I have been reading relatively light "popular fiction" recently (as my stress at work increases the "weight" of my reading selections decreases). I listened to this audio book because I was between titles and decided it was time for a break (and it was available).
Now I am going to have to reread parts of it (and probably obtain a paper copy).
This is a complex tale told in a non-linear style. In ways it makes the story even more engrossing. You aren't completely anxious about the well being of the characters and can really appreciate the nuances of character, plot and setting. The time frame spans the early Twentieth Century. The main character, Marie, and Irish Catholic girl living in Brooklyn in many ways resonates with my own families. She is of an age with my mother. I married into a large Irish Catholic family (with some Germans thrown in). I have not ties to Brooklyn but I certainly appreciate the great changes that have come into women's lives in the 20th and 21st centuries.
A well told tale!
Showing posts with label realistic fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label realistic fiction. Show all posts
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly
2009
This books has received numerous awards including a Newberry Honor designation and an International Reading Association Book Award. It is historical fiction that explores life as experienced by an eleven year-old girl living in a small Texas town in 1899. (I may be over-generous with the historical fiction designation. This may be realistic fiction set in an historical period. But, it also has very nice connections to the history of science, so I'll be calling it historical fiction.) She does not easily fit into the expectations for a pre-teen girl in this time period. She is something of a "tom-boy" and interested much more in exploring nature than working on her embroidery or tatting.
Miraculously, her grandfather shares a passion for science with her. They discover this shared interest when Calpurnia is "forced" to consult with him in an attempt to discover the difference between two types of grasshoppers that are plaguing the countryside in an unusually hot summer. Once consulted, Grandfather helps Calpurnia on her path to learning scientific method and the research habits of a scientist.
Much of the book details the research projects that Calpurnia and her grandfather undertake in this year. It is a well crafted book that takes a broad look at life at the turn of the 20th century through the eyes of a preteen who doesn't quite fit in the role that society would dictate for her. The International Reading Association calls this "intermediate fiction" but I think it may be better for older readers. I shared information about this book with a friend who loved it so much she is now seeking out "used" copies to send to family member. She suggested that it is really an adult book. I do think that some "intermediate readers" would find the weight of this book a bit daunting. It is not as "action packed" as other popular intermediate books. However, with good teacher scaffolding it could come alive for this age group. I can easily see this as a shared reading in an interdisciplinary unit looking at US History, biology, scientific method, and women's rights.
This books has received numerous awards including a Newberry Honor designation and an International Reading Association Book Award. It is historical fiction that explores life as experienced by an eleven year-old girl living in a small Texas town in 1899. (I may be over-generous with the historical fiction designation. This may be realistic fiction set in an historical period. But, it also has very nice connections to the history of science, so I'll be calling it historical fiction.) She does not easily fit into the expectations for a pre-teen girl in this time period. She is something of a "tom-boy" and interested much more in exploring nature than working on her embroidery or tatting.
Miraculously, her grandfather shares a passion for science with her. They discover this shared interest when Calpurnia is "forced" to consult with him in an attempt to discover the difference between two types of grasshoppers that are plaguing the countryside in an unusually hot summer. Once consulted, Grandfather helps Calpurnia on her path to learning scientific method and the research habits of a scientist.
Much of the book details the research projects that Calpurnia and her grandfather undertake in this year. It is a well crafted book that takes a broad look at life at the turn of the 20th century through the eyes of a preteen who doesn't quite fit in the role that society would dictate for her. The International Reading Association calls this "intermediate fiction" but I think it may be better for older readers. I shared information about this book with a friend who loved it so much she is now seeking out "used" copies to send to family member. She suggested that it is really an adult book. I do think that some "intermediate readers" would find the weight of this book a bit daunting. It is not as "action packed" as other popular intermediate books. However, with good teacher scaffolding it could come alive for this age group. I can easily see this as a shared reading in an interdisciplinary unit looking at US History, biology, scientific method, and women's rights.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Every Day, by David Levithan
The quotation on the front of this book from Entertainment Weekly is true..."Wise, wildly unique."
