Reading Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez, an autobiography. It's the story of the assimilation of a Mexican immigrant into the Sacramento, CA public schools and the price paid for making it in middle class America. It's about affirmative action, sacrifice, and growing up.
His favorite book--Native Son, by Richard Wright, or, no. Scratch that. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.
Do you have any favorite growing up books, and what are the struggles involved?
26 Comments:
I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It was incredible to realize that people loved, struggled and worked hard to then have all that I had just because my parents gave it to me. We didn't have everything and I knew my parents worked to give us what we needed, but I had a wonderful childhood and sure didn't have any worries.
Unfortunately, not many of my students will read it today--too long, too hard, too much to take in before they're caught up in in.
I love this site!!! It is a great idea. Thanks for thinking of it.
Hi..I was just browsing and came across this blog. I love to read and have always as a child. My first actual reading book was Pug and I remember reading the whole thing the first day I got it.
I have read a lot of book that the reason I have glasses now..but I don't think I have a favorite favorite book just yet.
I also loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I actually just finished that last night. It was such an incredible book, and I loved it so much!
This morning I started Eat, Pray, Love, which is also a story about growing up, but in a completely different way. It seems to be wonderful so far :)
and I agree with ms. bassette... I hope that students have to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but I don't think many will. :'(
This is really cool idea for a blog. Amazing idea! My favourite book is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I suppose it could be described as a growing up book, but it's more about philosophy, thinking, and finding your inner child.
Great idea for a blog man, keep up the good work
DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK
amazing idea..... this way the people who love to read could take possible pointers to start a new book. a good way to help people scope out 'readable' books.
I just found this site and know I will have alot of fun exploring and sharing.
I read HUNGER OF MEMORY by Richard Rodriuez about 15 years ago when he was a regular contributor to the McNeil-Lehrer News Hour. I always enjoyed his editorials.
This short memoir brings several issues to the fore. He talks about growing up and always feeling that he and his family were outsiders in California. He is homosexual and when he came out to his Mexican family the world turned upside down for him and his loved ones for awhile. Then readers are shown that all of his personal trials and tribulations are really steeped in his feeling that Affirmative Action is a terrible idea even though he benefitted from it.
His prose style and ability to 'touch' the reader makes the book is a pleasure to read. He used to write for a newspaper in CA. don't know where he is now.
ENJOY
GERBAM
I love seeing these yellowed, old books being read. I love the smell of the paper and the idea that these books have had decades of shelf time or lap time, thumbed through with greasy fingers and tired eyes. I'll have to make sure to take my camera with me this weekend!
I like the photo of where he's reading it.
My favourite book ever is 'Tudo O Que Temos Cá Dentro', from Daniel Sampaio, but I have no idea if it is translated to english (it's portuguese, the title means something like 'everything we have inside').
Great blog, goes straight to my favs :)
p.s._ you mispelled the name of the writer, it's PaUlo.
Hey, this is a great idea for a blog; I'm going to put a link to you from my site if that's ok?
My favorite growing up book was called 'My Side of the Mountain,' about a young boy who ran away to the Catskill mountains and lived wild. I live in England, so the wildlife and plant life around him seemed very exotic! The book made a big impact on my life and I am now an artist working with nature and environmental ideas.
Hello to everyone else who loves reading :)
Wow, what an amazing blog idea! I'm not in San Francisco (all the way across the country in Baltimore), but I agree that reading, thankfully, occurs everywhere.
My favorite book about coming of age or growing up is Atlas of the Human Heart by Ariel Gore. She travels Europe and Asia as a high school dropout, where she has all these interesting experiences and thoughts. It's one of those books that I am compelled to read at least once every year. Maybe it's the traveler in me.
I would have to say that one of my favorite books is The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. It is a very touching story that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good read. It is long but it keeps you engaged. Love to see all these people reading! i would like to put a link to your site from my blog if that's okay?
Wow a great blog..i LOVE READING NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS IDEA... gOOd jobb....
My favorite book is Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. It explores the meaningless of pop culture and modern life.
Summary: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat's_Cradle
I enjoyed this post very much; I like to watch other people read books. It is like being asked to come into their world, where their voice is reading aloud something they written that THEY lke to read. It is all their's and it makes them comfortable for some reason only they know. A man I've been in love with of late--I like too just sit by him, and we open up a newspaper, sit next to each other, elbows out, Pretending we are not watching the other out of the corner of our eyes. Eh, I digress. I loved this post. I am a big fan of autobiographies, of theology and philosophy. Maybe I have little imagination for fiction, non-fiction...I will say, I don't waste my time reading a book a second time--THE BOOK HAS TO REALLY BE GOOD FOR THAT. And, there is one book I've kept over years and have no problem pickin up to read again, for maybe the sixth or seventh time, What is it? Welcome Chao by Kate Wilhelm. I don't know what it is about this book? The setting? The visualizing of the characters? The birds of prey? The lovers? The many possibilities of death, and dying, or is it the ultimate secret? I loved this post and the pictures. Thank you.
A teacher introduced me to "A Tale of Two Cities" and it had such an impact on me. I will never forget the lesson "a mob is not rational"
Probably Peter Pan. I can barely remember anything from it, as it was such a long time ago when I last read it. I will read it again, one day.
What a uniquie idea for a site.
The fist book i recall vividly reading was Alice In Wonderland.As an
adult it's still one of the most enthralling stories,and can be read on so many levels. Often imitated in other novels, but never as fine as the original.
Just finished The Ballard of Peckham Rye, by Muriel Spark and about to start Pale Fire, Nobakov.
Good to see that people are still reading, and to such a diverse degree.
What a fantastic idea for a blog! I'm loving it.
A loved To Kill a Mockingbird!
I know it's not a lot of struggle, but I relied a lot on Judy Blume, particularly Starring Sally J. Freeman as herself, and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret
Forgot to mention:
'Tudo O Que Temos Cá Dentro' is a book written by a pshychiatrist, about a 17 year-old-boy who started being treated because his former almost-girlfriend (hook up) commited suicide. He felt guilty about it because he thought she did it because he dumped her.
The book is about his life, and the discovering of the life of the girl. Which turned out, the suicide had very little to do with him, despite the letter that she left him. It had to do with her being abused since she was 4 or 5 years old.
Great emotive book.
One of my favorite growing up books is called The Prince Commands by Andre' Norton. Even though the plot revolves around a teen discovering that he is not what he thought, the plot and character development are quite unique and excellent. Also, it was made so much cooler because the copy i read had property of the US Army stamped on the side. Unfortunately though, it is out of print.
Are you There, God? It's me Margaret has always been a favorite of mine. I loved it as a kid as I did most Judy Blume books.
And pretty much anything by Sarah Dessen.
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