Shea, Pegi Deitz. Tangled Threads. New York: Clarion Books, 2003.
Tangled Threads by Pegi Deitz Shea tells the story of twelve-year-old Mai Yang, a Hmong refugee living in a camp somewhere in Thailand. Mai and her grandmother fled Laos—their homeland—during the Vietnam War after their village was attacked by the Vietnamese Army. For seven long years after their flight and arrival in Thailand, Mai and her grandmother have stuck together, caring for one another and supporting themselves by selling their pa’ndau—“flower cloth” that is a needle-and-thread form of art. Finally, Mai and her grandmother are given permission to travel to America to live with Mai’s uncle and his family who left the camp five years before. Along the journey to America, Mai becomes more and more aware of her grandmother’s dependency on her ability to speak English and her education of the American way of life. This shift in dependency places a great strain on their relationship, a strain that is intensified after they arrive in America and encounter the completely foreign way of life in which their family members now live. Mai struggles to maintain her own identity despite the pull of her Americanized cousins to give in to a new way of life, to understand and cope with her grandmother’s increased dependence, and to successfully integrate the two worlds in which she now lives—Hmong and American existences that pull at her.
I think that the book was very well done. Because the author is not Hmong herself, I was relieved to find an author’s note at the back of the book which details her interest in Hmong refugees and their culture, experiences, and new lives in America. The list of references in the back of the book adds to the validity of the research upon which the story was created. I think Shea does a great job in illustrating the confusing and frustrating experience of a young girl who struggles to cope with immigrating to a new land that is vastly different from the world she was so accustomed to. Mai’s experience brings up important themes of family, identity, maintaining cultural identities and values in a new land, new vs. old ways, and self-development. Mai’s story is unique, yet, it is accessible to those who read it. The text can be related to anyone who has experienced immigration themselves and there are enough issues not completely related to the difficulties associated with immigration that all readers can find some common element within the story. Personally, I enjoyed the book because it expanded my understanding of Hmong culture and history. After reading the text I did my own research into the Hmong and it added to my understanding of the text. I also enjoyed the story itself. I enjoyed following Mai to school and reading about her experiences, her love for knowledge, and her growth as a person.
I think this book is teachable because it has so many different levels on which students can relate to the text. On a broad level, students can identify to the confusion and frustration of growing up—the drama of middle school and the angst associated with becoming a teenager. On a narrower scale, the story documents a girl’s immigration to the United States and that is a connection that many students can identify with—either experiencing it themselves or having relatives who have had similar experiences. Going back to critical theory, the many layers within the text allow for the use of different lenses to analyze the text. Students can reflect on their personal reactions to the text (reader’s response); the power struggle between old and new ways, the refugees and the Thai soldiers, the new immigrants and the settled immigrants (Marxist); the gender roles and expectations of the Hmong culture (gender); to name a few. The many different themes and the different applicable lenses lend themselves well to discussion and the cultural element of the text lends itself well to various research-based/analysis projects. I would love to use this book within book clubs—as a choice text for those interested in this topic, or as a classroom text in which students would do research into the struggles of immigrants/refugees when coming to America—what difficulties they face in coping with distinctly different cultural values and norms.
Showing posts with label CI 5441: YA Literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CI 5441: YA Literature. Show all posts
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
CI 5441: Spiegelman Response
Spiegelman, Art. Maus. New York: Raw Books and Graphics, 1986.
Art Spiegelman’s story Maus chronicles the real life relationship between Spiegelman and his father Vladek as he recounts his life in Poland during the first years of WWII. Spiegelman uses clever illustrations to transport readers back and forth between the present and past lives of his father and mother as they created a family amidst uncertain times in Europe. In his father’s narrative, Spiegelman learns about his time spent in the Polish Army, his time as a POW, the presence of the Germans in Poland, and their family’s removal to the Jewish ghettos. As Spiegelman learns about his father’s past, his current relationship is also chronicled. It is apparent that his father has many lingering side effects from surviving the war, including his need to horde everything. The novel closes with Spiegelman’s outrage toward his father for destroying his late mother’s diaries. The book is clearly chronicles the shifting tides of human nature as it faces the worst of circumstances and witnesses the worst of mankind. Vladek’s story is one of survival and sacrifice; it illustrates the lengths to which people will go in order to ensure their own survival. In the end, the reader is torn between sympathies for both the father and the son as they try to work through their rocky relationship and to find redemption in coming to terms with the ghosts from their pasts.
