Eleazar Resendez
LSSL 5385
September 8, 2015
Alexie, S., &
Forney, E. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New
York: Little, Brown.
In his book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Sherman Alexie
gives us glimpse into the life of a Native American, teenage boy’s first year
in a new school. Junior, the main
character and owner of the diary, is set to start his first year in his local
high school in the Indian reservation where he grew up in. Through a set of
misfortunate events, he ends up being expelled from that school and then
persuaded into joining the neighboring “white” school instead. While apprehensive at first, he decides to
join the new school, and this ultimately leads to him parting ways with his
best friend, Rowdy. While torn up about losing his friendship with Rowdy,
Junior tries his best to fit in to his new school, and finds only mild success
at first. After a while, he manages to develop true bonds and friendships in his
new school, and these help him cope with the loss of several of his loved ones
that passed away during the year. Throughout the school year, Junior never
forgets his childhood best friend and makes every attempt to mend the relationship
they had. In the end, Junior is finally able to reconnect with his friend, and
share a game of one-on-one.
This book was incredibly fun to read. Alexie’s
interpretation of this character seems so on par that it’s easy to forget this
is a work of fiction. Though at times the themes seem more adept for the higher
level YA crowd, the illustrations and overall style allow for a wide range of
students to enjoy. The language is a bit strong at times as well, but the
messages of optimism and perseverance it carries seem to overshadow these
racier dialogues. I think one of the many messages that all readers can relate
to is having someone they know being affected by alcoholism. Junior’s case is a
bit extreme, but not isolated so it is great that it brings awareness through
the character’s experiences. Lastly, I believe one strong point is its
relativity to our immigrant youth. Like Junior, most immigrant families decide
to migrate in the hope of a better future for themselves and their families.
The
True Diary of a part-time Indian was Alexie’s second novel after getting
his start with a collection of shorts stories entitled The Lone Ranger and Tonto fight in Heaven . Being of Native
American descent himself, all of Alexie’s works carry those themes as well. Some of his other works include to other
collections of short stories entitled, Ten
Little Indians, and War Dances.
His first novel is entitled Reservation blues.
Anderson, L. (1999). Speak.
New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Melinda
Sordino’s first day of high school is not going well. She starts off the year
with a chip on her shoulder after calling the cops on the back-to-school party
most of her classmates were guests in. Out of fear, she decides not to talk to
the cops, but her friends know it was her who called. This makes fitting in somewhat difficult for
her, and after quickly figuring out that her old friends want nothing to do
with her, Melinda finds herself lost and desperate. Her teachers seem to be of
no help either, as each deal with their own trials and tribulations. She tries
to befriend out a couple of her classmates, but to no avail and instead she
finds an abandoned broom closet where she creates her own little haven of
solitude. Throughout the school year,
Melinda is tormented with the thoughts of what happened to her during the
back-to-school party, and if she should talk to someone about it. Sadly, Melinda was sexually abused at this
party, and it is only until she confronts her aggressor that she feels justice
has been served.
The first
thing that should be stated here is that I have not seen the movie adaptation
to this book, and interestingly enough, I don’t see a reason to do so. Laurie
Anderson, the author, gives such spot-on emotions to her characters that it is
impossible not to imagine this could be autobiographical. As a high school teacher myself, I found
Anderson’s characterizations of Mr. Neck, Hairwoman, and Mr. Freeman to be
especially spot on and I found myself looking at my coworkers a little
different.
Another
characteristic I enjoyed was her portrayal of the school as a setting. The high school I work in is by no means
huge, but it definitely has a lot of nooks and crannies where students seem to
escape to. Ironically, our school mascot is a Trojan soldier, and for similar
reasons I assume, we are called “the Gladiators” instead of what the mascot
resembles.
Lastly, I can’t help but be
attracted to her writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed her way of having
subchapters within chapters to allow for short intermediate reads. Melinda is
brought to life by having the ability to decide how much she writes. It feels
like sometimes she is in a writing mood and sometimes she’s not.
Laurie Halse Anderson is an award
winning writer of children’s and young adult novels. Among her novels are Catalyst, Prom, and Twisted, as well as the historical novel, Fever 1793. Anderson has also published children’s books such as Turkey Pox, No Time for Mother’s Day, and The Big Cheese of Third Street.
Andrews, J. (2012).
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Abrams Books.
In his book, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, author Jesse Andrews tells the
story of a high school senior who just wants to get to graduation without
having to make any friends. Greg, the main character, has one friend and is
perfectly fine with that. Together, Earl and he share stories and interests
such as film making. Greg’s life takes a sharp turn when his mother urges him
to get back in touch with a middle school girl who he used to be friends with.
His mother tells him she has cancer, and Greg reluctantly gives her a call.
After a while, he figures out she’s is a great friend and introduces her to
Earl. He, too, is delighted to have Rachel as his friend. Towards the end of
the story, Greg and Earl decide to make a movie for Rachel which she gets to
see and enjoy before passing.
I believe this book has a couple of
strong points that make it stand out. The vocabulary used throughout this book
seems age appropriate, and not too challenging for a high school classroom. The
theme of friendship is also a very strong point for this book. I find it
particularly interesting how Andrews portrays the reluctance with which Greg
was willing to admit someone new into his extremely small circle of friends.
