Hobbs, Will. 1998. The Maze. New York: Avon Books, Inc. ISBN: 038072913x.
Will Hobbs’ novel THE MAZE takes a young man into an isolated area of the desert to discover “who he is.” When fourteen year old Rick Walker escapes from Blue Canyon Youth Detention Center, he hides in the back of a pick up truck that takes him deep into the Utah desert. In a remote area of canyon known as “THE MAZE,” Rick finds Lon Peregrino, a mysterious scientist studying California Condors. In the bird biologist, Rick finds a kindred spirit, but trouble soon finds both. When two strangers wander through Lon’s camp, it becomes evident that both the birds and the scientist are in danger. Between studying the condors and learning to fly Lon’s hang glider, Rick has to find a way to stay hidden from anyone looking for him and to keep the endangered condors safe.
Will Hobbs uses impressive settings, detailed research and fast paced sentence structure to heighten the emotion and drama of his novel, THE MAZE. The “labyrinthine series of canyons and spores in Utah’s Canyonlands U.S. National Park calls to mind the maze that imprisoned the mythical Daedalus and his son Icarus—characters that Rick has read about while at Blue Canyon.” (Taxel, 82.) In the book, Lon offers the idea that Daedalus actually built “two devices, very much like modern hang gliders.” (Hobbs, 139.) Lon’s theory is that Icarus actually fell out of the sky after flying into and up a thermal. The reason that this detail sticks with the reader is that the condors use the thermals to carry them far from their canyon home. “Hobbs also effectively develops parallels between Rick’s Efforts to master the intricacies of hang-gliding and the struggles of the young condors to fly.” (Taxel, 82.) The chapters are relatively short and easy to read, which helps keep the pace of the story quick and invigorating.
Hobbs also uses names to advance the characterization of the main characters. For example, condors are usually called by numbers, but one of the condors seems to stick out more than just a little. M4 is a male condor who from the time he hatched was just a little of a “maverick.” Deemed unpredictable, Rick suggested that he be called “Maverick” (Hobbs, 64.) Lon stays that to give birds human names is to assign human traits to a wild animal. It is interesting that Rick is a bit of a maverick as well. Lon Peregrino is another example of a name that holds a clue to the characterization of an important person in the story. When Rick finds a picture of Lon as a young man, but the young man’s name is not what he was given. Lon, it turns out, chose his own name after becoming a bird biologist. He chose to name himself after a peregrine falcon. Peregrine means “traveler.”(Hobbs, 146.) Lon is a hang glider who travels over the land using the same thermals that his feathered subjects do, which can carry him for miles over the landscape.
Reference List:
Hobbs, Will. 1998. The Maze. New York: Avon Books, Inc.
Taxel, Joel. 2002. Review of The Maze. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Vol. 46, issue 1 (Sept): 82.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Topic 3: The Seance By Joan Lowery Nixon
Nixon, Joan Lowery. 1980. The Séance. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2004. Original edition, Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 0152050299.
When a teenage girl disappears from a séance held in another student’s home and later turns up dead, a small East Texas town is stunned. When the student who conducted the séance later turns up murdered it becomes obvious that someone is targeting the entire group of girls who attended. In Joan Lowery Nixon’s THE SÉANCE, one teenage girl must ferret out the murderer before she becomes the next victim. As an orphan Lauren lived with her Aunt Mel in a quiet town on the edge of the Big Thicket. When juvenile delinquent Sara comes to live with them, Lauren takes an instant dislike to her. Sara was pretty and “wore her sweaters and blouses a size too small” (Lowery, 3.). She also snuck out of the house in the middle of the night to meet with boys. Lauren wants to refuse when Sara invites her to attend the séance being held by Roberta, a new girl in school, but when the other girls get together, they convince Lauren to come. From the beginning of the séance, the spooky feelings scare the girls, but it isn’t when the lights go out that the scary part begins. Though the doors and windows are locked from the inside, Sara disappears in the darkness.
Nixon’s writing uses a quick pace that pulls the reader along in a current of images, sounds and emotions. The first person narration by Lauren allows the reader to connect with her. THE SÉANCE is “carefully plotted with fair clues for the readers, but hints that don’t really prepare one for the smash finish.” (Publisher’s Weekly, 78.) Over and over the sheriff questions the girls at the séance and they each deny locking the door behind Sara, so at the end of the book, it is somewhat annoying that the person that connected with you was lying about her role. The hints and clues that are sprinkled throughout the story can cast blame on a lot of people in town, much to amateur detective Lauren’s frustration. Nixon’s expert writing ratchets up the suspense as Lauren becomes more and more paranoid about the members of the small town she lives in.
THE SÉANCE also looks at the relationship between family members, friends and community members. Living with her “forthright, caring, but undemonstrative Aunt Mel,” Lauren was “content with her lot.”(Publisher’s Weekly, 78.) “I didn’t even know that I wanted to be held and loved and caressed until Sara came and drew those feelings from the air and them out in front of me…” thinks Lauren. (Nixon, 47.) Having wished Sara would just disappear, Lauren feels guilty when she turns up murdered. Nixon expertly hits on the confusing mix of emotions that teenage girls often feel as they are growing up and interacting with other girls and the boys they sometimes fight over.
