Classic Favorites Book Recommendations

Looking for more books to read this summer? Here are a few classic books, both past and more current, that are perfect additions to your reading lists this summer!

This semester My English class Literature of the Western World assigned a group project to craft a list of the fifty books deserving of inclusion in the Western Canon. We tended to choose books true to their time and books that contained moral lessons, so you may notice those themes throughout the books I highlighted here. I added several of our selections that were either my favorites ones or ones that I am hoping to tackle this summer.

Old Man And The Sea - By Ernest Hemingway (paperback) : Target

This short novel tells the story of an old, Cuban fisherman and his struggle with the largest fish he has ever encountered, an Atlantic blue marlin. Throughout the story, Hemingway uses a simple narrative to explore perseverance and surviving the struggles of life. I love to fish with my brothers and I grew up going to the White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Maryland on vacation, so this book has always reminded me of those moments with family.

Anne of Green Gables: Montgomery, L. M.: 9780553213133: Amazon.com: Books

Anne of Green Gables is a classic story that describes the adventures of a young orphan named Anna on Prince Edward Island. It is a coming-of-age story filled with imagination, everyday life, and the relationships that form with those close to you. I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time over Christmas break and couldn’t put it down. Prince Edward Island is on the top of my bucket list for places to travel and I was fascinated by Anne’s imagination.

Amazon.com: Dandelion Wine (Greentown Book 1) eBook: Bradbury, Ray: Kindle  Store

This tale features a 12-year-old boy, Douglas Spalding as he spends a summer in a rural, Illinois town. The story uses Dandelion Wine as a metaphor for life and explores what it means to truly be alive. I’ve never read this book, but it caught my eye when I read a few of the selections by my peers. It fits with the previous books because it is a simple narrative and tells a story commenting on life. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, not Illinois, but I always enjoy a story that takes place in a small town.

Amazon.com: The Kite Runner (9781594631931): Khaled Hosseini: Books

Hosseini’s story is a heartbreaking tale about Amir and his life growing up in Afghanistan. During a time of tension in Afghanistan, the novel touches on the themes of friendship, regret, shame, and the possibility of redemption. This book has stuck with me since I read it in high school. My younger brother recently read it and reminded me of how impactful the story is for the reader.

Holes (Holes, #1) by Louis Sachar

Stanley Yelnats is shipped to Camp Green Lake for the summer after being falsely accused of theft. At this camp, Stanley is forced to dig holes each day for his rehabilitation. As the story unfolds, the author shows how history and ancestry impact the present. Holes always makes me think of the summer. I read this book back in middle school, but I hope to reread the book soon!

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness - Kindle  edition by Wiesenthal, Simon. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle eBooks @  Amazon.com.

Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, shares his experiences inside a concentration camp during World War II. In the camp, a nurse asks him to dying Nazi soldier, who is hoping to gain forgiveness from a Jew for his crimes against humanity. The author explored the possibility and limits of forgiveness in this novel. I had never heard of this book before, but this book caught my attention since I am researching World War II at Hope College this summer.

Published in 2014, this book takes place after a flu pandemic that resulted in the collapse of civilization. Station Eleven is a story of hope, pain, joy, regret, and how one uses these emotions to craft a better world. This book is also at the top of my to-read list! It takes place in the Great Lakes region during a pandemic, which feels a bit familiar. It was also a past Big Read selection.

Happy Reading!!

Literature is Everywhere!

Are you wondering how to get outside and enjoy reading this summer? There are so many outdoor activities and places for you and your family to choose! 

A great strategy for reading is finding a spot outside where you feel refreshed and at peace. Being outside is a great way to make reading fun. You can do this by the pool, the beach, in the grass, or at a park around town. 

Lakeshore parks also feature literature to engage the mind and get outside and enjoy. Did you know that poems and art are featured at Windmill Island Gardens? Check it out!

Angie Pyle's grandson Bryden, 4, runs at the Holland Oz Project at Centennial Park in Holland, Mich., on Tuesday, July 9, 2019. L. Frank Baum was reportedly inspired to write "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," while staying at his family's cottage at Macatawa Park in Holland. The free outdoor exhibit features a floral mosaic and "Yellow Brick Road" at Centennial Park with plans for six Wizard of Oz life-sized bronze sculptures outside the Herrick District Library across the street. Pyle said they were vacationing in Holland from McDermott, Ohio, and specifically wanted to check out the project. "Who isn't (a fan of the Wizard of Oz)," she said. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)
Picture from “The Holland Oz Project” by Cory Morse

Centennial Park features a Wizard of Oz theme, while a yellow brick road leads into Herrick District Library. L. Frank Baum, who wrote the Wizard of Oz, owned a home in Holland, Michigan, and was inspired to write the story while in Michigan. 

