The+Blind+Side.+Keating+Review3


 * __APA Citation__: Lewis, Michael. (2006). //The Blind Side//. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. **ISBN:** 978-0-393-06123-9


 * __Award:__ //The Blind Side// won The Alex Award in 2007.


 * __Summary//://__ //The Blind Side// the inspirational true story of Michael Oher, an African American teenager who, due to his life full of drugs and violence, leaves home. As he will walking down the road on that night, a wealthy white woman, Leigh Ann Tuohy, picks him up and offers her home to him. Michael and the Tuohy family immediately click, and the Tuohy family gets Michael enrolled in a new school and involved in sports. The story follows Michael’s journey of being one of the only African American students in the school and becoming one the school’s best football players. As his football skills improve, so does his academics and Michael signs to play college football. Michael eventually went on to play football for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.


 * __Critique__: I love this novel. The story of Michael Oher is so inspirational to anyone who hears it and the love that the Tuohy family showed to him is outstanding. Because there are so many aspects of the novel that students can relate to (new school, change in environment, football, sports, struggling in academics, etc.)this is a novel that students, both male and female, would thoroughly enjoy reading in or out of the classroom. There are so many life lessons to be taught in the book; I cried, I laughed. It was wonderful.


 * __Curriculum Connection__:

Reading Standards for Literature 6-12 Grades 9-10 Key Ideas and Details 3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.


 * __Genre__: Non-Fiction

> In order to promote reading of this novel, I would include classroom connections to college and NFL football. The main character of the novel, Michael Oher, played college football for Ole Miss and NFL football for the Baltimore Ravens. Anytime that I can have students open in discussion about their interests (in this case, football), the more likely and willing they are to participate in activities that day. The Baltimore Ravens, with Oher on the team, almost made it to the Super Bowl last season. This is a team that many students will have heard of, or will be interested in. There interest will be peaked when I tell them that I just read a really exciting, interesting book about one of the Ravens football players. They will be excited to find out that they, too, will have the opportunity to read the novel.
 * __Promotional Activity__