S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders" Still Stands Strong

I'm not sure what I was expecting from The Outsiders.  I hate to admit that I wasn't as blown away or thoroughly engaged as I thought - and hoped - I would be.  I think that this is due to a combination of things:  the book had been hyped up so much in my mind as a "must-read classic" and I had a very different idea of the plot from what it actually is,  I found the "lingo" of the times more distracting than engaging and, sadly, I think that in this day and age the situations in the book really don't seem that radical, shocking or graphic. 

All of that being said, there is no doubt in my mind that The Outsiders is an outstanding piece of literature and it is easy to see why it has stood the test of time and is still relevant over 40 years after it was written!  While it might not be my personal favorite book, I love this book for the simple fact that it was written at all and changed the face of YA Lit with a story that gave teens a real voice.  It's also undeniable how much of a powerful impact it has made - and continues to make - on people of all ages.

It is even more incredible and poignant that the author wrote the novel at the age of fifteen - and the author is a girl!  I think that both of these points give the novel even more weight and legitimacy.  Teenagers don't like phonies and they can see right through things that aren't genuine.  This book is undeniably the real deal in every way imaginable:  the issues the characters deal with, their way of thinking and viewing the world, the way they speak and express themselves, and their struggle to define themselves as individuals in a world that doesn't really let you be yourself.  Sound familiar?

This edition has some great extras included and provides an interview with S.E. Hinton and a helpful discussion guide for educators to use in their classrooms.  I was particularly moved by the forward to the novel, where S.E. Hinton humbly acknowledges the wide-reaching impact of the novel but takes very little credit for it:

"The letters saying "I loved the book" are good, the ones that say " I never liked to read before, and now I read all the time" are better, but the ones that say "The Outsiders changed my life" and "I read it fifteen years ago and I realize how much it has influenced my life choices" frankly scare me...A lot of the time I feel that The Outsiders was meant to be written, and I was chosen to write it.  it's certainly done more good than anything I could accomplish on a personal level."

And that, in essence, is the reason why I would answer "yes" to both including this novel in my personal classroom library and probably include it in my curriculum.  You really can't ask for a more perfect answer to the YA Lit prayer. 

"The Hunger Games" (Warning: Some Snarkiness and Inappropriate Language Ensues)

I tend to resist giving into "trendy" novels that inevitably end up as obnoxiously huge, mega-million-dollar blockbuster films (see: Harry Potter*, Twilight).  However, I did have a genuine interest in this trilogy but never got around to actually reading it.  Then the movie happened, and I sort of got turned off from further pursuing that endeavor.  So when the reading list for our summer lit class came out, I was pretty thrilled that the Hunger Games trilogy was included - now I would have the perfect opportunity to read the novel - and incentive for doing it in a timely fashion!

The Hunger Games is no James Joyce or William Faulkner novel, although I wasn't expecting it to be.  The writing is not super-deep or embedded with rich prose or riddled with thought-provoking literary devices.  There are not a lot of different thematic levels going on here or allusions to Shakespeare or the Bible.  Again, not expecting any of these things, but perhaps hoping it would provide a little more literary "meat" to chew on while reading.
Regardless, I was very pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of writing and the deeply engaging story.  Okay, full disclosure:  I couldn't put it down!  The pace, action, story concept and the truly intriguing heroine make it nearly irresistible!

I don't think I really need to give a plot summary - it's pretty well-known by now, including  the "Girl on Fire" at the center of it all:  Katniss Everdeen, the young lady who takes her younger sister's place in the annual Hunger Games, is pitted against her fellow District 12-dweller (and potential love interest), and faced with the moral challenge of killing off 23 other young people as the only chance for her own survival - and that of her mother and younger sister.

As I noted earlier, I don't see this book as being raised into the upper echelons of "classic literature," for the writing, but I can fully get behind its literary merit and I can see why it's gained such wide appeal, especially amongst teens (and I would dare to say that it will become a continued staple in teen literature for years to come).  I would definitely have this in my personal classroom library and I would even go so far as to include it in my yearly curriculum.

My basis for this decision is based primarily on themes, character and plot.  The novel is peppered with themes every teen can relate to in one way or another:  family conflict, the loss of a parent, taking on huge household responsibility , caring for siblings.  On a larger scale, the book tackles various coming-of-age topics such as defying authority, self-sufficiency, and emotional/physical attrations. 
 
With Katniss, Collins has created an extraordinary literary character: she's simultaneously your "average teenager" while wrestling with the old soul of one who has learned to survive out of necessity and a young soul full of innocence and naivete about such things as boys and pretty dresses.  The reader cannot help but get drawn into Katniss's personal journey she embarks upon during her physical journey to the Hunger Games.  The fact that she doesn't know her own thoughts and feelings much of the time resonates and rings true especially for the younger crowd, but she uses this time of exploration to help define and mold who she is morally.  And despite what her mentor Haymitch thinks - and what she thinks of herself - she is also naturally charming and incredibly likeable!