The Outdoor Discovery Center is another great place to visit to see native structures that relate to our chosen book, An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo. Check out their exhibits to the left! 

Poets and authors have long been inspired by nature as a subject. Many poets in England moved to the Lake District in Cumbria, England to write poems, such as “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey…,” by William Wordsworth. Check out some of the trails along the lakeshore community and write or enjoy the views. My personal favorite hiking spot is Sanctuary Woods!

Use this link to find more ideas for family activities outside. Some cool ideas include painting story stones or finding a guidebook for a hike through nature. 

Suggest more summer activities for readers in the comments below! 

Watch your tone!

One of our past poetry strategies has been to think about your mood as you read a poem. Another great strategy is to think about the tone the author takes within a poem. 

Tone and mood often go hand in hand because the attitude or tone a poet takes within a poem impacts the mood of the reader when reading the piece. The mood can change throughout the poem, while the author’s tone usually is consistent within a poem. Confused? Keep reading!

Read or listen to the poem Stillbirth by Laure-Anne Bosselaar and think about the tone of the poem. 

I felt a sense of panic at the beginning of the poem because of the lines, “It wasn’t my train—the doors were closing,/ but I rushed in, searching for your face.” These lines caused me to feel rushed and confused as the reader. 

The poem continued and I began to feel sad as I started to understand what the poet was talking about. The poet writes, “I was told not to look. Not to get attached—.” This line along with the title Stillbirth” filled me with sadness once I understood that this was a poem about loss. 

Once I thought about how the mood shifted throughout the poem I started to consider the author’s tone when writing the poem. 

The repetition of the word “grief” stood out to me, such as “Some griefs bless us that way, not asking much space.” It seemed to me that the poet wrote this poem as a response to her grief and used the poem to express the pain from the death of a child. 

What was a line from this poem that stood out to you and communicated tone or mood? Leave your thoughts in the comments! 

Summer Book Recommendations

With summer vacation upon us, it seems like the perfect time to highlight some recommendations for summer reads. 

Poetry has been featured for the past several weeks, so let’s shift gears and highlight a different genre – nonfiction. 

Many of the books I have read lately have been memoirs and biographies. Here are a few of my favorites and some other popular recommendations:  

This book tells the story of a writer for the New York Post, who developed a rare form of encephalitis. This rare autoimmune disease affects the brain and causes patients to experience symptoms commonly associated with Schizophrenia or “madness” as Collins calls it.

I read Unbroken in high school for a summer reading project and was surprised to enjoy this book so much. Laura Hillenbrand records the life of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic athlete, who served in World War II as an airman. The story details his time during the war as a survivor of a plane crash, eventual prisoner of war, and his struggle to cope after the war.

In this book, readers can delve into Malala’s miraculous recovery after being shot for advocating for her right to education in northern Pakistan. This book is perfect if you enjoy stories of bravery, the fight for education, and the power of one voice.

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This story by Dave Peltzer is sure to be a shocking and emotional read as it details one child’s life of abuse and journey in the foster-care system. It is a deeply felt novel that follows the author’s story of resilience and struggle. 

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Dive into the memoir from the poet of our chosen book this year. Joy Harjo tells her story from her childhood, time at an Indian boarding school, and struggles before becoming the current United States poet-laureate and acclaimed author.

What are the books on your summer reading list? We’d love to hear them!

Nervous about Poetry?

Our Big Read 2021 book announcement day was last week and there’s already lots of excitement around our chosen book, An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo. We have lots of poetry fans along the Lakeshore, many of whom have been waiting a long time for our Big Read program to choose a book of poetry.

We’ve already heard from community members who have shared with us that they are nervous about poetry because they aren’t sure how to read or make sense of poems or even if they like poetry! If this is you, you are in good company!

When I read poetry in my high school English classes in high school, I was not a fan. I read the assigned poems diligently, but the deeper meanings my classmates often found were lost on me. Poems scared me!

It wasn’t until I took a creative writing class in college for my English secondary education major that I began to appreciate poetry. 

We had to write several poems, which I was incredibly nervous about. I had no experience with poetry other than several weeks of a poetry unit in high school. I was pleasantly surprised by how my perception of poetry changed and I respected poets more after writing some poetry myself. Poetry still makes me nervous, but with every poem I read, I enjoy it a little more.

Someone shared Billy Collin’s “Introduction to Poetry” with me recently and I felt it was the perfect way to kick off our first book of poetry. 

I enjoy the lines, “or walk inside the poem’s room/and feel the walls for a light switch.” In some instances, it is easier to find the “light” in certain poems than in others.

This poem reminds me of a few of my favorite lines from An American Sunrise. Harjo’s collection begins with the poem “Break My Heart”. She writes, “Before, though, even words/ Are creatures of habit./ You cannot force poetry/ With a ruler, or jail it at a desk.”