Reference List:
Nixon, Joan Lowery. 1980. The Séance. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2004. Original edition, Harcourt, Inc.
______. 1980. Review of The Séance by Joan Lowery Nixon. Publisher’s Weekly (April 11):78.
When a teenage girl disappears from a séance held in another student’s home and later turns up dead, a small East Texas town is stunned. When the student who conducted the séance later turns up murdered it becomes obvious that someone is targeting the entire group of girls who attended. In Joan Lowery Nixon’s THE SÉANCE, one teenage girl must ferret out the murderer before she becomes the next victim. As an orphan Lauren lived with her Aunt Mel in a quiet town on the edge of the Big Thicket. When juvenile delinquent Sara comes to live with them, Lauren takes an instant dislike to her. Sara was pretty and “wore her sweaters and blouses a size too small” (Lowery, 3.). She also snuck out of the house in the middle of the night to meet with boys. Lauren wants to refuse when Sara invites her to attend the séance being held by Roberta, a new girl in school, but when the other girls get together, they convince Lauren to come. From the beginning of the séance, the spooky feelings scare the girls, but it isn’t when the lights go out that the scary part begins. Though the doors and windows are locked from the inside, Sara disappears in the darkness.
Nixon’s writing uses a quick pace that pulls the reader along in a current of images, sounds and emotions. The first person narration by Lauren allows the reader to connect with her. THE SÉANCE is “carefully plotted with fair clues for the readers, but hints that don’t really prepare one for the smash finish.” (Publisher’s Weekly, 78.) Over and over the sheriff questions the girls at the séance and they each deny locking the door behind Sara, so at the end of the book, it is somewhat annoying that the person that connected with you was lying about her role. The hints and clues that are sprinkled throughout the story can cast blame on a lot of people in town, much to amateur detective Lauren’s frustration. Nixon’s expert writing ratchets up the suspense as Lauren becomes more and more paranoid about the members of the small town she lives in.
THE SÉANCE also looks at the relationship between family members, friends and community members. Living with her “forthright, caring, but undemonstrative Aunt Mel,” Lauren was “content with her lot.”(Publisher’s Weekly, 78.) “I didn’t even know that I wanted to be held and loved and caressed until Sara came and drew those feelings from the air and them out in front of me…” thinks Lauren. (Nixon, 47.) Having wished Sara would just disappear, Lauren feels guilty when she turns up murdered. Nixon expertly hits on the confusing mix of emotions that teenage girls often feel as they are growing up and interacting with other girls and the boys they sometimes fight over.
Reference List:
Nixon, Joan Lowery. 1980. The Séance. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2004. Original edition, Harcourt, Inc.
______. 1980. Review of The Séance by Joan Lowery Nixon. Publisher’s Weekly (April 11):78.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Topic 3: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Crutcher, Chris. Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1993. ISBN: 0688115527.
Chris Crutcher’s STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES is a story about friendship, secrets, revenge and ultimate betrayals. Eric “Moby” Calhoune is worried about his friend Sarah Byrnes who has slipped into a catatonic-like state, refusing to respond to anyone. He sets out to pull her through this, whatever might have caused her to cut herself off from her friends. With the help of a teammate and a former enemy, Moby begins to piece together the enigma of Sarah Byrnes, “terminal ugly” and all out tough girl. Moby also faces a more personal challenge in the form of Jody Mueller, a girl he has liked for years, but also the girlfriend of his swim teammate and rival, Mark Bishop. Secrets and lies unfurl in this story to end with betrayals and hard lessons of personal accountability.
Though Crutcher’s story is told through the eyes of a teenage boy, the adults in the story are in no way bystanders. The actions that are taken by the teens are influenced in major ways by the adults they come into contact with. It is because of her father that Sarah Byrnes is in the psychiatric ward. “I started having dreams about the stove. He my face against it, Eric…I got the same feeling I had that day he burned me, and I decided if I had the feeling it was probably right.” (Crutcher, 145.) Moby’s Contemporary American Thought teacher, Mrs. Lemry, lays her life and career on the line to take Sarah Byrnes in after the girl runs from the hospital and helps her track down her mother. Moby’s stepfather steps up in an unexpected way at the conclusion of the book to keep the teenagers safe from Mr. Byrnes.
Crutcher’s story, told straight forward, pulls the reader farther in until there is no putting the book down until the puzzle is complete. Moments of hilarity are mixed with sadness and sometimes horror at the actions of characters. Crutcher’s “strong themes of friendship and tolerance are intertwined in a skillfully developed plot replete with realistic, complex characters.” (Makowski, 39). The wit of the main characters and the sheer toughness of Sarah Byrnes encourage the reader to root for the underdog. “The self-deprecating humor of Moby's narrative and the high drama of the classroom scenes (some of the best of the book) keep the reader involved in the compelling issues that drive the plot to its conclusion.” (Makowski, 39). The end of the story is touching, optimistic and, yes, a touch predictable. But as Moby says, “Part of me wishes life were more predictable and part of me is excited that it’s not.” (Crutcher, 295.)
