Historical Fiction

Choice Book: Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji

Summary

Child of Dandelions focues on an Indian family living in Uganda during the early 1970s, when all foreign Indians were to be "weeded out." The protagonist is a 15 year-old girl named Sabine, whose best friend, Zena, is African.  As the  discrimination against Indians worsens, so does the relationship between Sabine and Zena. Through these two characters the novel examines questions of race and class. Sabine begins to realize that African Ugandans have felt oppressed by her people. Sabine's father is a wealthy land-owner, and the family must decide if they should leave their home in Uganda because of the danger and discrimination East Indians face.

 

Indian Dancers by Tesoro and Congo Girl by Heather Loneil

A Fine Billy Goat Tour by Dotto and Childhood Nostalgia by Kirsty2715. 

I Dream of Africa by SkyoftheSky and Tata India by AeroChow.

Love is Metaphysical, by RaceyTay and Feathery Plumes No. 27 by GollyBard.

Noted Themes and Questions

The novel looks at race, class, and human rights issues.  On a really basic level, it explores how friendships change when people change.

Reflection
Like Maus, Child of Dandelions examines an historical issue through a very personal and emotional lens. I think this novel is valuable because it looks at an event that is often overlooked in history and in the classroom. While English teachers can only teach so much historical fiction and can't possibly cover every major event, I think it's important to sometimes select little-known periods of world history. It might even prompt students to think more deeply about which historical events are more widely studied and why this is the case.
Student Reaction
I think students would find the novel engaging and interesting. There are some suspenseful parts, which moves the narrative along. I think that it would provoke interesting class discussions. I also think that some of the experiences the protagonist has are universal enough to draw in most teen readers.
Grade
8th and up. The language is simple, but I think the older, more mature student might get more out of the novel. This isn't to say that middle school students wouldn't be able to get a lot out of it.


*For interested parties, the other book choices this week were Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, My Mother the Cheerleader by Robert Sharenow, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  People in class really seemed to love The Book Thief.  It's about World War II, but from the perspective of death personified.

Graphic Novels

This last week in my Young Adult literature course we read graphic novels. I personally love graphic novels, so it was a fun week for me (dorky, I know).   I read all three choices, which were Persepolis, Maus, and American Born Chinese.   For online art picks, I decided to select pieces influenced by graphic novels in general, rather than to select them based on the above texts only.   Enjoy!

Shutterbox volume 3, page 74 by Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons, original.  To purchase, click here.

This post will include original prints of pages from published graphic novels, as well as pages from unpublished novels for sale by the artists and pieces inspired by the genre.  Any good collection of graphic novel art must include something Manga-inspired.

For more of Tavisha's art, visit her Etsy shop.  I was really excited this week because one of the seniors at Denver School of the Arts just finished a graphic novel she'd been working on for her Creative Writing class.  The art was absolutely amazing. The protagonist was a teenager- part girl, part deer.  The illustrations reminded me a lot of the ones you see above. Pretty impressive for a 17-year old girl.

Aang Avatar The Last Airbender by Pande and Beauty Hurts by Sky Simms (a high school student!). Click here for more information.

I want what you have by FeliciaBleuRose.

I really love this artist, so I am going to include a couple of her pieces. This one is titled Slow Storm, page 5.

Slow Storm, page 13 and Slow Storm, page 8 all by Danica Novgorodoff.

Bad Night and All I See is Her by Eliza Frye.


