The Most Excellent book of the semester?

Okay, sorry, the titles of these posts are really sort of cheesey. I just can't help myself.

Anyway, as the last book of the semester, I couldn't help but think back on all of the ones I've read. The one that stuck out most in my mind was Looking for Alaska. I just so enjoyed that book, and after that, nothing ever quite met that expectation. Sometimes it was the genre, sometimes the characters or the plot itself, but I never quite reached the satisfaction that I had while reading Alaska... until My Most Excellent Year, by Steve Kluger. The story is one of three friends growing up, dealing with love and loss, friendship, and mostly hope.

I know many people didn't like the varying format, but I thought it so enhanced the book and kept it interesting. It gave great insight on each of the characters and helped me better get into their heads and understand their motivations. I just thought the format was appropriate. No complaints.

I also think that one of my favorite parts of the book was its ability to get across a point without making it glaringly obvious. I don't think that it had an "agenda" so to speak, but I think it's fair to say that Kluger was trying to make a point about homosexuality, mostly by not making it at all, less perhaps one line, said by Augie's dad, "I realized that we'd never had the "I'm gay" conversation. Has this generation finally made it superfluous? If only."

Though homosexuality was a theme throughout the book, it was just that, A theme, not THE theme, and nothing jammed down your throat or shoved in your face. I so appreciated that. Perhaps it was an ideal world, perhaps it wasn't "realistic" enough, but the first step to accomplishing a social goal is to be able to envision it. And I think Kluger did an exceptional job with his handling of this social issue.

The rest of the book was simply about love. Father-son love, Mother-son love, friendly love, budding love, romantic love, the love of a child, among probably others. Yes, the world is full of horrible things, and often life is not fair... but sometimes it's nice to step outside of that and remember that love prevails. It was a pick-me-up book, an easy read, something fun, and it left me with a smile. I would give it my highest recommendation for any student looking for this sort of feeling.

Why do we read?

This question seemed to be glaringly significant after the class discussion for We Were Here, by Matt De la Pena. The discussion became somewhat heated and some feelings seemed to be hurt, but I think it very much boiled down to the question, why do we read?

Do we read to relate to our characters or the plot or setting of the book? Do we read to expose societal issues? Do we read to have a different experience or learn something new? Do we read simply to enjoy? I'd argue that all of those are great reasons to read, and there are so many more.

Reading the posts from the high school class in Michigan, they often referenced how the YA lit they were reading was easier to relate to, dealt with issues they deal with, and was more interesting. I simply stated that I believed that a book like We Were Here would not necessarily provide them with what they were looking for, if that in fact was it.

We Were Here is the story of a teenage boy who's committed an awful crime that he cannot face. He is sentenced to a year in a group home, where he must record his feelings and experiences in a journal. Along the way he meets a few different boys who teach him several lessons about himself, his experiences, and dealing with tragedies. The story is really one of forgiving- others, yourself. Running from life simply isn't the answer.

I could definitely see the concept of this book used in a classroom, but the profanity in this specific book may be difficult to bring into a classroom, depending on the district. The title of this section was "unheard voices", and I think that's something worth examining.

Do we bring voices into the classroom specifically because they are unheard? Or can we simply bring this book into a classroom because it has important themes and perspective, and it just happens to have three boys of color as its main characters. I think that the story is worth telling, and these questions are so important to discuss with students. It's a teacher decision, but students should understand the issues.

Not my cup of tea, but enjoyable

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore was a part of our "page turners" section of this class, and it falls specifically under fantasy with a very visible element of romance as well throughout. I'm not a fantasy person, but the book was definitely fun, smart, and enjoyable.

I could see where it was a YA book, but I also felt at times that the book was really mature. The romance was fairly mature, and there was a non-detailed sex scene at one point, but the characters themselves were very mature for their ages. The romance is fairly mature, and there is a very present issue of marriage and if you should get married and why or why not, which I thought to be advanced as well for some young readers. Although I suppose they might just not pick up on it.

This book obviously displays an extreme case, but it begs the question, do you use the powers (whatever they might be) you have to rule over people just because you can? Because the government has power over its people, should they take advantage of it? Or should they rule FOR the people?

The only issue I had with this book is this sort of question. Teen readers say they want something to "relate to" and such, but is this question really relevant in their lives? On some level maybe, but it's seems to be sort of a strange and abstract question. Even the romance, like I said, is so mature, it seems a little much for teen readers.