Reference List:
Makowski, Marilyn. Review of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Book Report Vol. 12 Issue 1 (May/Jun 1993), 39.
Crutcher, Chris. Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1993. 145.
Crutcher, 295.
Crutcher, Chris. Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1993. ISBN: 0688115527.
Chris Crutcher’s STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES is a story about friendship, secrets, revenge and ultimate betrayals. Eric “Moby” Calhoune is worried about his friend Sarah Byrnes who has slipped into a catatonic-like state, refusing to respond to anyone. He sets out to pull her through this, whatever might have caused her to cut herself off from her friends. With the help of a teammate and a former enemy, Moby begins to piece together the enigma of Sarah Byrnes, “terminal ugly” and all out tough girl. Moby also faces a more personal challenge in the form of Jody Mueller, a girl he has liked for years, but also the girlfriend of his swim teammate and rival, Mark Bishop. Secrets and lies unfurl in this story to end with betrayals and hard lessons of personal accountability.
Though Crutcher’s story is told through the eyes of a teenage boy, the adults in the story are in no way bystanders. The actions that are taken by the teens are influenced in major ways by the adults they come into contact with. It is because of her father that Sarah Byrnes is in the psychiatric ward. “I started having dreams about the stove. He my face against it, Eric…I got the same feeling I had that day he burned me, and I decided if I had the feeling it was probably right.” (Crutcher, 145.) Moby’s Contemporary American Thought teacher, Mrs. Lemry, lays her life and career on the line to take Sarah Byrnes in after the girl runs from the hospital and helps her track down her mother. Moby’s stepfather steps up in an unexpected way at the conclusion of the book to keep the teenagers safe from Mr. Byrnes.
Crutcher’s story, told straight forward, pulls the reader farther in until there is no putting the book down until the puzzle is complete. Moments of hilarity are mixed with sadness and sometimes horror at the actions of characters. Crutcher’s “strong themes of friendship and tolerance are intertwined in a skillfully developed plot replete with realistic, complex characters.” (Makowski, 39). The wit of the main characters and the sheer toughness of Sarah Byrnes encourage the reader to root for the underdog. “The self-deprecating humor of Moby's narrative and the high drama of the classroom scenes (some of the best of the book) keep the reader involved in the compelling issues that drive the plot to its conclusion.” (Makowski, 39). The end of the story is touching, optimistic and, yes, a touch predictable. But as Moby says, “Part of me wishes life were more predictable and part of me is excited that it’s not.” (Crutcher, 295.)
Reference List:
Makowski, Marilyn. Review of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Book Report Vol. 12 Issue 1 (May/Jun 1993), 39.
Crutcher, Chris. Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1993. 145.
Crutcher, 295.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Topic 2 Whistle Me Home by Barbara Wersba
Wersba, Barbara. 1997. Whistle Me Home. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 0805048502.
In Barbara Wersba’s WHISTLE ME HOME, sexual identity plays an important role in the relationship between Noli, a 17-year-old tomboy, and TJ, a handsome new student in her English class. Told in a long flashback, Wersba’s story chronicles a complicated relationship and how it comes to a traumatic end. The insecure Noli is flattered when the much sought after TJ asks her out. TJ encourages Noli to dress rather boyishly even when she would rather wear a dress. As the pair spend more and more time together, Noli realizes that she is falling in love with TJ, and though she thinks that he is falling in love with her, she is not quite sure how he feels. Over the course of the school year, Noli’s drinking problem becomes more and more evident, as does her suspicion that something is not quite what it seems with TJ. When finally, TJ admits that he is gay, Noli lashes out at him with a fury she has not exhibited before.
Full of complicated relationships and a thin haze of alcohol, the novel is honest and sincere. Both Noli and TJ are cut off from their parents. Noli drinks to cover her separateness and is actually half-drunk through the novel. It is obvious that TJ is using Noli to beard his homosexuality from his parents. Noli’s relationship with her girlfriends falls away as she entangles in TJ. Without any overt symbolism, Wersba shows how a person’s real emotions are hidden behind the way they portray themselves to others. TJ tells Noli that he loves her, and in his way, he does, but he never actually shows Noli who he really is and leading to that explosive scene. Noli hides insecurity by wearing what TJ wants her to wear. Wersba says this about Noli’s relationship with her parents, “But she and her parents are estranged. This estrangement comes from many things, but mostly it comes from the fact that the three of them never communicate.” (Wersba, 24.)
The novel is written in the present tense which adds a strange urgency to the story. The novel is written in such a way that the reader can see the train wreck as it is coming. According to Ilene Cooper of Booklist, the book only has a few problems. One of these is the “perfectly perfect” TJ, though Cooper softens her complaint with the rationalization that his perfect-ness is simply as a picture of “how he’s reflected in Noli’s eyes.”(Cooper, 1331.) The other glaring problem is one that I noticed as well. Noli has a recurring dream where she is lost in the city. This dream is brought up several times, but Noli never really addresses or considers it for long. Cooper called it “more irritating than illuminating.” (Cooper, 1331.) The final time that the dream is mentioned Noli says, “I need to go home” and the dream changes so that she can finally go home. (Wersba, 107.) Tying it up so neatly without allowing Noli to explain what she thinks about it makes one wonder why she didn’t say that the first time.
