Mockingbird

I knew that reading young adult literature (for a class, no less!) this summer would be heavenly.  These are the books I usually go for.  And I have a confession:  some of my favorites are the books that Beverly Clearly wrote for teens, like Fifteen, The Luckiest Girl, and Jean and Johnny.  They have to have the original cover art, like the editions from the 1950's.

Bevery Cleary's young adult books address girls coming of age in the 1950's, when their teen angst is built upon the concern that one doesn't have a cashmere sweater like popular girl, Marcy.  Or should our protagonist be outrageously bold and ask a boy she likes to go to the dance with her?  Is her puffed sleeve dress with flared skirt too babyish?  Why won't her mother let her buy a dress with a sleek straight skirt?  Why can't their family have avocados on their green salad at dinner (because they are expensive)?  These books are light and fun, but you still feel the discomfort of unrequited love and the irrational and constant embarrassment that teens often experience.

Like much young adult literature these days, Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine is not about cashmere, puffed sleeves, dances and avocados.  

It deals with some hard stuff, like an 11 year old Asperger's girl coping with her brother's death by a school shooting.  It can be oh, so heartbreaking to experience Caitlin's and her father's grief.  The author expertly addresses a sensitive topic through the eyes of a special needs child.  

The complex characters are beautifully conveyed.  I especially loved Caitlin's counselor, Mrs. Brook.  She is lovely, patient, kind, completely understanding, and an advocate for the kids.  Every kid should have a Mrs. Brook in their lives.

The novel can be hilarious at times.  The forthright way Caitlin views people and her surroundings adds the much needed levity to the book.  As does her literal interpretation of other's words. One of the things Caitlin's counselor is helping her with is learning to interact appropriately with others and to avoid saying things like this to an older person whom she is meeting for the first time:

"I don't think you're disgusting just because you have hair sticking out of your ear." - Catilin, pg. 135

This novel makes you really feel things.  I choked back the tears and felt my chest grow crushingly tight when Caitlin realizes what she must do to find the "closure" everyone tells her she must find. When I feel a book as deeply as I felt Mockingbird, I know that the author is expert at her craft.

It is an exquisite book.  At the very least, it brings much greater understanding to those experiencing Asperger's syndrome.  At the most, it weaves a strong tale of grief, coping, love, unlikely friendships, acceptance, and the importance of really understanding each other.  

As well as hope.

I think that maybe now is the day when we start putting our life back together.  - Caitlin, pg. 167

This would be a fantastic book for a student coping with loss.  Or for someone who may need to understand those with special needs - which is nearly everyone.

There is a lot that could be done in the classroom as it pertains to Asperger's, Autism spectrum, school shootings, communication, etc. 

Since this novel was inspired by the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, news articles regarding Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Sandy Hook could be examined and students could share what they have learned with each other in small groups using the Jigsaw teaching strategy.  Students could journal about these tragedies, addressing specific questions that motivate deeper thinking.  This might be an appropriate activity for an 8th grade class due to the subject matter.

An activity that could possibly be used in a 7th grade classroom would be to align the book with To Kill a Mockingbird movie, addressing parallel themes.  

As a post script, I was just talking to my husband about this book who says that the term "Asperger's Syndrome" is no longer used in the medical community.  Doctors now refer to it as an Autism Spectrum disorder.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

My 10th grade daughter said, "I read that book in middle school.  I really liked it!"  I dove into this book optimistically.  I was not disappointed.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko is a work of historical fiction.  The setting and a few of the characters (although not directly seen nor heard by the main characters) are real people from history.

This book takes place mainly on Alcatraz Island in the 1930's, home of the prison known for its brutal treatment of the very worst of criminals.  This is the prison that receives the inmates that no other prison will take.

Our protagonist, Moose Flanagan, is a 12 year old boy.  He, along with his 15 year old sister Natalie and his mother, are newly arrived to Alcatraz to live with his father, an Alcatraz employee.  Natalie, from the looks of it, is on the autism spectrum in a time before "autism" was even a word.

Moose is disheartened to have left Santa Monica, CA for this small island.  He must abide by strict rules here, for the safety of the whole small community.  He is bullied by the Warden, whose 12 year old daughter, Piper, governs and manipulates the younger set, defies every rule, and can do no wrong in her father's eyes.