All of this is embedded in a story set in a dystopian future, but one that I personally find to be not all that unbelievable.  I found myself in shock for most of the book, continually repeating in my head:  "Is this for real?  Is this novel really suggesting that the future human race will become both so barbarous and consumerist that they'll kill off innocent young people for entertainment?"  It really messed with my mind, but also urged me feverishly onward into this disturbing future that I could also legitimately see happening.  It reminded me of my reaction to Mike Judge's 2006 film Idiocracy, which is freaking hilarious, but simultaneously terrifying how much our current society indicates its leanings towards such a future as Judge's film predicts:

The President of the United States, per Idiocracy.

"The Food Pyramid," per Idiocracy.

"Television," per Idiocracy.

 "Hospitals," per Idiocracy.

"The Future of Human Civilization," per The Hunger Games.  Way less hilarious.

The Lexile for this book is 810, which is considered a 4th - 5th grade reading level.  Personally, I think some of the imagery and situations are a little "heavy" for a 4th grader, although I also think that most readers in this age group could handle the actual lexicon of the book. The more mature content and the universal themes are the factors giving the novel such mass appeal, and makes it attractive to readers of various skill levels and abilities.  Lower Lexile readers will be drawn in and swept up into the action (now having a major motion picture to use in the classroom as a visual will also help here) and higher Lexile readers may want to research details Collins sprinkles throughout the book with regards to the districts and with which parts of the previous United States they correlate, the weaponry of the various tributes, the unusual foliage and animals Katniss describes, etc.

All levels of readers will be able to engage with the story and make predictions and inferences about where it may lead (myself included - I've just cracked Mockingjay and I am already struggling to not stay up all night reading it).  It's easy for the reader to gain empathy for these characters, and more deeply ponder the similarities and differences of this dystopian future from our own present.  Moreover, all readers of all ages and skill levels will be able to connect with the major themes of struggle, survival, self-discovery and acceptance. 

Lastly, if it's not Twilight and it gets the kids to read, it definitely has a place on my classroom library shelf!

(Apologies to any Twilight fans - it's not you, it's the book).

*PS:  Just to clarify:  I'm not hating on Harry Potter or anyone who is a fan of the series; I just am sick of all the hype and big shiny films.  Twilight, we're still not cool. :)

My First Book Trailer!

For The Perks of Being A Wallflower

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B9eAF-0BtxAQU1pHRzZ4cWVsQTQ

"The Arrival" Speaks Volumes Without Saying a Word.

How does one review a book without words?  The answer for me is:  exactly the same way that you would review a book with words. 

As future teachers, we learn so much about the importance of recognizing and celebrating diversity, about incorporating differentiation in our classrooms, about meeting our students where they're at, and about reaching out to them in whatever language connects them to the material we need to teach to them. 

What a joy this novel was to "read" and what an exemplary piece of wordless work that still is able to speak to the  depth of the human need to connect and communicate ideas and stories with one another.  These ideas are at the heart of teaching, and they are at the heart of this book. 

Its vast richness and emotionally captivating illustrations speak volumes to the human experience through the eyes of an "immigrant" coming to a strange new land, supposedly for a better life and better opportunities for himself and his family. 

But that's just my interpretation. 

I am so glad this book was included in our YA Lit list of reading options, because it provides more than just stunning artwork but also a story filled with universal themes that all students can relate too.  Furthermore, it provides an alternative way for students to process information about these themes - if words and reading are a struggle for a student, that does not make them stupid.  It may just not be their strength - or their first language.  Putting a book like this in their hands gives them a voice and gives them the message that what they think and have to say is important, even if it's not expressed in literal words. 

I also feel that a book like this is both timeless and timely, particularly with the current hot political topic of immigration in America.  A student from another country might really take comfort in this book, where their story is being told through a medium that is understandable to all who turn its pages.  I love that the author creates a world that suggests iconic places (i.e. Ellis Island) but nothing is definitively from the "real world" as we know it.  I also love that this creates a world unknown to any human being on this planet, which both levels the playing field and makes the story even more universal.  It causes us all to feel a little displaced and disoriented by the surroundings, thus making us more sympathetic to those people who have actually immigrated or moved to a completely new place and/or culture.

I love that the author illustrates the entire journey for this particular immigrant, who finally navigates his way through the new world and his wife and daughter are finally able to join him.  The best part is that the story doesn't end with the immigrant becoming super rich and successful and forgetting his "roots."  Instead, the final frames show the daughter helping a brand-new arrival to the new world, paying forward the kindness that was shown to her family when they first arrived.  In my eyes, the lesson of kindness is one of the greatest we can impart to our young people, and it is the foundation of a successful society - and a successful classroom.

I would absolutely have this book in my personal classroom library and I could see using it in a unit on "human issues" or using it in a variety of ways as a tool for differentiation for ESL students or other students in need of alternative learning formats.

Blog Within A Blog: Interesting Article I Stumbled Upon

 In my research for our Saturday Literacy Study Group, I came across this article from a very prolific 24-year-old blogger regarding the concept of "New Adult" Lit (contents "too old" for traditional YA Lit but not quite "Adult Lit" caliber). 