Though I think it was an interesting and enjoyable read, I would probably recommend it to an older crowd interested in fantasy, and I'm not sure I'd use it in the classroom. I just think there are so many other books out there with more pressing issues for high schoolers.

Saw a little of myself in Frankie

Overall, I would have to say that I really enjoyed The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart. There were some very real issues presented in the book, specifically gender and class, and I think it could really spark some interesting questions, especially for the young women reading it. Whether or not you believe Frankie was true to herself or got too caught up in everything, that question alone opens up for further discussions, and I think that shows true value in a book.

I can remember going through some of the many things Frankie experienced, suddenly physically maturing, getting a little wrapped up in the opposite sex, etc. I'd say that was junior high age. By the time I got to high school, I had taken on a very strong female persona, where I did not need a guy to feel validated, though I saw many of my friends continue to get too caught up, leave their friends behind while they're dating a new guy, and all of those other issues that arise. Over the years, it's become more apparent the gender issues that our society faces.

I'll never forget my senior year of high school when we did an enneagram test, in which personalities are classified into 9 types, ranging from peacemaker and helper to asserter and adventurer. I took the class my second semester, and on the first day of class, our teacher asked us if any of our friends who took the class first semester had already told us what number we were. I raised my hand and said my friends had told me I was an 8, or the asserter/challenger. He raised his eyebrows and ever-s0-condescendingly said, "Hmm, we often refer to girl 8's as a word that begins with a 'b', if ya know what I mean."

I was furious. It's okay for a boy to be assertive and strong, but if I am as a female, I'm a bitch? Unbelievable. I could not help but think Frankie faces some of these issues in the book: how strong is too strong, will the guys not like her if she's too strong or too weak? Where is that happy medium, and how does a girl and emerging woman establish herself as strong and independent without society calling her a bitch, or worse?

As I was reading this book, I did enjoy the silly pranks, funny scenes, and characters, but for me, the message was so much more. I can really imagine bringing some gender issues to the forefront in a classroom. I worry about the alienation of males, but I do think that they should be a part of the conversation, as they are a part of the society that perpetuates these gender roles. They need to realize that both genders must take responsibility for this issue.

Like I said, I really liked the book, but I more loved the issues that it brought to the forefront, and for me I placed more emphasis on gender than class. I could really see this book working in a classroom, and I could also really see my students enjoying it as well.

Octavian was nothing special for me

I've been very forthright about my opinions of these books, and I will continue to be honest. I got through less than half of this book before I just could not finish it. And I am not usually the type of person who doesn't finish something, a book or otherwise. I just could not do it. That being said, let me continue with what I can say about The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson.

The whole idea of YA historical fiction was terribly unappealing to me, but I really made an attempt to get through it. But when I was forewarned in class that, "the first 1/3 or so of the book is tough to get through, but then it's excellent!" I was just not pleased. I continued to try, but when other work piled up, I just could not make it a priority.

Though we like to think that our students are only taking our class and that our class is the most important, that simply is not the case. And I would have a really hard time pitching a book where I recognized that the first THIRD of the book was "tough to get through". Personally, I don't care how good the book turns out when over a hundred pages are not that great. A good author shouldn't take so long to draw a reader in- I believe that a good author draws the reader in right away. I also am more of a page-turner kind of reader, but I think most of my young students might feel the same way.

So I hope that if I want to teach this kind of a book in my classroom or encourage my students to read historical fiction, I can find a better option for them. I would not rule out this book entirely, because I'm aware that not everyone reads like I do, but I'd say that if a student is looking for YA lit, this is not quite what they're looking for.

Satisfying for what it's worth...

I'll be honest off the bat so you understand my bias... I am not a science fiction fan. The closest I come to science fiction is admittedly the Twilight saga, which is more a fictional vampire love story... still silly, but I'm a sucker for silly romance novels even as a junior in college. What can I say?

So it's important you understand that in order to take my review as you will. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins is a science fiction novel with a loud and clear social commentary on social class and government power among others. Our protagonist, sixteen year old Katniss, lives in a world where the Capitol runs twelve districts formerly known as North America. The government put down several revolts, even destroying the thirteenth district. In order to prove and remain in power, they host the Hunger Games, a competition amongst the districts, a battle to the death.

Because I didn't really connect with this book myself on a personal level, I'll comment on whether it accomplished its goal and whether that goal was worthy of pursuing.

