Readings #9-16 (5385)

Alexie, S. and Forney, E. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN-13: 9780316013697.

Sherman Alexie writes a semi-autobiographical novel about, Arnold Spirit Jr., a 14-year-old teenage boy living in the Spokane Indian Reservation. Ellen Forney does an incredible job at illustrating Arnold’s comics throughout the story. It serves as a journey into the mind of the main character. The story starts with a detailed description of Arnold’s physicality and major issues. He was born a hydrocephalic, which caused a larger head, vision problems, an over-growth of teeth, and a stutter and lisp problem. He grew up being the victim of name-calling, bullying, harassment, and demoralization. His parents are drunks, his sister is in a deep depression, and his best friend is the biggest bully in the reservation. His true and loyal friend, Oscar the dog, dies because they are too poor to afford the vet. Arnold suffers in a poverty-stricken reservation where there isn’t much hope, just a cycle that keeps repeating itself. No one in the reservation has gone to college, and the majority of the grown ups end up being drunks. Arnold is encouraged by his white teacher Mr. P to leave the reservation in order to have a good future. Arnold makes a choice to attend Reardan, an all-white school about 22 miles away from home. This major decision shakes up his world. The entire reservation sees him as a traitor, he lost his only friend, Rowdy, and he is not enthusiastically welcomed in his new school. He is bullied, name-called, and put down by teachers at first. But as the story goes on, he gains respect from his peers, the attention of popular girl, Penelope, and joins the varsity basketball team. Life in Reardan is the complete opposite of the reservation. Here is encouraged, motivated, and given hope. He learns that having a community of people that care about you, can transform you. He ends up winning the basketball game against his ex-best friend, which is a major moment of truth for him. He ends up crying afterwards because he feels responsible for leaving his people behind. His grandmother, family friend, and sister die through out the story, which causes him major distress and guilt. With the help from his new friends, he is able to endure and move along. Even though he has found a safe place in his new school, and becomes what he never imagined he could be, he always references back to his reservation and how much he loves everyone even if they are drunks, and bullies, and uneducated. Arnold’s diary is a deep-felt, raw description of his life and his coming-of-age trials and tribulations while living two different worlds. The story may be inappropriate due to the sexual content, language, and anti-Christian remarks. It has been banned from certain schools, and is facing criticism for its context and author’s recent behavior. Although the story may seem indecent for some, Alexie does an incredible job at depicting the true struggles of a poor teenage boy living in a reservation. The emphasis on perseverance through adversity is the common theme throughout. Book, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, is a good recommendation for YA memoirs.

 

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my Mind. Square Fish. ISBN-10: 0374400113.

Annie on my Mind is a beautiful love story between two teenaged girls. Nancy Garden brings readers a romance that is unforgettable and incredibly moving. The story is told from Eliza Winthrop’s point of view. Throughout the story, potential letters to her lover Annie, are written, and the story describes a flashback to Liza’s senior year. Readers get to experience her emotions, thoughts, and feelings as she navigates through her challenging senior year. It all starts when she meets Annie Kenyon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Annie was singing and it immediately caught Liza’s attention. She had never met anyone so beautiful, and outgoing, and so unapologetically herself. They exchanged numbers and became inseparable after that day. Liza attended a private school on the nicer side of New York, while Annie lived in a poor neighborhood and a went to public school that had tons of security. Liza was perfect in everybody’s eyes. She was intelligent, president of the student council, and was always responsible. Liza and Annie became the best of friends, they shared their pasts, their future hopes, and their secrets. As the story goes on, the love they feel for each other seems to be something unavoidable. They struggle with their feelings, and society’s feelings, especially coming out as “gay” to their families. By some series of unfortunate events, their love is discovered in the most horrific way. Ms. Baxter finds them semi-undressed and extremely guilty at Ms. Stevenson’s and Ms. Widmer’s house at night. Ms. Stevenson and Ms. Widmer had left on vacation and allowed Liza to feed the cats and gave her the keys. Liza and Annie spent their days in that home getting closer to each other and letting their love grow stronger. After they were discovered, the news spread, and friends, parents, and the school board found out. They held court for Liza to determine is she would be expelled from Foster School. After a nerve-wracking and highly unfair session, Mr. Turner dismissed all parties and Liza was welcomed back to school and remained the student council president. But unfortunately, Ms. Widmer and Ms. Stevenson were fired after 15 years of teaching at Foster. They were blamed for influencing student’s sexual orientation and encouraging immoral relationships. Annie and Liza’s relationship drifted apart after that situation. Annie left to her dream place, California, and Liza attended her dream university, MIT in hopes of becoming an architect. The story ends with Liza making the awaited phone call, and their lives joining together one more time. This controversial book was written 37 years ago when homosexuality was not as accepted as today. As you read the story you feel the pain, frustration, and confusion the main character feels for having to hide and deny her love towards another woman. This book has been banned from many school book shelves and has been publicly burned in Kansas. In my opinion, students should have the choice to read and educate themselves on topics that may seem controversial to some people. Students can relate to this coming-of-age novel about love and perseverance. Another book recommendation is, Keeping You a Secret, by Julie Anne Peters which also deals with the topic of homosexual love.

