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M I D D L E S C H O O L Trevor Translates: Engagement in English by Rebecca Damas, Director of Middle School During the first weeks of the school year, I saw two 8th graders having an intense conversation about their summer reading: the Real Friends series of graphic novels. The students were debating whether these books served as windows into a life different from their own or, conversely, mirrors that reflected their own lives. One student concluded that the books served both purposes. For me, this conversation illustrated the importance of the varied reading that our students engage in during their Middle School years. If Trevor is doing things right, every student will be exposed to books that are windows and books that are mirrors. Books transport us to another world completely unlike our own; they take us on adventures from the safety of home or school; and they can provide comfort by reminding us that we are not alone. Of course, one person's mirror is another person's window, and this is one of the most important lessons we can learn about life through reading books and discussing them with others. Creating the environment for these experiences to happen is a primary reason that we strive to develop a strong culture of reading in grades 6–8. This idea of perspective is one that students explore in depth during their Middle School years. After reading Refugee by Alan Gratz, our 6th graders rewrite a scene from the perspective of another character in the book. Our 7th graders conduct a comparative study of two novels: Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes and King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender, leading to discussion and writing about both shared perspectives and differences between the two main characters of those books. In 8th grade, students share their own perspectives about influential books through daily book talks. Each student delivers a short presentation to their peers several times each semester about a book they have enjoyed reading on their own. Some titles are even added to the curriculum. Suggested novels range from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray to Neil Schusterman's Scythe to Art Spiegelman's Maus. 24 / TREVOR MAGAZINE WINTER 2022–2023