Its hard to find humor in the macabre. This book certainly had its fair share of comedic moments. And it had its fair share of dramatic moments. The scene with the counselor and principal and Melinda where Principal Principal calls her Melissa is both hilarious and unfortunately depressing. She needs help, and maybe deep down wants help, but no one is affording her the attention she deserves. She makes light of these situations throughout the text to bring humor to her plight, but it is easy to see through her and know that she has some emotional scars.
As far as teaching this text, the way Anderson uses Melinda's voice to foreshadow details of the account of her rape are something to behold. Anderson keeps touching on the surface of this incident, of which we have no clue what it is initially. Eventually, with over half the novel completed, we find out what happens to our fair narrator. There are many fragments of foreshadowing throughout the novel that would be excellent to teach students about authorial intent and how to use plot devices such as this, while still teaching an enjoyable text.
Although the novel was written in a contemporary, even post-modern, time, the novel is passionately realistic. The ten lies the school tells students are especially evidential to this. The apathy of the counselors, the nicknames given to students and (especially) teachers, the social outcast(s), the cliques, what Heather finally told Melinda about her personality, guys like Andy Evans (maybe not to the rapist extent, but certainly jockish and unfriendly), and her refusal to talk about what happened (denial, essentially) are all facets of the realistic nature of this text. What this translates to is an engaging read for young (and old) adults because of the connections they can make, especially in relation to our own high school experiences. Another interesting issue to teach would be the rebellious and anti-establishmentarian nature of Melinda. Certainly many students go through these phases, and Melinda's refusal to conform to the cliques can be a bright moment in a rather morbid tale (concerning the rape, at least). Overall, Anderson's text is appealing to audiences both young and old, and is certainly one that should be placed in the hands of young women and men alike.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games
I have read many books over the years and one that stuck with me for quite a long time, since fifth grade, is Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet. I think Suzanne Collins has, not arbitrarily, trumped Paulsen for a novel that will stick with me for ages. The novel is reminiscent of a terrific Japanese film, Battle Royale, and is as thrilling as any movie I've seen lately. The conceptual framework that Collins conceives is utterly fantastic. Obviously, she set the book up to be a series (or so it seems to me) which is great for 1. marketing and 2. as a y.a. novel, getting kids to read, and read a lot. The pace of the book is unbridled, it just keeps going, and keeps the reader wanting more...and more.
The characters are riveting, likable, and fascinating to behold. The construction, and eventual destruction, of the 12-year-old Rue is both disheartening and uplifting. Before Rue's alliance, I constantly wondered what would become of her; such a young girl, everyone but one must die, no real skill beyond leaping from tree to tree. I didn't want her to die, of course, and Collins presented just about the most acceptable murder of a 12-year-old I could ever imagine. The relationship of Peeta and Katniss is one, in an undisclosed time and place (beyond what used to be the United States) helps mask the question of why in the hell society has degraded to the point that everyone must watch a 'game' where out of 24 young people, only one victor wins.
All three parts of the novel are thrilling, although maybe not equal in value. The middle section, with the beginning of the Games, is sort of a Battle Royale meets Lord of the Flies. Coupled with the aforementioned novel, this could be a great unit on survival. I am somewhat apprehensive of teaching this novel because of its violent nature, but its prose and terrific attention to detail are too much to pass up. I recently read that reading violent literature or playing violent video games does not lead to aggressive or violent behavior later in life and therefore, I find this novel one that I not only can teach, but SHOULD teach. I am certainly going to pick up the second novel in this series soon. I am very curious what becomes of District 12 and our 'star-crossed lovers' relationship. Romeo & Juliet now have some competition in literature with the 'out-there'-named Katniss and Peeta.
The characters are riveting, likable, and fascinating to behold. The construction, and eventual destruction, of the 12-year-old Rue is both disheartening and uplifting. Before Rue's alliance, I constantly wondered what would become of her; such a young girl, everyone but one must die, no real skill beyond leaping from tree to tree. I didn't want her to die, of course, and Collins presented just about the most acceptable murder of a 12-year-old I could ever imagine. The relationship of Peeta and Katniss is one, in an undisclosed time and place (beyond what used to be the United States) helps mask the question of why in the hell society has degraded to the point that everyone must watch a 'game' where out of 24 young people, only one victor wins.
All three parts of the novel are thrilling, although maybe not equal in value. The middle section, with the beginning of the Games, is sort of a Battle Royale meets Lord of the Flies. Coupled with the aforementioned novel, this could be a great unit on survival. I am somewhat apprehensive of teaching this novel because of its violent nature, but its prose and terrific attention to detail are too much to pass up. I recently read that reading violent literature or playing violent video games does not lead to aggressive or violent behavior later in life and therefore, I find this novel one that I not only can teach, but SHOULD teach. I am certainly going to pick up the second novel in this series soon. I am very curious what becomes of District 12 and our 'star-crossed lovers' relationship. Romeo & Juliet now have some competition in literature with the 'out-there'-named Katniss and Peeta.