 

Satrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. Pantheon. ISBN-10: 037571457X.

Author, Marjane Satrapi, creates a graphic memoir that pulls readers into the world of a young Iranian girl amidst a political and religious revolution during the 80’s. The book makes a statement through strong black and white graphics. She adds humor, sarcasm, and wit to negative circumstances. Growing up in a nice home and having privileges was something she started questioning at an early age. She grew up with revolutionary parents, who were always trying to find justice and political involvement in Iran’s never-ending fight for justice and freedom. Throughout the story, readers get a glimpse of Iran’s past leaders, wars, and regimens to control the people. Readers get to know several of the author’s relatives and family friends that die trying to make an impact in the political conquest for justice. Marjane is a curious, inquisitive, and brave little girl who wants to be in the front lines fighting for justice. She refuses to abide by the rules of her school, religion, and society. She is a rebel with a cause. She enjoys reading, questioning everything, and being part of making history. Readers can feel her passion for Iran. The author does an incredible job at conveying Iran over the years and the changes that affect the people. Marjane’s family never gives into the government’s regimens, and always stay true to who they are even if it means they could end up being killed. The author graphically portrays the hundreds of deaths, attacks, arrests, tortures, and injustices that Iran endures each day. Women have to cover their hair and their bodies, behave in proper ways, and be religious, while men have to join wars at an early age and not shave their beards. There are several instances where the author questions her faith and feels helpless, but she always bounces back stronger than ever. The ending is heartbreaking when her parents decide she needs to leave the country and get an education in Europe. They know she isn’t safe in Iran due to her intelligence, the information she knows, and her rebellious nature. In the end the readers can tell Marjane is scared to leave everything behind, but hopeful for what the future brings. Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, is another good recommendation for teen graphic memoirs.

 

Alexander, K. He Said, She Said. Amistad. ISBN-10: 9780062118967.

 Kwame Alexander writes a hip-hop teen novel that is humorous, perseverant, and full of spirit. The book alternates between Omar and Claudia’s point of view by chapters. Readers get a peek into both of the main character’s worlds. Both Omar and Claudia attend the same school, but are complete opposites. Omar is the star football player, lady’s man, and narcissist. Claudia is snobbish, a know it all, and highly educated. Omar falls for Claudia the very first time he sees her at a party, and since then, he is determined to get in her pants. What started as a superficial bet with his friends, ends up becoming something very special. Omar goes above and beyond to impress Claudia at first. He even goes to the extend of becoming the non-violent protest leader for a school reform. Claudia starts seeing different sides of Omar as the story goes along. She starts to believe in him, trust him, and opens up to him about very private matters, like her abortion. Omar proves to be more than a football “playa”. He cooks, cares for dogs and the lighthouse, and history. They connect in ways they never imagined after the candle game that lasts all night. Omar even plans Claudia’s birthday in the most unforgettable way; he takes her to meet her favorite writer. As a team they change the school’s dynamics. The board starts paying attention to the student’s silent protests. Even the news starts to shed light on the changes they are making for the arts. As the story progresses, the school is reaching all their goals, but trouble starts tearing Omar and Claudia apart. Omar’s ex Kym and her click try to sabotage their newly found love. The entire school is in on their relationship and Claudia feels betrayed. At the end, the school protest attracts attention from the governor and they end up winning their battle for state funding. Although Omar and Claudia’s relationship isn’t as strong as it was, they reconnect after an unfortunate shooting that shakes the school. The book is filled with allusions, historical quotes, and references to pop culture. Some of the chapters contain Facebook statuses, comments, and chats which are very relatable to teenagers in the social media world. On the downside, the book does contain bad language, profanity, sexist comments, and inappropriate behavior like drinking, smoking, and sexual acts committed by high schoolers. Another book recommendation from the same author is, Solo.

 

Crutcher, C. (2011). Angry Management. Greenwillow Books. ISBN-10: 9780060502485.

