for the love of chapters
When I was in eighth grade, I chose all the titles for the chapters in the novel Johnny Tremain. Granted, Esther Forbes wrote the book in the 40s (I wasn’t born yet. My parents weren’t even born yet.), and she was never informed of these chapter titles. Nevertheless, they were inscribed in my paperback copy beneath each of the large, centered chapter numbers.
It was because of Mr. Perry, our small-Christian-school’s middle school literature/P.E. teacher. Consequently, he wore wind pants most days and the corded whistle around his neck. We didn’t hold it against him. We liked his unconventionalities. He was the easiest to convince to take us out and sit on the grass when it was warm.
After reading a chapter, he would let us name it what we thought it should be named based on the chapter’s content. And we loved it. I still have that copy, and I still remember to this day that I named one of the chapters “Burnt Flesh” (It must have been the chapter where Johnny burns his hand in the silversmith’s shop, which alters his entire destiny.).
Shop in Old Salem
We love chapter titles, if we’re completely honest with ourselves. The titles often foreshadow what is going to happen. They’re sorta like clues dispersed throughout the story, and each clue leads to the next.
challenge
Start a blog that is journalistic in nature. For each entry, describe what you would name your day if it were a chapter, and explain why. Include events and memorable details of the day.
possible blog names
- FortheLoveofChapters
- BytheChapter
- DaysTitled
- ChapterandVerse
start a blog about 