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

I pretty much devoured this book.  I finished it less than 48 hours after I finished The Postman, reading until I fell asleep, reading while my little one napped, any moment I could squeeze in a few pages.  In fact, this afternoon I was finishing the last page when G woke up from her nap.

I'd heard a lot about this book, of course.  It's been banned from schools and libraries across the country for it's perceived controversial content.  I'm always interested in banned books and often choose to read them simply to be contrary.  Needless to say, this one has been on my list for awhile.

Incidentally, I learned (or relearned) a word when I was doing a little Wikipedia research after I finished the book: bildungsroman is a word from literary criticism that refers to a novel of education or formation.  In other words, a coming-of-age story.  I think I knew that, somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain, but unfortunately I'm reaching that age when I have to forget something before I can learn something new.

The narrator of this book is Arnold Spirit, Jr.  Most people just call him Junior.  Arnold lives on the rez (the Spokane Indian Reservation) with his alcoholic father, his depressed mother, and his reclusive older sister.  One day in the middle of math class, something happens that makes Arnold realize that he simply MUST get off the rez, no matter what.  So he asks his parents to transfer him to the white high school 22 miles away.  In the process, he loses his best friend, faces multiple tragedies, and becomes a starting freshman on the basketball team.

Much of this book is autobiographical.  In fact, Sherman Alexie used a portion of a memoir he was writing as the basis of the book.  It's filled with ugly, traumatic events (death, violence, racism) and plenty of sexuality and language (it's narrated by a 14 year old boy - duh).  It's also hopeful.  And it's a vital story, one which young people need to be able to access.  It will ring true for many young people who have continued to fight in the face of insurmountable obstacles.

One very neat thing about the book is the illustrations.  Arnold reads and draws comics to escape, to vent his frustrations, and to hang on to hope.  The book includes 65 comics drawn by Ellen Forney (thanks, Wikipedia, for the info!) which contribute to Arnold's story.

Pages: 230
Find it on Amazon!

Essential Books for Teens and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

A Tweet from @MacKidsBooks via @halseanderson led me to an Amazon list of Essential Books for Teens. What a cool list, even if there are so many I would add. :) I still haven't finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak because it's just so sad, but it is without a doubt one of the most well-written stories I've ever seen. I loved The Giver by Lois Lowry and have always encouraged my students (and friends, and family, and complete strangers in the bookstore) to read it whenever possible. I blogged about Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green back in February, and was beyond excited to see a few of my more mature students reading it (and passing it around, recommending it to friends!!) toward the end of the school year. I read and blogged about The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman waaaaay back at the beginning of 2008 when book blogging was still sort of new and my opinions were young and unformed. I don't entirely disagree with everything I wrote, but I think I would write something entirely different today. I own Crank by Ellen Hopkins and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (both of whom I follow on Twitter) and will be reading their books soon. All in all a convincing list.

At any rate, while I was checking out the Essential Books for Teens, I discovered a link to Inheritance by Christopher Paolini. I was deeply conflicted! My bookavore heart leapt with joy at the sight of the familiar cover layout, the pretty green color, and the idea of another book from such a talented author. Then my heart sank: I'm going to have to reread Eragon and Eldest, because it's been so long that I've forgotten them, and then I'm going to have to finally get my hands on Brisingr and read it. I'm not sure why I haven't read it yet, other than the backlog of books I mentioned here. But now, surely, I'll have to!

#YASaves

I am a Twitterer. Because I am a teacher, my tweets remain private. But when I checked the twitterverse this morning, and read my friend Lindsey's blog post titled #YASaves, I knew I had to respond.

Apparently, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about a mom who went into a Barnes & Noble to buy a book for her 13 year old daughter. She couldn't find anything because of the focus on “vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff”. She left, disheartened, and subsequently complained to the media about her experience!

The article went on to say that 40 years ago there was no YA literature, so society (parents? teachers? readers?) didn't have to contend with it. I guess that means that when children outgrew books written for very young people, they had to move directly into reading novels written for an adult audience. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger comes to mind. If we are objecting to books on the basis of depravity, foul language, and adult themes, then I would think that this book DEFINITELY deserves our objections. Lord of the Flies by William Golding has a descent into madness, mob rule, and murder. Yet it is required reading in 9th grade in many of the schools in our area.

I emphatically oppose book censorship. When I was in high school, I participated in a formal review of The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. In my presentation to the library committee, I explained that I felt that the book's sexual content was too mature for a high school class. In my opinion, the book should not have been required reading for a class, complete with weeks of in class discussion. However, I was careful to maintain, even then, that I did NOT advocate that the book be banned. It wasn't inappropriate for all students, it wasn't even necessarily something that shouldn't be read in a school setting. However, students, together with their parents, should have had the choice to read or not read on an individual basis. I was advocating for choice, for discretion, not for censorship.

My husband just reminded me of our eighth grade language arts teacher, who was near retirement when we had her. (Yes, I knew my husband in middle school...) She was a wonderful teacher, and she encouraged our class to read books by Lois Duncan. I Know What You Did Last Summer is filled with dark themes, but our teacher encouraged us to read it (if we wanted). That led me to Caroline B. Cooney's The Face on the Milk Carton, The Voice on the Radio, and Whatever Happened to Janie?, all of which tell the story of child taken from her home and raised as someone else's daughter. It's been years (15? Yes. 15 years.) since I read them, but I remember them being dark...and fascinating!

I had a very serene, safe, happy childhood and adolescence. I was a good girl, very shy, reserved, and academic. I couldn't related directly to the darkness that consumes some characters in YA books. However, I had a friend in eighth grade who would call me late at night and tell me about the gun on the shelf in his closet. Every night, I stayed on the phone with him until he could promise me that I would see him at school the following day. I am everlastingly thankful that he is still alive. I don't know how much our late night conversations can be credited with that, but I know that living through that with him helped me relate to characters in the books. I had friends who struggled with divorce, abuse, drugs, sexuality, homelessness, disabilities, death of parents, siblings, and friends, alcohol, and apathy, to name just a few things. I was and am grateful to see characters in books who have similar experiences. It validates the fear I felt, the pain and anguish, and the worry for my friends and for me. #YASaves

As an adult, I continue to read YA literature. I see characters who remind me of my students all the time. In my classroom, my seventh graders choose books that are appropriate for their lives and their interests. They do not need an adult to censor their choices, because they take care of that themselves. I've seen many of my students put down a book that isn't interesting to them.

What young people do need is responsible, well-read adults (parents, teachers, mentors) who are familiar with the books and the teenagers. That way the teens have someone to talk to about the issues they face - in life, or in the books they read.

I am honored that I can be that teacher for my students. What a huge responsibility and privilege!