Piper is not Moose's biggest problem, however.  Moose's main struggle is with his mother and sister.  His mother is constantly seeking the next new treatment or school that will "cure" his sister.  He is frustrated that his mother heeds every doctor's advice, enrolls Natalie in every treatment, including questionable ones, and tries every school thinking that each new thing will give Natalie a brighter future.  Thus far, all of the treatments and attempts to make Natalie more "normal" are in vain.  Moose grows increasingly frustrated with his mother, who is bordering on obsession with the right treatment for Natalie.

Moose must sacrifice his own life and the things he loves to help care for Natalie.  He is good with Natalie, even more so than his parents are.  Moose wrestles with himself about being forced to babysit his sister and living his own life.  He feels neglected as every parental effort is focused on Natalie's needs and care.  Moose waffles between his resentment at his sister and his great love for her.

Our protagonist comes full circle when he recognizes that his mother's love for her daughter causes her to go to any length to help Natalie.  He also begins to find joy in being with Natalie and in the improvements that Natalie makes while interacting consistently with him.

I loved this "moose" of a boy.  His patience, gentleness, and protectiveness of his sister was admirable.  When Moose is unfairly blamed for things beyond his control, the author really made me feel his frustration and anger.

This book chronicles Moose's complex relationships with his mother, sister, father, friends, classmates and his "frenemy" Piper.  It examines overcoming obstacles, making changes, and family relationships.  This book is not all sad.  There are some funny and downright interesting things that happen to Moose and his friends.

I was left wanting to know more about Alcatraz, its community, and its prisoners.  I spent the evening googling historical facts about the island and its inmates.  There is a very nice addendum to book that gives the "story behind the story".  I wish more historical fiction would provide such.

The book is about a 4.7 reading level and grades 6-8 would really enjoy it.  I think this book might hook a reluctant boy reader.

A classroom idea could include a project to increase autism awareness.  Students in small groups could create a poster or other visual representation identifying the symptoms of autism that Natalie displays as well as research and record how autism and treatments have changed since the 1930's.   Incorporating a guest speaker, one who works with or lives with an autistic child or adult, would also be a good option for such an activity.

When You Reach Me

As soon as I've been finishing a novel, I've handed it to my husband.  He is a thorough and fast reader.  When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, was then passed along to our 13 year old daughter.  I knew she'd love it.

This was one of those books that had me guessing almost to the very end and caused me to flip back to search for previous clues.   There are some books that start slow and don't hook me until well into the first or second chapter.  This is not one of those books.

Sixth grader Miranda, navigates life in her New York City neighborhood circa 1978.  She deals with her closest friend abandoning her at the same time she begins receiving mysterious notes in her apartment.  Whoever is leaving these notes knows things - know things that have happened and will happen. 

How does this mysterious note writer know these things?  Miranda begins to discover that this is a matter of life and death for someone close to her. But who? When? How?  

I hate spoilers so I won't spoil.  This is a book that you definitely wouldn't want spoiled.

Beautifully written and touching upon sacrifice, the complexity of relationships; it also encompasses themes of friendship, racism, family, identity, forgiveness and compassion.  I loved the message about how kindness and forgiveness was the catalyst that changed everything for Miranda.  I'm a big believer that kindness has a ripple effect and could change our world.

Check out pg. 144:

I know that some teens love a dark, gritty book.  This book contains no sexual references and very mild profanity - just how I like a book.  It's just a great story with great writing.  I finished the book feeling uplifted and inspired.  This would be a great read for students in the 6th to 7th grade.

Some possible ideas for classroom use would be to use this book with Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time or Shakepeare's The Tempest.

Students could compare how Meg in A Wrinkle in Time seeks for individuality but Miranda from When You Reach Me feels like she has too much individuality and is an outcast, but wants to be accepted by her popular classmates.  Students in small groups could role play, stage an interview news program where "Meg" and "Miranda" are both interviewed and discuss their processes of discovering their identities. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a first person narrative told by Arnold Spirit Jr., also known as Junior.

Junior is a 14 year old boy living on the Spokane Indian Reservation with his parents and mostly absent older sister.  His best and only friend, Rowdy, is the toughest kid on the reservation.  Junior, however, is not tough.  He is skinny, with thick black glasses, and was born with water on the brain and is a recovering epileptic.  Did I mention that he also stutters?

