Hobbs' novels The Maze and Far North are both survivalist, coming-of-age tales about young boys that are 'lost'. Gabe, in Far North, is lost with his new roommate Raymond in Canada's Northern Territories. Rick, from The Maze, is lost within himself. He has no family, no real friends, and no guidance in life. All he had was a social worker and even the social worker was fired after a corruption scheme unfolded.
The great thing about Hobbs' style is that his novels are fast-paced, engaging, and are beautifully descriptive. They are often in nature and in remote settings. He includes a map at the very beginning of most of his works to give his reader, an intended YA audience, a concrete example of where the boys in his tales are. I don't want to get into the plots of the texts too much as you can find the plots and more on the themes of the novels on my website, right here.
The benefit of these books to young adults is the positive role models apparent in the boys as they mature into more formative adolescents. Gabe is forced to survive in conditions that he has never experienced before. In addition, he forms a bonding relationship with Raymond as they help one another to survive winter in one of the toughest settings on Earth. The boys have their wits about them and never give up. That, perhaps, is the reason they survived more than anything; the boys were full of hope. They used one another as resources; hiding the meat from the bear, one staying along with the moose meat and the other taking it back to the cabin, and Gabe dragged Raymond on his toboggan across very sketchy patches of ice and over a hundred miles toward Nahanni Butte. The gave the reader a thrill and demonstrated how two young men never give up hope and form a friendship that leads them to survival.
Rick was a boy who had no one. He never knew his father, his mother gave him up, and his grandmother died. The courts shuffled him around foster homes and he landed in Blue Canyon Detention Center. Rick was courageous; he snitched on a corruption scandal and faced a brutal beating if he didn't escape. He serves as a very positive role models to youth not because he escaped, but because he didn't get into a physical confrontation. Furthermore, he did the right thing, and that sometimes is the toughest thing to do. At the end of the text he did the right thing again, and once again it was a tough decision. He risked his life trying to save Leo, and through Leo's tutelage he saved Leo from inevitable death. Leo was a very positive mentor as he warmed up to Rick throughout the novel and acted as a surrogate father taking him back to court to straighten the situation out. Both were great role models for young readers, especially those faced with the decision of doing the right thing though its difficult, or apathy.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Jean Craighead George's Julie of the Wolves
I recently completed an individual inquiry project on young adult adventure/survival tales. I compared them to coming-of-age stories and related the fact that pretty much all of the survivalist tales I have read in YA literature are indeed coming-of-age tales. The one common factor among all the books I read for the project, Far North, The Maze, Alabama Moon, The Hatchet, is all the lead characters were male. Julie of the Wolves bumped the trend, and it really is good to see the perspective of a young girl in a 'survivalist' type situation, where one is out in the wild with scarce resources, so that young girls reading texts like these have someone to relate to.
The wolf-pack that Miyax adapts with and learns to survive from is symbolic of how we learn from humans around us and adapt to what others do. Young people reading this in a classroom will begin to understand how to learn from others and gain acceptance, as Miyax gained acceptance into the pact and was able to stay alive because of her adaptability.
We again see a theme of rape, and how Julie deals with this in her flashback is important. Although it is not explicit, as this is a YA (or even children's) novel, the presence of the abuse welcomes an opportune time to teach about the emotional ramifications of rape and sexual abuse. Julie decided to run away to San Francisco rather than dealing with the issue up front and this lead her to further unhappiness. She was clearly naive in her belief that she could make it, but it shows the extreme lengths some are willing to go through to escape such a situation.
The book also opens up the opportunity to explore Inuit (or Eskimo, depending on your location) culture. This incredibly rich culture preceded the Anglo presence in America and is not often seen in YA texts. It is obviously present in history classrooms but that is primarily surface information. This takes the reader into the mindset and lifestyle of an Inuit. This could lead to interdisciplinary assessments, or the educator could teach a nonfiction piece on Inuit culture. Also, the coming-of-age tale could be compared to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian when comparing Native culture in an Inuit village and native culture in a village on a rez in the U.S. Also, this book could be taught alongside any of the texts I read for my individual inquiry project to explore the differences in experiences and themes of a novel focusing on a survivalist/coming-of-age tale between a young girl and a young boy.
The wolf-pack that Miyax adapts with and learns to survive from is symbolic of how we learn from humans around us and adapt to what others do. Young people reading this in a classroom will begin to understand how to learn from others and gain acceptance, as Miyax gained acceptance into the pact and was able to stay alive because of her adaptability.
We again see a theme of rape, and how Julie deals with this in her flashback is important. Although it is not explicit, as this is a YA (or even children's) novel, the presence of the abuse welcomes an opportune time to teach about the emotional ramifications of rape and sexual abuse. Julie decided to run away to San Francisco rather than dealing with the issue up front and this lead her to further unhappiness. She was clearly naive in her belief that she could make it, but it shows the extreme lengths some are willing to go through to escape such a situation.
