You Gotta Be the Book :Jeffrey Wilhelm, Bruce Novak

"Reading is an intimate act, perhaps more intimate than any other human act. I say this because of the prolonged exposure of one mind to another." This quote begins to think of many of the great books I have read and how I believe it is true. Take for instance the book The Outsiders by SE Hinton, many boys relate very well to this book even though they are not usually to the extreme poverty level and struggle these boys experience in the book they still experience many similar struggles. If you are able to find books that the majority of your class is able to connect with personally then this in itself will help the readers engage in the materials. I also believe a big part of this as a teacher is helping students understand how these books can relate to their students lives. For example many students have negative views towards alot of Shakespeare's plays but this is because they do not understand how something like this can relate to them. If the teacher is able to help the students understand how Shakespeare can relate to them in their everyday lives the students will be able to find that connection to the literature and will likely become more engaged. As a teacher it is important to get an understanding of your students and realize what type of novels are going to engage them the most and use these novels to help students engage in the reading.