Ties that Bid, Ties that Break

Ties that Bind, Ties that Break, by Lensey Namioka, is a wonderful adolescent novel shedding approachable insight into a cultural phenomenon that is often, at least to those unfamiliar to it, too repulsive even to attempt to understand. The protagonist, Ailin, is a girl born and raised in China in the early 1900s, during a time where traditions like binding of the feet are becoming threatened by modern changes in thought. At age 5, Ailin is engaged to marry a 7-year-old boy in a family friends with Ailin’s but after Ailin refuses to have her feet bound, the marriage is called off. Ailin is an extraordinarily courageous and strong model for teens reading, going against the norm of her peers and even family members based on her own set of values—opening up many conversations that could be had in the classroom. The middle of the book consists of her father (her one supporter in her decision to not have her feet bound) sending her to school to learn English—another big no-no to get an education. After a series of tragedies (both her father and grandmother dying), her uncle gives her the only choices for a woman without bound feet: to become a nun, a concubine, or a farmer’s wife. Instead, Ailin uses her English education to secure a nanny job with a family in America, where she eventually meets her husband—which brings you back to the start of the story of her looking back on her life as she helps her husband run his restaurant in America.

It really is an enjoyable read and the vocabulary and sentence structure are simple enough to push through with any grade in middle school. It could bring up some valuable discussions about cultural expectations and going against the grain, as well as hardships with family. I’d definitely recommend this book!

Flight

Alexie, Sherman. Flight. New York: Black Cat, 2007. 181 pages.


Flight is a novel that is told through the eyes of 15-year old Michael, so-called “Zits” because of the pimples that grace his face. Zits is an orphaned teen living in Seattle, bouncing from foster home to foster home. Zits struggles with issues of identity and purpose, having been born to an Irish mother who has since passed and an Indian father who abandoned him and his mother. Zits explains that though he has not learned about his cultural identity from his parents, he has vivid memories and flashbacks all the way back to his conception. Zits expresses his Zits is arrested for pushing his foster mother and meets a white kid named “Justice” in the juvenile detention center. To Zits, Justice appears thoughtful, well-read and full of good ideas. He and Justice practice shooting pictures of historical figures they don’t like, and eventually come up with plans to commit random acts of violence. Zits enters a bank, opens fire, and eventually feels as if he has been shot in the head. With this trauma, Zits begins to travel back and time and inhabit the bodies of various historical figures during significant points of Native American history, many of them characterized by needless violence. The last person he inhabits is his father, and Zits begins to find peace with his father’s decision to leave. Eventually, Zits returns in the bank and decides there is too much at stake to continue with the shooting. Eventually, he is taken in by a police officer with whom he has developed a relationship and starts to find peace with his own identity.


Teachability:
Students at large will likely identify with this novel, as it is told through a strong teen voice. Though the main character is male and has a history of violence and arrests, girls could still relate to his struggles with identity and intrapersonal development. This book is probably most appropriate for 8th graders or early high school students since it deals with violence, sexuality and has inappropriate language. I would probably use this book as a part of a literature circle unit that deals with coming of age and issues of identity or suggest for independent reading. The book could also work well as a whole-class unit in tandem with social studies instruction.

Flight

Flight, by Sherman Alexie, is a novel about a Native American teenager who is shuffled through the foster system and rebels as a result. The main character, Zits, is fifteen years old when he runs away from his foster home and gets caught and put in jail by Officer Dave. While inside, Zits is taken under the wing of a young white boy and when they are free they begin their training on how to shoot people. Eventually, Zits is convinced to go to a bank and open fire. During his attack, Zits is shot in the head and begins a series of flashbacks. Zits is thrown into the past to inhabit the bodies of several members of his own past and that of his peoples. During his time as each character, Zits is taught several lessons, the most important of which is the last, when he inhabits the body of his father and learns the true reasons behind his father’s leaving. When Zits awakens to discover himself finally back inside his own body he is in front of the bank staring at a small boy. He realizes the possible effects of his crime and turns himself in to Officer Dave whose brother takes him in as a son.

This book would be a great choice for an 8^th grade classroom. It definitely appeals to both genders as it is exciting and interesting and is not too difficult of a read. However, content-wise, I believe it would be best for older junior high students. There is a plethora of opportunity in this novel to make connections and discuss themes. It could even be interdisciplinary with social studies as it goes through historical periods in Native American history. Some topic ideas to discuss are body image (he calls himself Zits), dislocation from culture, citizenship, power, identity, and morality.

Alexie, Sherman. Flight. Grove/Atlantic, Inc. 2007.

Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society

Mah, Adeline Yen. Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. Print.

Ye Xian is a young girl growing up in Shanghai, China during the Japanese invasion in the 1940s.  Her home life is a bit shaky, given her dad kicks her out of the house at the beginning of the story.  On the way to her aunt's, she stops to watch some very talented martial arts performers doing acrobatic and magic tricks and is completely mesmerized by the entire experience.  She later finds out that they are a part of the the Secret Dragon Society, lead by a woman they call Grandmother Wu.  She joins this group and we follow Ye Xian, also known as Chinese Cinderella, on her journey to learn martial arts and the history of the Secret Dragon Society.  She finds comfort and hospitality in this group and becomes an integral part of their future mission to save Americans held hostage by the Japanese.  This story is an exciting, historical tale that was very enjoyable to read.