I think the goal for this book was to reinvent the traditional dystopian literature topic. Collins uses a female narrator, which is less common in science fiction books. It gives the commentary a different spin than your typical male perspective. In addition, the book is certainly more updated; it just has a very contemporary feeling, with the love story and factoring in non-traditional elements. It's so easy to compare this to almost any of the reality TV shows out there right now on television, and so the feeling is very pop culture.

When I read this, the show Survivor came to mind, particularly that first season (the only one I watched regularly). This concept of people on TV conniving and backstabbing and forming alliances to "stay alive" in the game to win one million dollars was new and somewhat shocking. We watched these people suffer horrendous bug bites, near starvation, and exhaustion. And it was entertainment! In retrospect, it really was sort of sick. But that's what audiences crave. Are we so far off from something like the Hunger Games?

The social commentary was certainly another goal, and I personally thought it was a little forced. I really felt like around every turn was another criticism of our current society, mostly involving social class and government, as I said. This government's power is so great, so overwhelming that no one rises up; they give in, even support the government's power by supporting the Games. How easily can we be brainwashed?

So were these worthy goals? I suppose so. Though I think dystopian literature is sort of a dangerous route to go with younger students who are still developing a world view, it is important to discuss. When I say that this book was more contemporary, I'm thinking in comparison to something like Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. I also think that particular book is more of a classic and will be more likely to be taught in a high school, but Hunger Games is definitely a contemporary counterpart, and even darker than its classic.

These books make us really think about our current situations in society and reevaluate something we might not have before. Being critical thinkers in today's world is so important, and these sorts of books force us to do so. I think this book would also tie in great with a critical media literacy lesson, on taking a closer look at what the media presents us every day and breaking it down.

So in terms of the classroom, I think it could have a place. In conjunction with a classic like Brave New World or a lesson on critical media literacy, this book fits right in, and it might be more interesting to students, especially when compared to something like the show Survivor. I'd be careful with the dark instincts of human nature- but any dystopian has the potential to bring you down. Overall, I'd say it accomplished its goals and those goals were solid. So take it for what it's worth.

A special dedication to my 16 year old brother Ryan

I will be the first to tell my brother that being a boy is no excuse to not like reading. It is not "uncool" or "girly" to like to read. It is important to be able to read and even better if you like it.

However, it's certainly an interesting point to look at the majority of popular books out there, and they seem to seek a female audience. This reinforcing that 'reading is for girls' is not good for anyone. Where oh where can we find 'boy books'?

If any of this rang a bell for you, never fear! Robert Cormier is here!

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier was not only a great literary classic by an incredibly talented author, but it is the kind of book that can draw almost any audience. I would hesitate to call it a "boy book" as I really liked it myself, a 21 year old female, but it definitely had a more masculine feel than most of the books I've read so far.

The story follows Jerry Renault, a freshman at an all boys high school who has an encounter with the infamous Vigils, a school gang of upperclassmen boys. This gang gives out "assignments" to intimidate the younger boys and display their power. The assignments are not dangerous or violent, rather rule-breaking and embarrassing.

The main conflict is a result of Jerry's assignment- to refuse to sell chocolates for the school-wide fundraiser being heavily pushed by the administration. The situation certainly escalates, and Jerry is left with an internal conflict and decision to make.

I point this out as a book that boys might like for a few factors, and most of them are pretty obvious. First, we have our male narrator, an immediate draw. Then we have the plot itself- an all-boys school, pranks, gang action, some violence, some sports scenes, and more. Finally, and I think most importantly in a school setting are the themes presented. Jerry and the rest of these boys are easily influenced, intimidated, and coerced into these assignments. Doesn't this happen every day? Aren't boys dealing with issues in the same way girls are?

In terms of this book in the classroom, it would really fit perfectly. I think though Cormier's book is well-suited for boys, it reaches beyond that audience, which really is an accomplishment. As I mentioned, I really thought it was hilarious, and I even found myself laughing out loud at some of the pranks pulled. I also found myself involved with the characters, worried about their decisions, and getting inside their heads.

Finally, it is SO well-written. Some of the language Cormier uses is so beautiful and perfectly appropriate for the feelings he wants to evoke and the meaning he wants to portray. Not only would this book work for a novel unit, but it would fit right into a writing lesson as well. Pulling specific passages from the novel would serve to help students write more effectively. And reminding those boys that a man wrote this book wouldn't hurt either.

So Ryan, get ready, because we're going to read this book over Christmas break when I get home, and you may even thank me. =)