It starts slowly. In fact, Lord of the Flies is a downright boring book for the first little bit, especially for eighth graders. There’s just a lot of, well, buildup. Sure, the Beast is a little interesting, but nothing thrilling.

And then we hit chapter eight: “Gift for the Darkness.”

We do a close reading of Simon’s encounter with the Lord of the Flies, and by the time it’s over, almost all the students are eager to read chapter nine. I find out from their science teacher — most of the kids have science their final period — that all sat in rapt silence the last few minutes of class, reading Lord of the Flies. After school, one by one, the kids come to tell me how horrified and thrilled they are.

Another good time to be a teacher.