Reader's Reflect: The Boy on the Porch

Today when a student came into the library eagerly holding The Boy on the Porch and asking if Sharon Creech had continued Jacob's story, I first had to tell her, "No," because, to my knowledge, Sharon has not written another book about Jacob. Second, I asked her to capture her excitement about the book. She sent me this:

The Boy On The Porch

By:Sharon Creech

In The Boy On The Porch  the author does an amazing job of making the reader engage in the book by not telling answers. For example, she doesn't  tell you how old Marta and John are, but she lets you decide what that answer is. Also, she does a great job of telling the true meaning of the book. Jacob could not speak but he still tapped to communicate with others such as Marta, John, and Lucy. Jacob can teach all of us a life lesson. He taught me how to make life more fun by doing less and how if you have a struggle you can always overcome it. Jacob makes me think about how lucky I am to have all of the love and support  I have. He also makes me see how if you don't have a lot of support or abilities that some people have, you can become a better person. It is incredible how Jacob can get through almost anything without talking just tapping and painting. His painting abilities help him express his feelings and emotions. This book made me want to keep reading but sadly there was not another book in the series. I absolutely loved and enjoyed reading this book.
Sincerely,
A

I too love this book. You can read my reaction on this blog post.

A student's reflection after reading The Boy on the Porch

I recently, somewhat reluctantly (sorry to admit this), handed my ARC of The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech to a student. I asked her to come see me when she had finished reading the book, which she did.  After our animated discussion, I asked if she would like to reflect upon her reading experience.  She happily took on the challenge.  

One of my goals in teaching last year (and again this year) is to explore ways, both with and without technology, to give students a voice.  I am exploring and experimenting with ways that students can express their opinions, their ideas, their knowledge, and their understanding. Here are Carrie's words. I am so glad she shared her voice.

The Boy on the Porch Reflection

       I was so thrilled and honored to receive an Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech. I have enjoyed Sharon Creech’s writing in the past, had the opportunity to meet Sharon Creech at school last year and heard raves about the book from Mrs. Reed (my awesome library teacher!); needless to say, reading this book was of excitement to me. I began reading the book Saturday night and once I got into it, it was difficult for me to put the book down until the moment that I finished on Monday morning. I ran into Mrs. Reed later on Tuesday and we had an excellent book discussion about it.

       The book starts out introducing a young couple that you could relate to from any age, Marta and John. The two of them live alone on a farm in a small town. One morning, as they go about their regular morning routines, they see a young boy sleeping in a chair on their porch. Curiously, they sit with him until he awakes hours later. After him spending a few days with them, they figure something out; the boy, Jacob cannot speak, though communicates through tapping on any and every surface. The boy also gives Marta and John a note stating (with spelling and grammar errors) that the child’s name is Jacob and that he is a good boy, and “they” will be back for him when they can. The young couple assumes that this means a few hours to a day.

       My favorite part of the book is how Marta and John really have no parenting experience and work much on trial and error. They do always try to do what is best for Jacob, though don’t always succeed. I really enjoy how you can see what Marta and John are thinking and really just how hard they are trying with Jacob. John, appears tough, not quite understanding why Jacob finds joy in music, art and riding cows, but not in “dirty work” though he really does have that father-like soft spot that comes out various times throughout the book. Marta, on the other hand, is a gentle, kind “mother,” always looking out for Jacob’s sensitive feelings. Marta and John soon grow attached to Jacob and are faced with many difficult choices because of this.

No matter what type of book you ordinarily enjoy, this is a great pick for everyone!

Need I say anything more?

The Boy on the Porch

Yesterday was the first real day of summer.  

I said goodbye to the students on Wednesday and on Thursday, I wished colleagues a relaxing summer and promptly flew out to Chicago for the American Library Association Annual Conference. It was an amazing whirlwind of booklove - but more on that later. I flew back on Monday and on Tuesday, I packed up for the summer and headed for the north country, where I promptly unpacked. 

Which brings me to yesterday, the first real day of summer.

I feel significant pressure to make this day remarkable, to somehow savor its goodness.  Therefore, whatever I choose to do must fit into this paradigm of pressure.  A swim (or two) in the river is always a must, along with a visit to my mother's garden and watching the sunset while sitting on the back porch.  "How else to fill my day?" Can better be answered by, "Which book shall I read?"  

You see my dilemma.  So much pressure placed on that first book of summer.  I had better choose a good one.  And I did.

I read Sharon Creech's The Boy on the Porch on my porch.

The Boy on the Porch is a beautiful and satisfying read. 

It is the story of a young couple that find a boy on their porch, a boy who does not speak, but who communicates in ways that make his, and their, world come alive.  Sharon Creech is a master and she has crafted a story that explores the beauty and heartache of unconditional love.

Without telling too much I will share some things I loved about the book.

I love the relationship between the young couple, Marta and John.  They know what the other person is thinking and the sentences left unfinished and the questions that are left unanswered are the ones too painful to finish or answer.  I love how they rely on each other as they take this unfamiliar journey. (I kept picturing them as older, even though I knew they were young.  I think this was because I selfishly wanted to identify with them, I wanted to be able to put myself in their shoes.)

I love the boy, Jacob.  His gentle spirit is heartwarming and his joy with the world around him is infectious.  Watching himself find and express his "voice" is an experience not to miss.

I love how they trade everyday objects for things for the boy and how these things give him a voice.  This act of giving away a necessary object, for one that might seem frivolous, but is most definitely not, is an act of love and devotion.

I love how Sharon creates threads in her stories, as with how the sheriff draws his fingers across his badge to polish it when speaking with someone.  This subtle gesture, aptly repeated in specific moments on the text, creates a marker for a moment in the story and draws the reader back to those moments.

And here is an excerpt, it's describing the boy, but I think it also describes what Sharon Creech has accomplished in this book.  

"It was as if he were re-creating the sounds of the forest and the dawn and the mountains, all rolled together. The sounds moved John and Marta greatly.  One minute they would be smiling and soon after they were close to tears.  It was as if the boy had control over their minds and bodies."  

You can replace Sharon's name for the boy and my name for the John and Marta.  I laughed, I cried.  I felt sated.  Marta, John, Jacob and their journey will stay with me long after this summer.