This novel was very intriguing and fast paced.  I was really surprised as to how much I liked it because from the cover it didn't seem to interest me much.  But this is an instance where I certainly should not judge a book by its cover.  Both boys and girls would find this novel interesting, as the protagonist is a female but at the same time martial arts is a huge factor of the story.  What I found most engaging is that the story is historically accurate and references a conflict that is not discussed frequently and in-depth in the lessons of WWII.  There are various lessons I can think of immediately that can be captivating and memorable in the classroom which really showcases the teachability of the book.  The novel was an easy-read, with not very difficult vocabulary besides the Chinese phrases (which there is a glossary in the back of the book).  I would recommend this book for a 6th-7th grade classroom. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Call me biased, but I think Sherman Alexie's novels have a bit of magic in them, something that no doubt resonates within your soul long after reading his delicious texts.

OK, so maybe that's a bit dramatic. Nevertheless, here's another youth novel from the brilliant Native American author, Sherman Alexie.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is about an aspiring young cartoonist named Junior who lives on an Indian reservation. He has a water in his brain, and isn't the most physically attractive boy in the world. What he does have is a penchant for playing basketball and a sassy best friend aptly dubbed Rowdy. One day after throwing his book at his English teacher out of frustration, his teacher comes to his house and tells him that he needs to get off the reservation, and attend the much richer, predominately white school some miles away. Junior must now weigh his options: stay on the reservation and stick with his people, or try to succeed in a foreign school as a cultural outsider, and betraying his people's culture.

This book is easier to read than Flight, but it is also quite obscene. It is up to you to judge whether or not it is appropriate for your students. Alexie doesn't sugar-coat his prose. Also, on almost every page are humorous illustrations that pertain to the text, which are fantastic for getting the students interested. The story is very substantial in terms of its message and the feeling it evokes within the reader. I've read the story twice (and plan on reading it more) and recommend it to anything with eyes. You can't go wrong with Sherman Alexie.

Appropriate grade level- 7th, 8th, or Freshman.

Buried Onions

Buried Onions by Gary Soto is about a nineteen-year-old Mexican American named Eddie. He lives in Fresno in a run-down apartment by himself, attempting to make money doing various honest jobs that do not pay very much.  He paints addresses on curbs, does yard work, and roams through white neighborhoods where he can get paid a few dollars. Mr. Siles, a white, middle-aged man, gives him a job to dig a hole for a tree he wants to plant. When Mr. Siles gives Eddie his truck to dump some trash in a junkyard, the truck gets stolen and Mr. Siles blames Eddie. A few days later, Eddie sees the truck in his neighborhood, and his friend Jose attempts to help him take it back. However, Jose gets stabbed, and Eddie feels responsible. Eddie’s cousin, Jesus, has also been stabbed, and Jesus’s mother and friend, Angel, want Eddie to avenge his death. Although Eddie is trying to avoid this life of poverty, violence, and crime, he cannot escape it. He drops out of college, gets accused of attacking an old man in a Laundromat, and eventually attacks Angel, because he thinks he killed Jesus. The novel ends with Eddie joining the Navy, in order to get his life back together. However, the last chapter concludes ambiguously, with him crying in the middle of nowhere, because he realizes his life of pain and struggle has followed him even into the Navy.

            I think this book would be a good choice for a multicultural classroom. The sentence structure is a little bit difficult, and there is not much dialogue, just a lot of long descriptions. In addition, the main character has already graduated high school, so he may not be relatable to some middle school students. Therefore, I think it should be taught in an eighth grade or early high school class. The main character is also a boy, and the novel seems to deal with a lot of male characters and struggles. I think it might be hard for a girl to relate. While I am not sure it would be a good choice to teach the whole class, it might be a good choice for an independent or group read. There were a lot of Spanish words used, and it would be really cool for native Spanish speakers to help teach the class a lesson on the Spanish vocabulary. It would definitely be a different learning and teaching experience for most students.  Overall, it was very entertaining and action packed. I think any middle school boy could really get into this novel.

Soto, Gary. Buried Onions. Harcourt Brace & Company: San Diego, 1997

Gathering of Pearls by Sook Nyul Choi

Gathering of Pearls by Sook Nyul Choi is a story about an Korean girl named Sookan who is coming to America in order to attend college. She is attending a school of all girls and is on a scholarship. It chronicles her time in college, her difficulty with classes, a strained relationship with her family back home, and her realization that her life in Korea was limited compared to the opportunities she was offered in America. Sookan is oftentimes overwhelmed with her schoolwork and adjusting to life, and finds it hard to balance her many activities with what is expected of her. The novel ends with her mother dying and Sookan dealing with her loss.

To be honest, I would probably not teach this book in a classroom. For one, the story had no plot whatsoever. There was nothing truly interesting, and a student would find nothing that would keep their attention in the book. More importantly though, for a novel that is so entwined with Korean cultures, it is extremely critical of them. Part of the reason that Sookan struggles so much in school is because of her culture and the need for her to please everyone around her. I think that a novel that so openly criticizes Korean culture in such a negative way would be one that would be offensive to some. In addition, Sookan's family is extremely critical of her as well. She seems to have no relationship with her brothers, and her sister is loathsome. While understanding that it may be true to Korean culture, I think that a novel that celebrates the culture and the positive aspects would be one more appropriate for the classroom.

Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella. Adeline Yen Mah.  Delacorte Press. 1999.

This story is the autobiography of Adeline Yen Mah from age 5-14 years old.  She tells us about how she struggled to try to fit in with her family and make her father proud while growing up.  Adeline’s mother dies shortly after giving birth to her, which causes the rest of her family to consider her bad luck and treat her poorly.  The only way that Adeline is able to make her father proud and receive any affection from him is through her success in school, beginning in kindergarten.  This, however, gives her siblings more reason to want to hate her and be mean to her.  Adeline’s step-mother also treats her and the rest of her siblings poorly, while cherishing her own children.   Adeline continues to face more and more adversity throughout her life while trying to find acceptance from her family.

This book gives a lot of insight about Chinese culture and I would highly recommend it to teach about this lifestyle.  This book is more suitable for girls, since it is about a young girl, however I think girls that do read it would enjoy it very much.  Even though the story begins when Adeline is 5 years old, I think it would still be interesting to middle school students because even at a young age the protagonist is facing issues that are relatable to an older age group.  I would recommend this to be read in sixth grade.  Because this book is an autobiography I think it would give a lot of opportunities for students to think about what the author decided was important to share with others and how she did so.  It also gives a chance for students to think about how they would write their own autobiographies. The language used is simple and there is a lot of Chinese vocab used and explained.

Dragonwings by Laurence Yep

So... I didn't know this until I searched for a picture of this book, but I bought the drama/play version of Dragonwings by Laurence Yep, as opposed to the novel. Whoops...

Regardless, this has been my favorite book that I've read for our multicultural assignments so far. The multicultural books that I've read in the past have almost always dealt with Blacks or Latinos. This is probably one of the few Asian-American works that I've read and it was amazing to read a book that "gets me." I can imagine that good multicultural literature would have the same effect on my future students that come from ethnic-racial minority groups, which really motivates me to find great books that will connect with them.

Dragonwings is about a Chinese boy, Moon Shadow, and his family. His father, Windrider was a dragon in his past life and has a passion to fly again, which is why he spends the bulk of the story building an aeroplane. Moon Shadow is an immigrant boy trying to find his identity in a foreign land (America). The book takes place during the California Gold Rush and era of Chinese immigration. This was also a time of xenophobia and racism which comes up in the story. So many of the issues regarding racism towards Asians, that is largely untold by "quiet," uncomplaining Asians, is brought up in this book/play--immigration, language, institutionalized discrimination. I think this book is very suitable for middle school children. Also, it allows students to be creative. They can act out scenes and interpret the stage directions in their own way. Also, even the book is so short, it has a number of great vocabulary words appropriate for middle school students.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Rachel Buccieri

Summary: Number The Stars by Lois Lowry is a very good depiction of the Holocaust and the emotions behind the terrible genocide. This novel is about a ten-year- old girl named Annemarie Johansen, her best friend Ellen, and her younger sister Kirsti. It is a very interesting novel, because Annemarie is not Jewish, but Ellen is. Annemarie is extremely confused why shops are getting closed and she and Ellen are stopped by the police at the night. As a ten-year-old girl she is struggling to put together the pieces. There seem to be many secrets kept from her because she is so young and her family and family friends want to keep her safe and naïve of the situation. For example, her sister Lise is dead, and she was told because it was of a car accident. However, she later finds out she was killed by the Germans. She finds out her great Aunt Bertie is dead; she is not in the coffin though. The parents inform Annemarie she died of a very contagious sickness and that is why she is not allowed in the coffin. It is later revealed that she was killed by the Germans as well. There are several deaths throughout the novel and mysteries that will shed light on the horror that the Holocaust truly was. Also, there is enough action in the book to keep the students intrigued- such as the scene when the police try to take Ellen away from the Johansens (where she was in hiding) and they do not believe she is a part of their family because of her dark hair. Luckily, Mr. Johansen shows a baby picture of Lise with dark hair, convincing the police officer. This book embodies heartache, fear, secrecy, death, maturity, and several other themes that are important for a student to learn.

Teachability: I think this book is very teachable. I remember I first read this book when I was in fourth grade and we read it while we learning about the Holocaust in our Social Studies class. I think this is very beneficial because this not only helps fill in the historical pieces, it also shows an emotional side of the entire event. I think it is important for students to see how all of these historical happenings influenced the people involved. It is gender neutral even though it is a girl protagonist and they do things like play with dolls, because it does have a serious overall theme that boys can relate to as well. Since it was about a ten-year-old girl I believe it is good for anywhere from 4^th-6^th grade, because the writing is good but not sophisticated enough for older students. 

Hiroshima: A Novella

Reference: Yep, Laurence.  Hiroshima: A Novella.  Scholastic Inc, 1995. 56 pg.

Laurence Yep’s Hiroshima: A Novella describes the historical events and outcomes of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 5, 1945 through the story of two fictional Japanese sisters, Sachi and Riko. The novel is not told from the point of the view of the girls, rather it appears to be a historical novel.  The novel describes the roles of the two girls in Japanese society during World War II where Riko, the older sister, is forced to leave school to work for her country while Sachi, the younger sister, works in factories while not in school.  The first atomic bomb was released on Hiroshima while the sisters are on duty at their jobs.  This is a very compelling novel with the descriptions of the dropping of the bomb and states many historical facts about the actual act in Hiroshima.  While the two fictional sisters both miraculously survive the atomic blast at Hiroshima, the novella continues on to describe the death toll and the negative aftermaths, such as issues with radiation that occurred as a cause of the bombing. 