Reference List:
Cooper, Ilene. 1997. Review of Whistle Me Home by Barabra Wersba. Booklist (April 1):1331.
Wersba, Barbara. 1997. Whistle Me Home. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
In Barbara Wersba’s WHISTLE ME HOME, sexual identity plays an important role in the relationship between Noli, a 17-year-old tomboy, and TJ, a handsome new student in her English class. Told in a long flashback, Wersba’s story chronicles a complicated relationship and how it comes to a traumatic end. The insecure Noli is flattered when the much sought after TJ asks her out. TJ encourages Noli to dress rather boyishly even when she would rather wear a dress. As the pair spend more and more time together, Noli realizes that she is falling in love with TJ, and though she thinks that he is falling in love with her, she is not quite sure how he feels. Over the course of the school year, Noli’s drinking problem becomes more and more evident, as does her suspicion that something is not quite what it seems with TJ. When finally, TJ admits that he is gay, Noli lashes out at him with a fury she has not exhibited before.
Full of complicated relationships and a thin haze of alcohol, the novel is honest and sincere. Both Noli and TJ are cut off from their parents. Noli drinks to cover her separateness and is actually half-drunk through the novel. It is obvious that TJ is using Noli to beard his homosexuality from his parents. Noli’s relationship with her girlfriends falls away as she entangles in TJ. Without any overt symbolism, Wersba shows how a person’s real emotions are hidden behind the way they portray themselves to others. TJ tells Noli that he loves her, and in his way, he does, but he never actually shows Noli who he really is and leading to that explosive scene. Noli hides insecurity by wearing what TJ wants her to wear. Wersba says this about Noli’s relationship with her parents, “But she and her parents are estranged. This estrangement comes from many things, but mostly it comes from the fact that the three of them never communicate.” (Wersba, 24.)
The novel is written in the present tense which adds a strange urgency to the story. The novel is written in such a way that the reader can see the train wreck as it is coming. According to Ilene Cooper of Booklist, the book only has a few problems. One of these is the “perfectly perfect” TJ, though Cooper softens her complaint with the rationalization that his perfect-ness is simply as a picture of “how he’s reflected in Noli’s eyes.”(Cooper, 1331.) The other glaring problem is one that I noticed as well. Noli has a recurring dream where she is lost in the city. This dream is brought up several times, but Noli never really addresses or considers it for long. Cooper called it “more irritating than illuminating.” (Cooper, 1331.) The final time that the dream is mentioned Noli says, “I need to go home” and the dream changes so that she can finally go home. (Wersba, 107.) Tying it up so neatly without allowing Noli to explain what she thinks about it makes one wonder why she didn’t say that the first time.
Reference List:
Cooper, Ilene. 1997. Review of Whistle Me Home by Barabra Wersba. Booklist (April 1):1331.
Wersba, Barbara. 1997. Whistle Me Home. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Topic 2: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Rennison, Louise. 1999. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicholson. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 0060288140.
Louise Rennison’s ANGUS, THONGS AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING is a hilarious version of a typical teenage girl’s diary. The entries in Georgia Nicholson’s diary provide sometimes humorous insights into the girl’s life. Full of British-isms that the main character, Georgia Nicholson explains in her witty teenage way in an appendix at the rear of the book. Her best friend falls for the son of the local grocer, and Georgia falls hard for his brother, Robbie, the “Sex God.” Between trailing her crush’s girlfriend and dealing with her baby sister’s nasty habit of peeing in Georgia’s bed, the teenager has to explore parents’ relationship, her best friend’s rocky romance and her own self-esteem. The thing about Rennison’s book is the fact that though Georgia is British, her life experiences are so seemingly universal. “In typical teen manner, Georgia lives in her own world; she thinks she is ugly, is convinced that her parents are weird, positively abhors schoolwork, and has a deep desire to be beautiful and older.” (Reynolds, .)
Issues that parents would consider to be pretty serious, like bullying and shoplifting are dealt with in an easy, amusing way that does not result in a lecture. Georgia’s parents are seemingly out of touch with their older daughter who winds up shaving her eyebrows off just weeks before school begins. Written diary style, Georgia’s entries vary by minutes in some cases which help Rennison ratchet up the hilarity in many instances. Rennison’s book is a young adult companion to Helen Fielding’s adult novel, Bridget Jones’ Diary, which introduced the American public to a strong, truly strange, yet charming British lass. Rennison’s book is written in such an easy style that is possible to read the book in a day or hours. Adults who liked Bridget will most likely enjoy Georgia and students who have read about Georgia will likely enjoy Bridget.
Reference List:
Reynolds, Angela J. 2000. Review of Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicholson by Louise Rennison. School Library Journal. Vol. 46, Issue 7, (Jul).
