The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

This book by Sherman Alexie is absolutely incredible. I think Alexie does an excellent job of incorporating so many useful literary elements into his book while still keeping it interesting for the young adult reader. The use of humor and sarcasm is so greatly intertwined into the text with the use of photos and the chapter titles; it absolutely requires the reader to keep reading. The main character, Junior (or Arnold), is someone the reader truly identifies with and continues to share his struggle. Even if the reader is not personally oppressed in their own life by their race or by their abnormalities, they can identify with some sort of oppression in life or at least symphathize with Junior's. Junior's realization that he deserves more than the “rez life” is something truly remarkable and something the reader can applaud Junior for. Junior is an exceptional Young Adult protagonist that is a good example for young adults to read about. Alexie attacks cultural stereotypes head on by confronting them from the perspective of an Indian, someone who is oppressed by these stereotypes every day. Each character in the novel was well thought out, and has a purpose: Penelope, the girl in class who shows Junior that people can be mean for certain reasons and nice for others; Rowdy, the friend who can't give up the reservation life but still can be a good friend; Junior's grandmother who gives him inspiration and believes in him; Mr. P, the teacher who told Junior to leave the reservation despite negative stereotypes against Indian students; and Gordy, Junior's first real white friend who shows him how to fit in to Reardon's school culture.

This text appeals to teenagers because of not only the story line, but the literary style of the text. For some reason, young adults love the idea of reading from someone else's diary; maybe it's the forbidden element of diaries, maybe it's the rare insight into someone elses head, but people love reading from things that are marked as a diary. Absolutely true is written from a first person, informal perspective that makes you really feel like you're reading Junior's diary, not a book. This element of the book is extremely important because it lets the reader have an insight into what Junior is thinking during each event which is vital to the entire story. Junior feels the split identity of white assimilation and his Indian identity throughout the entire book and it's important that the reader can get the insight into his mind to truly understand what happens to a person-an Indian-in this position. I think that very idea of split personalities can reside with many students. Junior isn't the only one feeling split either, many characters, places, or things are described as split throughout the book. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is also referenced in the book which would be an interesting spin on the lesson plan for because is about a man with split personality disorder due to the stressful societal standards he has to uphold to.

I rate this text an A! Indian culture is so essential to America's history and something that students should be taught in schools everywhere. Alexie does a great job of explaining why that “history” is important (“history” is in quotes because the reprocussions of America's Indian history is still visible TODAY), as well as writing in a way that makes us feel like he is revealing something that is hidden (which, Indian history is hidden). I think that is a great resource for students and can open up many opportunities for great conversations!

Unwind

Reflecting on the text Unwind by Neal Shusterman, I can honestly say it is extremely well-written and filled with literary merit. The way Shusterman incorporates three points of view is genius and attracts many new readers because it's something new. The characters in the novel have qualities about them that many people can relate to, and for that I enjoy the text. The plot of the novel is extremely fast-paced but at the same time, easy to follow along with. I enjoy the imagery of the book, because as I'm reading it I can literally picture where the characters are and what they are doing. The book does a good job of steering away from gendered stereotypes because Risa, who is a girl, is extremely adventurous and takes the lead at times, contrary to many beliefs that boys are always the brave leaders. The text also does a good job of including characters from different class and racial backgrounds.

If this text does anything right, it has amazing characterization. I think teenagers can get lost in this book because it paints them in a good and exciting light. The thought of having these three teenagers band against the government, against their parents, against society is so exciting; the teenagers have the power for once. Shusterman does a great job of giving hese teenagers in the book the power to change something for the better. He gives them the opportunity to figure things out on their own, rather than having to abide by cultural norms and stay under adult power. Particularly with the characterization of Lev, Shusterman also does a great job of transitioning a character from assimilation to these crazy societal norms, into a strong-willed, smart character who realizes his worth.

 All of that being said, I give this text a D rating. I do not like the very basis of this text: abortion. I don't find abortion hard to talk about or a bad thing to read about, I find the idea of abortion-shaming a shameful thing to write about. I could write ten pages about why this book is abortion-shaming but I'll sum it up by saying that creating a fake society where abortion is outlawed is one thing, but allowing adults to “unwind” their children at thirteen is ludacris. The message I am receiving from a plotline like this is that if someone wants to have an abortion, they must wait till age thirteen because then maybe their baby will give them something to want to hold on to and they won't want to kill their child. I have two things to say about this: 1. I like how this book opens the conversation about abortion which is sometimes a taboo thing to talk about and 2. I don't like how this book is taking the controversy over abortion and turning it into a one-sided thing. Shusterman is basically saying that abortion is killing a child, which is a huge debate between pro-life and pro-choice people: is the fetus a person yet? 

