I may not be a twihard. I may not be a twimom or a twilady (?) or a member of Team Edward or Team Jacob. I am none of these things, but I do thank you for your books. I thank you for getting tweens and teens to read. Thank you for reminding people that a good book and a good story is what reading is actually about.
When I found out I was going to be teaching middle school, I figured I should start reading the series. I knew that the middle school students LOVED these books and if I wanted to understand them, I should start taking an interest in what they liked. I was pleasantly surprised. I knew the basic story but expected middle school sap that no one in their right mind could stomach. It was a great story with very good story telling techniques. For me, the best part was being pulled back to that time in my life. I remember being in high school. I remember the first love and those feelings. When you would see them, what it was like to know they felt that way too. It was nice to remember a more innocent time. True, it does have a little clingyness, a little you and me only vibe, a little I am your life and no one else matters, but I understand the why. I understand the idea of having the world revolve around one person, but like a good old person in the story, I think they are a little young to feel that way. It makes me understand that I am not a high schooler.
I read the rest of the books soon after. New Moon was done before I taught middle school and Eclipse and Breaking Dawn in the middle of the school year. I couldn't put Breaking Dawn down. A Christmas present, I was done before New Years and can reread it all the time. It is one of my favorite books lately. And I was right when it came to my students. One student alone read Breaking Dawn 7 times in a row. They were obsessed. Prime for love and relationships, these poor girls have no options with these middle school boys. Middle school boys don't have a clue. So they turned inward to these stories. As they wrote my creative writing stories, their inner desire to be Bella permeated every line. Some were basic rip offs with vampires and werewolves. Some loved and used the idea of being the new girl in school that the ungettable boy fell in love with. And reading these made me sorta sad. What will happen to these impressible girls? Will they be forever waiting for their own Edward or Jacob? Will no one be good enough? Will they settle for some loser guy who breaks their hearts and forever destroys their innocence? Will reality ever be good enough for these girls?
It's been nearly a year since I taught sixth grade and I see these same girls. They don't seem to be as single minded but I'm not as close to them as I once was. Maybe they are counting the days til Breaking Dawn and carrying the books every where they go. But I see them holding hands with boys, laughing and I guess Edward and Jacob are gone. But that's the best thing about books. There will be a new generation and they will read the books and they will fall in love too. I just hope it works out for everyone in the end.
Sincerely,
KT
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)
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