This novella could be an amazing companion piece to another novel set in the World War II or the effects of nuclear war.  By itself, I feel that the novella is too short to be unit of its own.   However the concepts discussed in the novel are very mature.  The novella explores the another point of view to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan, and the lasting and horrible effects that action produced.  Laurence Yep’s novella appears to be call for his readers to remember this novella when war is discussed, so history will not repeat itself.

Walk Two Moons

Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1994

Walk Two Moons is a novel about a young girl named Salamanca Tree Hiddle whose mother unexpectedly leaves their family and moves to Lewiston, Idaho. The story alternates between Sal’s journey with her grandparents to visit her mother, and her retelling to them of her life after moving with her father to a new town. The story builds with the intrigue of not knowing why Sal’s mother left and if Sal can ultimately convince her to come back, and with the mysterious incidents that Sal and her friend Phoebe run into and try to investigate.

Walk Two Moons does a lot of great things that make it excellent for middle school students to read. For instance, it incorporates vocabulary learning into the text; one of the characters looks up the word “malinger” in the dictionary after she tries to get out of going to school, and then Mr. Birkway (the English teacher) uses it in class later in the book. It also talks about Sal’s Native American heritage and modern Native American issues of politics and identity. Sal and her mother have opinions on the difference between “injun” “Indian” and “Native American,” and Sal meets a Native American who, when asked if he was Native American responds, “No. I’m a person” (73). The main themes of the novel - identity and displacement - are great for students to read about and discuss. The story also contains subplots about developing your first crush, fitting in at a new school after a move, and realizing and comparing your family’s lifestyle, dynamic, and values with other families – all of which are relatable to many students.   I think it could be read at any grade level in middle school. 

Myers, Walter Dean.  Monster.  Harper Collins Publishers (1999), 281 pages.

            This book follows a young African-American, 16-year-old boy, named Steve Harmon.  We find out that Steve loves film and did pretty well in school, up until he was accused of playing an active role in a gang related murder as a lookout, that is.  Steve’s love for film motivates him to tell his story as a screenplay.  Writing in an “as-it-happens” style, we follow Steve and his court proceedings in an exciting narrative of his pursuit of freedom.  At the same time, we also receive monologue-like snippets of him reflecting on what is going on and his feelings throughout the entire process.  We learn about the juvenile detention center and how Steve struggles in the conditions of the jail; his screenplay is the one thing he can rely on to keep him out of trouble and entertained.  This gripping and emotion packed novel that is set in Harlem provides a great description of the court system and what it is like to be convicted of a crime that puts your life in the hands of 12 peers.

This novel is great for 7^th and 8^th graders with a potential to be taught in 6^th grade as well.  The reading and vocabulary is fairly easy, however it does require some understand or pre-teaching of screenplay writing and the court system.  This novel is relatively fast paced and can be very interesting, especially for males.  It includes themes of gang related violence which may be awkward at times, so the audience needs to tackle it with maturity.  I think this is a great book for both independent reading and reading as a class.

Touching Spirit Bear

Mikaelsen, Ben. Touching Spirit Bear. New York: Harper Collins, 2001.

            Written by a white author, while incorporating elements of Native American tradition, Touching Spirit Bear recounts the story of Cole Matthews, a fifteen-year-old boy who is beset with intense rage, frustration, and violent behavior as a result of his alcoholic, abusive father and alcoholic, neglectful mother. After beating a classmate to the point of permanent damage, Cole must finally face the justice system and potentially, jail time. However, his parole officer introduces “Circle Justice,” a system based upon Native American tradition that allows the offender to find some sort of healing without the typical United States court system punishment. Cole is banished to a small Alaskan island where he must survive on his own and independently face his healing. After only a few days on the island, a bear unmercifully attacks Cole, altering his journey forever.

            This book deeply examines feelings of adolescent anger and frustration in a way that allows readers to believe all of the details in the story are true. Highlighting themes of forgiveness, a human’s responsibility for his or her actions, and the justice societal expectations, this book is extremely relatable and teachable in a middle school context. The book is replete with many scenes of action and descriptive passages regarding Cole’s condition on the island. While the book is close to 250 pages, middle school students could definitely read this book. Indeed, I chose to read this book after seeing it in use in a seventh grade classroom in which the students loved it!

If I Could Fly

If I Could Fly
By: Judith Ortiz Cofer

Summary:
The main character, Doris, is a 15-year old, completely dependent on herself. Her parents are both musicians who are constantly on the move, and she is left alone. She has taken to the birds on the roof of her apartment building and continually day-dreams about flying away. When her mother officially leaves her family, her father eventually finds a new girlfriend rendering Doris even more alone. The sad tale intertwines American and Puerto Rican culture as the reader sees her explore the possibility of getting on her own to make her own way.

Teachability:
This novel really gets you into the mind of the main character, drawing the audience in through her unique voice. The mix between English and Spanish words can be a little difficult to understand at times, but can be an excellent resource for ELL students. The pace is fairly fast, but may not appeal to middle school boys.