We are hopeful that with practice and an open mind An American Sunrise will be an impactful collection of poems. Harjo describes her story as a Mvskoke Native American and her emotions throughout are raw and powerful.

If you get a chance, read through our previous blog posts as for the past few weeks, we’ve featured poetry and strategies for how to read poems. We’re so excited to continue sharing strategies, reflections, and poems in the months and weeks leading up to our Big Read month! 

Introducing Our 2021 Selections!

We are excited to announce that we have received an eighth consecutive grant from the National Endowment of the Arts! Our program will highlight poetry and Native American history this November. 

An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo

This year, we will concentrate on Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s An American Sunrise, a collection of poems that traverses the homeland from which her ancestors were uprooted in 1830 as a result of the Indian Removal Act. A Writer of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation, Harjo celebrates her ancestors and reminds the reader to remember the past.

“I’m elated to announce that we’ve received NEA and NEH grants again this year. As our program has grown over the last eight years, each year, I am more excited for our community to participate,” said Dr. Deborah Van Duinen, who is director of both the Big Read and Little Read and an associate professor of English education at Hope.  “Each year we learn so much as we listen to and learn from each other while encountering important stories together.”

Writer, musician, and current Poet Laureate of the United States, Joy Harjo was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. “An American Sunrise:her eighth collection of poems—revisits the homeland from which her ancestors were uprooted in 1830 as a result of the Indian Removal Act. It is a “profound, brilliantly conceived song cycle, celebrating ancestors, present and future generations, historic endurance and fresh beginnings,” wrote critic Jane Ciabattari. “Rich and deeply engaging, An American Sunrise creates bridges of understanding while reminding readers to face and remember the past” (Washington Post). 

Harjo’s many awards include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers’ Circle of the Americas; the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America; the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets; and two National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowships. Joy Harjo previously visited Hope College in the fall of 1993 and spring of 2012 through the college’s Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series.

“While the Big Read has not yet focused on poetry, I’m excited for the Lakeshore to be immersed in Joy Harjo’s beautiful verse and the history it tells,” Van Duinen said.  “Harjo’s poems encourage us to contemplate whose histories are told and whose are silenced, and why we must learn about history and culture. They also remind us of the ways reading poetry can lead to greater empathy and understanding.”

Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard

Our Little Read Lakeshore accompaniment for children will feature the picture book Fry Bread, written by Kevin Noble Maillard and illustrated by Juana Martinze Neal.

Debut author Kevin Noble Maillard’s Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family. Told in verse, Maillard’s book captures the complex Native American identity and shared tradition through beautiful illustrations by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal. Fry Bread celebrates warm food, but also the similarities and differences of nation. 

Author events for the programs are Joy Harjo, Kevin Maillard, and Cynthia Leitch Smith. Specific event details will be released in August.

The NEA Big Read Lakeshore program has received $20,000 from the NEA, one of several grants announced on Wednesday, June 9. The Little Read Lakeshore programhas received $15,000 from Michigan Humanities, one of 17 grants to be announced this summer.

Our 2021 Books

In addition to Hope, our community partners include the Allegan District Library, Allendale Township Library, Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony, the City of Holland, CultureWorks, Fellowship Reformed Church, the Fennville District Library, the Gary Byker Library of Hudsonville, the Georgetown District Library, the Herrick District Library, the Holland Museum, the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, the Howard Miller Public Library, the Loutit District Library, the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District, the Outdoor Discovery Center, the Patmos Library, Ready for School, the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, the Spring Lake District Library, Western Theological Seminary, the Woman’s Literary Club and many individual area residents.

Find out more about our 2021 selections, our program and more at bigreadlakeshore.com!

Every Word Counts!

Words in a poem are like sentences in a novel. Poems tend to vary in length but each word is usually chosen by the author for a reason.

For those who read poetry, a good strategy is to pay attention to the diction, or the choice of words within a poem. 

One way to do this is to read through a poem twice and notice words that surprise you the second time you read it.

Let’s try it.

Read or listen to the poem, “Digging” by Seamus Heaney.

What words or phrases stuck out to you or surprised you after reading? 

I was surprised by the phrase “gravelly ground.” It surprised me that the poet did not just say “sinks into the ground.” The word “gravelly” makes the line very specific.  

I looked up the definition of “gravelly” in a dictionary and found it means there was gravel scattered throughout the ground. This caused me to think about how difficult it must have been to dig into the soil and plant the potatoes. 

Finding definitions for unknown words is another popular strategy to better understand the words in a poem.

I researched the word “squelch” from the lines, “The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap/Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge.” I could imagine the sound of the shovel sinking into the ground as the speaker’s father worked in the field. 

Lastly, paying attention to repeated words throughout the poem may help the reader understand the main themes within the poem. Oftentimes, the poet will repeat words or phrases that are important to the poem’s meaning.

