Introduction and Welcome

Hello, my name is Alicia and I am studying Primary/Middle teaching – (specialising in the areas of English and SOSE). This blog will give a commentary of the reading program which I will be completing as part of a course called ‘English Language and Literacy’. I look forward to participating in this course- as children’s literature (and literature in general) is something I feel strongly about and value very highly. English was the subject which I personally preferred during primary and high school, and reading is still a favourite pastime of mine. As someone who feels passionate about English, I hope that I will be able to help my students experience the same enjoyment which I gained (and continue to gain) from language and literature.

This week I have decided to revisit a book which was a favourite of mine when I was in grade seven. The ‘Series of Unfortunate Events’ books captivated me as a twelve/thirteen year old as they used interesting language, exciting imagery and really captured my imagination. I quickly grew to love the three main characters; the Baudelaire children (Violet (14), Klaus (12) and the infant Sunny). These three children are orphaned by a fire which destroys their home leaving them under the care of their evil uncle Count Olaf.  Olaf devises many schemes to get hold of the fortune which was left to the orphans by the Baudelaire parents. While the children do not stay with Olaf for the duration of the series,  he always seems to find a way to get to them.  The first book of the series “The Bad Beginning” introduces the three main characters, describes the tragedy of the house fire and focusses on Olaf’s first scheme; attempting to marry Violet as a way to procure the fortune.

Re-engaging with the text has been an interesting experience for me as I am finding that I now enjoy the book differently. As an adult reader, a certain amount of the story’s ‘magic’ has diminished as I am less able to relate directly to the characters; however I have developed a new appreciation for the book as a wonderful and rich piece of literature for broadening children’s vocabularies, encouraging imaginative thought and fostering a love of language.