Romiette and Julio is the most self-aware YA book I think I've ever read. Sharon Draper's characters make several references to the fact that their names are so relative to that of Shakespeare. I've read Draper's other novels and they all follow the same style. This style is likely effective with adolescents but it didn't hit home too much for me. There is certainly a level of foreshadowing that is teachable to high school aged children, as the themes are a bit too intimate and mature for a younger audience.
As far as the style, the chapters are relatively short, and Draper includes words in every chapter that a typical teenager would have to look up in the dictionary or check for context to understand the definition. In this aspect, its another teachable element. The foreshadowing thats present, especially when Romiette and her friend Destiny are talking about the superstition of making a wish when the clock displays identical numbers across. That theme reappears at the end, playing a role in how Ben and Destiny develop hope that Romi and Julio have survived. It was also evident with the sacking, or rather 'transfer', on Nannette, the newscaster. She fumbled with the lines with her anchor and reporting duties a bit much. I found it to be overkill, however, and I think Draper was a little emphatic and overzealous with this character.
The themes, however, are ones that teens need to be exposed to, especially in literature. I think thats where the teachability comes in for this text. The gang, Devildogs or The Family, is ruthless and commits senseless acts of disturbance, including kidnapping Romi and Julio, as most acts committed by gangs are indeed senseless. I think Draper paints this in a pragmatic and comprehensive manner for teens to understand that gangs are indeed senseless. The inclusion of Julio's father Luis as this hardened man who doesn't want to see his son dating a girl outside their race is also one that is common in real life as well. I am sure some teen readers of this text have a parent or two like this, and eventually Luis comes around as he realizes that not everyone should be judged or generalize, and that in fact no one can be judged based on something so arbitrary such as race.
So, while Draper has written a novel for a specific audience, I wouldn't recommend this text to everyone. I know that certainly an urban teenager would enjoy this novel, and perhaps it has a place in a city classroom. That's not to say that a rural community wouldn't 'get' this novel, but I feel that an urban community could relate to the novel more, and it does take place in a city as well. The themes are still relevant to those outside the cities, and so depending on the school's curriculum, this could be part of an independent reading unit.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Jennifer Cervantes' Tortilla Sun
Never has a book such as Tortilla Sun made me want to eat food so badly. But that certainly isn't the only entertaining aspect of the novel. Tortilla Sun is about a little girl who is sent to New Mexico to stay with her family for a summer, ostensibly because of her mother seeking a higher education, but also to introduce her to the culture that she was always a part of but never fully realized. This book was written with the setting, New Mexico, clearly in mind. The adobe houses, the color of the sunset over the village, the dresses and attire that the village people wear. It is all so surreal yet so stunning. This book could double as a travel advertisement for New Mexico. THe village is a character in and of itself in this text. It has an old life, including all the stories the people in the village tell, and a new life, with a rebuilt church, panaderias and adobe flats. Even the homes themselves have old souls inside, as evidenced by the doorways being too low for those of a growing generation (literally).
The story is similar to that of Mexican White Boy in that we have a character who is Mexican but doesn't speak Spanish, never really was introduced to the Mexican culture, and is forced beyond their will to stay with their Mexican family they know nothing about for the summer. Beyond that, it is a search for the main character, a young pre-teen by the name of Izzy (or Isadora, or Izzy Bella, or Bella, depending on when and who you are). She is the most enlightening character of the bunch. By this I mean she has so much we can learn from with her innocence and youth. She is afraid to come to New Mexico but adapts very quickly, realizing that these people in the village have stories about her father that she never knew. The story also involves a young girl, Maggie, and a boy Izzy's age that acts as sort of a romantic interest. Izzy is as sweet as cherry pie and all the village people seem to recognize this immediately. She seeks to understand what words belong on her baseball, as the only two words, Because and Magic, sandwich two invisible words. Throughout her journey Izzy seeks to find out what this means. She projects her young heart unto others and seems to give good spirits to anyone she comes in contact with, almost her own innate 'magical' ability to inspire and give hope.
Its hard to tell who this text appeals to. I truly believe that anyone could read this and enjoy it. I'm a nearly 25-year-old man and I loved it. I think that some secondary students may feel that if they were 'forced' to read this, they may object because of the adolescent characters in the text. The truth is, if you enjoy reading, you'll probably enjoy this book. It is a sweet tale of innocence and could easily be taught to a lower-middle-school reading or language arts class with a chapter a day. The chapters largely contain interesting and often magical tales, and it really gets the reader a good insight on traditional, and in this case Mexican, storytelling and culture. It is for that reason that this is such a fun book to read. Cervantes does a masterful job at turning this piece of literature into an art. I think that those of any age who enjoy to pick up a light-hearted, good-spirited tale would enjoy Tortilla Sun.
