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Lisa's Reviews > The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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There is a special magic reading the first chapters of Christopher's account with a group of teenagers.
Usually, they are indifferent to start with, just another book that will end up an essay or another assignment. They are tired, and in their teenage grandiosity, they think they know everything about how "books work". And then they frown.
Teenage pedants kicks in.
"That's not chapter 7!"
"He got all the numbers wrong!"
"What a stupid book!"
Once that discussion starts, the teacher pedant has to restrain herself not to give the answer, not to lecture the students on what they are "supposed" to discover in the patterns. They will like it so much more if they find out how Christopher functions on their own, without the meddling of a typical adult teacher mind.
Once they do find out they are usually engaging in the story on a deeper level: it reads like a mystery that works on two levels - one being the mystery Christopher tries to solve himself, and the other being cracking the code to communicating with Christopher on his terms.
This is young adult fiction that really fulfils its purpose of engaging adolescents in topics that they can relate to, while also offering enough tension and suspense to keep them on the edge, turning pages.
The message (especially to students who suffer from lacking belief in themselves and in the future) is a perfect closing statement: if Christopher can be brave and solve a mystery and go to London and write a book and find his mother, he can do anything - and so can YOU!
Usually, they are indifferent to start with, just another book that will end up an essay or another assignment. They are tired, and in their teenage grandiosity, they think they know everything about how "books work". And then they frown.
Teenage pedants kicks in.
"That's not chapter 7!"
"He got all the numbers wrong!"
"What a stupid book!"
Once that discussion starts, the teacher pedant has to restrain herself not to give the answer, not to lecture the students on what they are "supposed" to discover in the patterns. They will like it so much more if they find out how Christopher functions on their own, without the meddling of a typical adult teacher mind.
Once they do find out they are usually engaging in the story on a deeper level: it reads like a mystery that works on two levels - one being the mystery Christopher tries to solve himself, and the other being cracking the code to communicating with Christopher on his terms.
This is young adult fiction that really fulfils its purpose of engaging adolescents in topics that they can relate to, while also offering enough tension and suspense to keep them on the edge, turning pages.
The message (especially to students who suffer from lacking belief in themselves and in the future) is a perfect closing statement: if Christopher can be brave and solve a mystery and go to London and write a book and find his mother, he can do anything - and so can YOU!
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
June 25, 2014
– Shelved
June 26, 2014
– Shelved as:
young-adult
August 9, 2014
– Shelved as:
1001-books-to-read-before-you-die
Comments Showing 1-8 of 8 (8 new)
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message 1:
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Nikola
(new)
May 07, 2019 02:41AM
Lisa, how does this reading with your students work? Do you actually have time to read parts together with them, in a group? Is this part of standard school curriculum?
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Nikola wrote: "Lisa, how does this reading with your students work? Do you actually have time to read parts together with them, in a group? Is this part of standard school curriculum?"That is entirely different from teacher to teacher. I love reading and discussing together, but there is also meaningful quiet reading time. And teaching always includes assessing of some kind. The Curious Incident is not mandatory literature, but it fits certain aspects of the curriculum and offers plenty of crosscurricular discussion. That's the short version. The long version is a mess Christopher wouldn't like ;-) Too many variables!
I loved this book as did most of my children (youngest daughter has not read it). We were also lucky enough to see the play a few years back - very imaginatively done.
Ray wrote: "I loved this book as did most of my children (youngest daughter has not read it). We were also lucky enough to see the play a few years back - very imaginatively done."I wish I could have taken my own kids or my students to the play as well. What a great deal of thinking must have gone into putting the peculiarities of the book onto the stage!
The play used loud noises and flashing lights to signify how different the world is to an autistic boy. Very unsettling and effective
Ray wrote: "The play used loud noises and flashing lights to signify how different the world is to an autistic boy. Very unsettling and effective"Oh, sounds like a perfect approach!
How lovely to read this book with teens. Thanks for sharing.I second the favourable comments about the stage version.
Cecily wrote: "How lovely to read this book with teens. Thanks for sharing.I second the favourable comments about the stage version."
Thank you, Cecily! It is indeed a great class novel.
