Jerry Spinelli, The Library Card

Jerry Spinelli, The Library Card The Library Card by critically acclaimed children's author, Jerry Spinelli, is a book consisting of four different short stories with various characters. The main connection between all of the stories is the apperance of a "magical" blue library card. Each main character in the stories finds the card and discovers its power to give them access to the wonderful world of the library. Some of the characters must deal with growing a part from friends and other relavent adolecent issues while they explore the world of books and self-education. One of the main themes within the story is the thrill of learning new things outside of a traditional school setting. Spinelli explores the idea of children wanting to learn for learning sake and not for a reward or the avoidance of punishment. All of the characters are around twelve or thirteen years old and are amazed at some of the things that they can learn about within the shelves of the library. They begin the story with never having experienced what a library has to offer and once they find the mysterious card, they learn all that they have to offer. This book is very teachable and has a great message. I learned about the book as part of the "One Book, One School" program at a middle school that I was observing. A majority of the students, boys and girls loved the book and read through it quickly. The only issue that I have for a middle school curriculum is the fact that it is a pretty low reading level(4th grade). It is a great book to get kids excited about reading but probably will not produce very much growth in reading skills for most students above grade six.

Maus I

Written by Art Spiegleman. Published by Pantheon Books in 1991.

This graphic novel is a story within a story: the plot revolves around a writer and cartoonist (Spiegleman himself in his younger years) questioning his father about his experiences as a Jew during Jewish persecution both before and during World War II (the next Maus novel  picks up while he is at Auschwitz). The lion's share of the book revolves around Art's father Vladek, and the ingenious ways in which he evaded the Nazis while in Poland. There is an abundance of close calls, great action sequences, and sincerity in Spiegleman's writing. It makes the horrors of the Holocaust seem more real than any ordinary textbook could, and does so in a much more engaging way.


Maus is not only fantastic for English teachers, but also for social studies teachers who are interested in teaching students about the Holocaust in a creative way. There is not a lot of required background knowledge, so students can easily pick it up and go. It is riveting all throughout; I had trouble putting it down. I can't wait for the summer so I can read the rest of them. Good for 8th graders and throughout high school

The Realm of Possibility

The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan, published by Borzoi / Alfred A. Knopf; 1st edition (August 10, 2004)


Plot: The Realm of Possbility does not a have a continuous plot; rather, it is a collection of prose-poetry (in free verse) that jumps from character to character who are all experiencing the same sort of emotions within the same high school. They're isolated, confused teens without a good sense of who they are or where they're going, which provides a great sense of relatability (I would think) for the teens of today. Each story involves different circumstances and perspective, but the interrelatedness of the stories becomes quickly apparent.


Analysis: This story excels at something that most teens are lacking--the ability to jump from one's initial perspective to that of another's. By dramatically bringing together these seemingly different characters into a fold, Levithan accomplishes what high school fails to do: deliver a sense of universality that human beings inherently possess. Two of the stories are centered around homosexual characters and treats them as normal human beings, which I greatly appreciated considering that our culture has historically treated it as anything but.


Teachability: I think that this story was extremely teachable. I found it engaging, a fast read, emotionally truthful, and presenting important themes surrounding identity and identity development. We live in an exceedingly compartmentalized world, and this book helps break those barriers down by exploring what brings us together rather than pull us apart.

Monster: Walter Dean Myers

                Monster is a really creatively written and engaging novel about a boy on trial for a murder.  What is so unique about the novel is that it is written from the perspective of the boy, writing a movie script about what is happening in his life (because, as he claims, his life many times in this experience feels more like a movie than real life).   He also interjects the book with small journal entries, candidly talking about his emotions during the trial. It’s a wonderful novel to help introduce movie-script writing and elements of writing about the process of writing or thinking.  It has very easy to understand language, and could be definitely be taught in middle school, or lower level high schoolers.  The content is exciting and mature as well, as the narrator takes you through not just serious court proceedings, but issues of racism, poverty, and redemption.