I thought the book was brilliantly done. Anyone reading the story is able to take away something away from the text. Spiegelman takes a common, though horrific, topic and present it in a new way that engages readers without losing the importance of the story. The use of the graphic novel form provides Spiegelman with opportunities that would be lacking in other forms. He is able to provide detailed illustrations that present readers with the ability to read both the words and the reactions of the characters. The black and white drawings set the serious tone of the book and help readers to enjoy the artistry of the book without neglecting the grave content of the story. By presenting his interactions with his father in obtaining the story, Spiegelman is able to provide the reader with a glimpse of their current lives and relationships as well as to provide a sense of validity in the contents of the story. Seeing Vladek in his present state illustrates how his experiences have shaped his life in the present. Overall, the text way that tells a story but also forces readers to think; readers can analyze the artwork within the text and add their analysis to both their understanding of the content and Spiegelman’s purpose in presenting the material in this form.
What I think is teachable about this text is both its content and presentation. Teachers can use the text to present students with a survivor’s tale. Students can read first-hand how Jewish citizens living in Poland were exposed to the war and the horrendous actions of the Nazis. The story provides enough historical content that readers will be able to comprehend the plot as it moves along. Students can also use this as a study of the use of both narrative and the creation of a memoir. But I think the best part about this text is that is can be looked at through critical lenses. Students can analyze the presentation of the characters as different animals—why would Spiegelman chose cats, mice, and pigs? Students can also be asked to look at the actions of the characters themselves and how power, money, class, gender, etc. affect the actions and situations within the text. I think the book would be a great study of author’s purpose and would create opportunities for research into genocide—something that has plagued mankind in one form or another for centuries.
Art Spiegelman’s story Maus chronicles the real life relationship between Spiegelman and his father Vladek as he recounts his life in Poland during the first years of WWII. Spiegelman uses clever illustrations to transport readers back and forth between the present and past lives of his father and mother as they created a family amidst uncertain times in Europe. In his father’s narrative, Spiegelman learns about his time spent in the Polish Army, his time as a POW, the presence of the Germans in Poland, and their family’s removal to the Jewish ghettos. As Spiegelman learns about his father’s past, his current relationship is also chronicled. It is apparent that his father has many lingering side effects from surviving the war, including his need to horde everything. The novel closes with Spiegelman’s outrage toward his father for destroying his late mother’s diaries. The book is clearly chronicles the shifting tides of human nature as it faces the worst of circumstances and witnesses the worst of mankind. Vladek’s story is one of survival and sacrifice; it illustrates the lengths to which people will go in order to ensure their own survival. In the end, the reader is torn between sympathies for both the father and the son as they try to work through their rocky relationship and to find redemption in coming to terms with the ghosts from their pasts.
I thought the book was brilliantly done. Anyone reading the story is able to take away something away from the text. Spiegelman takes a common, though horrific, topic and present it in a new way that engages readers without losing the importance of the story. The use of the graphic novel form provides Spiegelman with opportunities that would be lacking in other forms. He is able to provide detailed illustrations that present readers with the ability to read both the words and the reactions of the characters. The black and white drawings set the serious tone of the book and help readers to enjoy the artistry of the book without neglecting the grave content of the story. By presenting his interactions with his father in obtaining the story, Spiegelman is able to provide the reader with a glimpse of their current lives and relationships as well as to provide a sense of validity in the contents of the story. Seeing Vladek in his present state illustrates how his experiences have shaped his life in the present. Overall, the text way that tells a story but also forces readers to think; readers can analyze the artwork within the text and add their analysis to both their understanding of the content and Spiegelman’s purpose in presenting the material in this form.
What I think is teachable about this text is both its content and presentation. Teachers can use the text to present students with a survivor’s tale. Students can read first-hand how Jewish citizens living in Poland were exposed to the war and the horrendous actions of the Nazis. The story provides enough historical content that readers will be able to comprehend the plot as it moves along. Students can also use this as a study of the use of both narrative and the creation of a memoir. But I think the best part about this text is that is can be looked at through critical lenses. Students can analyze the presentation of the characters as different animals—why would Spiegelman chose cats, mice, and pigs? Students can also be asked to look at the actions of the characters themselves and how power, money, class, gender, etc. affect the actions and situations within the text. I think the book would be a great study of author’s purpose and would create opportunities for research into genocide—something that has plagued mankind in one form or another for centuries.
Monday, November 30, 2009
CI 5441: McCormick Response
McCormick, Patricia. Sold. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks, 2008.