"A," the narrator and protagonist of this book is a traveler. His consciousness lives for a day in the body/mind of another human being. Each day a different one. Male, female, GLBT, fat, think, depressed, silly, artistic, athletic, mean, generous.... A has learned to adapt to this nomadic life. He moves through each savoring what is good and trying to do no harm. Sort of accelerated reincarnation.
Until...he meets a girl.
Then, he is drawn to a place, drawn to a person, no longer completely nomadic.
Levithan tells a wonderful story that will encourage all readers to consider point of view and moral choices. Those of you unfamiliar with Levithan's work should be alert that he is one of the writers most loved by GLBT youth for offering them realistic (or semi-fantasy) literature to help them cope with their lives. He has written spectacular books and brings joy to readers--including straight readers. Levithan's writing is a marvel. There are many fragments, sentences, phrases, paragraphs that I will treasure of many years. (I fact--I probably need to reread it immediately and begin recording them. I'm torn--there are several teachers whom I would like to loan the book to right away.
I won't say too much--this book needs to be discovered on its own by each reader. Just be prepared to lose yourself. Don't begin it when you have big responsibilities looming! You'll miss deadlines.
"A," the narrator and protagonist of this book is a traveler. His consciousness lives for a day in the body/mind of another human being. Each day a different one. Male, female, GLBT, fat, think, depressed, silly, artistic, athletic, mean, generous.... A has learned to adapt to this nomadic life. He moves through each savoring what is good and trying to do no harm. Sort of accelerated reincarnation.
Until...he meets a girl.
Then, he is drawn to a place, drawn to a person, no longer completely nomadic.
Levithan tells a wonderful story that will encourage all readers to consider point of view and moral choices. Those of you unfamiliar with Levithan's work should be alert that he is one of the writers most loved by GLBT youth for offering them realistic (or semi-fantasy) literature to help them cope with their lives. He has written spectacular books and brings joy to readers--including straight readers. Levithan's writing is a marvel. There are many fragments, sentences, phrases, paragraphs that I will treasure of many years. (I fact--I probably need to reread it immediately and begin recording them. I'm torn--there are several teachers whom I would like to loan the book to right away.
I won't say too much--this book needs to be discovered on its own by each reader. Just be prepared to lose yourself. Don't begin it when you have big responsibilities looming! You'll miss deadlines.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
A Long Way Down, by Nick Hornby
Penguin Books, 2005
Suicide--well, at least an attempt. The four narrative voices in this novel meet on New Years Eeve as each had planned suicide from the roof of a building. They don't manage suicide that night. Instead all four leave together. The rest of the book tells their stories and the strange relationships that develop over the next few months.
The tale is told with Hornby's usual wry humor and realistic crafting of personalities. Technically, I have to admire his tale and the ability to twine the four stories together. There are a few things anchored in British popular culture and language that went over my head.
However, it's not a book that I ended up enjoying. It's too close to home. I've had suicides in my family and among close friends and colleagues. It's hard for me to read about. I've had the same response to Jonathan Franzen's book, Freedom. I don't enjoy reading about my own life. (At least I'm not a main character from this book--rather one of the family members/associates.) Others may find this sort of book enlightening or confirming. I'd rather read something that adds to my knowledge base. It does have its humorous moments. But, they did not bring the overall reading experience up out of despair of my own experiences.
Suicide--well, at least an attempt. The four narrative voices in this novel meet on New Years Eeve as each had planned suicide from the roof of a building. They don't manage suicide that night. Instead all four leave together. The rest of the book tells their stories and the strange relationships that develop over the next few months.
The tale is told with Hornby's usual wry humor and realistic crafting of personalities. Technically, I have to admire his tale and the ability to twine the four stories together. There are a few things anchored in British popular culture and language that went over my head.
However, it's not a book that I ended up enjoying. It's too close to home. I've had suicides in my family and among close friends and colleagues. It's hard for me to read about. I've had the same response to Jonathan Franzen's book, Freedom. I don't enjoy reading about my own life. (At least I'm not a main character from this book--rather one of the family members/associates.) Others may find this sort of book enlightening or confirming. I'd rather read something that adds to my knowledge base. It does have its humorous moments. But, they did not bring the overall reading experience up out of despair of my own experiences.