The story is similar to that of Mexican White Boy in that we have a character who is Mexican but doesn't speak Spanish, never really was introduced to the Mexican culture, and is forced beyond their will to stay with their Mexican family they know nothing about for the summer. Beyond that, it is a search for the main character, a young pre-teen by the name of Izzy (or Isadora, or Izzy Bella, or Bella, depending on when and who you are). She is the most enlightening character of the bunch. By this I mean she has so much we can learn from with her innocence and youth. She is afraid to come to New Mexico but adapts very quickly, realizing that these people in the village have stories about her father that she never knew. The story also involves a young girl, Maggie, and a boy Izzy's age that acts as sort of a romantic interest. Izzy is as sweet as cherry pie and all the village people seem to recognize this immediately. She seeks to understand what words belong on her baseball, as the only two words, Because and Magic, sandwich two invisible words. Throughout her journey Izzy seeks to find out what this means. She projects her young heart unto others and seems to give good spirits to anyone she comes in contact with, almost her own innate 'magical' ability to inspire and give hope.
Its hard to tell who this text appeals to. I truly believe that anyone could read this and enjoy it. I'm a nearly 25-year-old man and I loved it. I think that some secondary students may feel that if they were 'forced' to read this, they may object because of the adolescent characters in the text. The truth is, if you enjoy reading, you'll probably enjoy this book. It is a sweet tale of innocence and could easily be taught to a lower-middle-school reading or language arts class with a chapter a day. The chapters largely contain interesting and often magical tales, and it really gets the reader a good insight on traditional, and in this case Mexican, storytelling and culture. It is for that reason that this is such a fun book to read. Cervantes does a masterful job at turning this piece of literature into an art. I think that those of any age who enjoy to pick up a light-hearted, good-spirited tale would enjoy Tortilla Sun.
Matt de la Pena's Mexican White Boy
This one was a rather interesting text. Basically, it's about a mixed-race boy who grapes who in a culturally 'white' area and is thrusted into a world one summer much different from his: an ubran, Mexican-American community. He goes from posh bay-area California to southern California, and to Danny (the him I referred to) these are two different planets. That's the plot. But the book is about much more than that. It is about the struggle a young boy has with his own identity and how he is treated in a community where he is largely different than those around him. He doesn't speak Spanish, doesn't have dark brown skin, and doesn't have an accent. He dresses preppy and the kids around him, as kids often do, chastise him because he's different.
I think this last angle is the most important to focus on. As a future educator, I find deep issue with this. All too often I hear stories of children who are ostracized and made fun of because of some difference they have with the mainstream of whatever culture they are currently surrounded by. Some examples: physical disabilities, skin color, religion, and the way one dresses. All of these things, from what I have experienced or seen anecdotally, and from what I've read in books, textbooks, and seen in film, are all common experiences for the child that is different. The reason I think this angle is so important, then, is because I think we need a cultural shift. We need to start educating our youth to embrace diversity and to recognize that being different isn't so bad after all. In fact, being different and unique is what makes US, as individuals, who we are. It's good and fun to be a part of the common culture, but we must also embrace our own individuality. And I think this text does a good job, especially in a subtle manner, at educating young adolescent readers that being different isn't bad at all and that making fun of someone just because they are different is not the right thing to do.
Another theme the book focuses on is 'judging a book by its cover'. Danny is initially judged not only because of his difference in appearance but because he is shy and quiet. He rarely speaks, even though the kids around him speak English primarily. He is shy because he's the new person. Not everyone is reluctant to embrace him immediately, however, and this shows that you don't have to be strong to be the one to stand out and embrace someone because of their difference or their inability to speak. I think I've seen this a lot in YA lit thus far, the inability to speak up for whatever reason. This text reinforces that. I think another issue that is addressed that is important to youth is cutting (one's wrist, not class). This is a difficult issue to cover and discuss with young readers. It is important, however, because it is a fairly common occurrence, relatively speaking, and these young readers must understand the harm cutting can cause, not just to one's self, but to others as well. This would be a great text to cover in a multi-cultural literature unit, or with sections taken out to discuss themes of identity and culture.
I think this last angle is the most important to focus on. As a future educator, I find deep issue with this. All too often I hear stories of children who are ostracized and made fun of because of some difference they have with the mainstream of whatever culture they are currently surrounded by. Some examples: physical disabilities, skin color, religion, and the way one dresses. All of these things, from what I have experienced or seen anecdotally, and from what I've read in books, textbooks, and seen in film, are all common experiences for the child that is different. The reason I think this angle is so important, then, is because I think we need a cultural shift. We need to start educating our youth to embrace diversity and to recognize that being different isn't so bad after all. In fact, being different and unique is what makes US, as individuals, who we are. It's good and fun to be a part of the common culture, but we must also embrace our own individuality. And I think this text does a good job, especially in a subtle manner, at educating young adolescent readers that being different isn't bad at all and that making fun of someone just because they are different is not the right thing to do.