The book, illustrated by Ellen Forney, contains Junior's drawings of the people and events in his life.  Junior feels that he communicates best through his cartoons.

The author paints a realistic picture of reservation life.  It is a wasteland of untapped potential.  The people are poor and think that they deserve to be poor because they are Indians.  There is rampant poverty, alcoholism, abuse, and little hope.

Junior is smart.  At the urging of his reservation school teacher and with the support of his parents, Junior knows that in order to receive a good education and have a fair shake at life, he must leave the reservation.  And so he does. 

Junior enrolls at Reardan High School, the affluent school where he is the only Indian.  Reardan is "exactly twenty-two miles away from the rez" (pg. 45).  Sometimes he has to walk the entire way.

But Junior has to deal with the fallout of leaving the reservation for something better.  His best friend and community turn on him.  Junior's family experiences hardship and loss.  Junior feels trapped between two worlds:  the one in which he lives and the one that gives him hope to make something of himself.  

The book is so, so funny but achingly sad too.  Heartbreaking.  You truly feel Junior's shame at being so poor and his fear of what his new Reardan friends will think if they find out.  The senseless deaths that occur within Junior's circle of loved ones are difficult to manage as a reader.  

You also feel triumph at Junior's successes and his resiliency and optimism is inspiring.  

This is a book about identity, hope and fighting back.  This novel is realistic because it was written by a man who left the reservation in order to become more than what his community thought he could or should become. 

I would say this book is about 9th/10th grade appropriate.  There is profanity, racism, homophobia, and references to sex.   

There are some great things you can do with this book in regards to exceeding expectations and finding hope.  Junior and his family suffer several losses in a short amount of time.  In order to manage his grief, Junior makes lists of things that bring him hope or make him happy.  

Some texts or films of "hope" you could further explore while reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian would be:

"I Have a Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
It's a Wonderful Life film by Frank Capra

Students, in the whole group setting or small groups, can use these to make their own hope lists.

American Born Chinese

I wanted to read something a little different so I thought I would try out some multicultural literature.  I feel a kinship to the Chinese people after having lived in Hong Kong years ago.  This novel looked like a good pick, so I ordered it from Amazon.  

It arrived on my doorstep just like any other Amazon order.  I ripped open the box and I flipped open the book and... it was a graphic novel!  I had no idea it would be a graphic novel.

I was a little excited and yet a little apprehensive.  Although in theory I am a supporter of all types of text, I had never read a graphic novel and I wasn't sure I would like it.

I did like it.  And I can see how it would appeal to young adult readers.  The writing was smart and funny and the graphics were crisp and told the story just as well as words did.  I was a little concerned that the heavy stereotyping depicted was way over the top, but in doing so the author makes some clear points.

Gene Luen Yang's novel starts with 3 distinct and seemingly separate stories.  

The first is about Monkey King who spends a whole lot of time trying to be the best at everything and force his way into the good graces of the Heavenly Gods.  

The second story is about Jin Wang, a young American Born Chinese boy and his desire to fit in at school.

The third story appears to be a sitcom about a non-Chinese teen named Danny, whose life is disrupted by the annual visit from his embarrassing and inexplicably Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee.

Yang is able to take all three stories and weave them into one tale with a moral that Papa Polonius from Hamlet would well recite:  "to thine own self be true".   

There were some surprisingly sobering moments in the novel.  Like when Greg, a popular boy who has always been somewhat decent to Jin Wang at school, shows he's not really as accepting of Jin as we thought.  Greg tells Jin to stop dating Amelia, the Caucasian girl Jin has been crushing on because Amelia needs to "start paying attention to who she hangs out with" now that they are almost in high school.  Or when Jin, in a moment of distress and anger, does someone really awful to hurt his best friend.

The novel also humorously tackles the not so funny issues of cultural vs. individual identity, bigotry and stereotyping and does a good job pointing out how even "nice" people might subconsciously think they are better than the Jin Yangs.