Sold tells the story of Lakshmi a young girl living in a remote village in Nepal with her mother, stepfather, and stepbrother. Life in their mountain village is difficult and Lakshmi and her mother slave away in order to make a living for the family. Lakshmi’s stepfather is incapable of working and gambles what little money the family has. As a result, the stepfather sells Lakshmi off to a woman who promises to take her to a better life as a maid in the city—little does Lakshmi know that she is really being sold into prostitution. After arriving in India, Lakshmi finally becomes aware of her fate. Despite her efforts to resist her new situation, she is drugged and raped; and so her new life begins. Lakshmi forms relationships with the women around her and her desire to learn never wavers. Over the course of a year she does her best to try and pay off her debt to Mumtaz—the owner of the brothel—while still maintaining the belief that she is providing her mother and brother with a better life. In the end it is her continued interest in education that helps her escape her circumstances.
The book is written in prose verse and is a very quick and compelling read. McCormick is able to use a sparse amount of words to capture not only the Nepalese lifestyle and the horrific shift in Lakshmi’s life, but also the depth of conviction, hope, and faith that Lakshmi refuses to let go. The premise for the book was researched by McCormick and in her author’s note she recounts the different survivors of sex-trafficking that she had spoken with during the pre-writing stage of the novel. I think this book is a great way to introduce readers to the continued injustices in the world and to make them aware of the precious gift that is freedom. I think the book will resonate with young readers who are the same age as Lakshmi—male or female. Lakshmi is just a young girl who is naïve and trusting of those around her; she expects to be able to trust her stepfather and the women and men she encounters on her journey from Nepal into India, but it is not so. I enjoyed gaining a new perspective and understanding on a terrifying and horrific subject that I was not truly cognizant of before and I think McCormick brings this subject to life with Lakshmi’s tale.
I think the book is teachable because it lends itself to different kinds of exploration. Students can look at the format of the book and discuss what that brings to the text—how and why does McCormick use this medium? The book allows students to focus on a world issue that they might not be aware still exists—human slavery. The book also can be used with different critical lenses—the most obvious being the gender perspective, but also colonialist, reader-response, and even socio-economic. The issue of education and the power of knowledge is also an element that can be targeted in the book. I can also see myself using this book as a gateway between fiction and reality; students could research human-trafficking and the different aspects of that underground market that still exist in the world today. The book is also relatable to students either from the different themes—trust, family, the unknown, power of knowledge, community, faith—to the ability to project one’s own thirteen-year-old self into such a dire predicament.
Sold tells the story of Lakshmi a young girl living in a remote village in Nepal with her mother, stepfather, and stepbrother. Life in their mountain village is difficult and Lakshmi and her mother slave away in order to make a living for the family. Lakshmi’s stepfather is incapable of working and gambles what little money the family has. As a result, the stepfather sells Lakshmi off to a woman who promises to take her to a better life as a maid in the city—little does Lakshmi know that she is really being sold into prostitution. After arriving in India, Lakshmi finally becomes aware of her fate. Despite her efforts to resist her new situation, she is drugged and raped; and so her new life begins. Lakshmi forms relationships with the women around her and her desire to learn never wavers. Over the course of a year she does her best to try and pay off her debt to Mumtaz—the owner of the brothel—while still maintaining the belief that she is providing her mother and brother with a better life. In the end it is her continued interest in education that helps her escape her circumstances.
The book is written in prose verse and is a very quick and compelling read. McCormick is able to use a sparse amount of words to capture not only the Nepalese lifestyle and the horrific shift in Lakshmi’s life, but also the depth of conviction, hope, and faith that Lakshmi refuses to let go. The premise for the book was researched by McCormick and in her author’s note she recounts the different survivors of sex-trafficking that she had spoken with during the pre-writing stage of the novel. I think this book is a great way to introduce readers to the continued injustices in the world and to make them aware of the precious gift that is freedom. I think the book will resonate with young readers who are the same age as Lakshmi—male or female. Lakshmi is just a young girl who is naïve and trusting of those around her; she expects to be able to trust her stepfather and the women and men she encounters on her journey from Nepal into India, but it is not so. I enjoyed gaining a new perspective and understanding on a terrifying and horrific subject that I was not truly cognizant of before and I think McCormick brings this subject to life with Lakshmi’s tale.