Choice book: Maus I, Art Spiegelman

Summary
Maus I is a Holocaust narrative in graphic novel form. The protagonist, Art, visits his father, Valdek, on a regular basis to document his experience in the concentration camps during World War II.  The novel transitions between past and present so that it chronicles Valdek's story as well as the transmission of the story from Valdek to Art. In this way, the text is able to include two narrative threads to document the Holocaust itself as well as the many ramifications the Holocaust has had on the present.
Noted Themes and Questions
The novel raises questions about the relationship between trauma and memory. The text blurs several genres, causing the reader to wonder about its generic classification.  Many readers have questioned whether or not the graphic novel is an inappropriate form to deal with such heavy subject matter.  The text also complicates the notion of guilt and blame commonly associated with the Germans during the Holocaust. Spiegelman raises questions about fate and chance. In many ways, the events and happenings in the text seem random acts of chance and chaos; however, Vladek continually points out that it was his resourcefulness or even God's will that he was able to survive.
Reflection
Maus is beautifully written and illustrated, funny at times, and also very moving.  As noted above, the book raises so many complex questions that I think it's a wonderful text to use in the classroom. On the one hand, it's definitely a piece of Holocaust literature; however, it also raises questions about the capacity of art (visual and written) to articulate trauma and memory.
Student Reaction
It has been my experience that students really enjoy this text. Students generally respond well to visuals. Maus includes psychological interest but simultaneously has a lot of action, so that it would appeal to a wide variety of readers.  There were people in our class who didn't really take to the genre and format, which reminded me that a) it takes some getting used to, and b) not everyone is going to like it.   One thing to consider would be to teach visual literacy alongside other books in addition so that students are capable of analyzing graphic novels when they see them.  Another useful idea would be to do a few guided readings of the images on a projector very early on to model image analysis.
Grade Level
Though I know students often read this text in middle school, I think 9th or 10th graders would be able to understand some of the more difficult questions the text raises and engage with it on a deeper level.

*P.S. I just ordered Skim, and I am excited to read it. The art looks beautiful. 

Contemporary Young Adult Lit: GLBTQ

Choice Book: Boy Meets Boy, David Levithan

Summary

Boy Meets Boy is exactly what it sounds like- a teenage romance about two boys- but it's a lot more than that as well. One of the things I loved most about the text is that it's set in a town where everyone is extremely accepting of homosexuality.  The most popular kid in high school is a football player named Infinite Darlene, who dresses in drag and also ends up being the homecoming queen.  The narrator, Paul, is very comfortable with himself and with his sexuality. His parents and brother are all very supportive and encouraging.  His best friend Tony goes to a different school and does not have the support that Paul does. His parents are conservative and religious, and he has to pretend he's going on church activities or dates with girls in order to leave the house.  Paul meets Noah, a new kid in town and they quickly start dating. The novel tracks their relationship as well as some of the drama that ensues at school.

 Ran by TushTush and I See You, You See Me by Aud Photo

Studio by ThisIsBlaise.

Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon by SimpleInsomnia and Hide My Heart by Through SarasEyes.

Standing Black and White Pinhole by Engrained and  Lunastrella Camera by John W. Golden.

I didn't mean for this collection to look so morose. It's just a coincidence that the pieces I selected are nearly all black and white.

Noted Themes and Questions
Though for many readers the premise and setting of the text may initially seem quite unbelievable, it is definitely intentional.  The author has the reader immediately questioning why such a world world should be so unbelievable. The novel explores identity, family dynamics, creative expression, and teenage romance. One of the secondary plot threads could be seen as a coming-out story, since Paul's best friend, Tony, does not enjoy the same kind of freedom than do the rest of his friends. 
Reflection
I am not sure if there is enough going on in this novel to spend time teaching it in regular curriculum, but I do feel like it's an important book to have on the shelf in a classroom or at the library. What I really appreciated about the novel was the narrative voice. It might even be a good text to excerpt in order to teach voice.  Paul's voice is distinct, recognizable, authentic, and funny.  Another important element of the text is the fact that it is not primarily a coming-out story.  Tony's struggle to come out with his parents is not at the forefront of the text but is a secondary narrative thread and a nice juxtaposition to Paul's romantic narrative. The novel provides a nice spectrum for GTBL students because it displays characters that are at varying levels of comfortability with their sexuality. It also demonstrates that one's comfortability with his sexual identity can be shaped and influenced by his cultural and social environment.
Student Reaction
My guess is that the student reaction would largely depend on the student population. I think that it may not be a favorite among most heterosexual teenage boys, but maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am not giving them enough credit :)
Grade Level
I, personally didn't feel like there was anything "R-rated" about this text that would make it inappropriate for 8th-graders on up; however, after reading the GLBT article assigned to supplement the novel, I think some parents might disagree.

The Problem Novel

Choice Book:  Jumping off Swings, Jo Knowles  

Summary

Towards the very beginning of the novel, Ellie has sex with Josh at a party and ends up getting pregnant. The two hardly know each other. He leaves immediately afterwards and the two don't really talk again. The remainder of the novel tracks for narratives-- Josh's, Ellie's and their two best friends, Corinne and Caleb. The chapters rotate and each one is told from a different perspective.  Caleb's single mother is very understanding and ends up offering Ellie support during her pregnancy, much more so than do her own parents.