Flight... again :)

Alexie, Sherman. Flight. Black Cat: New York. 2007

Okay, I jumped on the Sherman Alexie bandwagon. At first I was going to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, but after last week’s rave review of Flight, I decided to read that instead. This novel very much reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, although it’s definitely more accessible to a middle school audience. Flight follows the story of a young man who called Zits. He is a foster child of Native American and Irish descent, and constantly discusses the plights associated with his complicated background. His father left him and his mother when Zits was a baby, and his mother died later. The young man frequently gets himself in trouble, but it is clear his struggles are strongly associated with his identity crisis.

Although I think this is a very well written and teachable novel, I don’t know if I would actually teach it in the classroom because there violence, swearing, and sex. However, I suppose if I sent home a permission slip, then it could be taught in an 8th grade classroom. The themes are incredibly relevant to middle school, particularly identity confusion and learning not to judge others. I think many students would enjoy reading this novel and it could spark many interesting discussions.    

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little,               Brown, 2007.
240 p.  ISBN: 978-0-316-01368-0

    The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an adolescent novel written by Native-American author, Sherman Alexie which won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2007.  The novel follows the story of Arnold Spirit, a young boy growing up on an Indian reservation.  Arnold’s already unique situation is further complicated by a neurological disease that causes physical deformities and disabilities and causes him to be harassed by his peers. The violence and poverty on the reservation is also brought to light through Arnold’s honest depiction of his experiences and gives the reader a look inside a world that is close to home but often seems far away.  One day, Arnold’s teacher suggests that he seek a better life in a white school outside of the reservation.  Although this proves to be the right choice in many aspects, Arnold learns firsthand the divide between his life inside and that outside of the reservation.  Even in his attempt to escape the violence and poverty, Arnold finds that these are aspects of his life that he cannot escape. 
    I definitely found this book to be teachable for a middle school classroom.  Alexie manages to create a story that is culturally insightful without seeming distant or unfamiliar to a non-Native-American reader.  Arnold’s race, physical disabilities, family situation, unique hobbies, self-discovery and teenage struggles make him a character with whom virtually any adolescent can relate to on some level.  The novel is also worthwhile on a literary level.  There are many opportunities for vocabulary study as well as the study of theme.  Overall, I found this novel to be enjoyable, insightful and teachable for a middle school classroom and would suggest it as a tool for teaching about the Native-American culture in a way that would interest adolescent students. 

The Westing Game

Ellen Raskin

Sixteen people, most of them strangers, are invited to play the Westing Game: figure out which of them is a murderer to win an inheritance worth millions. Through blizzards, bombs, clues, and trickery, each pair of heirs must figure out who killed Sam Westing. Over the course of the mystery, little bits of information about each heir are revealed that indicate their relationship to the deceased.

At first, this seems like a fairly straight forward “whodunit” which could be used to introduce a mystery genre unit (followed by Sherlock Holmes stories or others) for 6^th-8^th graders. From the perspective of a college student, I could even suggest reading this more in-depth in high school—i.e. addressing Post-Colonialism (the Chinese family, the Oriental rug on which Westing’s body was found, etc.) Raskin’s story is an easy read that engages the audience within the first couple of chapters. This novel lends itself well to the RT strategies (especially prediction) because students may not catch every clue and can help each other reach the final answer. 

Reference: Yee, Lisa.  Millicent Min, Girl Genius. New York: Scholastic Press, 2003.

            Millicent Min, Girl Genius is a fun and light novel about an eleven year old girl, Millicent Min, who is entering her senior year of high school and is taking college courses “for fun” at the local college.  She is not your typical eleven year old, she, as the title suggests, is a genius.  She is very close with her grandmother Maddie and does not have much in common with most kids her age.  One thing she does have in common with young adolescents her age is her unwavering embarrassment of her parents, who she believes are unnecessarily frivolous and silly.  During the period of the novel, which follows Millicent in the summer between her junior and senior year of high school, her parents push her to be more social with children her age and sign her up for volleyball.  At first, this experience is unbearable, but then Millicent meets the new girl in town, Emily, and they become fast friends.  Over the course of the summer, Millicent learns how to loosen up and relate to children her own age. 

            I thought this book was a fun read, but did not delve into very serious issues or bring up any important themes or ideas. It does delve into the issues of adolescence and the relationship between parents and children.  Millicent does grow throughout the novel and become more aware of how to establish more intimate relationships with others, however, overall, I do not believe that this novel could be taught to an entire class.  As far as it being a multi-cultural novel, although the main characters are Asian, it is rarely discussed in the novel.  I would recommend putting it on the shelf of a classroom library, but besides that, I would not recommend teaching it to a class.  

Sheth, Kashmira. Blue Jasmine. Hyperion Books: New York, 2004.

            Kashmira Sheth’s novel, Blue Jasmine, follows the protagonist, Seema, a 12-year-old girl whose family moves from India to Iowa City in America. Although Seema has a very difficult time leaving her grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins, she looks forward to experiencing everything that America has to offer. However, unlike she anticipated Seema initially has a very difficult time adjusting to American culture where everything seems to be so different from India, especially the language. Much of the novel focuses on Seema’s self-consciousness concerning her inability to speak “American English,” as well as her intense desire to fit in with her classmates. Although she meets a few girls who become her friends, a large portion of the novel deals with her subjugation to a school bully, who ruthlessly teases her about her accent and unfamiliarity with American culture. While this bully, Carrie, is terribly cruel through much of the book, the two eventually become friends, which leads Seema to reconsider how she treated an impoverished girl, Mutka, at her school back in India, so Mutka and Seema establish a friendship via mail. Eventually, Seema grows accustomed to America and begins to consider it her home, even after she travels back to India to see her family.

