By: Clara Bagaroli
In the busy world of the 8th grade, where students are beginning to form stronger opinions and express their ideas more clearly, a new literary project has taken shape. This term, students haven’t just been reading books, but rather they’ve been reflecting on them and deciding which stories truly stood out to them. As the journalist covering this project, I’ve had the opportunity to see how personal reading can become when students connect with a book they genuinely enjoy.
Alongside these student voices, you’ll also hear from the teachers who guided them throughout the reading process, Portuguese teacher, Ms Gisele da Silva Leles. She was responsible for helping create an environment where students felt comfortable exploring different genres and forming their own opinions. Their perspectives add context to the students’ choices, showing how the right guidance can turn reading into a more personal and engaging experience. Therefore, this article will explore two of the most well-said and well-liked words, Luna Clara e Apolo Onze, and O Pior Dia de Todos.
As an interview with Portuguese teacher, Ms. Leles, took place, she was asked which of the books she read with her 8th grade classes throughout the year were more impactful and that her students enjoyed reading about. Among the many interesting works, two of which stood out more than others:
O Pior Dia de Todos (The Worst Day of All), by the brazilian author Daniela Kopsch, is a fictional romance based on one of the most tragic massacres in Rio de Janeiro’s history, the Realengo school massacre in 2011. Based on the story of an ex-student who invaded and massacred 12 students in a local school, the story focuses on the two main characters, Malu and Natália, who are cousins and friends, as they live through usual teenage dramas in the Rio suburbs when their lives suddenly drastically changed in one fateful day. So, the work, instead of focusing on the massacre itself, one of its main concentrations lie on the day to day live of teenagers living in the suburbs, turning the narrative into one that kids like Malu and Natália can relate to.
“Two days after my 14th birthday, a man broke into my school and killed 12 kids. It all happened so fast. I know that tragic stories always start this way: It all happened so fast. But I’m not exaggerating. At 8 am, Portuguese Language class started, and at 8:15 am, it was all over.” – Kopsch, The Worst Day of All
The other sensation among the 8th graders lies the book, Luna Clara e Apolo Onze, by author Adriana Falcão, a children/young adult novel. This novel narrates the story of the two main characters, Luna Clara, a young girl who awaits her fathers (an unlucky traveler) return in Desatino do Norte (North Desatino), and of Apolo Onze, a young boy who loves to dream from Desatino do Sul (South Desatino). The book contains two different covers, starting with the one showcasing Luna Clara, where her story in Desatino do Norte is told, and, if you turn the book upside down, the story of Apolo Onze in Desatino do Sul begins, emphasizing the theme of opposite worlds and different realities. The book not only shows this theme of distinct worlds, but, by Falcao utilizing humor and poetic language, the book also addresses topics about teenage love, family, and self-knowledge.
“Everything happens in the Desatino Region. This is the story of Luna Clara and Apollo Eleven, but its also the story of Doravante and Aventura, of Leyconíquio and Noctâmbulo, of Pilhérias and Erudito, of Imprevisto and Poracaso, of coincidence and disagreements, of luck and bad luck…but this story can also be your story” – Falcão, Luna Clara and Apollo Eleven
After gathering information about 8th graders opinions, it was shown how most of the students either mentioned Luna Clara e Apolo Onze, just as Ms. Leles has predicted. Among their answers, they highlighted that their favorite aspect in book was either the background or the story itself. In one of the students comments about O Pior Dia de Todos, they highlighted that “O Pior dia de Todos it’s an important book because it talks about a massacre is Brazil and how life was in harder communities in RJ”.
In the end, these interviews show how powerful books can be in the lives of young readers. While every student had a unique perspective, two books stood out the most among the 8th graders: Luna Clara e Apolo Onze and O Pior Dia de Todos. Through humor, emotion, and memorable characters, these stories managed to connect with many students and spark meaningful discussions within the classrooms. More importantly, this project demonstrated that reading is not only a school academic obligation, but also a personal experience that allows students to discover new ideas, emotions, and perspectives. By sharing their favorite books, the 8th graders showed that literature still has the ability to inspire, entertain, and bring people together.
EAC PRESS 