Another theme the book focuses on is 'judging a book by its cover'. Danny is initially judged not only because of his difference in appearance but because he is shy and quiet. He rarely speaks, even though the kids around him speak English primarily. He is shy because he's the new person. Not everyone is reluctant to embrace him immediately, however, and this shows that you don't have to be strong to be the one to stand out and embrace someone because of their difference or their inability to speak. I think I've seen this a lot in YA lit thus far, the inability to speak up for whatever reason. This text reinforces that. I think another issue that is addressed that is important to youth is cutting (one's wrist, not class). This is a difficult issue to cover and discuss with young readers. It is important, however, because it is a fairly common occurrence, relatively speaking, and these young readers must understand the harm cutting can cause, not just to one's self, but to others as well. This would be a great text to cover in a multi-cultural literature unit, or with sections taken out to discuss themes of identity and culture.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Markus Zusak's The Book Thief
The readings for my Young Adult novel class seem to just keep getting better and better. Although this particular text spanned over 550 pages, I was thrilled for probably the last 450.
We have all read the Holocaust texts: Night, Diary of Anne Frank, etc., but never one like this. The text takes the perspective of a very interesting narrator: Death. And Death sort of has a pretty cool perspective. Although he acknowledges that Hitler has forced him to work more than ordinary, he still does his job, which is to carry souls to heaven. Death picks sides though. It is subtle, but Death certainly realizes that what Hitler is doing is atrocious. Strangely, he is probably not even the most interesting character in the book. I would give that award to Liesel Meminger, the little girl that Death narrates and sees three times.
Liesel is a sweet little girl. And a lot of unsweet things happen to her. Her mother is taken away, her brother passes away, and she is sent to be fostered by a family from just outside Munich. I enjoyed the setting because I've lived in Germany previously and could understand what the scenery looked like and picture it fairly easily myself. However, when the prisoners of Dachau are marched through this small town called Molching, that is something fair unimaginable. Thankfully, Liesel's foster Papa isn't as close-minded as some of his German peers. He doesn't see the difference between a Jew and a Gentile. This is probably the most refreshing aspect of the book. I actually enjoyed most of the characters. In fact, they almost all had something to like about.
Rudy Steiner, Liesel's love interest in the text, is a boy who chases his dreams, literally. We are told about halfway into the book that Rudy is going to die young. What we don't know is when (in the book) or how. This, instead of Zusak foreshadowing, creates for a more gripping tale because although his death is expected, we have no idea when we will see him die, or if we will at all. Rudy is just an innocent boy aspiring to be Jesse Owens. I know as a young man myself that I certainly had many athletes I aspired to be (although I never painted my face the color of their skin). It is crushing when we discover that Liesel will never have kissed Rudy, at least not while he's breathing, and we understand that regrets are something we are all to live with. There are so many scenes when I want her to kiss him, so so much, but she doesn't. And by the time that she's willing, she waits for Rudy to ask, but he doesn't. Oh the irony.
And then there's Max. The Word-Shaker. The Standover Man. These are books within this book. And they are some of the sweetest things one could ever concoct given that Max had a kerosine lamp, some buckets of paint, and a copy of Mein Kampf. Mein means "my" in German, and Kampf means "struggle." This text, authored by Hitler, was about his struggle as a prisoner. Max decides to paint over this portrait of a struggle to show Liesel his platonic affection for her and essentially to thank her for helping him get through his sickness and his time in the basement. Perhaps the best part of the text, for me at least, was the final few pages where we discover that Max has entered Mr Steiner's shop looking for Liesel and when she appears and they embrace. It is so poignant, so powerful. It is ironic, even, that one of the few survivors in this text was the lone Jew that we meet.
While I lived in Germany I met many people near my age. I didn't want to be that typical American and bring up beer and Hitler with them right away. But after getting to know them and opening up to them a little here and there I finally had the urge to ask them about their families and what happened in World War II. My grandfathers fought in the war, but on the Pacific front, so all of my knowledge of the European front comes from films or texts. Although what I was told was a secondhand account, I have no reason to disbelieve when many of my friends told me that their grandfathers fought in the war as well. Yes, they were Nazis. However, much like Liesel's Papa, they were not all bad people. Some joined because it was 'kill or be killed.' And perhaps they were anti-semitic. I certainly never asked my grandparents what they thought about the Civil Rights era in America in the 1960's. I kind of wish I had the courage. I suppose I don't want to know the answer if it isn't something I agree with. Anyway, my friends' grandparents primarily joined because it was compulsory. Had they not joined, their families would be put in jeopardy, and my friends may not be here today as a result. What I'm trying to say is that not every German, much like Liesel's Papa, was a bad person. Not every Nazi had the will to kill. Not every Nazi threw Jews in a chamber or an oven. Liesel's Papa was an accurate portrayal of a man we do not often get to see in literature or film on World War II from the German side.