The book also opens up the opportunity to explore Inuit (or Eskimo, depending on your location) culture. This incredibly rich culture preceded the Anglo presence in America and is not often seen in YA texts. It is obviously present in history classrooms but that is primarily surface information. This takes the reader into the mindset and lifestyle of an Inuit. This could lead to interdisciplinary assessments, or the educator could teach a nonfiction piece on Inuit culture. Also, the coming-of-age tale could be compared to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian when comparing Native culture in an Inuit village and native culture in a village on a rez in the U.S. Also, this book could be taught alongside any of the texts I read for my individual inquiry project to explore the differences in experiences and themes of a novel focusing on a survivalist/coming-of-age tale between a young girl and a young boy.
M. T. Anderson's Feed
This is a book I can't stop thinking about. It was published in 2002 before text messaging was common and the Internet was in its adolescent stages. Cell phones were toddlers waiting to erupt with applications and face-to-face chat a la Skype. Now we have augmented reality applications like Yelp that tell us what we're looking at, ratings on the restaurant or product, and other pieces of information. There are new barcodes called QR codes that can contain a seemingly infinite amount of information on a product and all one needs is a phone with the app capability to find all of this out.
And then we have Feed. I did the math and the book seems to take place about sixty or seventy years from right now. It seems like a strange reality, a world where babies are no longer conceived by womb, but rather grow. Sound familiar? That's because this is becoming a real possibility. We are growing animals in petri dishes and consuming them. It is certainly a feasibility.
There is also 'Feednet' from which the book takes its name. Feednet is a type of alternative Internet that attaches to the human brain and allows users to connect with one another and communicate without speaking. It also displays to its users, or rather consumers, prices and information of products as they are looking at them. This isn't far off at all. We have text messaging now, where texters in a room together can communicate instantly without speaking and can go unbeknownst to others in the room not involved in the text conversations. We have the aforementioned augmented reality apps as well. Anderson's future is not far off at all. One thing missing from Feednet in society: the attachment to the brain. However...if we all carry our cell phones around with us at all times and often feel 'naked' without them, how is this much different? Take a walk through a stretch of downtown Chicago, or a college campus, and most people will probably have their cell phones in hand. We have become androids without even knowing it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the repercussions can be damaging.
These repercussions are evident in Anderson's text: they become so reliable on Feednet that if it is 'hacked' it can malfunction and thus is fatal as it is attached to the brain. Although the loss of a cell phone is not fatal, it certainly is emotionally damaging. The other ramifications are the loss of vernacular. In the text, Titus, the central character, barely can hold an intelligent conversation and when speaking to his love interest Violet's father, does not understand a word he is speaking. I have thought about this a lot lately and I experience this myself. I start saying thing and that and using non-definitive pronouns in place of the words used to define the items or places or what have you. People do this all the time. Instead of searching for the absolute correct word in their brains, they just come up with whatever they think of, maybe trying to explain it, but often we just have to assume, and miscommunication can become rampant.
This is certainly a dystopian work, but also a poignant and necessary one. Students need to read this to understand where their generation can head if we become too dependent on technology and consumerism. It is important that texts like these be written so we can make ourselves more aware of our future and understand the implications that come along with advents in technology.
And then we have Feed. I did the math and the book seems to take place about sixty or seventy years from right now. It seems like a strange reality, a world where babies are no longer conceived by womb, but rather grow. Sound familiar? That's because this is becoming a real possibility. We are growing animals in petri dishes and consuming them. It is certainly a feasibility.
There is also 'Feednet' from which the book takes its name. Feednet is a type of alternative Internet that attaches to the human brain and allows users to connect with one another and communicate without speaking. It also displays to its users, or rather consumers, prices and information of products as they are looking at them. This isn't far off at all. We have text messaging now, where texters in a room together can communicate instantly without speaking and can go unbeknownst to others in the room not involved in the text conversations. We have the aforementioned augmented reality apps as well. Anderson's future is not far off at all. One thing missing from Feednet in society: the attachment to the brain. However...if we all carry our cell phones around with us at all times and often feel 'naked' without them, how is this much different? Take a walk through a stretch of downtown Chicago, or a college campus, and most people will probably have their cell phones in hand. We have become androids without even knowing it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the repercussions can be damaging.
These repercussions are evident in Anderson's text: they become so reliable on Feednet that if it is 'hacked' it can malfunction and thus is fatal as it is attached to the brain. Although the loss of a cell phone is not fatal, it certainly is emotionally damaging. The other ramifications are the loss of vernacular. In the text, Titus, the central character, barely can hold an intelligent conversation and when speaking to his love interest Violet's father, does not understand a word he is speaking. I have thought about this a lot lately and I experience this myself. I start saying thing and that and using non-definitive pronouns in place of the words used to define the items or places or what have you. People do this all the time. Instead of searching for the absolute correct word in their brains, they just come up with whatever they think of, maybe trying to explain it, but often we just have to assume, and miscommunication can become rampant.
This is certainly a dystopian work, but also a poignant and necessary one. Students need to read this to understand where their generation can head if we become too dependent on technology and consumerism. It is important that texts like these be written so we can make ourselves more aware of our future and understand the implications that come along with advents in technology.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Sharon Draper's Romiette y Julio
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.
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.
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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