Many years ago, when I was a small child, my family’s dog, Grendel, chased a cat down in our yard and slaughtered it right in front of my eyes. I have never seen a look so terrible as the haunting, wide eyes of the cat which quickly disappeared in an explosion of caterwauling and orange, tabby fur. At the tender age of three this was extraordinarily unnerving, and I consigned myself to the indoors for the next eighteen months of my life. During this self-imposed imprisonment I became familiar with what I now know are called “books”.

One of my first reads was a small hard bound book called The Whales Go By. It is the story of a young baleen whale separated from his pod during their migration and his experiences with loss, a storm, and dangerous killer whales. This was soon followed by Scupper, The Sailor Dog, who goes to sea to follow his destiny and is shipwrecked along the way.

The tale of Scupper eventually inspired me to once again brave the elements, and it was also time for me to start kindergarten. Since those days, I have been a voracious reader and have tried to pass along this appreciation for books to my students as well as my friends. My goal with this blog is to pass along my personal recommendations as well as those from others in the community.

Jacques Cousteau had this to say about the ocean: “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” I feel the same way about reading. In a world where the final frontier is space, we rarely have the opportunity to embark upon adventures greater than our imagination. Lance Bass, famed N’Sync member, can afford a 20 million dollar trip into orbit. For far less I can visit an island turned dinosaur habitat, travel downriver into the heart of Africa, or explore humanity’s notions of good and evil on the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

I feel blessed to have a love for reading, and I hope that I can assist you in your own pursuit of literary adventure. People who have read or choose to read these books are encouraged to post their own comments and thoughts about them.

-Rob Scotlan

8th Grade English

For more information about Rob, see his faculty bio.