Another strong point of the book is how easily relatable it is to teens. Greg
distastes for the bigger high school crowds will be relatable to some, while
building new friendships with unsuspecting peers will be relatable to others.
Overall, I believe this book has usefulness in the classroom.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is
the debut (and currently only) novel by Jesse Andrews.
Angleberger, T.,
& Rosenstock, J. (2010). The strange
case of Origami Yoda. Amulet Books.
In his book, The Strange case of
Origami Yoda, Author Tom Angleberger presents the story of a group of middle
school outcasts that are ubiquitously helped out by a student’s origami style
puppet. The books primary narrator, Tommy, starts off by describing how the
Origami Yoda character and how it came to be. He then describes the Yoda’s
handler, Dwight. Dwight is considered the class weirdo and he doesn’t get a lot
of attention from his peers. Using his Origami Yoda, he decides he should try
to give them advice. Tommy, the narrator, is the first to listen to the Origami
Yoda, and its through him that we notice how Dwight’s advice is really helpful.
At one point, Tommy gets fed up of with Dwight’s sometimes cryptic advice and
he destroys the Origami Yoda. After
seeing the error of his ways, Tommy makes a mends with Dwight, and Dwight
creates a new Origami Yoda, and continues to dole out useful advice to his
classmates.
Overall, I think this book shows
great usefulness in the classroom. Its vocabulary is fun for and an easy read
for most middle school students. Its theme of being helpful and giving everyone
a chance to be heard is a very positive message to instill in this age group.
Depending on the time allotted for this book, there could be hands on
activities tied to this book as well, and these could also build
cooperativeness in the classroom. Another strong point of this book is its
relatability among different grade and age levels. Everyone remembers having a “Dwight” –like
classmate, and it makes one wonder if he or she might have had the same
insights he did. Something to note, is that this is the first book in a series.
Along with, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Angleberger has also written Darth Paper Strikes Back, The Secret of the
Fortune Wookiee, Art2-D2’s Guide to Folding and Doodling, The Surprise Attack
of Jabba the Puppett, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue!, Emperor Pickletine
Rides the Bus, Fake Mustache, and Crankee Doodle among others.
Bell, C., &
Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. Harry N. Abrams.
In her semi-autobiographical book, El Deafo, Cece Bell presents herself as
a young anthropomorphic rabbit dealing with an unforeseen handicap that she
develops at a young age. Cece recalls having a pretty normal and active
childhood before contracting meningitis. As a result of her ailment, Cece loses
her ability to hear. As a result, Cece is taken by her parents to see a
physician who specialized in hearing loss. After a thorough check up, he
ultimately recommends Cece use a series of different hearing aid devices to
help her cop with the hearing loss. Cece is not too crazy about the hearing
aids and what it will do for her image among her school friends. Cece finally
decides she hates being unable to communicate more than the hearing aid and
gets accustomed to using them. In the end,
Cece is shown to build friendships as she puts her abnormally potent
hearing aid to good use and helps the class goof off at school.
I believe this book has it’s a
place in the classroom for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it teaches
students about tolerance among people with disabilities. Bell does an amazing
job at allowing her readers to see life through the perspective of a child
growing up and coping with a crushing disability. Also, I believe the book is
useful in that its chapters are broken into concise amounts that can be better
coordinated for a lesson lasting one class period. The vocabulary seems age
appropriate and not too advanced where it has to be reserved for a GT audience.
Though I was a bit at odds at the beginning, I can see why depicting the main
character as a rabbit can also serve a positive purpose. Maybe the author was aiming to soften the
seriousness of her disability or her perils, and in this way avoiding
unnecessary pity for the deaf community.
Cece Bell’s other titles include Sock Monkey Takes a Bath, I Yam a Donkey,
Sock Monkey in the Spotlight, Food Friends: Fun Foods That Go Together, Sock
Monkey Boogie Woogie: A Friend Is Made, Sock Monkey Rides Again, Sock Monkey
Goes to Hollywood: A Star is Bathed, Itty Bitty, Bee-Wigged, and Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover. She won
the Newbery Medal of Honor for El Deafo.
Black, H. (2010). White
cat. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.
Cassel comes from a family of Curse
workers. These are people with supernatural abilities that have taken to the
criminal underworld as they’re seen as outcasts by society. These abilities
seem to vary between family members, and some like Cassel, don’t possess any
traits at all. Well, that’s what he is led to believe at first. Among other
things, Cassel has been sleepwalking and having odd dreams. He sees a white cat
that is trying to give him a message. As the story unfolds, it turns out that
the cat is actually a friend he thought he had killed. Instead, he finds out
his brother had him transform her to a cat, and erased his memory of doing so.
After he figures this out, he turns his friend, Lila, back to human form, and
together they help foil, his brother’s plan to kill Lila’s dad. At the end of
the story, Lila confesses her love for Cassel, but sadly Cassel becomes aware
that she feels that way because she is under a spell.
I
believe this book has its strong points in the vocabulary and the dialogue
sequences used by the author as well as its ability to stay ground in reality.
Though the vocabulary used is not necessarily extensive, it fits well among
teens and young adults that might have the reading skills to keep up with more
complex worded novels. The dialogue
seems also a bit simplistic at times, but again, it fits well if one considers
the audience. Lastly the author, Holly
Black, does an outstanding job at giving this novel a sense of reality. The
settings are very realistic as well as the characters’ points of view. An
important note is that is only part one of a series. The book appropriately
leaves with a bit of a cliffhanger. I see it as a summer ELA assignment
possibility. The White Cat could be read in the summer and its successor during
the fall semester.