I think the book is teachable because it lends itself to different kinds of exploration. Students can look at the format of the book and discuss what that brings to the text—how and why does McCormick use this medium? The book allows students to focus on a world issue that they might not be aware still exists—human slavery. The book also can be used with different critical lenses—the most obvious being the gender perspective, but also colonialist, reader-response, and even socio-economic. The issue of education and the power of knowledge is also an element that can be targeted in the book. I can also see myself using this book as a gateway between fiction and reality; students could research human-trafficking and the different aspects of that underground market that still exist in the world today. The book is also relatable to students either from the different themes—trust, family, the unknown, power of knowledge, community, faith—to the ability to project one’s own thirteen-year-old self into such a dire predicament.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
CI 5441: Jaramillo Response
Jaramillo, Ann. La Línea. Harrisonburg: Roaring Book Press, 2006.
Miguel Carlos Octavio Pablo de Cervantes has just turned fifteen. Where he is usually treated to a practical gift from his grandmother today he receives something he has been waiting for since he was eight years old—the summons from his father to come to America. Jaramillo follows Miguel’s journey as he leaves his life behind him and embraces the uncertainties of the long journey he must take across la línea. Along the way he encounters many obstacles: a stubborn sister, money-hungry officers and thugs, a strange old man, the mata gente, and a harrowing trek across the deserts of the southwest. Along the way both Miguel and his sister grow and learn the power of hope, the intense need for family, the effects of pride and jealousy, and the dangers of immigrating to the United States—the land of the American Dream and better opportunities for all. The book forces readers to think about these themes as they follow Miguel and Elena on their journey north across the border and into the United States. In the end, Miguel and Elena learn the truth about life in America and reevaluate their paths. As the book closes, we read as Miguel notes that there are “thousands of la líneas in life” sometimes you see them and sometimes you don’t, sometimes they change you immediately and other times it takes a moment of reflection to open your eyes to the change.
I thought this book brought up some interesting points, but I don’t know how much I think that it accurately portrays the experiences of those crossing the Mexican border into the United States. I think Jaramillo is able to capture some of the situations faced by those who cross the border in such a way, but I think there are many different details within the book that are missing. It is hard for me to believe that Miguel and Elena caught so many lucky breaks and were able to come out of the desert alive. It seemed to me like that leg of their journey could have benefited from more details and a greater look into the physical reactions of the body when deprived of water. Having had personal experience with dehydration, it didn’t seem believable or accurately portrayed in the text. Other than that, I thought the themes within the book were both important and chronicled well within the text. The relationship between Miguel and Elena is multi-faceted and it is interesting to see how they change over the course of the book—going from siblings, to enemies, to dependents. I think that the themes within the book are especially relevant with so much debate over the immigration issue in the United States and the many areas in which it is played out in our society. I think students will be able to identify with the characters and/or the themes in the book both because of their relevance in our society and the ability for students to connect with different aspects of the characters—from age to circumstance. I thought the book was fine; I liked it more than I disliked it, but the lack of details and my inability to believe in the events within the book pulls me away from giving it two hearty thumbs up. The issue surrounding the authenticity of the text based on the author's background only bothers me in correlation with the lack of details I think should be present in the text and the unbelievability aspect of the story. Beyond that, I think she did a great job in writing a text her students could relate to--a text that tells an often overlooked point of view.
I think the themes and the relationships within the book are highly teachable in a classroom. Even the format of the book, with extremely short yet rich chapters, lends itself well to being utilized in the classroom. We are using this book as a model text within a book club. After dividing the class into different “clubs,” we are providing them with an opportunity to pick between six different foci to study as they read and sticky note the book together. These different foci include looking at the Miguel and Elena through their “coming-of-age” metamorphosis within the text and the different themes covered within the book—pride/jealousy, family/belonging, hope/resilience, and líneas/obstacles. Each group will have some choice in what they follow throughout the book—giving them a sense of agency. Students will then be asked to work together in reading and sticky-noting the text as they discover passages/quotes that relate to/develop their focus. Each group will record their findings on a T-chart and within the pages of their books on sticky notes. After each class, students will be asked to write a reflective paper about their topic and how it is evolving within the text. At the end of the unit they will be taking their notes and collaboratively writing an essay zeroing in on an aspect of their groups focus. They will then present this essay to the rest of the class. This was each group is responsible for discovering their focus within the text, working together to bring it all together, and reporting their synthesis of the text to the rest of the class. Because of the length of the book and the relevance of its themes, the text is ideal for teaching students both how to participate in a book club successfully and how to use different reading strategies in analyzing a text.
