I remember reading the 'Just..' series as a child because they were really engaging and humourous. The books are written in first person from the perspective of Andy Griffiths at a young and mischievous age.
'Just Tricking' contains 10 short narratives which are structured differently and distinct from each other through the use of different fonts. They mainly contain an exposition, conflict, climax however, not all of his stories contain a resolution. Some stories have a twist at the end, or are not properly resolved. The books appeal to both male and female students between the age groups of approximately 8-14. They are great for getting males into reading, particularly if they aren't confident. For example, my brother was not a big reader at school but he loved these books and purchased the whole series. Although there are no major illustrations as such, along the borders of writing Terry Denton has illustrated comic-like pictures and written small captions. This further engages the reader and are separate from the narratives, reflecting intertextuality.
These books could be used in the classroom to introduce students to humourous narratives and how to structure them differently to achieve the desired effect. For example, ending the story with an ironic event but not necessarily resolving it.
Kirsty
PS. Here is a link to Andy Griffith's website. It's quite descriptive and provides an in-depth summary of each book.
http://www.andygriffiths.com.au/books/justtricking.htm
Hey Kirsty!.. Just had a look at the website you provided. I think this is a really good website that both teachers and students are able to engage with. I even like the mini test that students are able to take, I think this would really motive some of the students to read.
ReplyDeletesorry that was by Teresa.
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