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Boys In The Boat Themes

Decent Essays

Each summer reading novel shared a common theme of hardship and a character that can be relatable for students while still teaching students important lessons. Students are in a time of their lives in which reading about the struggle and maturation of characters can be beneficial to their own development and coming of age. The books chosen for summer reading are intentionally picked in order for the students to build a base for the school year to come. The books usually focus on an important, imminent topic or theme that the students will come across in the near future. There were three choices for students to choose from this past year, but some of the novels did a better job of conveying important themes while still enriching the students …show more content…

These lessons of overcoming the odds, and winning gold in Nazi Germany, illustrates to students that not even the doubt and distress from the Depression era can stop determined people from working hard. They may have not been the typical group of rowers, but their hard work led them to winning gold in a non-typical manner. This is a very real life struggle that many high school students will come to face. Students may not always fit the mold, but they will be able to use the skills portrayed in this story in order to overcome these hardships in their own lives. Although the nine boys were from the Depression era, they are still very relatable to teens because they are a similar age and some students can relate to the athletic goals of the boys on the …show more content…

In The Other Wes Moore, two young boys are raised blocks from each other in the middle of crime infested, poor neighborhoods of Baltimore. The book focused on the duality of fate and choice and how to use the two to shape an individual. The importance of a role model is principle, but both characters were missing their father in their lives. The difference is that one had role models from his drug dealing brother, and one had examples at his military school. Students are at the stage of their life where the examples set by others may have a stronger impact on them than they may even be conscious of. Another important idea is that a family’s financial divide is sometimes so difficult to overcome. Although the other Wes Moore’s mother was about to go to John Hopkins University, she couldn’t afford it. Sometimes it takes money to escape financial distress. Although students here at Andover High School may not have to experience this, it is important for this generation to be aware of where others may be coming from and to respect the spaces of others. This novel makes an interesting summer read, because it is not only action packed to acquire the attention of students, but it teaches students deeper meanings in a relatable way that students may be able to relate

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