Who’s the most important entity in the author-text-reader triangle? The reader, according to the reader response theory. (Rosenblatt, 1938) It is the anonymous reader who makes a text come alive. Obviously, authors and texts will not survive without readers.
And so one of the requirements in my Children’s Literature class is that the students read a novel over an 8-week period while diligently keeping a weekly journal.
This is the assignment prompt:
1. Choose a children’s novel from the short list of literary selections.
2. Read 50 pages, more or less, every week. Write your personal response in your journal. You must have a weekly entry.
3. Choose your three best entries from Weeks 1 – 8. Synthesize them in one essay.
A reading journey is personal and unique to an individual. No two persons will respond in the same way to a literary selection. Feel free to respond to what grabs your attention, provokes your thoughts, or touches your heart . Then write down your observations, your thoughts, your feelings, and most of all, your insights.
This semester, it has been a joy to teach 24 senior and junior students from various disciplines of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Let me share with you some of their reading response journals.
Right now, I’d like to focus the spotlight on Samuel Chew’s piece. He read The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.
And so one of the requirements in my Children’s Literature class is that the students read a novel over an 8-week period while diligently keeping a weekly journal.
This is the assignment prompt:
1. Choose a children’s novel from the short list of literary selections.
2. Read 50 pages, more or less, every week. Write your personal response in your journal. You must have a weekly entry.
3. Choose your three best entries from Weeks 1 – 8. Synthesize them in one essay.
A reading journey is personal and unique to an individual. No two persons will respond in the same way to a literary selection. Feel free to respond to what grabs your attention, provokes your thoughts, or touches your heart . Then write down your observations, your thoughts, your feelings, and most of all, your insights.
This semester, it has been a joy to teach 24 senior and junior students from various disciplines of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Let me share with you some of their reading response journals.
Right now, I’d like to focus the spotlight on Samuel Chew’s piece. He read The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.
The Maturing Reflections of a Young Adult
by Samuel Chew
This journey began the day I started to read The Little Prince. The book is about a pilot, who realizes that life’s events are too difficult to understand, succumbs to mysteries, and eventually learns what is important in life.
As a reader, I noted down my weekly reflections and responses in my diary, and at the end of eight weeks, I stepped back to appreciate the entries in my diary. It caught me by surprise that I am not quite the same person before and after the book-reading experience.
From a naïve, bitter, self-centred person, I grew to be more mature, proactive and appreciative towards my loved ones. Hence, this Reading Response Journal will illustrate the maturing reflections of a young adult
Entry 1: The Anatomy of Grown-Ups (Chapters 3 to 7)
Grown-ups are distrusting; they must see things for themselves before they believe a word children say.
They are so superficial. It’s like telling my parents “I’ve got a job that I really like, it allows me to hone my talents and pursue my interest, however it does not pay so well.” They will say “stop dreaming, it cannot earn you a living.
But if you were to tell them,”Hey Dad, I’ve got a job that pays me higher than average.” They will tell you, “Excellent!” Why are grown-ups like that?
I used to dread growing up. As a child, I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted. I could make silly comments and funny faces. The protection from my parents made me feel like a king. Yet, I hated adults since they are so inhumane and harsh in their language. I was bitter and could not tolerate adults who assert their authority over others.
Entry 2: The Life of an Accountant (Chapters 12 to 15)
There is a Businessman/Accountant in the story who has kept counting money all his life and claims he is a “serious man”, not wanting to be disturbed.
I used to dread growing up. As a child, I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted. I could make silly comments and funny faces. The protection from my parents made me feel like a king. Yet, I hated adults since they are so inhumane and harsh in their language. I was bitter and could not tolerate adults who assert their authority over others.
Entry 2: The Life of an Accountant (Chapters 12 to 15)
There is a Businessman/Accountant in the story who has kept counting money all his life and claims he is a “serious man”, not wanting to be disturbed.
Will I be like him? Will I be only interested in working and counting money every day? To an extent that I don’t get enough exercise or time to even take strolls?
I have a rather outgoing personality and I enjoy sports. Soccer, running or whatsoever never fails to lift up my moods and make me feel happy during and after engaging in it. It is the adrenaline rush that I get from sports that keeps me going. Also, it is a form of therapy for me as it helps me de-stress during difficult times.