Julia Alvarez's Before We Were Free
The Dominican Republic's brutal regime completely got skipped in my high school and college World History studies class. I never knew there was a dictator. I never knew there was a rebellion. I never knew the Americans got involved, to any extent. So, why now is it that after reading a piece of fiction in young adult literature that I am finding all of this out? Me, a guy who boasts his historical knowledge to his friends on a relatively frequent basis. Well, some might say there is simply too much history in this world to be covered in a few semesters, or even over the course of an entire collegiate career. Simply put, however, this novel would be important to teach for its historical informative value as much as its literary value.
I must say, at the beginning of the book I was anticipating a coup. Maybe it is everything that has recently happened in Tunisia, Egypt especially, and the rest of the Arab world, but I was disappointed when the fiction wasn't heading in that direction. The map of the compound the family built and resided in was confusing as it prefaced the entire novel. I didn't understand what I was supposed to interpret from the map. However, it served as a great reference when the spying in the novel intensified, especially when the group who wanted to stage a coup starting meeting outside the window of our narrator. We were allowed an inside look at just how this part of the rebellion began and where it physically started.
Cultural perspectives are vital to creating a peaceful, more tolerant world. This book serves as a terrific perspective of a young girl growing up in a dictatorship who didn't quite understand the effects of such a government. The book pulls all the right punches, and surprisingly to me, the girl's father and uncle (or brother? it escapes me now) are killed. I really expected more of a happy ending for her family. Alvarez got it right, though, as clearly not everyone survives staging a coup against a brutal dictator, and we got a very real depiction of the repercussions of committing such an act. I think that, with explanation and background information prefacing the novel, this would be a great book to teach in a young adult lit class or a class geared towards world lit. I would certainly entertain giving my students in the future the option of reading this novel.
I must say, at the beginning of the book I was anticipating a coup. Maybe it is everything that has recently happened in Tunisia, Egypt especially, and the rest of the Arab world, but I was disappointed when the fiction wasn't heading in that direction. The map of the compound the family built and resided in was confusing as it prefaced the entire novel. I didn't understand what I was supposed to interpret from the map. However, it served as a great reference when the spying in the novel intensified, especially when the group who wanted to stage a coup starting meeting outside the window of our narrator. We were allowed an inside look at just how this part of the rebellion began and where it physically started.
Cultural perspectives are vital to creating a peaceful, more tolerant world. This book serves as a terrific perspective of a young girl growing up in a dictatorship who didn't quite understand the effects of such a government. The book pulls all the right punches, and surprisingly to me, the girl's father and uncle (or brother? it escapes me now) are killed. I really expected more of a happy ending for her family. Alvarez got it right, though, as clearly not everyone survives staging a coup against a brutal dictator, and we got a very real depiction of the repercussions of committing such an act. I think that, with explanation and background information prefacing the novel, this would be a great book to teach in a young adult lit class or a class geared towards world lit. I would certainly entertain giving my students in the future the option of reading this novel.
Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
In a multicultural unit, this could serve as a terrific fit. Teaching it alongside books like Mexican White Boy, American Born Chinese, and House on Mango St. could serve as a catalyst to an overarching formative assessment on multiculturalism, perhaps a speech or paper. I thought the anecdotes in the story, coupled with the brilliant illustrations, would interest nearly any kid who read just a few chapters. The challenge, of course, is getting the students into the first few chapters. I think a viewing of some Native American films, or background information on reservations could get kids interested first, especially some clips of Smoke Signals.
The artwork and the comedy were some of the best I've ever come upon in Y.A. Lit. I have thought about emailing Alexie and trying to have a discussion on some of the issues addressed in the book dealing with Natives and the perspective of children on reservations. Not only did this book serve as a form of entertainment, but the historical perspective and the perspective of a kid on a reservation and leaving the reservation were some I've never approached before. I learned from a episode of the FX show 30 Days that alcoholism is still rampant on the Indian rez, but I didn't realize the culture behind the folks on the rez, such as the folks who were upset with anyone who left the rez, implying they think this act is equal to treason. It also addresses issues like this and alcoholism head-on, which can certainly lead to a greater discussion on the issue and perhaps how to maybe not solve, but certainly dissipate the hardships that the Indian rez culture contains. I certainly am looking forward to hopefully teaching Alexie's book in a lit class of my own, whether it is to 6th all the way to 9th or 10th graders. It is an important book, and definitely one that students would read if given the opportunity.