Holly Black’s other titles include The Spiderwick Chronicles , The Modern
Faerie Tale series, the Curse Workers series, Doll Bones, The Coldest Girl in
Coldtown, the Magisterium series and The
Darkest Part of the Forest.
Chbosky, S. (1999). The
perks of being a wallflower. Pocket Books.
In his book, The perks of being a wallflower, Stephen Chbosky presents the story
of a teenaged boy name Charlie. The book reads like a collection of letters
that Charlie mailed out to a specific person. More than just letters, they
serve as a journal or memoir of Charlie’s tumultuous first year in high school.
At the beginning of these letters, Charlie is shown as an introvert coping with
the recent loss of a close friend, and his beloved aunt. After a while though,
Charlie manages to move on a make more friends. The letters describe these
experiences as well as his participation in drug use and the adverse effect
they play in his life. Towards the end of the book, the main character abruptly
finds out that he had repressed bad memories of being abused as a child by none
other than his beloved aunt.
Though
this book is an amazing piece of literature in its own right, I believe there
aren’t any particular strong points to make regarding its classroom usefulness.
The book is very well written, and the style used makes its interesting to
read. The characters are somewhat elusive, but that seems irrelevant as the
author builds a great main character that seems like someone you would know.
The vocabulary is age appropriate as well, though the content seems a bit too
racy for the classroom. At best, I believe this book could serve in small
excerpts to teach paragraph building skills and the like. It could also serve
in an English 4 classroom maybe, but even then, some of its material doesn’t
seem appropriate for the classroom setting. It can definitely be enjoyed at the
library setting or at home.
Stephen Chbosky wrote and directed
the feature film adaptation of his award-winning novel, The Perks of Being a
Wallflower. He has worked on the film version of the smash-hit musical Rent as
well as the TV show Jericho. He also edited Pieces, a collection of short
stories for the publishing company he is employed in.
Crutcher, C. (2009). Angry
management: Three novellas. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Mr. Nak is getting back into the
education field after over a decade of absences, and at an advanced age. As a
counselor, he is entrusted with leading an anger management program for teens
at his school. This book details three separate stories involving teens which
he counsels. The book reads as a collection of diaries from the people involved
in each story. This allows for the reader to see the different points of view
regarding the issues that take place in each of the short novels. Though all
stories are different, they all seem to have the same underlying theme of
hatred, and intolerance among contemporary Americans. All of them involve teens
dealing with and trying to overcome some wrong-doing that they have lived
through. From issues such as child abuse and racial discrimination, to
censorship, and the reinforcement of negative traditions, this book covers all
these topics with these stories.
I believe some of the strong points
in this book are the style in which it is written, and the usefulness it
provides the student body at my school. The book reads like a compilation of
journals the author handpicked from a group of people involved in each story.
This helps students understand the plot and theme of the book easier, while
allowing for short classroom reading sessions. The style also allows for
students to see multiple points of view within the same story. This undoubtedly
helps with the second aforementioned quality the book has. I believe it is
useful to our students because of the raw nature the characters portray. Though
not all the characters are equally represented in my school, it is fair to say
that most students can relate to at least one of the characters in book. This
is always a good thing because a fundamental part of engaging a student in
learning is to make the information relatable.
Along with Angry Management, author Chris
Crutcher has written over ten other novels, and short stories. His first novel,
Running Loose, would delineate the subjects for which he became for; at-risk
teens. For his work, Crutcher has received many praise as well as sharp
criticism. Some of his material has been challenged, and even banned in some
school. He, however, has also earned many awards for his books including ALA’s
Best Book for Young Adults Award for 8 of his works.
Gantos, Jack. (2002).
Hole in my life. Farrar, Straus and
Giroux.
In his
book, Hole in my life, author Jack
Gantos retells the story of his life as a youth and how he found the
inspiration to be a writer. Gantos makes it a point to discuss his life in 3
sections or stages of his life. He starts off by describing his dreams and
aspirations as a writer. After a couple of bad decisions, Gantos ends up having
to give up his dream because of his lack of inspiration. In the second section,
Gantos is shown as continuing his bad decisions and starts to spiral towards
more serious illegal activity such as smuggling drugs. He justifies this by
saying he needs the money to go to college to become a writer. The last section
of the book deals with Gantos incarceration after he is charged with conspiracy
to smuggle drugs into the United States. After his stint in prison, and after
seeing all the horrors there, Gantos finally finds his inspiration to write.
First he writes about prison then he transition into children’s books.
I
believe this book has a few strong points worth noting. The biggest strong
point, in my point of view, is the message that it gives young men and women on
the verge of graduating. Though sometimes it’s hard for students to listen to a
higher authority, having Gantos recount his life allows for students to relate
to someone their age. The issue of drug use is somewhat questionable, but in
the end it proves that it was a wrong choice so the reader can be dissuaded
from taking that route. The style Gantos
uses can also be considered a strong point because it allows for the students
to further relate to the author. Living in a border region, our students are
similarly exposed to the thrill of easy drug smuggling money and it is
important for authors such as Gantos to write about the consequences of such
actions.