Louise Rennison’s ANGUS, THONGS AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING is a hilarious version of a typical teenage girl’s diary. The entries in Georgia Nicholson’s diary provide sometimes humorous insights into the girl’s life. Full of British-isms that the main character, Georgia Nicholson explains in her witty teenage way in an appendix at the rear of the book. Her best friend falls for the son of the local grocer, and Georgia falls hard for his brother, Robbie, the “Sex God.” Between trailing her crush’s girlfriend and dealing with her baby sister’s nasty habit of peeing in Georgia’s bed, the teenager has to explore parents’ relationship, her best friend’s rocky romance and her own self-esteem. The thing about Rennison’s book is the fact that though Georgia is British, her life experiences are so seemingly universal. “In typical teen manner, Georgia lives in her own world; she thinks she is ugly, is convinced that her parents are weird, positively abhors schoolwork, and has a deep desire to be beautiful and older.” (Reynolds, .)
Issues that parents would consider to be pretty serious, like bullying and shoplifting are dealt with in an easy, amusing way that does not result in a lecture. Georgia’s parents are seemingly out of touch with their older daughter who winds up shaving her eyebrows off just weeks before school begins. Written diary style, Georgia’s entries vary by minutes in some cases which help Rennison ratchet up the hilarity in many instances. Rennison’s book is a young adult companion to Helen Fielding’s adult novel, Bridget Jones’ Diary, which introduced the American public to a strong, truly strange, yet charming British lass. Rennison’s book is written in such an easy style that is possible to read the book in a day or hours. Adults who liked Bridget will most likely enjoy Georgia and students who have read about Georgia will likely enjoy Bridget.
Reference List:
Reynolds, Angela J. 2000. Review of Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicholson by Louise Rennison. School Library Journal. Vol. 46, Issue 7, (Jul).
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Topic 2: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1999. ISBN: 0374371520.
SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson is a delightfully frank book that hits on several issues that teenagers may have to face. Something horrible happened to Melinda Sordino at a high school party the summer before her freshman year. Her friends refuse to speak to her because she called the police. She enters high school in a pelting of jabs and isolating silence. Trying to stay silent has cut Melinda off from her friends and is cutting her off from her parents, and sometimes even from herself. The poignancy of the story stems from the fact that she has to decide whether to speak up or remain silent perhaps at the cost of her sanity.
Though the title holds the sound of a command, silence is what meets most of the adults in the story. With the exception of her art teacher and a few chosen students, Melinda remains locked in silence. “Her silence, while extreme, is emblematic of the silence that often afflicts girls--particularly middle class girls--as they enter adolescence and the comparatively impersonal, competitive atmosphere of secondary school.” (Smith, 585). Melinda’s art project involves a tree and her efforts to perfect her drawings and sculpture seems almost a symbolic effort she is making to perfect herself by erasing the past things that have happened.
Anderson’s SPEAK has Melinda navigating her way through a choppy sea of uncaring teachers, down-right mean students, competitive sports, and a possible blooming of romance. The matter-of-factness about the story-telling allows the reader to relate to a young woman in deep pain without passing judgment on her. The sometimes choppy dialogue and caustic wit of the main character drive the story forward, sounding altogether genuine. “Melinda's acerbic commentary on school, the behavior of her former friends, and family dynamics, is used to confirm the young teenager's mastery of a lucid and critical discourse… that helps her maintain her sanity in the face of overwhelming pressures.” (Smith, 587).
References:
Smith, Sally. Review of Speak. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy Vol. 43, Issue 6
(March 2000), 585-588.
SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson is a delightfully frank book that hits on several issues that teenagers may have to face. Something horrible happened to Melinda Sordino at a high school party the summer before her freshman year. Her friends refuse to speak to her because she called the police. She enters high school in a pelting of jabs and isolating silence. Trying to stay silent has cut Melinda off from her friends and is cutting her off from her parents, and sometimes even from herself. The poignancy of the story stems from the fact that she has to decide whether to speak up or remain silent perhaps at the cost of her sanity.
Though the title holds the sound of a command, silence is what meets most of the adults in the story. With the exception of her art teacher and a few chosen students, Melinda remains locked in silence. “Her silence, while extreme, is emblematic of the silence that often afflicts girls--particularly middle class girls--as they enter adolescence and the comparatively impersonal, competitive atmosphere of secondary school.” (Smith, 585). Melinda’s art project involves a tree and her efforts to perfect her drawings and sculpture seems almost a symbolic effort she is making to perfect herself by erasing the past things that have happened.
Anderson’s SPEAK has Melinda navigating her way through a choppy sea of uncaring teachers, down-right mean students, competitive sports, and a possible blooming of romance. The matter-of-factness about the story-telling allows the reader to relate to a young woman in deep pain without passing judgment on her. The sometimes choppy dialogue and caustic wit of the main character drive the story forward, sounding altogether genuine. “Melinda's acerbic commentary on school, the behavior of her former friends, and family dynamics, is used to confirm the young teenager's mastery of a lucid and critical discourse… that helps her maintain her sanity in the face of overwhelming pressures.” (Smith, 587).