Chris Crutcher brings together three compelling, heart-felt, and unforgettable stories about young adults who go against all odds to find happiness, strength, and justice. The story starts with Mr. Nak introducing the teens in his angry management group. He starts with the story of Angus Bethune and Sarah Byrnes. Two very troubled teens, but for different causes. Angus is fat and has four parents that are homosexuals. He gets taunted at school and his mother suffered depression due to Angus’s aggressive reactions. Sarah is a burnt victim of her drunk father, and has a mother who abandoned her and replaced her with another child. They end up going on a date and revealing deep secrets and personal stories about each other. Angus decides to help her find her mother, but what they find was not a happy ending. In the end they decide to find love and comfort in each other in a world so cold and unforgiving. The second story is about Montana West, an adopted rebel school journalist, and Trey Chase, a star quarterback and ladies’ man. Montana loves choosing controversial topics to write about, but is constantly put down by administration. Her adoptive father is part of the school board and is a control freak. He demands perfection from the entire family, and is especially hard on Montana. She is convinced by a teacher to write about the football team, and she decides to interview Trey Chase. She instantly falls for his charming ways and they end up in his grandma’s house. Her grandma used to be a “flower child” and former journalist during the sixties. She has cancer and takes marijuana to ease her pain. Consequently, Montana is fighting to publish an article about medical marijuana. After her adoptive parents decide to give up their most recent foster child, Montana is fuel by rage and frustration. She wants her voice to be heard and challenges the school board in order to have her article published. The hearing turns into a father-daughter outrage in which emotional truths surface. Her bravery and rebellious nature help her voice, along with her high school peers, to be heard and have their rights recognized. The last story is about Mat Miller, a wrestling white male Christian and Marcus James, the only intelligent gay black male in school. The story begins with James finding a pink noose hanging from his locker. He wears it around his neck to mock the situation, which enrages administration. The incident builds up into a situation that involves the entire school. Administration is afraid this situation might give the school a negative reputation or bring unwanted headline news. They try to cover it up as much as possible, but when Miller confesses who was to blame, their anger arises even more. They don’t want to admit this is a racial or hatred offense, and seem to be irritated with James for being what he is, gay, black, and well-read. The entire incident escalates, and James ends up being murdered by the group of kids that had racist families. The students where defended until the end, when Miller challenges his faith and testifies with the evidence. Crutcher does an amazing job at creating three fictional stories that are sure to tug at your heartstrings, but most of all, they will make you question life, your purpose, and the amazing changes a young person can make for their community. By the same author, Losers Bracket, also deals with tough teen issues.

Behar, R. (2017). Lucky Broken Girl. Nancy Paulsen Books. ISBN-10: 0399546456.

Author, Ruth Behar, gives readers a colorful, multicultural, and profound historical fiction, that serves as a memoir of her own childhood in the 60’s. The story takes place in New York after Ruthie Mizrahi’s family escape the ruthless dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Ruthie is a ten-year-old immigrant from Cuban with Jewish descent, who is placed in the “dumb class”, because of her language barrier. She is determined to get out of that class, learn English, and prove herself to her teachers and students. Adjusting to a new environment in America, a new school, and learning a new language isn’t all that simple for Ruthie. She struggles to fit in and make friends. When she finally starts blending into her surroundings and learning English, she experiences a life-changing catastrophe. Ruthie is left immobilized by a car accident in which a boy ended up dying. She is put under a half body cast, which causes her distress, frustration, and breaks her spirit. She feels trapped in her bed. She cannot attend school and her friends don’t visit. She hates the boy who caused the accident, despite his death. She is left to question her faith, family, and friendships. Almost half of the story is told through Ruthie’s bedroom. Since she cannot move, she is left to intellectually evolve through conversations, writing, and art. The author helps us dive into the world of Ruthie, her believes, her hopes, and dreams are laid out for the readers. She meets several people along the way that help her find her inner strength, perseverance, and purpose in life. Joy is hired to be her tutor. She considers herself to be a “flower child”. She also meets her neighbor, Chico. He is Mexican and introduces her to the amazing artist, Frida Kahlo. Ruthie starts to pray and writes letters to God and Shiva, as well as to Frida Kahlo. Ruthie also learns her family’s history through stories her grandparents tell her. She writes all of the anecdotes she learns from her grandmother and her fight for women’s freedom and justice. She also learns valuable cultural lessons and differences from her immigrant friends Danielle, from Belgium, and Ramu, from India. Her strict nurse, Amara, helps her with therapy, but her weak muscles cause her to struggle, and she is left with a limp for life. After being bedridden, in the process of her recovery, Ruthie learns to be resilient, persistent, and fearless in the face of obstacles. She learns the struggles and events her family has undergone to make her life a better one. She learns life lessons that help her become appreciative of her life and the opportunities she has in America. Amina’s Voice, by Hena Khan, is a good recommendation for readers looking for books about teens finding their voice and identity in their society.