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
Penguin Group. 2012
This may become the John Green book but I recommend first. The main character, Hazel Grace, has an ultimately fatal cancer (her diagnosis is "terminal"). At the insistence of her mother, she attends a teen cancer support group where she meets the other major characters of the book. Hazel's cancer has limited her ability to move through the world because of being tethered to oxygen as well as her limited energy levels. Her boy friend, Augustus Waters, has lost his leg.
Although I have not had to live closely with cancer, my general experiences with colleagues and friends tells me that Green has done his homework. Readers will develop an understanding of both the physical and emotional tolls that cancer takes upon the individual, the family, and friends around them.
Readers will find the prose in this book a bit more challenging than other works by Green. However in the era of CCSS it provides opportunities to draw developing readers into increasingly sophisticated text. Both Hazel and Augustus have become sophisticated users of language. Possibly their lengthy hospital stays and recuperations have given them opportunities to develop linguistic sophistication not typical of most young adults. However, I believe that both were excellent students even before their cancer diagnosis.
As a special treat me, Green also includes a trip to a Amsterdam. His portrayal of daily life there and a visit to the Anne Frank Memorial, are realistic and helped me a relive my recent trip.
I believe that ultimately this will be an award winning book. Some of the issues that have created problems for teachers wishing to bring Green into the classroom are not as prevalent in this book.
This may become the John Green book but I recommend first. The main character, Hazel Grace, has an ultimately fatal cancer (her diagnosis is "terminal"). At the insistence of her mother, she attends a teen cancer support group where she meets the other major characters of the book. Hazel's cancer has limited her ability to move through the world because of being tethered to oxygen as well as her limited energy levels. Her boy friend, Augustus Waters, has lost his leg.
Although I have not had to live closely with cancer, my general experiences with colleagues and friends tells me that Green has done his homework. Readers will develop an understanding of both the physical and emotional tolls that cancer takes upon the individual, the family, and friends around them.
Readers will find the prose in this book a bit more challenging than other works by Green. However in the era of CCSS it provides opportunities to draw developing readers into increasingly sophisticated text. Both Hazel and Augustus have become sophisticated users of language. Possibly their lengthy hospital stays and recuperations have given them opportunities to develop linguistic sophistication not typical of most young adults. However, I believe that both were excellent students even before their cancer diagnosis.
As a special treat me, Green also includes a trip to a Amsterdam. His portrayal of daily life there and a visit to the Anne Frank Memorial, are realistic and helped me a relive my recent trip.
I believe that ultimately this will be an award winning book. Some of the issues that have created problems for teachers wishing to bring Green into the classroom are not as prevalent in this book.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Leviathan
Those of you familiar with David Leviathan's writings will not be surprised that gay teens are some of the main characters in this book. That being said, this is a book that I would be most interested in trying out with a straight adolescent males. I also think that young women would enjoy it greatly.
Both Green and Leviathan have a wonderful ability to capture the angst of adolescent social relationships, both romantic and platonic. They're also able to create extremely amusing scenes that turn on a point. Many readers will both laugh and cry on the same page. Something else that I appreciate about this book is that contemporary parents and other adults are represented with empathy and sensitivity.
Although the two Will Graysons are the main characters of the story, Tiny Cooper, a football player/playwright is equally important within the story. Although much of the plot focuses on romance, I believe that the primary theme has to do with friendship. Much of the plot centers around his dramatic aspiration but as both a playwright and producer of musicals.
Also important part of the book is Will Grayson's struggle with depression. I believe I detect John Green's influence here. Readers who have lived with a close friend or family member suffering from depression below find this a very helpful but look at the inside experience.
Some will undoubtedly suggest that the but story is too much like the popular television series " Glee." It does have similarities, but I do believe that the authors' have also created a more nuanced look at friendships and romance. Certainly any adolescent who enjoys the television show will thoroughly appreciate this novel.