Miguel Carlos Octavio Pablo de Cervantes has just turned fifteen. Where he is usually treated to a practical gift from his grandmother today he receives something he has been waiting for since he was eight years old—the summons from his father to come to America. Jaramillo follows Miguel’s journey as he leaves his life behind him and embraces the uncertainties of the long journey he must take across la línea. Along the way he encounters many obstacles: a stubborn sister, money-hungry officers and thugs, a strange old man, the mata gente, and a harrowing trek across the deserts of the southwest. Along the way both Miguel and his sister grow and learn the power of hope, the intense need for family, the effects of pride and jealousy, and the dangers of immigrating to the United States—the land of the American Dream and better opportunities for all. The book forces readers to think about these themes as they follow Miguel and Elena on their journey north across the border and into the United States. In the end, Miguel and Elena learn the truth about life in America and reevaluate their paths. As the book closes, we read as Miguel notes that there are “thousands of la líneas in life” sometimes you see them and sometimes you don’t, sometimes they change you immediately and other times it takes a moment of reflection to open your eyes to the change.
I thought this book brought up some interesting points, but I don’t know how much I think that it accurately portrays the experiences of those crossing the Mexican border into the United States. I think Jaramillo is able to capture some of the situations faced by those who cross the border in such a way, but I think there are many different details within the book that are missing. It is hard for me to believe that Miguel and Elena caught so many lucky breaks and were able to come out of the desert alive. It seemed to me like that leg of their journey could have benefited from more details and a greater look into the physical reactions of the body when deprived of water. Having had personal experience with dehydration, it didn’t seem believable or accurately portrayed in the text. Other than that, I thought the themes within the book were both important and chronicled well within the text. The relationship between Miguel and Elena is multi-faceted and it is interesting to see how they change over the course of the book—going from siblings, to enemies, to dependents. I think that the themes within the book are especially relevant with so much debate over the immigration issue in the United States and the many areas in which it is played out in our society. I think students will be able to identify with the characters and/or the themes in the book both because of their relevance in our society and the ability for students to connect with different aspects of the characters—from age to circumstance. I thought the book was fine; I liked it more than I disliked it, but the lack of details and my inability to believe in the events within the book pulls me away from giving it two hearty thumbs up. The issue surrounding the authenticity of the text based on the author's background only bothers me in correlation with the lack of details I think should be present in the text and the unbelievability aspect of the story. Beyond that, I think she did a great job in writing a text her students could relate to--a text that tells an often overlooked point of view.
I think the themes and the relationships within the book are highly teachable in a classroom. Even the format of the book, with extremely short yet rich chapters, lends itself well to being utilized in the classroom. We are using this book as a model text within a book club. After dividing the class into different “clubs,” we are providing them with an opportunity to pick between six different foci to study as they read and sticky note the book together. These different foci include looking at the Miguel and Elena through their “coming-of-age” metamorphosis within the text and the different themes covered within the book—pride/jealousy, family/belonging, hope/resilience, and líneas/obstacles. Each group will have some choice in what they follow throughout the book—giving them a sense of agency. Students will then be asked to work together in reading and sticky-noting the text as they discover passages/quotes that relate to/develop their focus. Each group will record their findings on a T-chart and within the pages of their books on sticky notes. After each class, students will be asked to write a reflective paper about their topic and how it is evolving within the text. At the end of the unit they will be taking their notes and collaboratively writing an essay zeroing in on an aspect of their groups focus. They will then present this essay to the rest of the class. This was each group is responsible for discovering their focus within the text, working together to bring it all together, and reporting their synthesis of the text to the rest of the class. Because of the length of the book and the relevance of its themes, the text is ideal for teaching students both how to participate in a book club successfully and how to use different reading strategies in analyzing a text.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
CI 5441: Alexie Response
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.
Arnold Spirit Jr., or Junior as he is known on the “rez,” is a Spokane Indian who realizes he is being suffocated and trapped by the limited opportunities available to him. Junior’s realization leads him to a difficult decision; he must leave the reservation in order to reach his full potential by attending a white school twenty miles away. The novels follows Junior on his journey of discovery among the white students at his new school—Penelope, his anorexic girlfriend; Gordy, his genius friend and ally; Roger, the star-athlete and Junior’s teammate; and Coach, who has unswerving faith in Junior. While Junior is adjusting to his new relationships he also struggles with the existing ones, the troubled lives of his family and the loss of his friend turned enemy—Rowdy—on the reservation. The book explores general themes of class, race, and power as well as more defined themes such as resilience, death, and success. The book forces us to question hoe we think about these important themes by creating contradictory feelings of hope and dejection. As we follow Junior we learn that things are not as clear-cut as we imagine them to be and that for every up there is also a down, sideways, and every-which-way in between. In the end, Junior learns this for himself and comes to terms with his identity as white, Indian, basketball player, loser, winner, boyfriend, friend, enemy—he is what he is; a part-time Indian, full-time human.