The repetition of the word “digging” and the phrase “the squat pen rests” within the poem caught my attention. 

These phrases are placed together in the final lines, “Between my finger and my thumb/The squat pen rests./I’ll dig with it.” 

Through these lines, the speaker decides to follow a new path and not farm like his father and grandfather. 

Sometimes readers have to “dig” into the definitions and word choices the poet makes to better understand the poem.

Did any other words or phrases confuse or capture your attention? Write them in the comments! 

Happy Memorial Day: Remembrance through Poetry

Memorial Day usually means the kick-off to summer with picnics and time with family and friends. 

I sometimes become so excited by that summer has arrived that I forget about the origins of Memorial Day and its purpose of helping us remember history and those in our country who lost their lives in service to it. 

Poetry can help us remember the past and give us insights into the lived experience of those who fought in wars. John McCrae’s well-known “Flanders Field” is one such poem.

One strategy when reading poetry from the past is to think about or research the historical time when the poem was written. This can help you understand the context, setting, or background of the poet. 

The lines, “Short days ago/We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,/Loved and were loved, and now we lie/In Flanders fields,” spoke to me as I read the poem.

My mood shifts whenever I read this poem and makes me feel sad and contemplative. Yet, I am reminded that loss connects people across different times, countries, or cultures. Poetry lets the reader to understand the life or memories of the poet.

John McCrae was a Canadian physician and poet who lived in Guelph, Ontario. A fun fact is that our Big Read director Dr. Van Duinen grew up in Guelph and lived a few streets away from the historic John McCrae’s house. Dr. McCrae wrote Flanders Field during World War I after witnessing the death of his friend and fellow soldier the day before. His poem and its mention of poppies led to the Canadian tradition of wearing remembrance poppies in the weeks leading up to Canada’s Remembrance Day on Nov 11. Click here to read more about this poem and the historical context!

Did you know that the poem “Flanders Field” inspired another poet named Moina Michael to write “We Shall Keep the Faith?”

Michael refers to the field of poppies in John McCrae’s poem. She writes, “We cherish, too, the poppy red/That grows on fields where valor led.”

What words or phrases jump out at you from this poem? How does this poem make you feel?

What poems or poets have you researched to learn more about the time period or experience?

Poetry: Tell Me How You Really Feel

Sometimes when we study poetry in school, it can be easy to focus on analyzing the literary aspects of a poem. We can forget to simply delight in how a poem makes us feel.

In some of my English classes over the years, I have talked so much about rhyme schemes, metaphors, and meanings that I forget to think about the ways particular words and phrases, lines and stanzas speak to me or help me pause and notice.

One strategy I’ve found helpful when I read poetry is to focus on my mood while I’m reading a poem.  Some poems make me feel joyful and whimsical. Others make me feel sad, tired, or confused.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth is a poem that made me feel nostalgic and at peace.

Here’s a photo I took from one of my hikes
back home!

I spent a lot of time as a kid wandering around my home in the Appalachian Mountains and running past fields of wildflowers and this poem reminds me of this.

My favorite lines are, “I gazed—and gazed—but little thought/What wealth the show to me had brought.” 

These lines summarize exactly what I felt as I read the poem. I became lost in the beautiful words and just felt like I was back in the words as I was reading. 

I also love the final lines of the poem, “And then my heart with pleasure fills,/And dances with the daffodils.”

After being outside in nature, I can take the photos or memories of trees or flowers with me in my mind. This poem reminded me that I can reflect back on the beauty of nature, even if I’m not physically there.

Now, you try! I encourage you to read or listen to “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth.

How did it make you feel? Why? Which lines or phrases stood out? Share in the comments below!

Poems Can Be Confusing! Strategies for Reading Poetry

Last week I challenged readers to choose a line from the poem “Relic” by Jennifer Foerster and reflect on the meaning of the line. Using reading strategies like this can help make poetry more accessible to readers new to poetry by breaking up the poem into more manageable parts.  

Poetry has a reputation for being confusing because of the word choice and complex meanings.

One of my favorite strategies is to read a poem out loud or listen to it being read out loud. It’s a simple strategy but it helps me better experience and make sense of the poem.

Use the following link to listen to one of my favorite poems, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SitTvcIusz0.

Was listening to the poem helpful? What phrases stood out to you as you read? Poetry can take practice, which is why reading strategies that help you is so important.

Reading a poem out loud is just one strategy. If you are looking for more, the blog post by educator Shaelynn Farnsworth entitled “Strategies to Help Students Unlock Poetry” provides many helpful suggestions.

What are your favorite poetry reading strategies? Which ones do you want to try? Over the next months, I’ll be sharing more of my favorite strategies and my favorite poems. Stay tuned!