Both Green and Leviathan have a wonderful ability to capture the angst of adolescent social relationships, both romantic and platonic. They're also able to create extremely amusing scenes that turn on a point. Many readers will both laugh and cry on the same page. Something else that I appreciate about this book is that contemporary parents and other adults are represented with empathy and sensitivity.
Although the two Will Graysons are the main characters of the story, Tiny Cooper, a football player/playwright is equally important within the story. Although much of the plot focuses on romance, I believe that the primary theme has to do with friendship. Much of the plot centers around his dramatic aspiration but as both a playwright and producer of musicals.
Also important part of the book is Will Grayson's struggle with depression. I believe I detect John Green's influence here. Readers who have lived with a close friend or family member suffering from depression below find this a very helpful but look at the inside experience.
Some will undoubtedly suggest that the but story is too much like the popular television series " Glee." It does have similarities, but I do believe that the authors' have also created a more nuanced look at friendships and romance. Certainly any adolescent who enjoys the television show will thoroughly appreciate this novel.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Between, by Jessica Warman
2011, Bloomsbury Teens
Young Adult Choice--International Reading Association
I can easily see why this book was chosen as a favorite read by adolescents. It is a book that I will recommend to many. It is a ghost story and also but sensitive but look at many of the stresses that too many teens face in their lives.
Liz (Elizabeth) has died mysteriously on her 18th birthday. Her ghost narrates the book. She has been joined in the afterlife by Alex, another team from her high school, who also died recently in an unsolved hit and run accident.
Liz, and all her friends, live privileged lives. They have wealthy families, are beautiful, and hold the top positions in the social structure of their high school. Her boyfriend, also her next door neighbor, is smart, good looking, totally devoted to her, but also a drug dealer.
I found the mystery in this book compelling. I did not deduce the answer to the mystery until almost 2/3 way through the book. I expect that teen readers may take just a little bit longer. Even once I had resolved the mystery, I was still compelled to finish reading to discover what happened to the various characters.
In addition to the mystery of how and why Liz died, themes of anorexia, exercise addiction, teen drug use, high school social structures, and blended families are all explored.
Young Adult Choice--International Reading Association
I can easily see why this book was chosen as a favorite read by adolescents. It is a book that I will recommend to many. It is a ghost story and also but sensitive but look at many of the stresses that too many teens face in their lives.
Liz (Elizabeth) has died mysteriously on her 18th birthday. Her ghost narrates the book. She has been joined in the afterlife by Alex, another team from her high school, who also died recently in an unsolved hit and run accident.
Liz, and all her friends, live privileged lives. They have wealthy families, are beautiful, and hold the top positions in the social structure of their high school. Her boyfriend, also her next door neighbor, is smart, good looking, totally devoted to her, but also a drug dealer.
I found the mystery in this book compelling. I did not deduce the answer to the mystery until almost 2/3 way through the book. I expect that teen readers may take just a little bit longer. Even once I had resolved the mystery, I was still compelled to finish reading to discover what happened to the various characters.
In addition to the mystery of how and why Liz died, themes of anorexia, exercise addiction, teen drug use, high school social structures, and blended families are all explored.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
What I Saw and How I Lied, by Judy Blundell
Set in post-WWII America this book combines coming of age, a "detective" story, and information about Nazis and the treatment of Jews in the early part of the 20th century. Evie is not your typical 1940's teen. Raised in New York city during the depression and through WWII, she hasn't had the easy life that we'd like to think adolescents had. Her mother is on her second marriage and trying to contend with the results of years of lies and deceptions.
Evie and her parents leave for a "vacation" in Florida at the beginning of the school year. This leaving is quite sudden and keeps Evie slightly off-kilter. At fifteen, removing Evie from her school and friends is, in itself, emotionally damaging. Things only become more confusing as she and her parents travel south. In Florida Evie finds herself on the edge of very odd adult behavior. Through this she has to develop her own set of ethics and find a way to make a way through a series of events that would perplex most of us.