The book is a well-written account of a fourteen-year-old boy who tells his life as it happens, how it happens. The use of a diary and the comical cartoon illustrations help readers identify Junior’s part in creating the text—it’s his story and he is going to tell it how it is. Because Junior’s character comes through the text and medium of the text it is easy for readers to identify his characteristics as a teenager. Junior’s voice also shines through with the breadth of teenage topics he is more than willing to present to the reader; he is not afraid to talk about kissing, masturbation, fighting, swearing, or boners. The major themes of the text themselves are important and Alexie creates a character who faces these difficult themes in his day-to-day life. The variety of issues assures that readers will be able to identify with some aspect of Junior’s life and make a relevant connection with him. I loved this book for its humor and ability to broach difficult subjects in an effective, meaningful way. Alexie invites readers into Junior’s world and doesn’t hold anything back and I appreciated that. I liked going through everything with Junior and reading his thoughts as he faced many things far beyond what any young man should.
I think this book is teachable because it is a captivating and humorous text that deals with many important and relevant issues students will face today: prejudice, classism, racism, power struggles, and self-identity issues. The book places these topics in a modern context that is accessible to students and allows them to see themselves and their own experiences mirrored in a text that they can relate to more easily then canonical texts. I think this text would be a great choice for teaching in a classroom. I think this book would be well-received in literature circles and could be looked at through reader-response, postcolonial, and privilege and social class lenses. Something I think you could really focus on throughout the text is identity; this text would be a great way to have students explore their own identities and discover how many different “tribes” they belong to themselves.
Arnold Spirit Jr., or Junior as he is known on the “rez,” is a Spokane Indian who realizes he is being suffocated and trapped by the limited opportunities available to him. Junior’s realization leads him to a difficult decision; he must leave the reservation in order to reach his full potential by attending a white school twenty miles away. The novels follows Junior on his journey of discovery among the white students at his new school—Penelope, his anorexic girlfriend; Gordy, his genius friend and ally; Roger, the star-athlete and Junior’s teammate; and Coach, who has unswerving faith in Junior. While Junior is adjusting to his new relationships he also struggles with the existing ones, the troubled lives of his family and the loss of his friend turned enemy—Rowdy—on the reservation. The book explores general themes of class, race, and power as well as more defined themes such as resilience, death, and success. The book forces us to question hoe we think about these important themes by creating contradictory feelings of hope and dejection. As we follow Junior we learn that things are not as clear-cut as we imagine them to be and that for every up there is also a down, sideways, and every-which-way in between. In the end, Junior learns this for himself and comes to terms with his identity as white, Indian, basketball player, loser, winner, boyfriend, friend, enemy—he is what he is; a part-time Indian, full-time human.
The book is a well-written account of a fourteen-year-old boy who tells his life as it happens, how it happens. The use of a diary and the comical cartoon illustrations help readers identify Junior’s part in creating the text—it’s his story and he is going to tell it how it is. Because Junior’s character comes through the text and medium of the text it is easy for readers to identify his characteristics as a teenager. Junior’s voice also shines through with the breadth of teenage topics he is more than willing to present to the reader; he is not afraid to talk about kissing, masturbation, fighting, swearing, or boners. The major themes of the text themselves are important and Alexie creates a character who faces these difficult themes in his day-to-day life. The variety of issues assures that readers will be able to identify with some aspect of Junior’s life and make a relevant connection with him. I loved this book for its humor and ability to broach difficult subjects in an effective, meaningful way. Alexie invites readers into Junior’s world and doesn’t hold anything back and I appreciated that. I liked going through everything with Junior and reading his thoughts as he faced many things far beyond what any young man should.
I think this book is teachable because it is a captivating and humorous text that deals with many important and relevant issues students will face today: prejudice, classism, racism, power struggles, and self-identity issues. The book places these topics in a modern context that is accessible to students and allows them to see themselves and their own experiences mirrored in a text that they can relate to more easily then canonical texts. I think this text would be a great choice for teaching in a classroom. I think this book would be well-received in literature circles and could be looked at through reader-response, postcolonial, and privilege and social class lenses. Something I think you could really focus on throughout the text is identity; this text would be a great way to have students explore their own identities and discover how many different “tribes” they belong to themselves.
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