            Sheth’s novel is undoubtedly teachable for all middle school students, but I would recommend it for sixth graders because of how young Seema is in the book; at one point, she is described as being in fifth grade, but another time she is described as being twelve, so she may appear too young of a protagonist for middle school students to relate to. Since she seems so young, the issues that she faces are not necessarily directed toward middle school-aged people, so they might feel as if the novel is designed for people younger than themselves. Personally, I was highly interested in Seema’s difficulty transitioning into her new life in America, especially in regards to her development of English as a language, but I think that students will relate more to the aspect of the novel that deals with bullying because it is portrayed in such a realistic way. Overall, I felt that the novel was adequate for middle schoolers, but it was not particularly well written, so I would avoid teaching it in a class because it would be difficult to delve deeper than surface level into the text.

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Smith

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Smith is a historical fiction book about twelve-year-old Leela, who is a part of the Brahmin caste in India. While Leela, as an only child, has always been spoiled by her parents, her life takes a turn when her husband dies from a snakebite [they were engaged at two and married at 9 years old]. Her society dictates that widows are to be kept as outsiders for the rest of their lives, their first year as windows is to be kept in home confinement. However, within the cities, there are polticial movements under Gandhi to overthrow the British system and to revolutionize India's old practices and traditions. Leela's older brother advocates for her education, something that she would have ended when she moved in with her husband. As she begins her private sessions with her principal as her tutor, she begins to look beyond her own world and seek her own liberation in Gandhi-era India.

Overall, I thought this book was a strong piece of historical fiction with great descriptive and figurative language. I thought it would be a good way for students to learn about this time period and country from a girl about their age. However, I would say that this book does seem to be targeted more to girls than to boys. It uses a lot of Indian vocabulary, for which Smith provides a glossary in the back of the book. I would highly recommend this book for 7th or 8th grade students. 

Alexie, Sherman "Flight" Black Cat, NY 2007

"Flight" is about a vagabond boy self-named "Zits," a juvenile delinquent who is constantly hopping from one foster home till the next. In these foster homes, he suffers the abuses of foster parents and has become angry with the world. One day, he is throwing in juvey because he pushes his foster mother and storms out of his house. He is flagged down by a familiar cops that he has met the various other times he has been tossed into juvey. As he sits in his cell awaiting trial, he meets a blonde boy whom he describes as "beautiful" and who truly seems to understand him, The boy teaches Zits to be a revolutionary, and convinces Zits to do the Ghost Dance and bring back the Native Americans. Zits, through a series of insane events, becomes "unstuck in time" (a Slaughterhouse Five term, but apt for use here, especially considering his quotation of Kurt Vonnegut at the beginning).

The story is quick-paced, action packed, gripping, but still realistic, heartfelt, and sincere. There is a lot Alexie is trying for say for Native Americans in today's society and how they related. The story contains quite a bit of obscenity, but not an over-the-top amount. It is effective in that it makes the speaker very real and easy to associate with. Kids in early-mid high school would be ideal for this book.

The Misfits

Howe, James. The Misfits. Aladdin Paperbacks: New York, 2001.

The Misfits by James Howe is a first person narrative by a seventh grade boy named Bobby Goodspeed.  He’s overweight and feels socially awkward, always being called names such as “Fluff”, “Pork Chop”, and “Fatso” by the majority of his peers. However he does have a supportive group of three friends: Addie, the too tall and too smart one, Skeeze, the poor and dirty one, and Joe, the gay and flamboyant one. Each of them know what it is like to be called names and be made fun of for their differences. The four seventh graders run for student council under the Freedom Party, later to become the No-Name Party. Their slogan is “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit”. They advocate for an anti-bullying environment, in which no one is called any derogatory names anymore. Bobby gives a speech during the elections about the pain caused by name-calling and the entire student body rises to their feet and cheers. While they do not win the election in the end, their principle enacts a No-Name Week in honor of them. Their courage and bravery make a noticeable change in the school’s attitude towards minorities and in their social lives, as well.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was hilarious and definitely reflected the mentality of a seventh grader. It celebrates kids’ differences and advocates for a non-bullying environment, which is a very relevant issue in middle schools. Each character embodies issues of race, puberty, class, or homosexuality. While James Howe is white, I think this would be a great novel to teach in a 6^th, 7^th or 8^th grade diverse classroom. The sentence structures and vocabulary are fairly easy, but it does bring up very interesting topics for discussion. My coop told me she read it in her 6^th grade class, and one of the students told me he loved it. She said she even does a short lesson on gay and lesbian rights, which she really enjoys and the students seem to gain a lot from the lesson and the book. However, she did say that she had to send a note home to make sure the parents were okay with and aware of the subject of homosexuality being discussed in class. There is a sequel to this book, Totally Joe, completely about Joe’s experiences of being gay in the seventh grade. I think this would be a really great independent or group novel for students to have available to them. 