Harris, R. (2009). It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health.  Candlewick. ISBN-10: 0763644846.

Robie H. Harris creates a book for young readers about the human body, its changes, and sex. The book is a series of specific details, scientific explanations, definitions, graphics, misconceptions, and descriptions about sexual health. The book starts with an introduction that answers many questions young readers might have about the meaning of sex. Then, it is broken down into six parts. Part one is titled, What is Sex? This section explains the different meanings of the word “sex”. It can mean the identification of gender, the act of making babies, having sexual desire, sexual intercourse, and someone’s sexuality. Part two is titled Our Bodies, and it gives a visual and textual description of all kinds of human bodies. The graphics show people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. It also gives a detailed description of both male and female sex organs and the words that are used to describe each part. Part three is titled Puberty, and it gives readers information on the changes and hormones pre-teens and teens experience. It goes into more specifics with female and male puberty and explains that it doesn’t happen all at once. This section emphasizes on the changes, feelings, masturbation, and how to stay healthy. Part four is titled Families and Babies, and describes different types of families, genes and chromosomes, different forms of sharing love, pregnancy, birth, and other types of baby arrivals. Part five is called Decisions, and it focuses on planning sex, either by abstinence, birth control, or postponing. It also mentions the laws and rulings about abortion. Part six is called Staying Healthy. This section targets sexual health. It mentions doctor checkups, HIV and AIDS, staying safe on the internet, sexual abuse, and making responsible choices. All throughout the pages, illustrations of a green bird and a bee appear with speech bubbles, as if they are kids that are learning this new information and discussing it with each other. This might make kids feel more at ease when reading through the book. This book has experienced controversy for its raw information and graphics, but it contains true information and true depictions of the realities of sex. Children that are approaching, or are experiencing puberty should know about sexual health in order to be informed and make responsible decisions. The author does an incredible job at giving scientific explanations, but at the same time keeping the topics relatable for the younger readers. In addition to It’s Perfectly Normal, is It’s So Amazing, by the same author. It includes similar topics about learning sexuality and the process of reproduction.

Gephart, D. (2018). Lily and Dunkin. Yearling. ISBN-10: 055353677X.

Lily and Dunkin is a fictional novel about two young middle school teens who form a strong relationship through struggles and adversities. The author, Donna Gephart, shows the brave and true depiction of emotions dealt by teens who struggle in this society. The book conveys the struggle with gender, identity, illness, family, and friendships. Lily is a transgender teen who was born male, but identifies as female from an early age. Her birth name is Timothy, but she can’t wait to change her name to Lily. Her mother and sister are completely supportive and embracing of her identity, but her father is not ready to accept her gender identification. He feels that dressing like a girl will only cause Lily problems and further the bullying and physical abuse towards her. Lily loves spending time on a tree to mourn her recent grandfather’s passing. The tree reminds her of her grandfather and gives her comfort and safety. The tree is threatened to be taken down to build a park near a public library which tears Lily apart. Norbert, new to town, has moved in with his grandmother after his father was hospitalized due to a mysterious illness. Norbert suffers from bipolar disorder and is medicated for it. Sometimes he takes the medication, and sometimes he doesn’t because he doesn’t like the effects it has. He is angered towards his father for not being around and for being sick. Nobert tries to fit in with the boys at school, especially the popular kids on the basketball team. He joins even though he is not good at the sport. Being in a new town, new school, and trying to make friends amidst having a mental disorder, is not an easy task for a teen boy, especially when he lacks his father figure. When Lily meets Norbert, she calls him Dunkin, after Dunkin’ Donuts. The struggle between Lily’s and Norbert’s friendship causes many problems. Norbert’s friends are Lily’s bullies. He doesn’t want his popular friends to know they have a friendship going on. Even though their friendship is difficult to maintain, Norbert helps Lily with her attempts to save her beloved tree. Norbert ends up following up with his medication and stabilizing his mental disorder. Lily’s father comes to terms with Lily’s gender identity after the therapy sessions he attends and the love he feels for his daughter. He shows up at prom with a shirt that says, “I love my daughter”, to show his love and support publicly. Readers will be taken into a rollercoaster of emotions in Lily and Dunkin. Gephart portrays the characters in such a unique and individual way that feels very relatable, vulnerable, and true. This story will help people better understand what it is like living with a mental disorder, and living in a body you don’t identify with. Gracefully by Ami Polonsky is another novel that relates to the topic of transgenders.