Aside
from his autobiographical work, Gantos has written many children’s books though
out the years. Among his best works are the Rotten
Ralph series, the Jack Henry
series, the Joey Pigza series, as
well as standalone books such as Desire Lines and the Dead end in Norvelt.
Garden, N. (1982). Annie
on my mind. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.
In her book, Annie on my mind, Nancy Garden gives us a glimpse into the lives of
two coming of age teens taking part in an unconventional relationship in their
society. The book starts off with Liza writing a letter to her old friend
Annie. Before she can finish it though, she finds herself reminiscing about her
tumultuous relationship, and what moved her to write that letter. It was
exactly one year ago that Liza met Annie for the first time, and her world was
turned upside down. Through events and sentiments that even they can’t
understand, the girls find themselves completely in love with each other. Both
girls understand how taboo a same sex relationship is regarded in their society
so they tried to repress those feelings from each other. This seems to only
frustrate them and it is only until they are able to show their physical
affection for each other that they feel content. Through a series of
unfortunate events, they are discovered and Liza must now face the consequences
of their actions. In the end however, Liza is unscathed by her actions and only
suffers the loss of Annie’s friendship.
This book is great for the
classroom in that it teaches tolerance among students. It portrays two
nearly-adult teens from different social and economic spheres coming together
in the name of love and friendship. That speaks for itself, I believe. Though somewhat dated, it brings in a sense
of reality for smaller communities in America. It is no secret nowadays that
cities have pushed for tolerance among its citizens and students, but the same
can’t be said for rural America. Sadly,
33 years after this book was written, there are people today that share similar
views to the antagonists here. Another
way it infuses reality and relativity is by mentioning actual locations in New
York. Liza also mentions issues current high school students stress about as
well such as college eligibility.
Among her other books, Nancy Garden
has written Good Moon Rising, and Holly's Secret. She has also written
numerous fantasy, mystery and horror titles. In 2003, she received Margaret A.
Edwards Award for her work.
Gino, A. (2015). George.
Scholastic Press.
In his book, George, author Alex Gino presents the story of a young boy caught
in a peculiar dilemma. Though George is perceived by his family and friends to
be a typical 4th grade boy, he sees someone else when he looks in
the mirror. In his view, it is obvious
that he is a she, though the rest of the world seems oblivious to it. He feels
so strongly about it that he calls himself Melissa and refers to himself with
feminine pronouns such as “she” and “herself.” George has a plan to come out to
the world, and he wants to use the stage during his 4th grade play
to get his point across. Playing Charlotte in the recreation of the play
adaptation of Charlotte’s Web, seems like the perfect time for George to show
what Melissa is capable of. His teacher does not agree with George’s idea and
instead gives the part to his friend, Kelly. George confides his dilemma to
Kelly and she ultimately agrees to help George come out to the world.
While
formulating my point of view regarding the strong points for this book, I found
myself at odds about what is considered a strong point in this case. On the one
hand, this book seems very forward thinking, and also seems to be on the right
track towards bringing awareness to the transgender community. Alex Gino does a great job at keeping the
vocabulary clean, and the conflicts are not too coarse. This helps bring the
age appropriateness level down a bit. On the other hand, I feel it might not be
age appropriate for such a young audience. It is definitely a must read at some
point in middle school or for pleasure,
but I think the target group in this case seems a little too emotionally
underdeveloped to handle this particular theme without stronger reinforcement
from parents and the rest of the school community.
George
is Alex Gino’s debut novel.
Green, J. (2012). The
fault in our stars. Penguin.
In his book, The Fault in Our Stars, John Green presents the story of a young
teen girl dealing with cancer. Hazel, the main character, is only sixteen and
dealing with an aggressive form of cancer. Though her mother fears she is
depressed, Hazel actually finds herself interested in a boy he meets at her
support group. While she is attracted to Augustus, Hazel is very reprehensive
about her feelings towards him. Augustus, however, is not and he desperately
wants to win Hazel’s approval and affection.
Hazel shares her favorite book with Augustus, and her distaste for the
books sudden end, midsentence. Augustus sees this as a chance to woe her, and
arranges to go see the author of the book in Europe. Though they do not get the
answers they were looking for, the teens do form an incredible bond during
their time there. It is later revealed that Gus was up for cancer treatments before
the trip and cancelled them so he could be with her. They spent little time
together after that, and reunite only one week before Gus passes away.
This book has great potential to be
used as a resource in the classroom. First of all, the vocabulary is used plays
very well with the audience. Though some scientific jargon is used from time to
time, the author somehow reminds us that we are reading this through the eyes
of a teen. The dialogue seems very relevant to our time in age as well. This
brings a sense of reality to this piece of work in my point of view. The
settings are also a strong point of the book. Not only well known locations
such as Amsterdam, but even when describing typical small locations such as
Augustus’ basement. The detail the author uses makes that space come to life.
Lastly, dealing with the death of loved ones can be a painful process and I
feel John Green showed a positive way of grieving in Hazel and Isaacs actions.
Among John Green’s other works are Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of
Katherines, Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances, Paper Towns, and ‘Will Grayson, Will Grayson.’
Harris, Robie.
(1994). It’s perfectly normal.
Candlewick Press.
