12 February 2012
Dear Students,
I have been reading this book called After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson. It is a very interesting story of three girls, one in particular named D Foster, who brings in an added element of mystery to the story. We do not know where she comes from or where she is going, but we do know that she loves her group of girls, and shows them such throughout the book.
Even before I started reading the book, I had so many questions. How is Tupac involved? Who is D Foster, and is that even her real name? What am I going to learn from this book? As soon as I started reading, I felt thrown back into my own childhood, navigating the journeys that helped me to know who I was and the people who I would surround myself with. The ages of 11-13 were quite rollercoaster years for me, and I am interested to see if Neeka, D Foster, and the narrator have a similar experience.
One part of the story that stands out to me is the language. The dialogue is always written in slang, especially if the girls are talking to one another, but when the narrator is talking to me, she does not use such terminology. I think that this “code-switching” (when you switch from one type of conversation to another) is interesting because it tells me something about the narrator: she knows how to fit in with her friends, but she also knows how to demonstrate that she is capable of speaking properly. She knows in which contexts her language fits best, and I am reminded of how many times I did that in my childhood and even now as an adult. The way that I talk to my students is very different than the way I talk to my friends, other teachers, or even my parents for that matter. It seems that this code-switching is quite important to my daily life, and it is cool to see it being used in a book. What do you guys think about using slang in a book? Does it work for you?
I look forward to the other discoveries that I am going to make about this book. I also cannot wait to hear the discoveries of you guys as you continue reading! I had a great discussion about the book with both of my classes on Friday and I am excited to hear more! Continue on your reading journeys and I will see you all next week!
Sincerely,
Ms. Mathews
Questions for you to consider of my letter and of your own letter:
1. Does my letter demonstrate my THINKING about the book, or is it just a summary?
2. Does my letter show how I am relating to the book, beyond just the statement that “I like/don’t like the book?
3. Have I written this letter truthfully to what I think/believe, or have I only written it so that I can finish the assignment and get a passing grade from Ms. Mathews?
4. If this is my first letter, have I provided the title, author, and a brief summary of the work (no more than 4 lines long)?
5. Have I indicated an idea or something that I want Ms. Mathews to specifically respond to?
