Jan says that using classic text The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane brings lively discussion about courage and character to her classroom.

“The Red Badge of Courage is a great example of realism in writing. It’s full of very powerful descriptions of war and can be an impetus to great discussions about courage and character. Crane’s combination of imagery, moral ambiguity, and one soldier’s personal journey to define courage is as relevant today as when it was written.”—Jan Ledger

Finn by Matthew Olshan, Dating Hamlet by Lisa Fiedler, and Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper are all great examples of the classic connections built into PITR Level 3. These modern retellings and reimaginings of Huckleberry Finn, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet will introduce students to the classics in a way that is relevant to them and accessible to all students.

We will give one copy of all three titles to one commenter on this post. Leave a comment sharing one of the following to be entered (see below for complete contest rules):

• What is your favorite way to connect students to the classics?
• What classic work have you found to be most engaging and relevant to your students?
• What classic do you wish was covered in more classrooms today?

COMPLETE CONTEST RULES:

• Leave a comment below (be sure to enter a valid email address, or we won’t be able to contact you if you win!) sharing one of the above ideas and you’ll be entered to win.
• Tweet (we’re @pluggedintoread) or blog about the contest and you can leave a second comment linking to your tweet or post—you’ll get another contest entry. Spread the word!
• Again, be sure you leave a valid email address with your comment so we can contact you. If you’re picked as a winner and we can’t contact you, the prize will got to the next winner.
• Comments will be assigned a number (first commenter is #1, second is #2, etc). Winners will be picked by random.org according to comment number.
• Drawing will be held on November 2, 2009 at 12:00PM Eastern time. Winners will be contacted by email to get mailing information.