The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

This book was fantastic.

Junior’s is a world that I am not familiar with. Growing up in the part of Missouri that I did (the armpit of nowhere, to be more precise), I was not really exposed to Native Americans in the way that many people in Wisconsin are. Even though I grew up extremely close to the Trail of Tears, I still know very little about reservation life or Indian politics and plight.

This book certainly offered a glimpse into such a life. I’m sure that it cannot be easy to keep customs and traditions alive when the modern world is continually knocking at your door. It is a balancing act, trying to fit in both worlds, and one that we see Junior walk with varying degrees of wobble.

One of the most absorbing parts of the book was Junior’s voice. I felt as though it were coming down through the classic vein of Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield. It was as honest voice, and that has to be the hardest kind to write. For that, I tip my hat to Sherman Alexie.

As for this book being challenged or outright banned, I find that to be preposterous (as I do with almost any book). This is a text that needs to be absorbed by students, if for no other reason than to give them a glimpse of what goes on around them. People’s perceptions of other people can make a difference whether they know it or not. Easily a book that I will be championing in my classroom.

9/11

So, where to begin? Reliving that experience through a comic book seems, at first, borderline disrespectful. Of course, it only takes flipping through the first few pages to realize the true weight of this book. It is no mockery. It is also no cakewalk. I haven’t read the original report (and don’t ever really see that happening), but it seems like the essence is gleaned, making it a pared down version.

It is hard to read, just as the events were hard to hear about when they happened. The visuals are beautifully rendered, telling a story that is at once compelling. The sans-serif font works wonderfully at inviting the reader into the events. Altogether, this is a way to put the events of that day (and much of the build-up and aftermath) into a package that all readers can access.

So does that mean it is effective for young adults? I should think so. I figure that most of the students we would be teaching would be too young to remember anything about 9/11. It’s like how we remember when Lady Diana died, or when the Milli Vanilli scandal was exposed (Ok, maybe not so much the latter, but hey, things stick out in people’s heads for odd reasons).  The point is it is great for young people to have an avenue into understanding events that happened before their time. It’s a little bit like the technology discussions that we’ve been having in class. Use the means necessary to get through to the students.

I may not have a copy of this book in my classroom, but I will certainly make sure that it is available in the school library. It is an important resource that students should have access to. That, and “Moment of Disgrace: Milli Vanilli, a Great Musical Scam.” Or maybe not.

The Outsiders

I still find it hard to believe that a teenager wrote this book. It has very memorable characters and a plot that is instantly compelling. The book handily deals with the issues of economic status, family, friendship, and murder. While I never read it in school (sadly) I can see how it would instantly connect with teens.

At times it delves a little too much into teenage melodrama, but that only seems to make it ring more true. I feel like that is exactly why it remains so popular with teens today--its coming from someone very close to their own age.

There's really not much more to say on the subject that hasn't already been said over the last 35 odd years since its publication. It's been the topic of so many book reports that I'm sure it's tired of being read. I will certainly carry on the tradition in my classroom, using this text to attract a whole new generation of readers. I just wonder if the greaser haircut will ever come back.

The Declaration

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

I’ll start by saying that I am generally a fan of dystopian literature, which is kind of odd because I’m actually about the most optimistic person around. I was intrigued by the premise here—a world full of old people where young people are not allowed to exist. If I was a YA publisher in the current climate, I would certainly jump all over that. It just smacks of success.

That said, I found that the plot seemed to stall for me. It seems that this is a common complaint amongst my fellow bloggers. That, and the hurried relationship between Peter and Anna seemed to muddy the book for me (however, surely if you can get a pill to live forever then you can get a pill to make someone fall in love with you immediately. Potential spin-off series perhaps?).

I do think that this is a great read for young adults though, and a way to get into some real discussion about the issues that it brings up. For my action lesson, I’ll be using this book to tie in facts about overpopulation and ways that technology attempts to answer it. It almost seems custom tailored for it.

I’m not sure if I will read on in the series, but I would like to see how it plays out. With such an exciting and promising premise, I’m sure that it will be worth a read. 

The Red Umbrella

I very much enjoyed The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. It was smooth and well plotted, the author having a firm grasp on characters and their emotions.

I want to talk about the issue of freedom as Lucia sees it, and the issue of overlapping genres. At the beginning of the book she is like any other adolescent girl; fighting her mother on everything from makeup to whether or not she has to baby sit her little brother. These are feelings that any young person can relate to, making what happens next all the more compelling.

If we want to talk about genres overlapping, then I would certainly say that this is a prime example of dystopia. Perhaps its not as overt as 1984 or the Declaration, but it is certainly there. Freedom is no longer guaranteed in Lucia's town, and her parents are keenly aware. They make the hard choice to send them away to live in the United States.