A 7/8th grade teacher could use this novel in many ways.  Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Divide the class into groups, each one representing a different racial/social/religious minority. Have them research the folklore of their target group and select their favorite tale. Then, have them write a script and reenact that story for the class. After group presentations, discuss the different folktales, in particular their similarities and differences, their lessons, and their impact

• Discuss the pursuit of dreams and what the herbalist meant when she said, “It’s easy to become anything you wish…so long as you’re willing to forfeit your soul.” (www.cbldf.org)

For greater discussion on literary style and/or content here are some prose novels and poetry you may want to read with American Born Chinese:

• D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire: An introduction to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece. Note that George O’Connor (First Second Books) is also putting out an exceptional collection of graphic novels accurately and creatively retelling the stories of the Greek gods.
• Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices and Poems for Four Voices, both by Paul Fleischman: Poignant, playful, powerful poetry for multiple voices.
• Dragonwings by Laurence Yep: An award-winning (Phoenix Award from the Children’s Literature Association and runner-up for Newbery Medal) historical novel depicting the Chinese American experience in San Francisco shortly after the turn of the twentieth century.
• The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: About a bright motivated young Native American who must decide between a long commute to a better all-white school off the reservation (and face ridicule from white kids he must befriend and from his local friends he leaves behind) or to remain with his friends at the reservation’s  limited high school and head nowhere fast. (www.cbldf.org)

Teaching ideas retrieved from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund website.

The last book is also on my reading list!

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Cleverly written, this book by E. Lockhart surprised me.  The cover art on the book looked like it contained teenage fluff about popularity and boys. There was nothing fluffy about this book. 

Frankie Laudau-Banks starts her sophomore year at the prestigious Alabaster Preparatory Academy as a new woman.  Having recently acquired a curvy figure and a pretty face over the summer, Frankie quickly wins the attention of senior Matthew Livingston, the most popular boy at school.  

As Matthew's new girlfriend, Frankie joins his social circle and quickly realizes that Matthew has secrets that he will not share. She is never allowed to completely join his world and he has no desire to be a part of her world. 

Frankie knows things have got to change.  With her keen mind, she devises and almost perfectly executes a plan to secretly infiltrate Matthew's world in order to prove her value.  

This social commentary was about power, control, sexism and feminism, underestimation, social classes, loyalty, and secrets. 

This author sees people and their motivations clearly and writes an impactful story about the power and control people wield over one another.  

Some of my favorite parts were the interactions Frankie had with popular kids who pretended to either not know who she was nor remember previous conversations that they had had with her.  Hailing from the east coast myself, in a sea of elite private and prep schools, this was familiar territory to me and a situation I experienced more than once into adulthood.

"Frankie was beginning to realize that the kind of selective memory exhibited by Dean, Star, and their ilk was neither stupidity nor poor recollection.  It was a power play - possibly subconscious on the part of the player - but nevertheless intended to discomfit another person who was in some way perceived as a threat" (pg. 81).

There was dialogue between characters that was laugh-out-loud clever.  There is virtually no profanity but there are a couple of references to drugs and alcohol.  And a few more references to sex.  Just thought you'd like to know.  As a mom and a teacher, I like to know those things.  The book would still have been fabulous without these references, but I think the author wanted to keep things really real - so whatevs.

This book has great potential in the 9th grade or so classroom.  The following ideas could be used as writing prompts or small group research about women who made a difference:

Discuss the theme of feminism in E. Lockhart's "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks." Is Frankie a feminist? What makes her a feminist? How does she use these feminist ideas in order to make her points? Are her points made well, or are they misinterpreted? Why?

Why does Frankie infiltrate and use the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds to her own advantages? Was this a smart thing to have done? Was Frankie successful in her efforts, even though she was ultimately caught? Why or why not?

Discuss the theme of patriarchy in E. Lockhart's "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks". In what ways is patriarchy present at the campus? Do you think this is willingly done? Why or why not? Do you believe that even if the patriarchal control is deliberate at Alabaster, it matters? Why or why not? 

(retrieved from http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-disreputable-history-of-frankie-landaubanks/topicsfordiscussion.html#gsc.tab=0)

"The Hunger Games" made me want to eat a Snickers or two.

I was first introduced to the Hunger Games several years ago when my sister-in-law came to visit for Thanksgiving with her husband and four kids in tow.  

She could not put this book down - and she is a self-admitted nonreader.  Oh, she helped me prepare the turkey, peeled potatoes, prepared all other goodies, set the table, did the dishes, ate pie, and she got up now and then to check on her kids.  But when she wasn't doing all that, she had her nose stuck in this book.  Since I am a voracious reader, I had to check it out.