References:
Smith, Sally. Review of Speak. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy Vol. 43, Issue 6
(March 2000), 585-588.
Topic 2: The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier
Cormier, Robert. 2001. The Rag and Bone Shop. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN: 0385729262.
Robert Cormier’s last book, published post-humously, THE RAG AND BONE SHOP explores the fine line between truth and lie. When a seven-year-old girl is murdered and the only suspect the police have in custody will not confess, the police bring in a special interrogator. The interrogator is a man with a reputation of getting the confession out the most difficult suspects. The conversation that ensues between Trent, the interrogator and Jason, the twelve-year-old suspect is ominous and disturbing because the reader is almost certain that the boy is innocent, but not quite totally convinced. The jaded interrogator manages finally to get his confession but a horrible revelation at the end of the interrogation completely upturns his world. The end of the story is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the story. At the conclusion of the story, the young boy questions not only his integrity, but whether simply thinking he could have done that means that he could now.
Cormier was a master story spinner and this story is no different. The writing is tight and concise and draws the reader in with imagery and sound. “The interview between Trent and Jason evolves into a taut, sinister mind game as the interrogation expert twists the boy's thoughts and manipulates his words.” (Roback, .) Cormier’s dialogue between the interrogator and the suspect is bare bones and compelling. The reader is pushed along, willing Jason to resist Trent and to ask for his parents or a lawyer. Soon the reader is as caught up in the interrogation as the boy, questioning themselves and reality. The final scene is the most terrible and heartbreaking scene of the story. “The cat-and-mouse game between experience and innocence is far more compellingly played out in I Am the Cheese and After the First Death.” (Sutton, 743.) Cormier has a knack of writing about choices that people, both young and old, had to make, and then exploring the results of those decisions. His work often makes the reader question how they would react to a similar situation.
Reference List:
Roback, Dianne, Jennifer M.Brown, Jason Britton, and Jeff Zaleski. 2001. Review of The Rag and Bone Shop, by Robert Cormier. Publisher’s Weekly vol. 248, issue 42 (15 October).
Sutton, Roger. 2001. Review of The Rag and Bone Shop, by Robert Cormier. Horn Book Magazine vol. 77, issue 6 (Nov/Dec): 743.
Robert Cormier’s last book, published post-humously, THE RAG AND BONE SHOP explores the fine line between truth and lie. When a seven-year-old girl is murdered and the only suspect the police have in custody will not confess, the police bring in a special interrogator. The interrogator is a man with a reputation of getting the confession out the most difficult suspects. The conversation that ensues between Trent, the interrogator and Jason, the twelve-year-old suspect is ominous and disturbing because the reader is almost certain that the boy is innocent, but not quite totally convinced. The jaded interrogator manages finally to get his confession but a horrible revelation at the end of the interrogation completely upturns his world. The end of the story is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the story. At the conclusion of the story, the young boy questions not only his integrity, but whether simply thinking he could have done that means that he could now.
Cormier was a master story spinner and this story is no different. The writing is tight and concise and draws the reader in with imagery and sound. “The interview between Trent and Jason evolves into a taut, sinister mind game as the interrogation expert twists the boy's thoughts and manipulates his words.” (Roback, .) Cormier’s dialogue between the interrogator and the suspect is bare bones and compelling. The reader is pushed along, willing Jason to resist Trent and to ask for his parents or a lawyer. Soon the reader is as caught up in the interrogation as the boy, questioning themselves and reality. The final scene is the most terrible and heartbreaking scene of the story. “The cat-and-mouse game between experience and innocence is far more compellingly played out in I Am the Cheese and After the First Death.” (Sutton, 743.) Cormier has a knack of writing about choices that people, both young and old, had to make, and then exploring the results of those decisions. His work often makes the reader question how they would react to a similar situation.
Reference List:
Roback, Dianne, Jennifer M.Brown, Jason Britton, and Jeff Zaleski. 2001. Review of The Rag and Bone Shop, by Robert Cormier. Publisher’s Weekly vol. 248, issue 42 (15 October).
Sutton, Roger. 2001. Review of The Rag and Bone Shop, by Robert Cormier. Horn Book Magazine vol. 77, issue 6 (Nov/Dec): 743.
Monday, September 13, 2004
Topic 1: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
The Outsiders
Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. New York: Puffin Books, 1997. ISBN: 014038572x.
When S. E. Hinton wrote THE OUTSIDERS, she created a cast of characters so realistically complex, the reader roots for “hoodlums.” The life that her main characters, Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, have lived has not been ideal. Ponyboy lives with his brothers, Darryl and Soda Pop, one a former jock and the other a gas station attendant. Johnny’s parents are always fighting and neither ever notice that he slips out of his house. The bright spot in the boys’ lives are the guys they hang out with: Steve Randle, Two-Bit Mathews, the Curtis Brothers and Dallas Winston. Where Ponyboy’s friends are poor, the rival gang known as the Socs, are rich boys in fancy cars. When Pony and Johnny meet Cherry Valance, the girlfriend of the leader of the Socs’, the tensions between the two factions begins to boil. Hinton’s story takes a dramatic turn with a vivid, heart-pounding scene where things go too far, so far that it ends in murder. “The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.” (Amazon.com) But the story for Ponyboy and Johnny does not end there. While in hiding, Johnny and Ponyboy teach each other about life, growing up and the contradictions in oneself.
