My criteria for teaching a novel to a group of students are stringent but simple:
1. Readbility. It must be written at a level that will challenge, but not frustrate them.
2. Interest. The students must be able to find some point of reference to which they can relate.
It is at this point that I assume most teachers stop, being of a more practical bend than I am. However, there has to be some reason for me to teach a book. If these were the only criteria, they could be even better served with a so-called "Reading Flood", or sustained silent reading, etc. If I am going to spend instructional time on a specific book, rather than on the act of reading in general, it must meet another criterion:
3. Literary Merit. It must demonstrate certain qualities of "Literature" that I can use to teach those concepts.
It is on this third point that Hush excels. It meets the first two criteria perfectly, to the extent that at least one student in my class suspected me of choosing it specifically for her. It is the mastery of such things as form, imagery, plot, characterization, and theme, however, that makes it worth spending weeks of classroom time scrutinizing.
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