Paper Towns

Paper Towns is a great read about two teenagers in high school and the mystery of love and all that romance entails. The bigger picture of the novel can be read as the problems with different social circles that are involved in high school. Throughout the story, the social hierarchy of high school is often referenced. The stereotypical popular crowd and band geek crowd are present in the book, as well as stereotypical characters from each of those crowds. Margo is from the popular crowd and not even a quarter of the way through the book do we see her demanding upon Quenten, an innocent boy from the band geek crowd. While John Greene does a good job of challenging the stereotype of the popular girl by having her hang out with Quenten and talk about not wanting to be part of the popular crowd, he still plays into the images people have of the stereotypical high school students. A good theme to be taught out of this book is the topic of agency. Many times throughout the book, especially during the revenge-escapade, things happen to Quenten without his control (Margo showing up in his bedroom). But not soon after that, Quenten is called upon to make decisions of his own, like participating in parts of the revenge and even picking a victim for himself. Many high school students can relate to this theme-and this book as a whole-because there is always someone from opposing crowds that you just don't get along with-but that doesn't mean you seek revenge on them...or do you?

This text depicts adolescence as reckless and careless. Although the kids are in school and seem to already have a path for next year in college, they do little to better themselves throughout the book in the context of school. Not to mention the fact that they stayed out till almost morning pulling pranks on other classmates. The chances of students actually doing this in high school are pretty slim, one, because most parents would notice their kid leaving in their car and, two, because students are usually getting ready for the next day at school instead of driving recklessly around the city. That being said, this text brings up a good point about revenge and responsibility for actions, and if some actions do indeed require revenge. It would be a good topic to discuss with students and to teach them the (actual) repercussions of actions.

I think this text definitely appeals to adolescence because it's a fun and interesting story to follow along with. Whether you belong to the popular crowd or the nerdy crowd, I'm sure students can relate to the story line in one way or another. In high school, the popular kids really do think they can order their friends and the people lower than them on the social tier around. It's a good read for kids who can relate to Quenten because he has had his eye on Margo forever and he finally got his chance to be friends with her and to hangout with her-a feeling a lot of kids can probably relate to. The idea of identity as it pertains to high school is a hard concept to get your head around when you're in the moment: a lot of high schoolers just don't know who they are. I think Paper Towns is a great story to read to realize that a lot of high schoolers feel like that; not everyone knows who they are like you think they do. And along with identity comes the people who you identify with: your friends. People make friends with others for many different reasons, and sometimes the people you call your friends may not be your friends at all. Betrayal, loss of trust, and lying are what led Margo to tell her “friends” that her relationship with them “lays with the fish.” Many, many, many high school students can relate to the idea of loss of friendship as well.

  This text would probably receive a C from me. I love the idea of the book and I loved reading it, but it didn't particularly stick out to me. I think a lot less can be learned from this book than other books, while a lot can still be gained from it.

Th1rteen R3asons Why

The book Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher is an incredibly powerful book that requires a strong, intellectual reader. I would rate this text a B because although I might think it's a great read and be able to read it in one sitting, I cannot say it's 100% appropriate to teach in a classroom of high schoolers. There are many teachable aspects of the book, such as themes of bullying and feelings of being an outsider, literary elements such as allusions, narrative style, and sarcasm, and just an overarching story as a life lesson. The text, while useful to teach in many circumstances, also faces many critiques when looking at it from a teaching standpoint. In some ways, the cons outweigh the pros because the nature of the novel is just not something many parents would want their students reading. One could argue that it's important to read stories of bullying and what bullying could lead to, but another could argue that there are other books to teach that will give that same lesson to students. As for my opinion, I'm kind of at a stand-still; I really enjoy the book and think it has many benefits, but I also find myself uncomfortable in teaching this book and the topic of suicide in this context.

One aspect of Th1rteen R3asons Why that I really enjoy and find completely worthy of teaching is the character development throughout the story. When the book first starts out, it's hard to tell if you feel bad for Hannah Baker, the main character who commits suicide, or if you completely hate her. And I think that's an interesting thing to note because there is, in fact, a huge debate on whether suicide is selfish and a choice, or saddening and not a choice. The development of Hannah over the course of the book is incredible because she grows into a character that is extremely relatable: she is picked on, she seeks approval, she gets rejected, and she explains how all of it is effecting her. While many teenagers may not commit suicide, they can still relate to a lot of the things Hannah is going through throughout the book.

