Jake Loco E-Reader Notebook

Annotated Bibliography - Diversity / Multicultural  Bui, T. (2017). The Best We Could Do: An illustrated memoir. New York YA Universal Theme(s): Family, Racism, Identity, Coming of Age, War, Hope Grade Level: Secondary Summary: This graphic novel tells the story of a Vietnamese family who flees to American in the late '70s. The story is narrated by a girl named Bui, and she switches between past and present to give the reader a complete understanding of the challenges of immigration. The story flashes back to tell the story of Bui's father and how his childhood was devastated by the political turmoil in the 1950s. On the contrary, Bui's mother was raised in a privileged home, and she gave birth to Bui and her siblings while still living in Vietnam. Bui's family fled from the Communist uprising after the war ended, and Bui was only three years old when she and her family escaped South Vietnam. Unfortunately, the family continued to struggle once they ha...

Annotated Bibliography 2  Steinbeck, J. (1994).  Of Mice and Men . New York, N.Y., U.S.A: Penguin Books. YA Universal Theme(s) : Friendship, Justice, Freedom, Violence, Racism, Fall from Grace Grade Level : Secondary Summary : This story takes place in California during the Great Depression. The main characters are two friends named George and Lenny. Together, these two friends share a dream to one day own their own farm and live out the "American Dream." George is the smarter of the two, and Lenny is described as being a very large man with some type of mental disability. Lenny has a friendly personality, but he does not know his own strength. Although Lenny is a kindhearted man, he is also obsessed with sensually petting animals and women. George does his best to keep Lenny out of trouble, and the two friends travel together through the countryside looking for farm-work. Lenny and George start working on a ranch where they meet a cruel and hot-tempered man na...

Annotated Bibliography Anderson, Laurie Halse. (2000). Fever, 1793 . New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. YA Universal Theme(s) : Survival, Good vs Evil, Love, Suffering, Coming of Age Grade Level : Secondary Summary : This historical novel takes place in the year 1973 during the Yellow Fever outbreak in Philidelphia. The main character is a teenage girl named Mattie Cook. Mattie’s family owns a coffee shop in the city. At the coffee shop, a server named Polly comes down with the fever and dies shortly after. Next, Mattie’s mother gets sick, and the doctors try to cure the illness by draining her blood. Mattie and her grandfather escape into the countryside. Mattie gets the fever, and she is brought to French doctors who cure her using an alternative method. Instead of draining her blood, Mattie is cured with food and plenty of rest. Once she is healthy again, Mattie and her Grandfather return to Philidelphia and find their coffee shop has been looted...

Introduction Hello!   My name is Jake Locorotondo, and I am beginning my second semester at UB. I look forward to becoming a high school ELA teacher next year. I have always enjoyed helping my friends write essays and having in-depth discussions about books during class. I believe ELA classes offer students numerous opportunities to learn about new cultures, self-reflect, and practice forming arguments. My English teachers in high school were some of the most influential adult figures in my life, and I plan to be that same person for my future students. I look forward to teaching content that I am genuinely passionate about, and I hope I can help my students develop into intelligent and charismatic thinkers.  Last year, I began working in Danbury Public Schools as an associate for the after-school program. Next, I worked at a summer camp at Ellsworth Elementary School, and now I am an intern at Danbury High School. Literacy Memories Reading and writing have been my ...