Blog
Most of my students know that I am crazy about the books and films of Agatha Christie. Because of her books, I have always been drawn to the mystery genre. I read her books as a teen, and when a …
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Aside from a few key characters and plot points, the book and film versions of How to Train Your Dragon differ greatly. While both center on the main characters Hiccup (a young Viking) and Toothless (the dragon he befriends), DreamWorks’ …
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The Maze Runner This month, some A Grade Ahead English classes are focusing on fiction and dystopian societies. The book The Maze Runner by James Dashner and the film, directed by Wes Hall takes place in a dystopian society. Dystopian …
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For many, R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books have a special place in their heart, especially for those who grew up in the early 1990s. In 1992, Stine started publishing the fiction series, and he would go on to write 156 Goosebumps …
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The number 451 is the temperature at which paper burns; it signifies the fragile point in which preserved knowledge can be destroyed. When Ray Bradbury first published Fahrenheit 451 (ages 13+) in 1953, he warned of a future of censorship, …
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The focus of this month’s blog comparing the book versus its film adaptation is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Lee was a unique individual and won a Pulitzer Prize for the novel, and she was also involved in …
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Exploring the Depths Recently, A Grade Ahead 6th Grade English enrichment classes explored science fiction writing. As a tribute to Sci-Fi fans, I decided to choose a book versus the movie that both highlights …
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A Magical Tale of Brilliance, Bullies, and Big Heart Today’s Book-to-Movie spotlight features Matilda, the beloved story of a brilliant young girl who uses her wit—and a bit of magic—to stand up to bullies and find where she truly belongs. …
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The Princess Bride: A Tale of Two Classics I was in college the first time I saw The Princess Bride. Someone put in a VHS tape (Yes, it was that long ago!) and insisted we had to watch. I wasn’t …
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At A Grade Ahead, our day-to-day focus is empowering students through educational enrichment in math, English, and science. We also understand that fun can be found in celebrating events that relate to academics. Did you know that March 2nd, 2026 …
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