I think that this book is highly teachable, although it is long, and has tough issues to deal with. It certainly should be on the shelves of any language arts teacher with an independent reading library. Even excerpts from the book could be taken. The perspective from Death in the book, however, is one to be lauded and picked apart because it is so vastly different from what many adolescents read about World War II. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone, regardless of their interest in history or not.
We have all read the Holocaust texts: Night, Diary of Anne Frank, etc., but never one like this. The text takes the perspective of a very interesting narrator: Death. And Death sort of has a pretty cool perspective. Although he acknowledges that Hitler has forced him to work more than ordinary, he still does his job, which is to carry souls to heaven. Death picks sides though. It is subtle, but Death certainly realizes that what Hitler is doing is atrocious. Strangely, he is probably not even the most interesting character in the book. I would give that award to Liesel Meminger, the little girl that Death narrates and sees three times.
Liesel is a sweet little girl. And a lot of unsweet things happen to her. Her mother is taken away, her brother passes away, and she is sent to be fostered by a family from just outside Munich. I enjoyed the setting because I've lived in Germany previously and could understand what the scenery looked like and picture it fairly easily myself. However, when the prisoners of Dachau are marched through this small town called Molching, that is something fair unimaginable. Thankfully, Liesel's foster Papa isn't as close-minded as some of his German peers. He doesn't see the difference between a Jew and a Gentile. This is probably the most refreshing aspect of the book. I actually enjoyed most of the characters. In fact, they almost all had something to like about.
Rudy Steiner, Liesel's love interest in the text, is a boy who chases his dreams, literally. We are told about halfway into the book that Rudy is going to die young. What we don't know is when (in the book) or how. This, instead of Zusak foreshadowing, creates for a more gripping tale because although his death is expected, we have no idea when we will see him die, or if we will at all. Rudy is just an innocent boy aspiring to be Jesse Owens. I know as a young man myself that I certainly had many athletes I aspired to be (although I never painted my face the color of their skin). It is crushing when we discover that Liesel will never have kissed Rudy, at least not while he's breathing, and we understand that regrets are something we are all to live with. There are so many scenes when I want her to kiss him, so so much, but she doesn't. And by the time that she's willing, she waits for Rudy to ask, but he doesn't. Oh the irony.
And then there's Max. The Word-Shaker. The Standover Man. These are books within this book. And they are some of the sweetest things one could ever concoct given that Max had a kerosine lamp, some buckets of paint, and a copy of Mein Kampf. Mein means "my" in German, and Kampf means "struggle." This text, authored by Hitler, was about his struggle as a prisoner. Max decides to paint over this portrait of a struggle to show Liesel his platonic affection for her and essentially to thank her for helping him get through his sickness and his time in the basement. Perhaps the best part of the text, for me at least, was the final few pages where we discover that Max has entered Mr Steiner's shop looking for Liesel and when she appears and they embrace. It is so poignant, so powerful. It is ironic, even, that one of the few survivors in this text was the lone Jew that we meet.
While I lived in Germany I met many people near my age. I didn't want to be that typical American and bring up beer and Hitler with them right away. But after getting to know them and opening up to them a little here and there I finally had the urge to ask them about their families and what happened in World War II. My grandfathers fought in the war, but on the Pacific front, so all of my knowledge of the European front comes from films or texts. Although what I was told was a secondhand account, I have no reason to disbelieve when many of my friends told me that their grandfathers fought in the war as well. Yes, they were Nazis. However, much like Liesel's Papa, they were not all bad people. Some joined because it was 'kill or be killed.' And perhaps they were anti-semitic. I certainly never asked my grandparents what they thought about the Civil Rights era in America in the 1960's. I kind of wish I had the courage. I suppose I don't want to know the answer if it isn't something I agree with. Anyway, my friends' grandparents primarily joined because it was compulsory. Had they not joined, their families would be put in jeopardy, and my friends may not be here today as a result. What I'm trying to say is that not every German, much like Liesel's Papa, was a bad person. Not every Nazi had the will to kill. Not every Nazi threw Jews in a chamber or an oven. Liesel's Papa was an accurate portrayal of a man we do not often get to see in literature or film on World War II from the German side.
I think that this book is highly teachable, although it is long, and has tough issues to deal with. It certainly should be on the shelves of any language arts teacher with an independent reading library. Even excerpts from the book could be taken. The perspective from Death in the book, however, is one to be lauded and picked apart because it is so vastly different from what many adolescents read about World War II. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone, regardless of their interest in history or not.
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