*And in case you are interested, the other book choices for this week were Purple Heart, a novel about the war in Iraq by Patricia McCormick, (the author of Cut), and If I Grow Up, Todd Strasser's attempt at understanding gang life.  People seemed to love Purple Heart. I want to read it.

 

If the Van's a Rock'n by LifesAMenagerie and Side Mirror by FrecklesFairyTales

  

Cell Belly print by ArtfuLingo and Weird, Quirky, Bodyless Legs by KimDot 

 

At the Swing by KikiAndPolly and Chained by Courtney Noffsinger

 

Abstract Cubist by Cindy Columbia and Old Father Time by Hermetic Archives

 

Lullabye Bass Player by SixthandMain and Buds in the Sun by KylePhoto

 Abandoned Huey Long Pool Locker Room by YesVacancy and 5 x 5 S by Jacquelyn Lee

Landover original map painting by Rachel Austin

Noted Themes and questions
Like many of the novels we read this semester, Jumping off Swings looks at the different types of relationship teens might have with their parents and how these relationships affect them. The novel provided a wide-range of parenting styles, which I thought was interesting.  Obviously, the novel also explores the issue of teen pregnancy and the relationship that the baby's father might have with the pregnancy.  In many ways, it seems as though the book critiques our society's notion of paternal involvement.  Nearly all of the adult fathers in the novel could be classified as less-than-ideal fathers.  The author poses the question, how are  teenage fathers supposed to become more responsible and involved if they do not have models for good fathers?

Reflection

I liked the concept of the multi-perspective narrative, but Iim not sure about teaching this book in regular  curriculum. I think that the novel does raise interesting questions about teen sex and pregnancy, particularly related to male involvement, as noted above.  Because she uses the multi-perspective narrative, Knowles gives a voice to Josh (the baby's father).  We are able to gain some insight into his feelings, perceptions, and experiences, which I think often remain untold in texts about pregnancy.

Student Reaction
I think this novel would appeal to a lot of teenagers.  It would be a good novel to promote understanding about a subject that often goes unmentioned. 

Grade

9th grade and up.

Speculative Fiction

Imagine if you had the Internet implanted in your brain...  

After I finished The Hunger Games for our Speculative Fiction week, I picked up Feed. Anyone read it?  If you haven't, I suggest you do. It's a really interesting idea, though I will admit it had a very depressing ending.  

Choice Book: Feed, M.T. Anderson

Summary

The novel takes place in the future in a society where nearly everyone has a version of the Internet implanted directly into their brains. The feed works much like a tailored Google search or like the function within Amazon that tells you what you might like based on past purchases.  The society thrives on consumerism and constant stimulation. The main character, Titus, and his circle of friends don't seem to question the feed or their society.  When Titus begins dating Violet, who didn't receive the feed until she was six, she challenges him to fight the feed.

Mechanical Transmutation by GoddessJessika and Shot Through by Luneluxe.

Futuristic Cityview by Marilyn Grando and Futuristic Series No. 2 by LuLuLe

 

Futuristic Delicate Blooms by Thorlief Studio and Escape by Jon Stich.

Suburbia by PaperPatternSilk and Phrenology by SquidFlex

 Advertiser Heaven by PhoenixJemsGallery and North Carolina by Michelle Kendrick

Noted Themes

The novel can be seen as a critique of consumer culture. It's also a satire of our current society where people feel the need to be constantly connected.  Anderson examines certain environmental issues and critiques the way that society has begun to pave over our natural spaces. 

Reflection

While the setting is an imagined future, I think that it's meant to satirize what our world has already become. The quotes from the president sounded a lot like George W. Bush, for example.  I think this text would make an awesome addition to classroom curriculum. I personally appreciated that the text did not have a nice, neat "Hollywood" ending, which would have seemed incongruent with the issues in the novel. 

Student Reaction

I think that students might initially struggle with the strange language and vocabulary; however, the characters and plot are interesting enough that if readers push through the first couple of chapters, they should really enjoy the novel.

Grade

10th-12th