If you could design the PERFECT society, what would it look like?  This is the question our students had to answer as they created utopias for our Utopia Fair (May 19-20).  We saw societies based on a love of nature, on the thrill of sports, and on advanced technology.  Clearly, we saw that one person's utopia was another's dystopia (especially for the vegetarian society vs. the society focused on hunting).  It was a blast to be able to peek into the personalities of the students as they explored their own beliefs, values, and tastes.  Plenty of creativity and critical thinking were on display and I congratulate all the students on a heck of a job well done!

Tomorrow we kick off our last big literature unit this year.  Sigh.  Where did the time go?  

Well, don't worry.  We still have enough time to tackle a truly fun book by Rodman Philbrick (the same author who wrote Freak the Mighty) called The Last Book in the Universe.  It's a sci-fi novel dealing with a dystopian future.

I found an interesting little piece by Rodman Philbrick about the book and how it got banned in one school district for being a "gang" novel.  Of course, the message in this book is the complete opposite...but I guess some people were too busy to read it before banning it.  Check out what he says here:
http://www.seacoastnh.com/Today/Editor_at_Large/Banning_the_Last_Book_in_the_Universe/