I read the book.  And then I read it again this past week because I couldn't remember the book after having seen the movie.

It was a page turner even the second time.  I would say that I appreciated it even more the second time because I wasn't racing to know the ending.  I could really appreciate Suzanne Collins' description of Katniss's (the heroine) hunger, her thirst, her anger, intense love of family, fear, frustration, conflicted emotions about her love interests, and sometimes apathy.  I gained a real appreciation for just how hungry Katniss and most of her people were and how that hunger can affect everything.

It's another dystopic society story and I loved it.  It goes like this:

Katniss Everdeen is a seventeen year old living in District 12 of Panem, a land where the United States existed long ago before natural disasters and strife changed everything.  In order to keep its people from rebelling, the Capitol of Panem has organized the land and its people into 12 districts. The shining Capitol, or seat of government, gluts itself on the labors of the oppressed people who comprise the 12 Districts.

In order to keep the districts in line and to control them using fear, the Capitol holds an annual Hunger Games in which two children from each District are selected to compete every year.  The children are placed in a simulated wilderness and must fight to the death, providing entertainment for the people of the Capitol.  At the end of the Games, there is only one living champion.

When her sister is selected to compete, Katniss volunteers as her District's female player in the Annual 74th Hunger Games to save her beloved younger sister from certain death.  As Katniss fights to survive in the Games, she must let her will to live overcome her repulsion of murdering the other players. 

As the Games progress, Katniss's anger heightens towards those in the Capitol who use the kids' precious lives as a form of entertainment.  The very skills she developed in order to survive all those years in District 12, the place that was meant to oppress her and keep her in her "place", are the skills that help her beat the Game.  In the end, she shows the Gamemakers and the leaders in the Capitol that she is smarter than them all.

My first reading of the book years ago caused me to think that Katniss was a little unemotional for someone in her plight.  She is poor, hungry, scared, self sufficient, angry, and desperate.  But even with all of this, sometimes she doesn't seem to feel much.

The second time I read the book, I had a completely different impression.  Were the District people so beaten down with hardship that they were all a little numb like Katniss?  As I read the book again, I realized that Katniss is emotional, she just had to suppress it in order to survive.

There are some prominent themes throughout the book:  sacrifice, inequality of rich and poor, propaganda, government control, friendship, and family.

The book is written in first person, present tense.  To me, this adds to the suspense.  The book includes the violence of young people fighting to the death - this is bloody and horrifying.

Teenagers will love this book, if they are some of the few who haven't read it already.  And it's just the kind of book that teachers can use in the classroom to pique the interest of students who don't like to read.

The New York Times Learning Network suggest the following ideas for incorporating The Hunger Games into a reading or English curriculum:

In how many ways are the Hunger Games of the novels and today’s reality shows similar? Do you recognize some of your own reactions when you watch elimination games like “Survivor” or “American Idol” in the reactions of viewers to the Hunger Games? (As Charles McGrath put it in an essay about the wide appeal of this trilogy, “We like for there to be winners, but even more we love for there to be losers, as long as they’re not us.”) 

How is reality TV changing our world? Why do we like reality shows so much? In general, do you think your generation is significantly more desensitized to violence because of the availability of violent images on television and the Internet? 

As a thought experiment, try choosing a real person participating in a reality TV elimination game and write an imagined diary entry that tells, Katniss-style, how he or she really feels about the contest.

Many readers — and perhaps all English teachers — see strong echoes of other dystopian literature in “The Hunger Games,” whether classroom staples like Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” and novels like “1984,” “Brave New World,” “Farenheit 451″ and “Lord of the Flies,” or contemporary fiction like Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale.” 

One obvious idea: an essay or infographic comparing “The Hunger Games” with one or more of these other works. Less obvious ideas: A student-created library display headlined “If You Liked ‘The Hunger Games,’ You’ll Love…” with student-created book jackets advertising both classics and current young-adult and adult fiction with similar themes; or a school-wide dystopian fiction trivia game.

Ideas retrieved from:  http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/the-odds-ever-in-your-favor-ideas-and-resources-for-teaching-the-hunger-games/?_r=0