Exploring the Affective Side of Reading Life

The Present of Story: Exploring the Affective Side of the Reading through Life 
By John Schu
(Stenhouse Publishers, 2022 – Understand much more)

Reviewed by Kathleen Palmieri

It has extended been my perception that a e-book is the gift that keeps on offering. You browse it, slide in appreciate with the story, advise it, lend it, and then treasure it as it sits upon your bookshelf waiting around for the next go to.

So when I read about John Schu’s The Reward of Story: Checking out the Affective Side of the Reading through Daily life, I couldn’t hold out to get a duplicate.

There is nothing at all better than keeping a model-new ebook, the smooth experience of the deal with and the odor of freshly printed internet pages. As I opened Schu’s reserve and started to glance over the table of contents, it pulled at my heartstrings.

I could listen to myself sharing books with my pupils making use of many of the exact same phrases I noticed in the TOC – this kind of as the chapter title “Book of Your Heart” and other individuals that explained a tale as “healer, Inspiration, clarifier, and connector.”

A guide that invites audience to linger

Skilled guides have a tendency to invite the reader to browse the chapters and not examine in any unique order, only to uncover what is relatable or wanted at that time. The Reward of Tale is not a single of people books.

Certainly, you can certainly flip by way of and notice the excellent guides that are advised, or locate inspiration in reading #StoryIs contributions from many authors and educators. Nonetheless, as before long as I examine the foreword by Katherine Applegate, and the notice from the writer, I felt like I was invited into a streaming dialogue that I did not want to conclusion.

Schu describes his e-book as “a reserve of my heart,” imagining his reader as “sitting beside me as we consider this journey collectively,” inviting his audience to be “enthusiastic literacy champions…waiting to suggest that unique e book that stays with them (learners) for the relaxation of their lives.” (website page xiv)

What a reserve can do for a reader

I really like the to start with chapter, Guide of Your Heart, and the many queries that we can pose about textbooks that could unleash the electricity of what a guide can do for a reader. Questions this sort of as “Is there a reserve that served you far better realize oneself or a classmate?” or “Is there a e-book that calms you and helps you discover your way back to joy?” (site 2).

The A single and Only Ivan is a book that adjusted Schu’s everyday living. He describes the effects this children’s e book had on him as an grownup and the question he requested himself: “What was it about this distinct book that spoke to me?” This led to a realization that Ivan’s story helped him to have an understanding of areas of himself.

In this chapter Schu demonstrates by means of encounters how “Stories have the power to strengthen and recover hearts.” (page 5) This to start with chapter not only sets the stage for an outstanding journey into the power of stories, it also creates the wish to retain turning the webpages.

Finding your definition of tale

During this studying journey Schu helps the reader find out their definition of “story.” He reminds us that story is extra than tale components this kind of as characters, location, and plot. He asks that we “expand our strategies of tale as we take into account other features that could not be instantly apparent – this kind of as pleasure, joy, compassion, laughter, link, lifestyle, and identification.” (site 6)

He goes on to question us to implement a “flexible definition” of tale to include both the educational and affective requirements of our students. The affective factors are the massive concentration of this ebook and what truly will resonate with the reader. These factors consist of tale as clarifier, healer, inspiration, compassion, and connector.

Bringing the coronary heart into studying

Each and every of the affective factors of a story are explored in the chapters that abide by. Titles and experiences are shared – from how we assistance students link with guides, to strategies we can introduce new titles, to QR codes that assist us dive deeper into others’ ideas shared by the “#StoryIs” hashtag.

Schu presents not only quite a few titles within each of the affective ingredient chapters, but also fantastic QR codes such as “Tips for Coaching Booktalks” (site 40) and “Book Trailers” (web site 41-43) to identify a handful of. The “Mr. Schu Suggests” web pages are fantastic assets not only providing titles but insight into every single guide.

The ultimate chapter, “Story as Connector,” can only be explained with a single phrase – outstanding. It is really the chapter that “connects” all the many others and provides poignant activities, insights, and means to convey stories from the coronary heart into the classroom, as one particular of the subsections beautifully features.

For instance, equally “International Dot Day” (page 110) and “Poem in Your Pocket Day” (page 115) give QR codes, exhibiting that there are so numerous means to hook up to a story in the classroom or inside of the group.

In the words and phrases of Schu: “Together, let’s share our hearts via story.” (website page 131).

A present that keeps on giving

John Schu’s The Reward of Story: Exploring the Affective Side of the Examining Existence is truly a reward. Next chapter 6 is “The Story Continues” (page 129), which has been my inspiration for a deep dive into my summertime looking at. As I recognized this treasure was coming to a shut, I definitely required to carry on this discussion with Schu.

I commenced this review by sharing how a book can make you drop in appreciate with the story, propose it, lend it, and then treasure it as it sits on your bookshelf waiting for the future visit. I will undoubtedly advocate this e-book to my friends and colleagues, but I’ll have to buy them a duplicate instead than lend it.

This e book is really the present that keeps on supplying, and I will be reading it around and in excess of yet again. My bookshelf will have to wait really a while to have the honor of keeping this present.

Kathleen Palmieri is a Nationwide Board Qualified Instructor and NBCT Expert Mastering facilitator. She is a fifth grade educator in upstate New York who opinions and writes routinely for MiddleWeb. With a passion for literacy and understanding in the classroom, she participates in numerous writing workshops, curriculum crafting endeavors, and math displays. As a lifelong learner, she is an avid reader and researcher of instructional practices and techniques. Collaborating with colleagues and globally on Twitter @Kathie042500 and increasing her training adventures at www.kathleenpalmieri.com are ongoing techniques.