Under the Mesquite

McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Under the Mesquite. Lee and Low Books, 2011.

Under the Mesquite features Lupita, the eldest of eight in a family of Mexican immigrants living in Texas. Lupita has high aspirations, she wants to be the first in her family to attend college, but her dreams fall short when her mother is diagnosed with cancer. Lupita is forced to step up just as she is nearing the transition into "womanhood" with her quinceanera fast approaching. With mounting pressure from different members of her family, Lupita feels alone and unsure if she wants to be an adult or would rather stay a child forever. She uses the arts as a means of self-expression, writing and acting about her feelings and struggles, which gives her a voice and coping mechanism. Ultimately, Lupita faces adversity head on and overcomes the hardships she is burdened with to become a strong and confident young woman.

Under the Mesquite is unique in that it is written in free verse poetry. Rather than startle and confuse students with a difficult-to-follow and choppy plot, the novel is beautifully written. Word choice is fluid and similes and metaphors abound! Is it teachable? Definitely! There is an unending fountain of symbolism and theme just waiting to be tapped. Lupita is an easily self-identifying character and even though she is a female protagonist, I believe that boys would enjoy this novel as well. I suggest a 6th or 7th grade classroom in terms of reading level, but this book would be a great suggestion for 8th graders struggling with transition. Under the Mesquite also won the Pura Belpre 2012 Author Award.

Walk Two Moons

Walk Two Moons. Sharon Creech. Harper Collins Publishers. 1994.

This novel is told by thirteen-year-old Salamanca Hiddle, who is Native-American, during a road trip with her grandparents from Ohio to Idaho.  The three are taking this trip because it is the same trip Sal's mother made a year and a half ago.  We are told early on that Sal's mother wet on this trip with a personal goal for herself and was not able to return, yet the audience hangs on what is meant by this and why it is so.  During this long trip, Sal tells her grandparents a long story about her friend Phoebe and her struggles.

This novel is very well-written.  Its language would be easy enough for a 6th grade class to read, but 7th and 8th graders could also find it engaging.  Even though the narrator is a girl, boys could still enjoy this novel.  The novel does a very good job with character development, and the plot will keep students engaged throughout the entire piece.  The main themes touched on in the novel are identity and coming of age, which any student can relate to.  Throughout the novel, Sal does talk a lot about parts of her Native-American heritage, however I do not think the novel provides a significant look into the Native-American culture.  

Before We Were Free

Alvarez, Julia. Before We Were Free. Random House, Inc: New York, 2002

This novel is about Anita, a girl living in the Dominican Republic during their dictatorship in 1960. Her family is part of the underground resistance movement working to overthrow the dictator. At 12, she is not given all the details, but over time she understands more of what's happening and how it effects her family. The book is eventful- Anita's school closes down, American ambassador's come to help her, she is in a car transporting weapons, and she witnesses her father's rebellious meetings. Most of her family flees the country. Anita also deals with puberty and her first "love." The main themes of the book are bravery, freedom, and rebellion. Anita struggles with being brave with her family spread all over and in danger. Her parents teach her the importance of freedom and the lack thereof in a country under a dictator. Obviously, she witnesses her family's rebellion and the effect it has on her and her country.
This book would be teachable for 6th or 7th grade. Although the topics can be violent, they are discussed from the viewpoint of a middle school aged character so they don't get too risque. The characters also tie into Alvarez's other novels, In the Time of the Butterflies and How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent. It might be interesting to have different groups read different novels and compare them. However, this novel definitely appeals to girls over boys- the boy characters play minimal roles and Anita discusses her period and her interest in boys. This would be a great independent read or lit circle read with other books that discuss similar themes.

Forever...

Blume, Judy. Forever ...: A Novel. Scarsdale, NY: Bradbury, 1975. Print

This young adult novel follows a teenage girl and her developing sexual curiosity.  The narrator is a high school girl named Katherine who shares with us her journey of finding true love and experiencing her first time.  The book opens with Katherine at a New Years Eve party, where she meets Michael.  Michael and Katherine begin to date and the pressures to have sex only increase with time.  The book discusses the stresses and difficulties associated with a girl's decision to have sex.  Is it okay to just give in to your physical urges or should you wait for "the one"?  This is a question that Katherine seems to have difficulty with, a question that many young readers could relate to as well. 

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it could very well have been book I would have liked to read in my free time, I do not think it is appropriate to teach in any classroom.  Even though themes like sex are inevitable topics of discussion and worries in a teenager's life, I don't think those topics should be taught explicitly in a classroom.  Some students view this topic in very different ways and some could feel awkward and uncomfortable being forced to talk about their personal feelings in the context of the learning environment.  The sex scenes are pretty extravagant and detailed and I could potentially see parents getting very upset about the contents of the novel.  I think that it is tough to give this book a specific age group because it honestly depends on that specific student's maturity level and personal feelings regarding sex.  The novel sends a really good message to teenagers about sex and I think that girls can really relate with Katherine.

Dragonwings

Yep, Laurence. 1975. Dragonwings. New York: Harper & Row.


