Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

School is back in, and my thinking cap is back on.

Over the summer, I was in a relaxed state of mind, and I found it very difficult to do any type of really deep, analytic thinking. My brain desperately needed a break.

Now, I have put my thinking cap back on, and my desire to read is great. Yesterday, I sat outside of Wholefoods, one of my favorite places on my street, and I finished reading Of Mice and Men. As soon as I was finished, I wanted to read something else...I'M BACK!!!!

Of Mice and Men falls in the novella category, which means that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel, and it is a mind blowing read. It deals with mental illness, racism, what a person will do for love, dreams etc.

George and Lennie, are the main characters, and they are chasing their dreams. As I was reading this, I was thinking about the power of dreaming, and how dreaming helps many of us to move forward, and it sure helped George and Lennie. At the commemorative March on Washington, Al Sharpton stated that dreaming is for people who do not like reality, and I have thought a lot about this statement since the March, and I thought about Al's statement as I read Of Mice and Men.

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow. 

I will be teaching this novella to my 10th grade students this year. I can't wait to hear their thoughts about this very interesting book.

Read and fall in love with Of Mice and Men.

My next read is Daisy Miller by Henry James, Join Me!