In her book, It’s perfectly normal, author Robie Harris presents an educational
discourse on sex and reproduction in style meant for an early middle school
audience. After a note to the reader, and a short introduction into the theme,
the book starts off with the definition of sex and its multiple meanings. The
book is broken into six sections each with its own set of smaller subsections
of their own. While section one deals with defining what it is to be human from
an emotional standpoint, the following section deals with the physical aspects
of human beings. There is an array of illustrations to depict what the author
is informing the reader about throughout the book. The third section of the
book deals with puberty while section 4 deals with building relationships and
reproducing. Section five deals with choices one makes regarding sex as an
adult such as birth control or abstinence. Lastly, section six deals with the
choices one makes when choosing to have a relationship with someone.
This is probably one of the few
books that I’ve read that you can possibly substitute for a textbook. Robie
Harris provides a wealth of information to those who are willing to listen.
Better yet, Michael Emberley, the illustrator, creates incredibly detailed
drawings throughout the book while keeping truly explicit images to a minimum.
I think a strong point of this book is also its attention to detail. The book
practically discusses everything related to sex and reproduction. In the health classroom, it could prove as a
good visual tool for the instructor. I could also see it be useful in a school
where child care courses are available. The vocabulary is on par with what
students are thought in science as well. Overall, this is a great book that can
be used in the classroom under the right guidance.
Aside from, It’s perfectly normal, Robie Harris has also written It’s so amazing!, Who has what?, Turtle
and me, Maybe a bear ate It, along with many other children’s books.
King, A.S. (2012) Please ignore Vera Dietz. Ember.
In her book, Please ignore Vera Dietz, author A.S. King presents the story of a
teen girl trying to cope with the loss a friend who had a falling out with her before
he died. Vera, the main character, is saddened to find out her ex-best friend,
Charlie, has died. Even more depressing to her, is the fact that she could have
done something about the matter. Before the book delves in to what led to Charlie’s
untimely death, it lets allows readers to see how close Vera and Charlie’s friendship
was before they had their disagreement. It details how the two friends grew up
as neighbors and how they consoled themselves when their families were less
than perfect. The book then discusses how things changed for the friends after
a certain age. Charlie started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and ultimately
his girlfriend drives a wedge between Vera and him. Before his death, Charlie
lets Vera know that his girlfriend threaten to kill him. Vera, now in the
present, makes an effort to find evidence of this in one of their old hang out
spots. She does so, and avenges Charlie’s death by bringing the culprit to
justice.
In all, I believe this book has
some strong points that can prove to be useful in the classroom. The vocabulary
used throughout the book is not very complicated, but it does have its share of
key vocabulary words instructors could focus on. The style the writer uses is
also conducive to the classroom as the book is broken into small chapter. The relatability
in this book is also a strong point, in my point of view. Students getting
ready to graduate, as the main character is, can relate to losing friendships
along way. Even when not in direct relation, students can still be deeply impacted
by the loss of a peer. I think the main strong point in this book, is its
message of keeping positive friendships.
Though this might not be an academic lesson, it is nonetheless and
important one to teach the youth of our nation.
Aside from Please ignore Vera Dietz, author A.S. King has also written The Dust of 100 Dogs, Everybody Sees the
Ants, Ask the Passengers, Monica Never Shuts Up, Reality Boy, Glory O'Brien's
History of the Future, and I Crawl
Through It. In addition, she has collaborated in several anthologies with
other authors.
Myers, W., &
Myers, C. (1999). Monster. New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins.
Steve, like most teens, aspires to
make it big on film. There seems to be a slight problem though. Steve is stuck
in jail being charged with the murder of a person. The book is composed of a
journal section intertwined with a a script for a film about his life during
the trial. The script depicts the events during his trial, while journal
depicts the periods in between trial sessions. All through the book, we hear
testimonies from people involved in the crime, and the back and forth
quarreling of the lawyers covering the case. Though carrying a pessimistic tone
through the book, in the end, Steve is found not guilty of the charges. He
passes the time post trial trying to figure out what makes him be who he is,
and wonders if he is truly a monster or just misjudged.
Monster
shows a lot of strong points when it comes to the message that it tries to get
across. It works well in the classroom, though some of the courtroom lingo
might seem too wordy at times. The message of questionable friendships among
teens is something our society can relate to, especially at the high school
level where I work. Sadly, I have seen
some of my students deal with such situations, and there are a lot of
similarities between what some of them describe and what the author portrays in
this book. Another strong point of the
book is the few times that illustrations are added. Somehow, being able to put a
face on the character makes the work a lot more believable. I think it is even
more interesting that the illustrator put actual photographs of the character
instead of opting for actual cartoon illustrations.
Walter Dean Myers is an award
winning writer, and among his other works are Angel to Angel, Scorpions, and
Somewhere in darkness. He has won numerous awards for these books as well as
other nonfiction books, and poetry.
Ness, P. (2008). The
knife of never letting go. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.
In his book, The knife of never letting go, author Patrick Ness present the
story of a young adolescent teen dealing with unforeseen events that take him
on an epic journey through dystopian lands. The story is set in an unnamed
planet, and the date is also never revealed. Todd, the main character, is part
of an all-male society where women have been wiped out by aliens, and they have
given the men the ability to hear each other’s thoughts. Animals are also given
this ability. One day, Todd finds a girl in the nearby swamp he hangs around
by, and everything changes for him after that. His townspeople turn on him and
try to attack him so he is given a journal and a knife by his guardians and
flees to meet up with the girl again. After talking with townspeople from other
villages, they decide they have to go to the largest town to be truly safe. Right
before they get there though, the girl is shot and Todd surrenders his town’s
mayor.