The artwork and the comedy were some of the best I've ever come upon in Y.A. Lit. I have thought about emailing Alexie and trying to have a discussion on some of the issues addressed in the book dealing with Natives and the perspective of children on reservations. Not only did this book serve as a form of entertainment, but the historical perspective and the perspective of a kid on a reservation and leaving the reservation were some I've never approached before. I learned from a episode of the FX show 30 Days that alcoholism is still rampant on the Indian rez, but I didn't realize the culture behind the folks on the rez, such as the folks who were upset with anyone who left the rez, implying they think this act is equal to treason. It also addresses issues like this and alcoholism head-on, which can certainly lead to a greater discussion on the issue and perhaps how to maybe not solve, but certainly dissipate the hardships that the Indian rez culture contains. I certainly am looking forward to hopefully teaching Alexie's book in a lit class of my own, whether it is to 6th all the way to 9th or 10th graders. It is an important book, and definitely one that students would read if given the opportunity.
Chris Crutcher's Deadline
Sure, sure, Crutcher’s novel might be a tad typical, and might follow the same formula as his other books. But the best thing about this book and so many of his others: they relate to kids. The kids in the book are like real-life kids, face real-life kid situations, and deal with real-life kid problems. He certainly packs a lot into this book, dealing with tales of abuse, struggling with multiple deaths, alcoholism, spirituality, etc. But I must argue against those who find Crutcher to be simple and overdone because I find this book really is an enjoyable read and because of its broad nature, can appeal to many kids who might suffer from one of the issues, or have dealt with one of these issues in the past.
The themes of Catholic preist abuse and molestation are ever present in society, and the media has certainly touched on these quite a bit. But for students to actually be able to read this issues, and deal with them on their own, in their own minds, can serve as more of an impact than simply hearing about these issues on the news.
As far as the general story goes, I really enjoyed the conceptual framework Crutcher built. We knew how the story was going to end, but how he got us there was what was really enjoyable. Every issue faced to young students was covered, even with the tragic car accident near the ending. It might have been a little overdone and exaggerated, but beyond the death of the main character, predictability was a non-issue. The quick pace of the read really helped, and I especially like the moral dilemma our tragic hero faced when Rudy revealed to him his background story. It would be a great discussion and debate topic for students to work further upon and could really be valuable.
The themes of Catholic preist abuse and molestation are ever present in society, and the media has certainly touched on these quite a bit. But for students to actually be able to read this issues, and deal with them on their own, in their own minds, can serve as more of an impact than simply hearing about these issues on the news.
As far as the general story goes, I really enjoyed the conceptual framework Crutcher built. We knew how the story was going to end, but how he got us there was what was really enjoyable. Every issue faced to young students was covered, even with the tragic car accident near the ending. It might have been a little overdone and exaggerated, but beyond the death of the main character, predictability was a non-issue. The quick pace of the read really helped, and I especially like the moral dilemma our tragic hero faced when Rudy revealed to him his background story. It would be a great discussion and debate topic for students to work further upon and could really be valuable.
Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War
The Chocolate War was a book that at first I found to be predictable, formulaic, and of lacking substance. However, after our in-class discussion on the book, I found it to be something I find suitable to teach to young adults. I thought that at first it might be too mature for students. The book really doesn’t have that typical ending of solace and finality. It kind of just…ended. And that was my original issue with it: students would not get a message, and if they did, it wouldn’t be a good one.
After pondering and discussing this, though, I reversed my thinking. Children are not dumb, and we should not patronize them thinking thus. We cannot, as (future) educators, generalize how students may think and react, especially to a piece of literature. I must say that I truly find censorship to be abhorrent. I think censoring students, especially from books like this, is just hiding them from reality. I was reading in our “Is Crutcher a Hero or Villain” article and noticed a student had said something along the lines of this in one of their reviews. It’s very true. Students know what is going on in the real world, and to shield them from what is just pandering to a far too conservative school of thought.
Although the book did not have a positive message at the end, where someone gets what is coming to them or lessons are learned, students do get a critical view of what it might be like to be in an all-boys school. Corruption and elitism exist, and exposure of this to our students is neither harmful nor detrimental to their development. I applaud Cormier’s ability to go past the typical formula of young adult literature and provide a hard-hitting realistic tale of a Catholic boy’s school fundraising event.
After pondering and discussing this, though, I reversed my thinking. Children are not dumb, and we should not patronize them thinking thus. We cannot, as (future) educators, generalize how students may think and react, especially to a piece of literature. I must say that I truly find censorship to be abhorrent. I think censoring students, especially from books like this, is just hiding them from reality. I was reading in our “Is Crutcher a Hero or Villain” article and noticed a student had said something along the lines of this in one of their reviews. It’s very true. Students know what is going on in the real world, and to shield them from what is just pandering to a far too conservative school of thought.
Although the book did not have a positive message at the end, where someone gets what is coming to them or lessons are learned, students do get a critical view of what it might be like to be in an all-boys school. Corruption and elitism exist, and exposure of this to our students is neither harmful nor detrimental to their development. I applaud Cormier’s ability to go past the typical formula of young adult literature and provide a hard-hitting realistic tale of a Catholic boy’s school fundraising event.
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