Hinton’s story looks at friendship, change, loyalty and the meaning of true heroism. Though the story was written over thirty years ago, the compelling relationships between Ponyboy and those around him still draw readers in. The language Hinton used to create these connections was authentic and honest. The effect is a naïve, yet surprisingly jaded main character/narrator. A mix of loss and hope, the story juxtaposes the hope of Ponyboy with the hopelessness of Dally Winston. Ponyboy’s hope lies in the story that he has written and shares first with his “English teacher.” (Hinton, 180.) Dally, on the other hand, loses his hope at the moment Johnny dies, and he falls prey to his despair.
Ultimately Hinton shows that though the main characters are “hoodlums,” they are not without goodness or deep felt emotions. This book is considered a “classic” (Amazon.com) and still offers readers an opportunity to put themselves in the place of young men and women that they might not have had a chance to meet in their lives.
Reference list:
Amazon.com. 2004. “Review of The Outsiders.”Available at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/014038572X/103-7648602-2759857. Last Accessed 12 September 2004.
Hinton, S. E. 1967, 1995. The Outsiders. New York:Viking Books; Penguin Books, 1997.
Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. New York: Puffin Books, 1997. ISBN: 014038572x.
When S. E. Hinton wrote THE OUTSIDERS, she created a cast of characters so realistically complex, the reader roots for “hoodlums.” The life that her main characters, Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, have lived has not been ideal. Ponyboy lives with his brothers, Darryl and Soda Pop, one a former jock and the other a gas station attendant. Johnny’s parents are always fighting and neither ever notice that he slips out of his house. The bright spot in the boys’ lives are the guys they hang out with: Steve Randle, Two-Bit Mathews, the Curtis Brothers and Dallas Winston. Where Ponyboy’s friends are poor, the rival gang known as the Socs, are rich boys in fancy cars. When Pony and Johnny meet Cherry Valance, the girlfriend of the leader of the Socs’, the tensions between the two factions begins to boil. Hinton’s story takes a dramatic turn with a vivid, heart-pounding scene where things go too far, so far that it ends in murder. “The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.” (Amazon.com) But the story for Ponyboy and Johnny does not end there. While in hiding, Johnny and Ponyboy teach each other about life, growing up and the contradictions in oneself.
Hinton’s story looks at friendship, change, loyalty and the meaning of true heroism. Though the story was written over thirty years ago, the compelling relationships between Ponyboy and those around him still draw readers in. The language Hinton used to create these connections was authentic and honest. The effect is a naïve, yet surprisingly jaded main character/narrator. A mix of loss and hope, the story juxtaposes the hope of Ponyboy with the hopelessness of Dally Winston. Ponyboy’s hope lies in the story that he has written and shares first with his “English teacher.” (Hinton, 180.) Dally, on the other hand, loses his hope at the moment Johnny dies, and he falls prey to his despair.
Ultimately Hinton shows that though the main characters are “hoodlums,” they are not without goodness or deep felt emotions. This book is considered a “classic” (Amazon.com) and still offers readers an opportunity to put themselves in the place of young men and women that they might not have had a chance to meet in their lives.
Reference list:
Amazon.com. 2004. “Review of The Outsiders.”Available at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/014038572X/103-7648602-2759857. Last Accessed 12 September 2004.
Hinton, S. E. 1967, 1995. The Outsiders. New York:Viking Books; Penguin Books, 1997.
Monday, September 06, 2004
Topic 1: A Step From Heaven By An Na
A Step From Heaven
Na, An. A Step From Heaven. Asheville, North Carolina: Front Street, 2001. ISBN: 1886910588.
A STEP FROM HEAVEN by An Na, is a story of dashed dreams and redeeming hope. The main character is only four years old when the story begins, and ages fourteen years. Young Ju Park is girl of dreams when she moved to Mi Gook with her Uhmma and Apa. Once in America (Mi Gook) Young’s mother gives birth to Joon Ho, her brother. As Young grows she contends with the traditional roles from Korea as they collide with her new American dream. Though she wants desperately for her father to love her, he sinks further into disillusionment and drunken despair and violence. Her mother tries to help shield the children from the beatings, but she, too, is trapped. Young learns to be strong and to never let go of her family and of hope.
A STEP FROM HEAVEN is a story that begins with the short choppy dialogue of a young child to the opinions and words of a teenager. Korean words are sprinkled into the story along with the “sounded-out” words of an immigrant. The effect of Na’s storytelling creates vignettes with the “intimacy of snapshots.”(Brabander, 2001). As Young Ju grows up, her dreams change, but she discovers that strength comes in surprising ways. “Throughout the novel, images of reaching and dreaming poignantly convey the young narrator's desire to survive her father's brutality and its devastating effect on her family.” (Brabander, 2001). An Na’s touching story earned the American Library Association’s Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature.