To not be able to trust your own family is something that I could not possibly comprehend. That is a reality in the Lucia's Cuba. Parents even have to worry about their own children turning them in to the authorities. The same issue is there in Orwell, and there's not much that can top that in terms of sheer terror.

What I liked was how delicately Gonzalez handled the issues at hand. Hearing the story from the viewpoint of an adolescent, we realize how hard it must have been for all those children to know what was going on during the Cuban revolution. Couple that with the struggle of adjusting to a new life, language, and country, and you've got a winning book. I would certainly incorporate this book into my classroom.

Thirteen Reasons Why

I wanted to stop reading this book. I wanted to, but I didn't. And I'm glad that I didn't, because finishing it gave me a new perspective of the characters.

Let me start with what I did like: the premise. For those who may not have read it, A young man by the name of Clay gets a package filled with cassette tapes. As I am always intrigued by retro technology, I was eager to start this book. What's on the tapes is even more interesting, however, as it is the railings of one Hannah Baker, a young teenager who had recently committed suicide. The tapes go to thirteen people (each a reason) with a whole side devoted to them. Clay is on that list, and it's driving him nuts. What did he do?

All of this is intriguing, however, I found myself burdened by everything else. The dual narration seemed arduous. The writing style less than eloquent. Clay seemed like an interesting enough character. He was well drawn and believable as a high school kid in a messed-up situation. The character I had the most trouble with was Hannah.

I absolutely consider Hannah the villain in this book. She is supremely unlikable. Her voice is whiny and her reasons vindictive. Her action has obviously had a negative impact on her community and on the people in this book. I feel that the author made her like this on purpose--to show the impact that suicide can have on everyone around you.

I think every person has thought like this when they were younger. Someone makes you mad. What is the ultimate way to get them back? Make them a reason for your death. Of course I realize that Hannah must have been going through a hard place, but what high-schooler isn't? That's a time when the smallest thing can make you feel as though your life is over. I've seen worse than what Hannah's gone through, and those people have come out on the other side. 


However, not everyone does. I realize that this is probably the reason that a book like this exists. Ultimately, I can see how this book might be beneficial. Teenagers need to see that their actions do have consequences, and that they affect everyone around them. Even though I did not enjoy reading this book, I can perhaps--just maybe--see its usefulness to teens.

Hunger Games

I'll start by saying this: When I finished "The Hunger Games," I was not struck with the immediate urge to rush out and pick up the rest of the series.

However, I'm also not saying that I was bored, either. In fact, that is the furthest from the truth. The plot and the pacing are the book's strong points. I read a comment (I think on Emily's blog) about how she was waiting to get sucked in. I felt the same way too. But at some point in there it seems to lock in, and you're carried through the text quickly. Before you know it, and after more than a little bloodshed, you're finished.

The debate between whether plot is important in great literature tires me a lot of times. Sure, I appreciate when an author can ramble for a long time about philosophical... and there I'll stop because I'm boring myself. But sometimes, you just want a good story. And it's obvious by the success of this series that a lot of adolescent's do as well.

I'm wondering why the character of Katniss resonates with so many people today. She's a great creation for this book: stoic, persistent, brave--all of which lend themselves to getting her our alive. But overall I found her to be a little flat. She just doesn't jump off the page. I was rooting for her, but only because she'd already had such a hard life up to this point, not because I really liked her. I guess I can say that I respected her, though, which might very well make up for her lack of charisma.

I think this has been discussed in some other posts, but I'm going to have a stab at it as well. Dystopian Fiction. Why is it suddenly so popular again, especially in young adult fiction? Maybe school can like a dystopian novel at times, chaotic and stressful. Or maybe it's nice to have the youngsters fighting the oppressing adults. Whatever the reason, I can't help but think that current events have influenced it as well.

Are today's adolescents morose about the future? Have we given them reason to be? We talk incessantly about climate change, the global financial crisis, drawn-out wars that have been going on longer than some of them have been alive, and wonder why they have an interest in a tattered future. What these books provide, it seems, is a way for them to put themselves in the driver's seat and steer themselves through it. They can be Katniss and survive the games (I didn't figure that would be a spoiler because what would be the point of two more books if she died?) They can perhaps get to the other side of all the bad stuff, which is what any kid (and adult) ultimately wants.

I'd be interested to hear other opinions. Here's an article from the Guardian that might shed a little light: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/oct/23/dystopian-fiction

I'd also be interested to see how students respond to the book in the classroom. In my practicum I overheard a kid say that he read the book in one night. This was basically a non-reader as well. Something about these books latches on to kids and really engages them. I guess I'll eventually pick up the second book and third books. If they are as engrossing as the first, then I can at least count on a solid story.