Books That Help Make You a Better Teacher: How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

 

BLURB:

 A thoroughly revised and updated edition of Thomas C. Foster’s classic guide—a lively and entertaining introduction to literature and literary basics, including symbols, themes and contexts, that shows you how to make your everyday reading experience more rewarding and enjoyable.

While many books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper literary meanings interwoven in these texts. How to Read Literature Like a Professor helps us to discover those hidden truths by looking at literature with the eyes—and the literary codes-of the ultimate professional reader, the college professor.

What does it mean when a literary hero is traveling along a dusty road? When he hands a drink to his companion? When he’s drenched in a sudden rain shower?

Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices and form, Thomas C. Foster provides us with a broad overview of literature—a world where a road leads to a quest, a shared meal may signify a communion, and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just a shower-and shows us how to make our reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.

This revised edition includes new chapters, a new preface and epilogue, and incorporates updated teaching points that Foster has developed over the past decade.

If you're a high school English language arts teacher and you haven't read this book, GET IT NOW! Seriously, this book is easy to read and a great resource for helping you and your students understand literary analysis.  It's full of information given in a humorous, tongue-in-cheek style that is as entertaining as it is useful. Chapters include the following:

1. "Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It's Not")

2. "When in Doubt, It's From Shakespeare"

3. "...or the Bible"

4. "It's Greek to Me"

5. "If She Comes Up, It's Baptism"

6. "It's More than Just Rain or Snow"

7.  "Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too"

8. "It's All About Sex."

9. "Except Sex"

10. "Geography Matters"

And that's just a sampling. There's sooo much more. 

Seriously, so much good stuff. And since it is such an easy read, I used to require that my upper level honors students (11, 12) read this book as part of their summer reading assignments. With my lower grade honors classes (9, 10), I only selected a single chapter or two to apply to a particular novel we were reading. It added so much depth to our classroom discussions, and my kids actually "got" it. 

Every ELA teacher needs this book on his/her shelf. There's even a version for middle school students. You can find it here.

However you use this, even if its just for your own information and help in teaching better, it's well worth the price.