This book was awarded the 2008 National Book Award for Young Adult Literature. I think it is deserving of the award and well worth adding to book sets created around the commonly read Diary of Anne Frank. There are some references to adult sexual behavior that are quite mild and one teen-aged "lust" scene that may offend some readers. However, the scenes are all important to the plot (not gratuitous) and worth the risk a teacher might incur in recommending the book. I probably wouldn't choose it as a whole-class read because of some of this content, but I would read sections aloud to encourage students to read it independently.
Evie and her parents leave for a "vacation" in Florida at the beginning of the school year. This leaving is quite sudden and keeps Evie slightly off-kilter. At fifteen, removing Evie from her school and friends is, in itself, emotionally damaging. Things only become more confusing as she and her parents travel south. In Florida Evie finds herself on the edge of very odd adult behavior. Through this she has to develop her own set of ethics and find a way to make a way through a series of events that would perplex most of us.
This book was awarded the 2008 National Book Award for Young Adult Literature. I think it is deserving of the award and well worth adding to book sets created around the commonly read Diary of Anne Frank. There are some references to adult sexual behavior that are quite mild and one teen-aged "lust" scene that may offend some readers. However, the scenes are all important to the plot (not gratuitous) and worth the risk a teacher might incur in recommending the book. I probably wouldn't choose it as a whole-class read because of some of this content, but I would read sections aloud to encourage students to read it independently.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Climb & The Summit, by Gordon Korman
These are the last two books in a three book series Everest. They completely captured my attention. I stayed up late to finish and delayed doing other work. These are going to be sure-fire hits with young adolescent readers. They also provide some launching off points to look at Tibet, Nepal, mountaineering, commercial sports corporations, and ethics. I recommend the series strongly.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Surviving the Aplewhites, by Stephanie S. Tolan
This is a laugh-out-loud comedy. Although it would be classified by librarians as realistic fiction, I think it also is semi-autobiographical. The basic premise is that Jake Semple, juvenile delinquent, is going to be "saved" by a writer who brings him into their family's "home school." The Applewhites live in a compound of creativity and genius. (This is where I am put-off a bit by the semi-autobiographical nature of the book. But reality is always a good beginning point for fiction.
The book gives lots of opportunities for discussion of artistic temperament, education and family interactions. I enjoyed the book and will recommend it to others. However, I doubt that I would suggest it as a whole class reading. It is not quite strong enough in the area of universal themes to justify such a lofty place in the curriculum. I would recommend it to students who enjoy humor (including slapstick) and those with aspirations of a career in the arts.
Having worked with friends who were or are directors of high school drama productions and summer theater productions, I have to say that the book portrays the work that goes into such productions quite clearly. For students who want to be involved with the theater this would be a great book to recommend. It is also very useful to discuss inquiry projects.
The book gives lots of opportunities for discussion of artistic temperament, education and family interactions. I enjoyed the book and will recommend it to others. However, I doubt that I would suggest it as a whole class reading. It is not quite strong enough in the area of universal themes to justify such a lofty place in the curriculum. I would recommend it to students who enjoy humor (including slapstick) and those with aspirations of a career in the arts.
Having worked with friends who were or are directors of high school drama productions and summer theater productions, I have to say that the book portrays the work that goes into such productions quite clearly. For students who want to be involved with the theater this would be a great book to recommend. It is also very useful to discuss inquiry projects.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Going Bovine, by Libba Bray
Cameron, a devoted pot-smoking, slacker is having some hallucinations. They get worse and more frequent and in a doctor's visit, after several visits to counselors and psychiatrists he is finally diagnosed with Mad-cow disease. The reviewer from the NY Times gives a wonderful, short summary of the book:
*****************
*****************
The New York Times - Lisa Von Drasek
…manages to turn a hopeless situation into a hilarious and hallucinatory quest, featuring an asthmatic teenage dwarf, Gonzo; a pink-haired angel in combat boots, Dulcie; and Balder, a Norse god who is cursed with the form of a garden gnome…Libba Bray not only breaks the mold of the ubiquitous dying-teenager genre—she smashes it and grinds the tiny pieces into the sidewalk. For the record, I'd go anywhere she wanted to take me.