Dragonwings is about a young boy named Moon Shadow who immigrates to San Francisco to join his father who had been living there for eight years prior. The story centers around Moon Shadow's adjustment to American culture at the turn of the 20th century in addition to getting to know his own father for he had not met the him before coming to America. Originally, Mood Shadow and his father live in Chinatown, usually associating with only the Chinese. However, through a series of events, they are forced to leave their home and move to a part of the city that is all White. The father and son grow close in the pursuit of their dream to create a "flying machine" similar to the one that the Wright Brothers were working on in the Midwest at the same time. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1905 has a a major impact on their story as well.

A big idea throughout the novel is the acquisition of language within a new culture and the power that it gives that person. Moon Shadow learns the English language at a faster rate than his father, though he's been in the country a shorter time period, which gives him many advantages. The ability for Mood Shadow to be able to read and write is the spark for many of the important plot points as well as one the central aspects of the relationship that he develops with their White neighbors. Moon Shadow and his father must also overcome the obstacle of achieving a dream when nobody else believes in them.

This novel is teachable. It involves the classic adolescent literary theme of the outsider coming to a new place and adjusting to the culture. It is incredible to see San Francisco through the lens of 1905 as well as from the point of view of an immigrant. If you are teaching this book to a majority White class, be aware that the most common word used by far is "demon," which is referring to White Americans, good or bad. That word is associated in Chinese with White people and is used frequently throughout the story.

Call Me Maria By Judith Ortiz Cofer

Cofer, Judith Ortiz.  Call Me Maria: A novel in letters, poems, and prose.  Orchard Books: New York. 2004. 127 pages.

Judith Ortiz Cofer’s novel, Call Me Maria, describes the coming of age for a young Puerto Rican girl that is caught between two different worlds: her childhood home with her mother, Puerto Rico, and her new home in the barrio of New York with her father.   While her mother stays in Puerto Rico, Maria goes to New York with her father for the hope of an American education.  Throughout the story, Maria struggles to resolve the conflict between her two identities through poetry.   Through poetry Maria is able to resolve this conflict of identity that incorporates the aspects of English, Spanish, and Spanglish.  In addition to the coming of age novel, Call Me Maria deals with the issue of prejudice, machismo, and divorce.  In the end, Maria is forced to choose between her parents and the two different ways it means to be Puerto Rican.  She ends up choosing to stay with her father in America, because she has become more than just the island girl she was.

This novel was very interesting to read, because of its unusual writing style.  The novel is a combination of poems, letters, diary entries, and prose, which allows for the reader to understand points of view of different characters.  One difficult aspect to teach may be Spanish in the novel; some of the dialogue is only in Spanish which may be difficult for non-Spanish speakers.  However, this may be a positive for the novel because it allows Spanish speakers to have a large part in discussion.  This novel could be taught at any level for middle school but it would be a great novel to read during a poetry unit.  

Am I Blue?

Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence. Edited by Marion Dane Bauer. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1994.

Am I Blue is a collection of short stories for adolescents that touch on issues of homosexuality and sexual identity, with contributions from authors such as Bruce Coville, Lois Lowry and Jaqueline Woodson. In the introduction to the anthology, published 18 years ago, editor Marion Dane Bauer writes writes “Ten years ago, an anthology of short stories dealing with gay and lesbian themes probably would not have been considered by any major young adult publisher. It is my dream that ten years from now such an anthology will not be needed, that gay and lesbian characters will be as integrated into juvenile literature as they are in life.” Bauer goes on to cite a high suicide rate amongst teens struggling with issues of sexual identity. The themes of this anthology are in no way outdated, as these are issues our society continues to grapple with.

The stories are well-suited for adolescent readers of various ages. In “We Might as Well be Srangers,” M.E. Kerr writes of a girl, Allison, who tells her grandmother she is gay. The grandmother is supportive and says she can identify with the feeling of being an outsider, as she was once a jewish schoolgirl in Germany just before WWII. Allison later tells her mother, and is met with resistance and a plea to keep the news secret from her grandmother. Whereas this story is appropriate for younger middle schoolers and is focused more on acceptance, “Winnie and Tommy” might be better for older students. In this story, Winnie learns that her high school boyfriend, Tommy, is gay while they are in a hotel room in San Francisco.

I really enjoyed reading these short stories, as they are all well-written, and the sentences are generally simple enough for middle school students to understand. It’s a great book to keep in the classroom for independent reading. Teachers might also select one or two stories to incorporate into a larger unit about tolerance and diversity.

Flipped

Draanen Van, Wendelin. Flipped. Random House: New York, 2001.

Although the author of Flipped is Caucasian, the themes  addressed are very relevant to the middle school audience. This book tells the tale of Juli and Bryce, who meet at a young age when Bryce moves in across the street from Juli. She immediately develops a crush on him, but Bryce does not share these feelings. In fact, he thinks she is strange and wants nothing to do with her. Then one day, Juli catches Bryce doing something that really hurts her feelings and her feelings towards him change. Bryce’s feelings change too, but unfortunately Juli wants nothing to do with him. This novel alternates chapters between Mark and Juli’s voices, following the two from when they meet at 7, through middle school.

This book would probably be best for 6th or 7th grade and could be taught in class or read as an independent novel. One advantage of reading it in class is it was made into a movie, which could lead to compare/contrast writing topics and discussions. The main reason I recommend this book is because it addresses feeling like an outcast. It also teaches the important of perspective and not judging people we don’t entirely understand.