Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 and is true to the title of her own poem, a “Phenomenal Woman.” Few people can say they have been a novelist, actress, singer, director, scholar, researcher, poet, and brothel madam, yet Angelou has filled all of these roles and many more, including being an integral part of…
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Books are passports to other worlds, no matter how cheesy that sounds. With that in mind, there's something particularly fascinating about works of fiction that take encompass times and events that really occurred. That isn't to say that novels taking place outside the realm of real life aren't wonderful—they are, but to be able to pick up…
Read More "A Fun Introduction to History: Books That Give an Insight to Days Gone By"
Travel is one of the most wonderful experiences granted to us - what other creature can say (relatively on a whim) that they want a change of scenery and to experience something new? With the potential exception of migratory birds, not many. So what influences us to want to see the sights? Often, it's hearing…
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The beginning of a new season is always a good time to consider new ways to engage students in the classroom. One way to do it—only a few keyboard clicks away—is to incorporate Owl Eyes annotated texts into lesson plans and instruction. In case you’re unfamiliar with using the annotated texts at Owl Eyes, here are…
Read More "Owl Eyes Annotated Texts: A Great Resource to Add to Your Teacher Toolbox "
One of the best things about books is that they can be about anything. Anything. There are post-apocalyptic stories dating all the way back to ancient times, and a lot of those wild and crazy stories about medieval kings and primordial gods are still being read today (thank you, oral tradition). As it happens, some of the…
Read More "Literary Nostalgia: A Few Favorite Reads from Over the Decades"
We've decided to compile some of the best lines from To Kill a Mockingbird—inarguably one of the most influential and important novels in our lifetime. These lines, in context and out, are simultaneously ethereal and grounded, simple and complex. Lee's legacy in TKAM will be continuing to show students and readers about the importance of love, tolerance, and friendship. Rest…
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To be sure, some of the best characters in literature are the so-called "good guys," but let's face it: these goody-goodies are rarely the most interesting characters in the story. Most of us, most of the time, want to see good triumph over evil in the end, but we're really interested in what the villains are…
Read More "Vicious and Delicious: The Best of Literature’s Foulest Characters"
For one often hailed as the Bard of love stories, Shakespeare sure has a weird way of showing/telling it. Even his most famous tale of romance, Romeo and Juliet, is a little...off...in the love department, at least for modern times. Romeo and Juliet isn't the only Shakespeare work that is little bit strange; in fact a pretty large number of his works depict love in ways…