***************
I agree with her--this is a wonderful "on the road" adventure and offers some great opportunities to explore topics of friendship, life's purpose, death and dieing, peer pressure, and some of the social phenomenon on our landscape. On a personal level I especially enjoy Bray's treatment of Norse Gods and angels. A couple years ago I went on a streak of reading "god/goddesses" books--books by Michael Scott, Rick Riordan and Neil Gaiman. This is a nice addition to the collection.
I have also read Bray's other books, the Gemma Doyle Trilogy. The first two of these were wonderful explorations of the Victorian era with a supernatural twist. I was less enthusiastic about the final book in the series. I see lots of high school girls reading the series so I feel certain we are going to see more from Libba Bray.
This was the Michal Prinz 2009 award winner. I often find the Prinz books to be challenging and this is no exception.
A note about the tags--I don't know whether to categorize this as realistic fiction or fantasy. It combines both. If I was forced to choose I would go with the realistic fiction (with the caveat that the main character has hallucinations). It's also worth a trip to the Barnes and Nobel website to see the video clip of Bray--sometimes I find out a little too much about the authors behind to books.
Tales of the Madman Underground, by John Barnes
Barnes, John. Tales of the MADMAN underground: An historical romance 1973. (2009)--Prinz Award finalist
Karl Shoemaker lives in Lightburg, Ohio and is a charter member of the Madman underground. The Madman underground is the title that a group of kids have adopted for themselves based on their required participation in a school counseling program. The "group" is for kids with seriously disturbed behaviors that have gotten them referred to counseling. All this takes place in 1973 with a few flashbacks to Karl's childhood and the death of his father from cancer while Karl was in 8th grade. Most of the book takes place in Karl's senior year. He is trying to have one "normal" year and get out of the Madman Underground. To get out he has to reject his best friend. The plan for "normal" falls apart pretty quickly, instead we get a year of learning the value of the Madman underground and friendship in general.
There is quite a bit of sex, alcohol, and violence in the book. In fact, Karl attends AA meetings himself. In this small town in Ohio there is a lot of alcohol use and the resultant problems it can cause. There's also a realistic picture of how the social fabric of a small town both supports and fails to notice kids with difficulties. It may seem that for a small town there are an unusual number of kids with troubled lives but when I think back to what was happening in my own relatively small town (one high school, class of 368 students) it is within the boundaries of believable.
For much of the book I was pretty depressed. Karl has a truly terrible life and is looking to solve his problems by joining the army as soon as he graduates. Since this is set during the Vietnam War, joining the military to escape his life is pretty drastic. Karl, as a natural leader, becomes entangled in all sorts of messes primarily because of his friends from the Madman Underground. Karl's life at home is also pretty desperate. He works at least four different jobs each week to make money. His mother and her various boyfriends systematically steal Karl's money to buy alcohol and hang out in bars or host parties. He has taken to hiding his money in jars in a wide variety of places around the house and yard.
The rest of the Madman Underground have similarly dreadful problems. They are all realistic--neglect, abuse, poverty and violence. Almost all of them are fueled by alcohol or drugs. School is some relief--there are subjects Karl likes and several teachers seem to be supportive, although no one really knows the depth of the problems in his home or that of the other Madmen. Although the stories are gritty and depressing there is enough humor to have kept me reading. In fact, near the end of the book it kept me awake into the early morning hours to finish.
At first I questioned the place of this book on the Prinz award finalist list. The award is for "excellence in YA literature" and named in honor of a Topeka Kansas school librarian. This is definitely a book I would keep to the side in my classroom and recommend only to students who needed it or could handle the content. Of course, I find I am becoming increasingly conservative. I may not be the best judge of what is acceptable in schools. I know that this is a book that would be challenged (that's code for "censored") by a wide variety of groups if they were aware of it. But, having finished it I have decided that deserves the honor of being an honor book on the Prinz award list and it should be easily available to junior and senior high school readers. Alcohol and drug abuse is a plague that affects a devastatingly large percentage of kids in schools. This book explores the topic and does not romanticize drinking or drugging. It also offers a positive message of coping mechanisms that kids can use. Every school counselor and many teachers should be aware of this book to refer it to kids who have to deal with this in their homes or social group. Yes, it's really hard to read--but in the end worth every minute. I expect I will now be reading more of John Barnes work. If this is an example of the quality of his writing--I want more!
