll be reading a book and I get so emotionally attached to characters and plot lines that there are times where I break down and cry. I think that most kids now that are forced to read in school tend to not pick up books outside of class and that’s very upsetting. To me reading books and getting so connected with them lets me escape reality for a while and I get to go into a whole new world. And I hate that kids today don’t experience that enough.

I like how Jeffery Wilhelm shares stories about his own students that relate to the topics he brings up. His students share how the stories they read affect them while reading. I think it is important for young readers to have such a connection with a book that while reading it they feel like it is actually coming to life around them.

In chapter 4 we are introduced to drama in the classroom. I personally believe that using drama in the classroom is immensely helpful for students and it gives them a visual representation of what is happening in the book while they read it. And going back to entering into the story world and relating to characters I think that drama is helpful in that sense too. It really makes students feel like they are a part of the book or even the characters themselves.