Alexie, Sherman. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian. illustrated by Ellen Forney. New York: Hatchet Book Group Inc.This amazing true story of a young fourteen your old Indian boy who is raised in Spoken Indian reservation in Willipinit Washington by a poor family. As a young boy, he had to endure many challenges from being born with a skull deformity, getting teased, bullied and ridiculed in school and at as his reservation. One way he was able to cope with his daily life was spending his time indoors taking up art as a way to cope and make sense of the world around him. Although finding friends was a tough task for Arnold Junior, he did find a friend in a bully named Rowdy. Rowdy was Arnold's protector and great friend. They both are ready and excited to start their freshman year and try for the basketball team. Arnold is in his geometry class and notices that the books in his class are old when he recognized his mothers name written on one. He gets upset and throws the book at the teacher. His teacher urges Arnold to leave the reservation and find hope somewhere else. He decides to attend an all high achieving school in a wealthy white neighborhood. His parents are supportive but the people at the reservation see him as a traitor especially his best friend Rowdy. His new school was not much easier in the beginning. Students mocked him, ignored him and used racist jokes to poke fun of him. Arnold"s only way of defense was to physically fight back. Arnold earned the respect of others and life at his new school became so much easier to face. He befriended Penelope a kind and creative girl, Gordy a bright and curious boy, and Roger the school athlete. He was encouraged to try out for the basketball team and he makes the team. While getting used to his new school life, he must play against his old school and face his best friend Rowdy. He later learns about the death of his grandmother, his sister leaving home to get married and the death of his sister from an alcohol related accident. It wasn't easy for Arnold having to deal with so much tragedy in his life. It was then that he became aware of the effects Alcohol and the problems it brought to the people in the reservation.
What I truly enjoyed about the book is reading about Arnold Junior's resilience. He didn't let his disability or the thoughts of others towards him stop him from doing the right thing. He is a true hero. Someone who doesn't take no for an answer and fights for what he believes. I think this is a great book for young adults because so many young kids his age go through similar issues that Arnold was faced with. Students can see that they are not the only ones facing these problems in school and hopefully find solutions to their problems.
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXCSwsBlWZo
Other books about author Sherman Alexie: Under Boy
_____________________________________________________________
Anderson, Laurie Halse. (1999) SPEAK. New York: Delacorte Book Publishing.
What should be the beginning of a fun and exciting high school year for Melinda turns into something so painful and unforgettable. She is shun by her friends after they found out she had called the police during the summer party. She has to face the reality of high school and having no friends. She is become mute and lonely and the only place where she is able to express herself is in her art class. The place where she is able to expressed herself is in her art class. Through her art work she is able to come the realization of what really happened at the summer party. Melinda is once again confronted by the upper classmate who attacked her during the summer party. She fights back and refuses to stay silent and is able to expose her accuser. She not only fights back but is able to speak for others who like her have been shamed and attack and sexually violated. She encourages others to speak up and never to stay silent.
I felt pretty sad for Melinda throughout the book because I just can't believe she kept quiet about being raped for so long. Like Melinda, there are so many women that have experienced that same situation but coming out and speaking about it must be a very difficult thing to do. I admired her courage for speaking up about her rape and and encouraging others not to stay silent.
Other books from the author Laurie Halse Anderson and theme:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Ruthie and her family leave their beloved country Cuba to New York where they must try to assimilate the language, culture and way of living. For Ruthie she understands what she needs to do to acclimate to a new world but was forced to help her mother make the transition to accept her new life in a foreign country. After a day of visiting their Cuban friends, Ruthie's family is in a car accident and Ruthie is left bedridden and in a body cast and in need of care from others. Ruthie's needs become a burden for her mother who is resentful and withholds the love that Ruthie longs for. One day she gets a visit from two dear people. Her teacher and good friend Chico who introduce her to Friday Kahlo and the joys of art. It was there where Ruthie finds love for life and optimism to keep living despite the conditions she found herself in.
What I liked about this book is that Ruthie's life is an inspiration to others to keep going despite the difficult situations they might find themselves in. Because of Ruthie 's optimism and resilience she was able to keep living and looking for a brighter future.
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etCLlFl1jnw&t=51s
Other books about the other:
_______________________________________________________________________________
Garden, Nancy. (1982). Annie On My Mind. New York: Firrar, Straus, Giroux.
Liza, the protagonist of the story, is attending a private school and comes from a wealthy family. She meets Annie at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Despite coming from different social status, both girls develop a close relationship. Liza dreams of being accepted to MIT and hopes to become an architect while Annie is attending Berkley University in California and hopes to become a professional singer. Although the both go their separate ways, they discover that their friendship is more than they realize. They both began to fall in love with each other. While Liza's school is struggling financially, a group of students begin piercing ears to raise funds to keep the school open. Liza gets in trouble for defending the students and is suspended from school. After her suspension she reconnects with Annie and it is there that they discovered that they may be lesbians. During a Spring break, Liza house sits for two of her female teachers and invites Annie to spend some time with her. Liza's school administrator finds out about her relationship with her friend Annie and brings it to the attention of her parents. She confesses to her parents that she is in love with Annie. Her teachers are terminated after school administration finds out that they are lesbians. Her teachers expressed their support for Liza and Annie but it is such a burden to deal with, Liza breaks her relationship with Annie. Both girls go their separate ways but later reunite and they get back together.