Karl Shoemaker lives in Lightburg, Ohio and is a charter member of the Madman underground. The Madman underground is the title that a group of kids have adopted for themselves based on their required participation in a school counseling program. The "group" is for kids with seriously disturbed behaviors that have gotten them referred to counseling. All this takes place in 1973 with a few flashbacks to Karl's childhood and the death of his father from cancer while Karl was in 8th grade. Most of the book takes place in Karl's senior year. He is trying to have one "normal" year and get out of the Madman Underground. To get out he has to reject his best friend. The plan for "normal" falls apart pretty quickly, instead we get a year of learning the value of the Madman underground and friendship in general.
There is quite a bit of sex, alcohol, and violence in the book. In fact, Karl attends AA meetings himself. In this small town in Ohio there is a lot of alcohol use and the resultant problems it can cause. There's also a realistic picture of how the social fabric of a small town both supports and fails to notice kids with difficulties. It may seem that for a small town there are an unusual number of kids with troubled lives but when I think back to what was happening in my own relatively small town (one high school, class of 368 students) it is within the boundaries of believable.
For much of the book I was pretty depressed. Karl has a truly terrible life and is looking to solve his problems by joining the army as soon as he graduates. Since this is set during the Vietnam War, joining the military to escape his life is pretty drastic. Karl, as a natural leader, becomes entangled in all sorts of messes primarily because of his friends from the Madman Underground. Karl's life at home is also pretty desperate. He works at least four different jobs each week to make money. His mother and her various boyfriends systematically steal Karl's money to buy alcohol and hang out in bars or host parties. He has taken to hiding his money in jars in a wide variety of places around the house and yard.
The rest of the Madman Underground have similarly dreadful problems. They are all realistic--neglect, abuse, poverty and violence. Almost all of them are fueled by alcohol or drugs. School is some relief--there are subjects Karl likes and several teachers seem to be supportive, although no one really knows the depth of the problems in his home or that of the other Madmen. Although the stories are gritty and depressing there is enough humor to have kept me reading. In fact, near the end of the book it kept me awake into the early morning hours to finish.
At first I questioned the place of this book on the Prinz award finalist list. The award is for "excellence in YA literature" and named in honor of a Topeka Kansas school librarian. This is definitely a book I would keep to the side in my classroom and recommend only to students who needed it or could handle the content. Of course, I find I am becoming increasingly conservative. I may not be the best judge of what is acceptable in schools. I know that this is a book that would be challenged (that's code for "censored") by a wide variety of groups if they were aware of it. But, having finished it I have decided that deserves the honor of being an honor book on the Prinz award list and it should be easily available to junior and senior high school readers. Alcohol and drug abuse is a plague that affects a devastatingly large percentage of kids in schools. This book explores the topic and does not romanticize drinking or drugging. It also offers a positive message of coping mechanisms that kids can use. Every school counselor and many teachers should be aware of this book to refer it to kids who have to deal with this in their homes or social group. Yes, it's really hard to read--but in the end worth every minute. I expect I will now be reading more of John Barnes work. If this is an example of the quality of his writing--I want more!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
I picked this up after reading a critical analysis of three series: Gossip Girl, The A List, and The Insiders (Glenn, 2008. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 52:1). I hadn't heard of these series or the Gossip Girl television series.Glenn doesn't look very favorably on these three series. They all take a look at the lives of the rich and privileged. I have a somewhat different take, at least on the first of the Gossip Girl books. I didn't read this as an endorsement of the privileged life style. I certainly didn't want to become one of the main characters. They seemed vulnerable to exactly the same pressures, anxieties, and social trap of any teen.
The book did portray more sex, drugs, and alcohol than I would expect of a YA novel. However, I didn't find the portrayal one that would attract me to those pursuits. Instead, for the most part the "bad" behaviors appeared to be just that--self destructive and unattractive.
Generally I didn't find the writing compelling. It is readable, but I am not going to run out and read the next title.
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