I
believe the usefulness for this book is somewhat limited in the classroom. It
is a very interesting read, but its vocabulary and character development do not
seem as evolved as they could be. I do
think the plot was very refreshing, and the mental and physical conflict did
seem emotionally heavy. The settings described in the book are visually
captivating and seem to keep the story grounded. Ness doesn’t necessarily say
it is another planet or Earth, but the similarities are uncanny. The villages
and their type of government sound very similar to those of Earth at different
points and places in human history so the argument could be made that the story
does take place on Earth. The book is the beginning chapter of a series for
Ness so it’s important to keep that in consideration as well.
Along with the knife of never
letting go, Patrick Ness also wrote The
Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men, The New World, The Wide, Wide Sea, and
Snowscape for the Chaos Walking series. Aside from these,
he also wrote A Monster Calls, Doctor
Who: Tip of the Tongue, More Than This, and The Rest of Us Just Live Her.
Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a girl in pieces. Cinco Puntos Press.
In her book, Gabi: A girl in pieces, author Isabel Quintero tells the story of a
teenage Latina girl entering her senior year of high school. The book is written as the main character’s
journal so the audience gets a firsthand view of Gabi’s life and her thoughts
as the year progresses. From the get go, Gabi is thrown into a whirlwind as
both her friends are dealing with life changing issues. Cindy is pregnant and
Sebastian feels is about time to come out to his parents. Meanwhile, Gabi deals
with issues of her own. Her mother’s antiquated and repressive point of view on
a woman’s place in society confuses Gabi for the most part. She feels her
mother wants her to live like women did a 100 years before her, and she wants
no part of it. Throughout the book, Gabi deals with all of these issues and is
shown to persevere in the end as she is ready for adulthood.
I believe this book has some
limited classroom usefulness, but is definitely worth the read. Students at
Roma High School can definitely relate to Gabi, as 99% of all students claim to
be Hispanic or of Hispanic ancestry. The language the author, Isabel Quintero,
used for this book is eerily similar to what students (and the community at
large) use here so the connections between character and reader are easily
attainable. The style in which the book is written is also very relateable to
what students experience here. With a
sizable ELL population, journal writing is strongly emphasized in our school
programs to develop their skills. The cover art for this book is truly a work
of abstract art. It is very well made and goes well with the theme and title of
the book. Aside from the cover art, the book does include a couple of pages
from the characters artwork detailing the human anatomy.
This is Isabel Quintero’s first
book.
Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis.
New York, NY: Pantheon Books.
In her book, Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi recount s her childhood growing up in
Iran during the Iran revolution and the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980’s. The book is written as a comic separated by
different events the author recalls from her youth. The book starts off with
Marji recalling the events that led to her (and all female students) first having
to wear veils to cover their faces. She also notes that school is now separate
for boys and girls, and this also seems to be something she finds displeasing.
Throughout the comic, Marji starts to find out more about what exactly is going
on around her and how she should feel regarding the situation. She first feels
the need to protest out of a sense of adventure, but as she grows older she
develops her true sense of purpose. In the end though, her parents are forced
to send her out of the country in fear that she might be another victim of the
wars there.
As a
historian, and currently teaching World Geography, I can see this book
usefulness in the classroom. It helps explain dissension within cultural groups
very well as it shows Marji’s family displeased with the status quot. The
vocabulary is right on par with the content used when discussing the Middle
East region of the world. Historical titles of figureheads such as the “Shah”
and the “Ayatollah” are regularly taught in my classroom, and it is especially
rewarding to see Satrapi herself simplifying the meaning of these terms when
she calls her mom a dictator. The book is written as an autobiography and the
events she mentions are validated and cross referenced so the credibility is
sufficient where student can debate the
level of source they believe her work to be.
Marjane
Satrapi has also written Embroderies and
Chicken with Plums which she was
given the Angoulême Coup de Coeur Award for. Aside from writing graphic novels,
Satrapi has also produced film adaption of some of her works as well.
Sheinkin, S. (2012) Bomb:
the race to build--and steal--the world's most dangerous weapon. Macmillan.
In his book, Bomb: the race to build—and steal—the world’s most dangerous weapon,
author Steve Sheinkin recounts the events surrounding the creation of the first
atomic bomb by the United States. More than just the creation of the bomb
itself, Sheinkin recounts the stories of the people involved in the bomb
building project. The story begins when
Albert Einstein is made aware of the discovery of atomic fusion in
Germany. He understands it has great
potential to be dangerous so he notifies the President of the United States,
and advises him to create a team to finish research on atomic fusion and
develop its destructive potential before Hitler does. The Russians are also trying
to figure out how to create an atomic bomb, but they are far behind so they
send spies to steal the American scientists’ information instead. The book continues
as the bomb is finally created and tested, and follows on to when the Russians
create their own. Lastly, Openheimer, the original mastermind behind the
project, is seen as incredibly regretful at his partaking in the making of the
bomb.
I
believe this book has some good utility in the classroom. The writing style and
breakdown allows for it to be used in excerpts for reading comprehension
strategies. It is especially useful in the social studies classroom where it
serves as an add-on to the textbook. The book could also serve as an assigned
reading that serves as an educational/leisurely read. A very big strong point
in this book is how the photographs provided bring a wealth of truthfulness to
the book. Though this is a work of
nonfiction, it is important to further bring a sense of reality to the book by
providing corroborating sources such as pictures of the pilot by the bomb
plane. Other pictures show key figures that are discussed with the writing as
well. In all, I believe this book would serve well in the classroom.