Another character to analyze is Clay. At first, it's an obvious confusion to wonder why we are receiving the book from this particular person's point of view; what was so special about Clay? After reading more of the book, its apparent that Clay actually plays a crucial role in Hannah's final time before her death. Clay makes many allusions to the fact that this whole thing is unfair. In fact, Clay actually defends a few people on the tape explaining that they simply didn't know what was going on with Hannah so it's unfair for her to blame them. I found this extremely ironic (and a bit annoying) because that's not an excuse and, furthermore, that's the exact reason you shouldn't pick on someone- because they probably have more going on in their life. Besides that fact, Clay is a good character because he is the only person on the tape that Hannah has there to apologize. Clay is the only character who wanted to actually help Hannah, just maybe didn't have the resources to do so. He's an important character to dissect and analyze when trying to distinguish between bullies and allies and what people can do about bullying or people thinking about committing suicide.

Th1rteen R3asons Why perpetuates gender stereotypes to a T. The girls in the novels are all about looks (Hannah alludes to the fact that anyone is prettier than her at any chance she gets) and the men are all about scoring a girl and making it known. That being said, I think Jay Asher did a great job of painting Hannah in a mature light. Although it can be said that she is the most immature for running away from her problems in the most permanent way possible, the things she knows about life and her poetry and the way she knows a lot about other people all point to the fact that she is mature beyond her years. As for the other characters in the book, I can't say the same. Most of the other characters, especially Jessica Davis, are snotty bullies who like to party, the typical stereotype for teenagers. Not only that, but they don't really have a sense of direction or seem to be involved in school much.

Eleanor&Park

The book Eleanor and Park is a great read for young adults. The text is filled with multiple, teachable themes: family, isolation, love, suffering, courage, appearances, abandonment, gender, race, home, etc. The most important aspect of this particular text is the point of view its written from. The author does a great job of switching points of view when Eleanor is being talked about, then when Park is being talked about. This switch in point of view allows the characters to be looked deeper into, without having a central, main character that most books have. In other words, it would be hard to get a deeper insight into Park's life if the book were written in all first-person view from Eleanor or vise-versa. The switching of views also aids to the love story that is going on, because it makes it feel like more of a back and forth love affair to the reader.

The characters in Eleanor and Park develop tremendously throughout the book, particularly in the first 100 pages. The two characters go from not knowing each other at all and sitting silently on the bus next to each other, to sneaking out at night to see each other for just a little bit because they crave each other's presence. It could be said that the teenagers are being portrayed as love sick and immature-minded, but in a way, this book shows the reality of many middle school/early high school relationships: teenagers are in fact love crazy! Different from the traditional Romeo & Juliet story, Eleanor and Park go through real-life problems (bullying from kids on the bus, Eleanor's home situation, Park's mother's dissaproval at first), which make these characters relatable, although maybe seemingly immature.

The author, Rainbow Rowell, does a good job of showing a typical middle school relationship; I believe what is being done is a generalization of what middle school relationships are like. Generalizing all middle school relationships into one “normal” relationship can prove to be a problem because many relationships are not like this. Eleanor and Park are both shown to be in love, despite the pressure they have on them from their parents to give it up. This is typical of many YA lit novels, the parents being forceful and oppressing, and Rowell does a good job of allowing the characters to work through their problems on their own. I think the fact that although the characters of Eleanor and Park attend school and seem to be above average students since they are in honors classes, they fail to have other aspirations in life: a job, post high-school education, etc. The author sort of got lost in telling a love story and forgot to tell us where they are going or what they are trying to achieve (so far at least, I'm on page 200). Even in chapter 33, when Eleanor's mother explains that her cousin wants Eleanor to stay with her family this summer to take a course for honors students in high school, Eleanor turns it down in order to spend the summer with Park. This is the author, again, alluding to the fact that all these teenagers care about is love and being together.

So far, I would definitely give this book a high B. Ever since I picked it up, I have not been able to put it down, and I know that if I were in middle school, I would have loved it even more. That being said, the book does have its downfalls when it comes to characterization and themes. A few things that can be taught from the book are definitely the themes of family, isolation, suffering, and appearances, as well as certain literary elements, such as point of view because Rowell does a great job of that, but I think the main story of the book is a love story, and for that reason I would have to say I would keep this book more as a “fun-to-read” rather than a teachable book in middle school or high school classrooms.