I really liked Monster because of how engaging and easy to read it was talking about critical issues, but also because the style in which it is written opens up a lot of opportunities for hands-on activities within the classroom: mock trials, dramatization, discussions about film scripts, performance literature, discussions about choice of genre—I could go on and on.  Clearly, I would most definitely recommend this book to future classrooms, either sitting on the shelf or teaching it to the class!

The Breadwinner

The Breadwinner is a novel by Deborah Ellis, a Canadian author, which tells the story of an 11-year-old girl, Parvana, from Afghanistan.  Although not Afghani herself, Deborah Ellis is an anti-war activist who has traveled extensively through Afghanistan.  In her travels she conducted research and interviews which provided the foundation for this novel.  Ellis tells the story of the poverty, heartache and physical pain faced by Afghans as a result of war and internal conflicts.  After being injured in explosions, Parvana’s brother and father struggle to provide for her and her siblings.  One day, her father is taken away and, because women are not allowed to work, Parvana must take on the persona of a boy in order to support her family.  Eventually, Parvana’s sister decides to leave to be married and escape the war.  The family goes along leaving Parvana who soon learns that the Taliban is working in the area to which her family is headed. With the return of her father from prison, the pair leave their home to find their family.
   
This novel is not written by a middle-eastern author, however her depiction of Afghani culture seems to be legitimate and is backed-up by firsthand experiences and interactions with the native people.  This is definitely a great read for a middle school class especially considering current events.  The novel offers a way to teach students about a war that is complex and difficult to understand through a relatable protagonist.  Parvana’s struggles most likely seem distant to adolescents but her characterization helps the reader to relate to the experiences despite their intensity.  Additionally, the novel is a great teaching tool because it is relatable for both boys and girls.  The language is also very appropriate for a middle school class.  Ellis offers a great way to teach about war and current events in a way that respects and acknowledges Afghani culture. 

The Outsiders

S. E. Hinton’s novel, The Outsiders, is a perfect novel for an 8^th Grade classroom. It tells the story of two opposing gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, and the escalation of violence between them after one teenager is accidentally killed. Ponyboy, our protagonist, endures one unbelievable hardship after another as he loses his best friends. In a “classic” tale, the accidental murderer is named a hero after rescuing a group of children and is rewarded with a broken back and a newly enlightened mind. He helps a guilt-laden Ponyboy get his life back on track with his deathbed advice and serves as the voice of light in the novel.

Though the book may sound melancholic, it has amazingly deep and relevant themes for a multicultural classroom. Activities may be focused around topics such a gang violence, family relationships (Ponyboy and his older brothers have a dysfunctional connection), and suicide. The book is definitely teachable for girls and boys, especially in an inner-city or low-income setting. There are many opportunities for succulent vocabulary words and other teaching moments. The book even brings in Robert Frost and Gone With the Wind! Students will be able to make so many connections with this book and it would be ideal for prediction activities. Students will be amazed that the author was only 18 when Outsiders was published!

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. Viking Press, Dell Publishing, 1967. 

Maus I by Art Spiegelman

The graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman is a story told of Spiegelman's interview of his father as he recalls his experience prior to the Holocaust as well as during the ordeal. The story follows Vladek, Spiegelman's father, as he lives through the experience of being a Jewish person in 1930s and 1940s Poland. Though Vladek and his wife emigrate to Holland for fear of German persecution in Poland, the reach of Nazi power extends to that part of Europe as well. In addition to the central story which takes up most of the text, there is also the story of the interview process itself as Art Spiegelman struggles with his relationship with his father while he is trying to gain a stronger understanding of what it was like to be a Jew during that time period. From an artistic standpoint, the most interesting part of this story is the fact that all of the Jewish characters are portrayed as mice, Nazis as cats and Polish non-Jews as pigs. Though they act as normal humans, it highlights the relationship and power dynamic between the Jews and the Nazis This story is extremely teachable for young readers. It is a captivating story of survival as well as providing a clear view of the stress that such struggle puts on all relationships. The artwork is unique and provides another layer to the story that a normal Holocaust story would not be able to do. I am a big fan of teaching graphic novels in school especially for students that struggle with reading because of the multi-modal function of the story. The story also brings the social and political history of the time to the forefront while showing its impact on the characters.