Aside from Bomb: the race to build—and steal—the world’s most dangerous weapon,
author Steve Sheinkin also wrote Most
Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War, The Port
Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights, and The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story
of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery as well as many others.
Silvey, C. (2010). Jasper Jones. Allen & Unwin.
In his book, Jasper Jones, author Craig Silvey tells the story of a young teen
who has to make tough decisions in the name of doing what’s right. Charlie, the
main character, is approached by Jasper Jones as the story begins. Jasper tells
him that he needs his help urgently. Charlie finds it difficult to say no to
him and agrees to help him. It is only when he gets there, that Charlie
realizes what he has gotten himself into. Jasper’s girlfriend is hanging dead
from a tree, and Jasper needs Charlie to help him hide the body until he can
prove there was a culprit. Reluctantly, Charlie goes along with it.
Coincidentally, Charlie love interest happens to be the sister of Jasper’s
deceased girlfriend. This becomes problematic for Charlie as he finds it
difficult to keep the truth from her while still being honest. It is at the end
of the story that we find out that Eliza, Charlie’s love interest, knew all
along and actually witnessed the whole thing.
I believe this book has a couple of
strong points worth noting. Though the setting takes place far away, and in a
somewhat distant past, the author does a great job of keeping the story fresh
and relateable. The sad truth is racism is not restricted to post Viet Nam
War-Australia. This makes this story all the more real to the reader. The theme
of family dysfunction also gives this story a realistic feeling to it. Not only
from the Wishart family, but from Charlie’s as well. His quarrels with his
mother seem to bring out the worst in this character. Though the language is
somewhat difficult for students to grasp without background knowledge, the
books themes are stated fairly clearly. The book is a bit dialogue heavy which
makes it difficult without proper scaffolding by the teacher, but in all an
easy read.
Aside from Jasper Jones, Craig Silvey has also written Rhubarb, The World According to Warren, and The Amber Amulet.
Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper
jungle: A history. Penguin Books.
In his book, Grasshopper jungle: A history, author Andrew Smith presents the
story of two teen friends that are entrusted with saving the world from human
head devouring aliens. The story starts
off with Austin, the main character and narrator, introduces himself and his
purpose for writing as well as his interest for history. After this, Austin
describes the events that led to the post-apocalyptic world he is living
in. He starts off with how a series of
events unfolded between his friend Robby and him, and a group of young boys who
bully them. After getting beaten up by a
group of boys, Robby is bloodied and attempts to write a message on the
concrete with his blood. Austin later finds out that this was actually the
catalyst to all that went wrong afterwards. As it turns out, a leading science
company stationed decades before in their small town is involved with building
genetically mutated insect-like soldiers to use in wars. The organic material
used to make them somehow comes into contact with Robby’s blood, and starts to
infect humans and turns them into giant man eating insects. Through many
perils, the friends survive in a previously made silo, along with Austin’s
girlfriend and a few survivors.
Though this book is very
interesting and insightful, I believe some of its components make it a tough
sell in the classroom. Though my experience in the classroom is limited to the
social sciences, I don’t see ELA instructors allowing for some of the more
vulgar language the book uses to be read out in the classroom. Furthermore, I
feel like the book’s sexual theme might be too racy for even upper class
students to deal with. Sexual confusion is a real issue for some students that
age; however I don’t feel the book elaborates enough into it when necessary.
Drug references are also used in this book on a few occasions, as well as
confusion over religion. As stated above, the book is fun to read, I just don’t
see how it could be applied in the classroom.
Aside from Grasshopper Jungle, Smith has also written Ghost Medicine, In the Path of Falling Objects, The Marbury Lens,
Stick, King of Marbury, Passenger, Winger, and 100 Sideways Miles. There
are currently four editions of the novel: hardcover, e-book, audio, and a
paperback version.
Stead, R. (2009). When
you reach me. Wendy Lamb Books.
In her book, When you reach me, author Rebecca Stead presents the story of a
young girl named Miranda. Though living a fairly typical childhood up until
then, Miranda’s world is rocked when her best friend and neighbor decides he no
longer wants to be friends with her.
Around this same time, she starts to receive notes from a mysterious
stranger. These notes ask her to jot down future events, but she ignores them.
As the story progresses, more notes are discovered and she is starting to find
something is definitely weird. Through a series of crazy events, the homeless
man that lives across the street from Miranda ends up saving her friend’s life
by pushing him out of harm’s way and sacrificing himself in the process. It is
in this way that she figures out that the homeless man was actually the future
self of a boy who had bullied her friend, Sal. The letters were meant to be a
guide for her to help him.
I
believe the strong points for Stead’s book are in its plot, style, and
characters. The plot was very inventive and new to me based on what I’ve read
in this age group. The story has definite science fiction components but
somehow stays primarily anchored in reality. That is also reinforced by the
description of her neighborhood in New York complete with homeless man in the
street corner. The subtleness, with which the author brings in the theme of
time travel, is what gives this story its unique style as well. Lastly, the
characters were also very well thought out. Even Marcus’s future self is shown
to have a big heart, and does what’s right. Miranda and Richard’s support for
her mother is also a display of strong family ties and companionship.