Being a final-year Accountancy student, I’d like to be able to balance my time to work hard and play hard when I join the working world in a few months’ time. Reviewing my entries, I realize that I am beginning to be more long-sighted about life and positive about myself.
I want to excel in my job without compromising time spent on sports and recreation. Perhaps, in the past, the over-protection from my parents had caused me to become a lazy person and not strive for improvement in the things I do.
The Accountant in the book chose to isolate himself from the outside world and that is one thing I do not want to happen to me. The past is gone and I cannot reverse it, but the future is in my hands. I want to be a good Accountant, able to balance my time well between work and play, amongst other things.
Entry 3: The Truth about Friendship (Chapter 22 to 24)
The fox explains the truth about friendship, “It’s the time you spend on your rose that makes your rose so important”, and yet people often forget this truth.
I have a rather outgoing personality and I enjoy sports. Soccer, running or whatsoever never fails to lift up my moods and make me feel happy during and after engaging in it. It is the adrenaline rush that I get from sports that keeps me going. Also, it is a form of therapy for me as it helps me de-stress during difficult times.
Being a final-year Accountancy student, I’d like to be able to balance my time to work hard and play hard when I join the working world in a few months’ time. Reviewing my entries, I realize that I am beginning to be more long-sighted about life and positive about myself.
I want to excel in my job without compromising time spent on sports and recreation. Perhaps, in the past, the over-protection from my parents had caused me to become a lazy person and not strive for improvement in the things I do.
The Accountant in the book chose to isolate himself from the outside world and that is one thing I do not want to happen to me. The past is gone and I cannot reverse it, but the future is in my hands. I want to be a good Accountant, able to balance my time well between work and play, amongst other things.
Entry 3: The Truth about Friendship (Chapter 22 to 24)
The fox explains the truth about friendship, “It’s the time you spend on your rose that makes your rose so important”, and yet people often forget this truth.
I agree with it because I believe it is the time you spend with your family/friends that builds up your relationships with them. A relationship cannot be fostered or strengthened without time spent together. The more time spent with a friend in whatever activities, the closer the bond and the stronger the bond. That way, the bond holds strongly together and nothing can break it apart.
I don’t believe I wrote this. After weeks of posting questions, I finally have an entry that contains a solution! I cannot describe my feeling when I re-read this entry. It is like “woo, I don’t sound like a kid anymore!”
I have a couple of good buddies I used to hang out with for 10 years or so, but we recently drifted apart because we went separate ways in our pursuit of education. I do not remember what sparked us off as friends in the beginning but I know we had many great times together.
I don’t believe I wrote this. After weeks of posting questions, I finally have an entry that contains a solution! I cannot describe my feeling when I re-read this entry. It is like “woo, I don’t sound like a kid anymore!”
I have a couple of good buddies I used to hang out with for 10 years or so, but we recently drifted apart because we went separate ways in our pursuit of education. I do not remember what sparked us off as friends in the beginning but I know we had many great times together.
This entry made me realize the importance of friendship. A friendship can be easily found, but it is not easy to maintain. A real friendship must go through the test of time. I have decided to treasure the friends and family members I currently have around me. They are God’s blessings to me, and only God knows when He is going to take them away and back into His arms.
In summary, my book-reading experience has been an extremely eventful one. When I started off with the book, I was naïve about life and felt bitter towards grown-ups. As I read on, I became more reflective about life and even set out targets for myself; wanting to balance work and personal time.
Eventually, I understood some difficulties about life and friendship and I have learnt to treasure my loved ones. Friends and family play indispensable roles in my life, and I will never sacrifice them for anything.
It has been a soul-searching and philosophical journey for me. I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the journey, I enjoyed the provocation of thoughts, the mixture of my inner feelings, and the maturing reflections about myself. I wish this journey would never end.
In summary, my book-reading experience has been an extremely eventful one. When I started off with the book, I was naïve about life and felt bitter towards grown-ups. As I read on, I became more reflective about life and even set out targets for myself; wanting to balance work and personal time.
Eventually, I understood some difficulties about life and friendship and I have learnt to treasure my loved ones. Friends and family play indispensable roles in my life, and I will never sacrifice them for anything.
It has been a soul-searching and philosophical journey for me. I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the journey, I enjoyed the provocation of thoughts, the mixture of my inner feelings, and the maturing reflections about myself. I wish this journey would never end.
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