Reference List:
Brabander, Jennifer M. Review of A Step From Heaven, by An Na. Horn Book
Magazine Vol. 77, Issue 4 (July/Aug 2001): 458.
Na, An. A Step From Heaven. Asheville, North Carolina: Front Street, 2001. ISBN: 1886910588.
A STEP FROM HEAVEN by An Na, is a story of dashed dreams and redeeming hope. The main character is only four years old when the story begins, and ages fourteen years. Young Ju Park is girl of dreams when she moved to Mi Gook with her Uhmma and Apa. Once in America (Mi Gook) Young’s mother gives birth to Joon Ho, her brother. As Young grows she contends with the traditional roles from Korea as they collide with her new American dream. Though she wants desperately for her father to love her, he sinks further into disillusionment and drunken despair and violence. Her mother tries to help shield the children from the beatings, but she, too, is trapped. Young learns to be strong and to never let go of her family and of hope.
A STEP FROM HEAVEN is a story that begins with the short choppy dialogue of a young child to the opinions and words of a teenager. Korean words are sprinkled into the story along with the “sounded-out” words of an immigrant. The effect of Na’s storytelling creates vignettes with the “intimacy of snapshots.”(Brabander, 2001). As Young Ju grows up, her dreams change, but she discovers that strength comes in surprising ways. “Throughout the novel, images of reaching and dreaming poignantly convey the young narrator's desire to survive her father's brutality and its devastating effect on her family.” (Brabander, 2001). An Na’s touching story earned the American Library Association’s Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature.
Reference List:
Brabander, Jennifer M. Review of A Step From Heaven, by An Na. Horn Book
Magazine Vol. 77, Issue 4 (July/Aug 2001): 458.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Topic 1: The Moved Outers by Florence Crannell Means
Means, Florence Crannell. THE MOVED-OUTERS. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1945.
THE MOVED-OUTERS by Florence Cannell Means relates the experiences of Sumiko “Sue” Ohara and her family after they are “relocated” following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Sue’s father is taken into custody by the FBI, her sisters are away at school and one of her two brothers is in the army in Italy. With her mother and brother Kim, Sue faces the uncertain future first in the Santa Anita relocation camp. Determined to be of use, Sue has to face her swirling emotions, those of the “moved-outers” in the camp and with the “good” Americans on the outside.
Love and friendships are tested in this story of a confusing and frightening time in American history. Means' conviction that "all men are brothers." (Morad, 127). The images are vivid and provide "details of the daily existance...the lack of privacy, the disillusionment, [and] the physical restrictions." (Morad, 127). The story is not all bad, because Means also paints a portrait of a young woman with all the luxuries usually taken for granted stripped from her, but who still finds a purpose in working with the young children around her.
The readability of this story allows younger teens to comprehend the story, but does not take away from the humanity of the people trying desperately to survive in a country that had turned on its citizens. THE MOVED-OUTERS was published in February, 1945, which made it available seven months before the end of the war with Japan. It did not receive the “readership or visibility it deserved” because it was published when anti-Japanese feelings were rampant, either because of the war or simply racial bias. (Morad, 132). Means talked with interred Japanese-Americans at the Amache Relocation Camp near her Colorado home.
Reference List:
Morad, Deborah J. 1999. Children’s Literature Review. Vol.56. Boston: Gale Group,127.
Ibid., 131-132.
BY KELLY HALL
THE MOVED-OUTERS by Florence Cannell Means relates the experiences of Sumiko “Sue” Ohara and her family after they are “relocated” following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Sue’s father is taken into custody by the FBI, her sisters are away at school and one of her two brothers is in the army in Italy. With her mother and brother Kim, Sue faces the uncertain future first in the Santa Anita relocation camp. Determined to be of use, Sue has to face her swirling emotions, those of the “moved-outers” in the camp and with the “good” Americans on the outside.
Love and friendships are tested in this story of a confusing and frightening time in American history. Means' conviction that "all men are brothers." (Morad, 127). The images are vivid and provide "details of the daily existance...the lack of privacy, the disillusionment, [and] the physical restrictions." (Morad, 127). The story is not all bad, because Means also paints a portrait of a young woman with all the luxuries usually taken for granted stripped from her, but who still finds a purpose in working with the young children around her.
The readability of this story allows younger teens to comprehend the story, but does not take away from the humanity of the people trying desperately to survive in a country that had turned on its citizens. THE MOVED-OUTERS was published in February, 1945, which made it available seven months before the end of the war with Japan. It did not receive the “readership or visibility it deserved” because it was published when anti-Japanese feelings were rampant, either because of the war or simply racial bias. (Morad, 132). Means talked with interred Japanese-Americans at the Amache Relocation Camp near her Colorado home.
Reference List:
Morad, Deborah J. 1999. Children’s Literature Review. Vol.56. Boston: Gale Group,127.
Ibid., 131-132.
BY KELLY HALL
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