Aside from this book, Rebecca Stead
has When You Reach Me also written First Light, and Liar and Spy. She received a Newbery Medal in 2010 for.
Ward, J. (2011). Salvage
the Bones. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
In her book, Salvage the Bones, author Jesmyn Ward present the story of a young
African American teen girl and her family living in present day
Mississippi. The book’s narrator, Esche,
starts her story by sharing a little bit about her family, and the location’s
history with torrential weather. She discusses how she came to be the only girl
in her family. Early in the book, she also describes her brother’s dog and how
important she is to the whole family. She explains that the Dog, China, is
actually a fighting dog and the litter of puppies she just had will help the
family a lot monetarily. Throughout the book, Esche’s father prepares their old
torn down house for a large hurricane headed their way. At the same time, Esche’s brother deals with
the well-being of his dog’s pups, and Esche herself deals with the fact that
she is pregnant. Skeetah, Esche’s brother, loses his dogs in the storm, and the
house becomes practically unlivable. After the storm has passed, the family
comes together and perseveres as they deal with their losses.
Overall, I believe this book has
its strongpoints in the classroom. Though the vocabulary is not necessarily the
best at times, it does show students how English is used differently according
to the region where it is practiced. Though the style of the book is also
appealing, I think one obstacle this book faces as far as relativity in my area
is that there are virtually no African American people living here. Up until this year our school usually gets
about one African American student every 2 years, and the student count at the
high school is over 1,600 students. The
dog fighting scenario is relate-able though. Instead of dogs, young and old
people here train and fight roosters instead.
This could be easily turned into a comparative essay focusing on the
similarity between Esche’s family and the students. Lastly the book is very relate-able because it is centered around the events that took place during Hurricane
Katrina.
Aside from Salvage the bones, Ward has also written Where the Lines Bleed, and Men we Reaped. Also, she received a
National Book Award and an ALEX award for Salvage
the Bones.
Woodson, J. (2014). Brown
girl dreaming. Nancy Paulsen Books.
In her
autobiographical memoir, Brown Girl
Dreaming, author Jacqueline Woodson gives us a glimpse at what the South
and New York were like at the culmination of the Civil Rights movement through
the eyes of a young African American girl. Jackie’s first recollection of a
home was in Ohio, but she was aware her parents were from Greenville, South
Carolina, and from occasions they would go down south to visit. At some point,
Jackie’s parents separate and she stays in South Carolina with her mother and
her parents. From the get go, Jackie notices the difference between her life in
the north and how people behave in the South. She listened to her grandparents
while in the South and learned a lot about the inequalities suffered there.
After a while, Jackie’s mother moves away to New York, and after a while comes
back for Jackie and her other siblings. In New York, Jackie meets new friends
and these allow her to create another perspective of the differences between
social classes. It is there as well, that she decides she wants to be a writer.
I
believe this book has strong points in its credibility, and also its style and
the carefulness with which it discusses sensitive issues such as religious
rights and there social repercussions.
The credibility factor is easily discerned as this is the author’s own
memoir. The mention of real life places and characters seems to give it a high
level of reality as well. Woodson goes
as far as discussing the hair trends of the time. The style in which it is
written is also critical in allowing for small reads during class periods. Short chapters make it easier to be used in
grammatical assignments as well. Lastly, I feel the other handled the topic of
her beliefs and her family’s religion very carefully. It seems she went to
extremes not to put her religion down, while questioning it as well.
Among
Jacqueline Woodson’s other young adult titles are Beneath a Meth Moon, Hush, Behind You, If You Come Softly, Miracle’s
Boys, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This, Lena,
and The House You Pass on the way.
She has also written middle grade books as well as illustrated picture books as
well.
Zusak, M., &
Corduner, A. (2006). The book thief. New York: Random House/Listening
Library ;.
In his book, The Book Thief, author Markus Zusak uses Death as his narrator to
tell the story of a young girl’s perils in Germany during the Nazi era. The
book starts off with Death describing his interest in colors and how they
relate to his “work.” As he is recalled to pick up a soul, he sees Leisel, the
young German girl, and he is instantly taken a peculiar interest in her. So
much so, that he recalls the three times he comes across her. As the book
progresses, Death lets the reader see what is going on in Leisel’s life as well
as other people such as her stepfather. Death also makes it a point to show
Leisel’s interest in books and reading, and how she doesn’t mind stealing if
it’s in the name of reading a good book. Throughout the book, Death shows the
reader the power of written words, as well as human’s violent nature and the
true events that were unraveling during the Second World War in Germany.
This book is very interesting and
well thought out, but I think it has limited usefulness in the classroom. Its
vocabulary is appropriately dated to fit the time and setting of the book, and
though this is a nice touch, I think it is best reserved for advanced readers.
The style in which it is written is also a bit confusing. Instead of chapters,
it is divided into ten parts and broken into small subsections between these
parts. This, to me, made it hard to find ways to break this book up if I was
using it in conjunction with a lesson. Another thing to note is that the book’s
500 plus pages don’t make for a quick read at all. The book is great in
depicting Nazi Germany, and more importantly, the common folk of the Nazi
regime.
Markus Zusak has also written Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Getting the Girl,
and I Am the Messenger. He received a
Michael L. Printz award for the latter book. The Book Thief still remains to Zusak’s most successful work to
date.