Books like these can help many of our youth deal with similar situations like Liza and Annie. Finding themselves and opening up about their sexual orientation can be very stressful for so many students. It is very difficult to find the courage to open up and express their feelings about someone from the same sex but books like this one can help make it so much easier.
Book Trailer
Other books related to this theme and author:
______________________________________________________________________________
Lily also known at school as Tim McGrother is a boy who longs to become a girl. She has the support of her mother and sister to start hormone therapy but his father is not ready to accept Lily's change. Lily is not accepted by many of her school classmates because she looks very different and wishes to start with her transgender change soon. Dunkin on the other hand is suffering from a mental disorder. He is suffering from bipolar and has recently moved from New Jersey and attending the same school as Lily. He is having trouble making friends and realizes that the friends he is making are the people that are making fun of Lily. Lily dresses as a girl outside the school grounds but is afraid to dress up like that at school. Lily's only friend is Dare who is sharing a secret that she may be lesbian but is afraid to let Lily know about it. Dunkin sees Lily for the first time outside the school grounds and doesn't realize that it is Tim the boy who attends the same school as he does. Soon Dunkin accepts Lily's desires to become a girl and start hormone therapy. They both feel comfortable talking to each other about their situation and Dunkin is encouraged to take his medication to control his bipolar behavior. Dunkin starts having feeling for Tim but knows that he is Lily. Lily is not ready to come out for her friends but feels that she is getting the support she needs to hopefully do it one day.
It was a very hard situation for Lily to come out and express her desire to have a transgender change to her classmates. Kids during this age are very cruel and insensitive to the LGBT community. I feel this book can be a great way to start to an open dialogue about the LGBT community or just being different and accepting of mental illnesses.
Books from the same other:
_______________________________________________________________________________
Harris, Robie H. (2009). It's Perfectly Normal. Boston Massachusetts: Candlewick Press
This informational book teaches tween and teens about accurate information about puberty, growing up, sex, conception to birth control and sexual health. The author covers each topic in detail with illustrations and examples to teach students about how males and females bodies are different.
Although not many adults will find this book appropriate to use with young children and teens, I feel that the information the author included in this book needs to be addressed to tweens and teenagers so that they can understand their own bodies as they begin to develop over the years.
Other books by the author Robie Harris:
______________________________________________________________________________
Myers, Walter Dean. (1999). MONSTER. illustrated by Christopher Myers. New York: Harper Collins Publisher.
Seventeen year old Steven Martin is black and is being accused in taking part in the robbery and murder of Mr. Anguinaldo Nesbitt owner of a neighborhood drug store. According to authorities, prior to the robbery there was a plan or conspiracy to rob the store. Detective Petronneli states that Steven Martin's role in the murder of Mr. Nesbitt was to scan the store and signal the other accomplices to proceed with their plan to rob and kill the owner. Prosecutor Petronneli calls prisoner Osvaldo a member of the gang Diablos to the stand to testify against Steve Martin. According to Defense attorney, Osvaldo has nothing to lose by involving an innocent man to this murder. Steven Martin is picked up at home by police for questioning and is left in jail for being accused in taking part in the robbery and killing of drug store owner. As Steven spends his time in jail before the hearing, he is terrified of the outcome and is afraid if convicted he may have to spend the rest of his life in prison. Thinking about this and seeing the life of men in prison makes him eerie and sick to his stomach. Ms.Briggs, his defense attorney, must come up with the best possible defense to convince the jury that his client is innocent. On the other hand, Steven's hopes are running slim and he feels that he is seen as a "Monster". He must rely on his defense attorney to make the most possible defense for him or he may spend the rest of his life in prison.
Monster is an excellent suspenseful book that will engaged many young readers to the story plot especially when Steven doesn't know if he is going to be set free or spend the rest of his life in prison.
Other books by the author Walter Dean Myers:
_______________________________________________________________________________
Ness, Patrick. (2008). The Knife of Never Letting Go. Boston Massachusettes: Candlewick Press.Todd lives in a strange place called Pretisstown where only the presence of men are seen. He is the youngest of all males and is raised by two men after the death of his parents. Unfortunately, a germ called Noise, reveals the thoughts of everyone in that town. One day Todd hears a noise called Silence and is advised by his guardians to leave because someone is out to get him. Todd has an argument with a preacher who is out to get him. He leaves town and runs as far as he can. As he is strolling through the swamp, he stumbles across Silence and a girl named Viola appears. He has never seen a girl before and finds out that her space ship has crashed and has left her behind as the only survivor. The preacher who has been searching for Todd finally reaches him and stabs Todd and takes the girl Viola. Todd must reach her before it is too late. He uses a creature that he had killed to lure the preacher in hopes of letting go of the girl. Todd and Viola are able to flee to another town called Haven. Todd and Viola take refuge in the town Haven but soon the preacher catches up to them. Todd and the preacher are fighting and Viola uses his knife to kill him something Todd couldn't dare to do. As they are entering Haven, Viola is shot on her leg and Todd is pleading for help. It is there where Todd discovers the Mayor who has confessed to him that he has taken over the city. The only thing Todd can do is to surrender.
I thought it was a very odd book but it had a lot of suspense. I would see how young adults would want to read trilogy books. In order to find out what happen to Todd and Viola they must read the next book.
Other books about the author Partick Ness:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Comments
Post a Comment