I haven't read the entire article yet, but the author brings up some good points about what these labels suggest and if we're limiting the topics that we think teens should be reading about and if this kind of imposed censorship is really fair or accurate. 

I look forward to finishing the article, and thought I would share it with you all as food for thought.

The Future of YA: Is older YA turning into ‘New Adult’?

"My Friend Dahmer" (aka "Anatomy of a Serial Killer")

First I thought this would be a quick read.  Then I picked it up from the library and cursed its thickness!  Then I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting.

The title character really needs no introduction: "Dahmer" has become a household name in the realm of serial killer lore.  But every serial killer has a past; and this story, as told though the graphic novel genre, paints a simultaneously eerie and heartbreaking picture of a kid caught in the perfect storm of family troubles, isolation, ostracization and sheer neglect.

I think that this novel absolutely stands on its own as a legitimate piece of YA literature for its emphasis on the hardships and detrimental effects that a rough home and social life can have on a young person.  It also gets high marks from me for its accessibility to all reading levels, as well as the opportunity for differentiation through the use of vivid imagery.  Furthermore, the illustrations are stylistically more "cartoonish" and in the vein of something a la Matt Groenig or Mike Judge, lending additional appeal and relevance to the younger crowd.  Also, the author (for the most part) is very tasteful in his descriptions and depictions of any violence and only shows instances that preclude Dahmer's serial killer heyday. 

While I don't doubt I would get a few parental phone calls, I can easily stand behind the choice to use this book in my teaching and the importance of having the students read it.  At the heart of this graphic novel is the story of a kid who is a loner and who is shut out on all social and emotional levels.  Dahmer is the product of a broken home with a mother who is emotionally unstable and a father who, by all accounts, just seemed totally clueless.  There's also the matter of Dahmer's sexuality, and the fact that he was unable to openly declare himself gay and explore his sexuality in a safe and healthy environment.  This leads to some serious deep-seated shame, drug use and alcoholism, as well as fuel for the perverted rage he keeps pent up inside with no apparent outlet by way of hobby, school activity or friend/advocate to talk to. 

Personally, I believe that Dahmer was simply born with some faulty wiring, something "not quite right" in his genetic makeup.  From everything I've read and heard, he seemed predisposed to some sociopathic tendencies.  However, I strongly believe that the tragic actions of a kid who became a monster could have been avoided.

The parental neglect alone - both physically and emotionally - is absolutely staggering to me!  How can you not see that your own child is deeply disturbed?!?  Also the fact that none of his peers - the author included - ever really bothered to get to know him, and really only used him for their own personal amusement.  Even worse, the teachers didn't seem to pay any attention to him.  This kid literally fell off everyone's radar, and say what you will about teens and their "invisibility shields," this sort of neglect from everyone in his life is reprehensible in and of itself.

That being said, the Dahmer's crimes and serial murders he committed throughout his life is unforgivable and beyond comprehension.  I firmly believe that there is no excuse for a human being to not be able to control themselves or recognize that they need help and take the responsibility to reach out to someone who can give them that help.  All of these ideas are considered and explored throughout the graphic novel, and the author does well with the flow of the narrative, sprinkling anecdotes and memories of the classmate Dahmer along the way, which only serves to make the story more heartbreaking since we all know how it ends.

At the end of the day, My Friend Dahmer serves best as a "cautionary tale" to both adults and children alike - clearly illustrating that every student is valuable and worth your time and deserving of basic human kindness.  While the results of Dahmer's void of a childhood are extreme, it's still a powerful story that leaves an impression and stops to make you think of the "what ifs" when faced with the opportunity to reach out to a student/fellow classmate struggling just to get through each day.

"'I can't say there were any signs that he was different or strange,' one of the school guidance counselors would later state."

"(Wall)flower" in Full Bloom

Wow.  Just, wow.

I have finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and it is a spectacular read.  I think part of what makes it such is how understated it is, how you finish it and then it lives with you and keeps creeping back into your consciousness after you've placed it back on the shelf.  You can't help but feel "both happy and sad" for Charlie, and hope that, after you finish the final page, things will only continue to get better, and easier, for him.

I would absolutely include this novel in my personal classroom library and I would very seriously consider using it for a unit during the school year.  Dare I liken it to a modern-day Catcher in the Rye?  I kept drawing parallels between the two novels for their frank and funny observances of life through the eyes of an adolescent boy who is teetering on the edge, somewhere in that no-man's land between childhood and adulthood.

 There's something simultaneously infinite and finite about this moment in time, and it is so formative to our growth as human beings.  This book is valuable because it does not belittle this place of existence, but embraces it and explores it and lays it bare for the world to see - and that is very important for our young people, who need to be assured that their thoughts, feelings, urges, and all of the extreme changes their brains and bodies are going through - are all valid and important and not wrong.

I guess that's all I have to say about this novel right now.