I love reading books with my students. I feel privileged to witness their reactions as a story unfolds over days, weeks, and months. I have seen them appear puzzled by the mysteries embedded in The Golden Goblet and Crime and Punishment. They have laughed during countless scenes of Shakespeare. And a few have even wiped away tears once we reached the end of Where the Red Fern Grows, To Kill a Mockingbird, and A Tale of Two Cities.
While the shared experience of enjoying a good book together is priceless, another one of my favorite parts of reading with students is modeling for them what it means to own a book—and I mean really own it.
According to Mortimer Adler, even if someone possesses volumes of books, complete ownership does not happen until he or she beholds their ideas and leaves no stone unturned in the process. This accomplishment, Adler maintained, can only be evinced by copious markings, dog-eared pages, and loose binding. The consumption of a book in this way is an act of devotion, and in Adler’s estimation, makes the text truly belong to its reader.1
At Thales Academy, we cultivate an attachment to books, especially the classics which possess timeless qualities with the potential to transform hearts and minds. One of the ways we promote engagement with these works is by training students in the art of annotating. Annotations are personal markings in a text, which may include highlighting, underlining, symbols, and notes in the margins. In sixth grade, we share insight from Adler’s exhortations and explain to students that, ultimately, their annotations are their own—just like their books. Through a bit of experimentation and with some guidance, they will determine the best means of recording what they understand, wonder about, and long to remember. It is this active reading, as Adler described it, that enables them both to think more comprehensively and improve their communication skills.
Almost inevitably, when teachers finish reading a book with students, we wonder how it went. Did it mean something to them? Did it encourage them to reflect on their own lives? There is always so much more we could have said! In those instances, we hold fast to the idea that we are only with students for their first read of a text. We have faith that they will pick up these books again. Maybe they will rediscover The Iliad when they prepare for senior thesis, or perhaps they will read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to their own children one day. In that spirit, students enrolled at Thales Academy next year will receive personal copies of all texts to be read in junior high and high school literature classes. While there is a practical function to this, more importantly, we believe the books on our reading lists contain insight into the human condition and are thus worth keeping. We are committed to offering students a good first read of the books they own, and it is our hope that they will build a library and return to these most treasured stories in the years to come.
