Joe Caldwell I think it was for me too; although I was still relatively cheerful in 7th; started getting grumpy towards the end – got real grumpy in 8th. Middle of 7th grade, i came across ‘Clan of the Cave Bear” and read it cover to cover one night. I remember telling a teacher about the book who was shocked and amused that I’d read it. 7th grade me saw it as an historical fiction with some weird funny sexy bits. I didn’t know why the teacher was so amused and surprised that a boy would read it. But by 8th grade, I looked back and I understood why she was amused; it was a romance novel set in prehistoric times and the parts I thought were extras that could be thrown out were actually “the point of it” for a lot of readers. That was one example of a cognitive shift I made between those 7th and 8th.

Joe Caldwell I think it was for me too; although I was still relatively cheerful in 7th; started getting grumpy towards the end – got real grumpy in 8th.

Middle of 7th grade, i came across ‘Clan of the Cave Bear” and read it cover to cover one night. I remember telling a teacher about the book who was shocked and amused that I’d read it.

7th grade me saw it as an historical fiction with some weird funny sexy bits.

I didn’t know why the teacher was so amused and surprised that a boy would read it.

But by 8th grade, I looked back and I understood why she was amused; it was a romance novel set in prehistoric times and the parts I thought were extras that could be thrown out were actually “the point of it” for a lot of readers. That was one example of a cognitive shift I made between those 7th and 8th.