Continuing LOST SCRIPTURES

Learned an interesting thing today, while reading an epistle pseudonically attributed to Peter.   It seems that the Simon Magnus that he calls a "magician" pretending to preach Jesus' faith is none other than the man we now know of as Paul.  Paul is called the first Gnostic to assume a leadership role.  I am now reading a sermon, I think, by Ptolomy, another Gnostic who derives his thinking from Paul and Jesus.  The basic departing of the ways in the late second and third centuries seems to be the belief of Peter that, in order to be Christian, you must also keep the Jewish law, in its entirety.  Paul seems to believe that you must keep the commandments and Jesus' law only.  Ptolomy points out that keeping both is impossible--for instance, "though shalt not kill" vs "He who commits murder must die."  Or "turn the other cheek" vs. "And eye for an eye."  Anyway, Ptolomy makes a lot of sense to me and though his document has been deleted from our present day Bible, we seem to have adopted much of what he preaches.  Very interesting!

Finished ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY

As I was reading this, for the umpteenth time, it occurred to me it is the perfect book to help prepare Gabriel for the reading of To Kill a Mockingbird this next year.  Both deal with racism during the Depression, this from the point of view of a young Black girl, the other from the point of view of a young White girl.  I can also explain the feudal system of sharecropping (called in this book "tenant farming") that has very few differences from slavery.  The same system was used in mines and factories throughout Europe, Russia, and America until the Communist Revolution in Russia and China (and, really Europe, which when through a Socialist Revolution) and the growth of trade unions in this country (and Europe).  In Europe and here, this brought about a middle class.  This book is great for my purposes, and, really, always was.



I am now going back to Lost Scriptures, in which I will read the section on Epistles which are no longer (or were never) included in The Bible.  I am finding that some were excluded because they were fictitiously attributed to someone several centuries after he died, but, so far, the ones I have read deal with problems or concerns of the early church and all the factions and interpretations that existed then.  Once the church was resolved to Rome and became the Catholic Church, these concerns were no longer relevant.  However, they are very interesting to someone who finds the variety within the early church fascinating.

Started ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY

Gabriel, Skippy, and I finished reading Maniac Magee and started Killing Mr. Griffin.  Gabriel is loving this book and, for the first time since I've known him, he actually is begging me not to stop reading for the day.  He is even threatening to read ahead.  :-)) 

I have stopped reading Texas Curiosities and have relegated it to the bathroom to be read much more slowly.  I am on p 220.  I must say I am enjoying it, quite often laughing out loud, not so much caused by the curiosities themselves, but by the tongue in cheek narrative about them. 



I have now started re-reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor to prepare it for tutoring Gabriel.  Once again, I am falling in love with this book.  I suspect that Gabriel will be learning the realities of Depression era racism right along with Cassie Logan.  This book, especially, should help prepare him for reading To Kill a Mockingbird which he will be reading in school this year.

Finished KILLING MR. GRIFFIN

Have enjoyed reading this book with my students for a long time, but, because of the swearing, I am a bit reluctant to read it with Gabriel--both he and his mom being pretty straight-laced.  But, I think, if I explain that some characters swear, we will not read those words aloud, but we will all see them, and that we can use them as a clue to character...we can get safely on with the story.  Again, it is a cautionary tale, but one which I think all kids entering the age in which they are most vulnerable to crazy ideas suggested by peers should probably experience.



Have just started Texas Curiosities by John Kelso.  It has had me giggling at the coffee table at the Y this morning and occasionally laughing out loud.  The book chronicles silly statuary, restaurants and shops, museums, and other landmarks throughout both small town and big city Texas.  It will probably become a "bathroom" book when Gabriel, Skippy and I have finished reading Maniac Magee so I can prepare the next book we will be reading.  But when I finish Texas Curiosities, I may have to send a copy to friend Sue Rowe who I think will get a hoot out of it.

Finished THIS DAY ALL GODS DIE

Loved this series.  Knowing a Stephen R. Donaldson book is next in my pile I pick it up with some dread, because it is onerous.  For the size of the book, the size of the print, the difficulty of the language, and often the complication of the plot.  This is the fifth and last book in The Gap series.  There are certain things Donaldson can be counted on: complicated, interesting, flawed characters that you can wind up caring about even if they have done terrible, hurtful, evil things; wonderful settings; great plot;, and a satisfying ending.  You cannot count on his keeping all of his wonderful sympathetic character alive or being easy reading.  That said, all of his books that I have read have been engrossing, beautiful, and exciting.



I have now started re-reading Killing Mr. Griffin which I read with my seventh or eighth graders every year for at least twenty years, so I pretty much have it memorized.  But it has been twelve years since I retired and it is the third book I'll be reading with my now seventh grade tutee this summer, Gabriel.  It is an excellent book for teaching drawing conclusions and the story elements.  You can often hear the students draw conclusions throughout the books with their gasps, "uh-oh"s, as well as see it in their expressions.  So much fun.

I started reading The Little Prince with Gabriel and his mom today.  I found it rather boring when I read it to myself, but it was fun with Gabe.  We giggled through the first several chapters.

I have MANIAC MAGEE ready to teach

This books remains very relevant today, though I'm not sure Gabriel has seen it (unless he has been watching the news.)  It should provoke some interesting discussions about race and segregation.  And, this and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry should help to prepare him for To Kill and Mockingbird, which he will be reading this year.

Now I am about to start The Gap Into Ruin: This Day All Gods Die by Stephen R. Donaldson.  This is (I'm pretty sure) the last book in the Gap series.  I may have to set it aside for a bit, though, while preparing the next book I'll be reading with Gabriel this summer.

Finished PEOPLE OF THE MASKS

Set during a time in which the Confederacy of Iroquois Nations was just being established and gives a story of how it may have come about.  Loved the parallels between the epilogue and the Iroquois history I learned years and years ago in seventh grade New York State history.  The Confederacy of Iroquois Nations is the basis of the ideals of freedom and equality of all people that our democracy (as well as other democracies in the world) is based on.  One of the best books I've read in this series.



I am now re-reading Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli as I prepared to read it with Gabriel this summer.  This is the second of the books I'll be reading with him.  In this book, a neglected young person runs away from home and lives on his own and homeless.  Surprisingly, this young man epitomizes about the best a human being can be, being great in sports, in intelligence, but most of all in accepting, loving, and thoroughly enjoying all people.  If utopia can be a person, Maniac Magee is it.