The Giver

 

 

Author: Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver  

Genre: Speculative Fiction: Utopian/Dystopian

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.

 

 

Grade Level: Early as 7^th grade. Although I think it would be fun to read in 9^th & 10^th grade

Pages: 240 pages

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a Speculative Fiction novel that depicts a society that has made itself into a Utopia. It follows the perspective of 12-year-old Jonas who has been selected to become the communities next Reciever. As Jonas fulfils his new role as Reciever by receiving memories for the community from the Giver, he begins to realize the dark side of this Utopian society.

Possible Teaching Concerns: 

This novel deals with rather mature and dark themes. When the reader finds out about that the “releases” are when members of the community are euthanized because they no longer and cannot contribute to the betterment of the community, it may be a difficult element for readers. This society views emotion as something that is negative, and as a result the reader watches humans behave in a way that doesn’t have room for humanity. Some of the memories that Jonas is shown are also very brutal; specifically, the one about war and dying men. I think it is important to warn students about these topics before reading these sections is wise. There are also another part of the book where Jonas explains that he wants to see Fiona naked. Readers are given clues that “the stirrings” are sexual reactions that are numbed away by hormone treatments.

Personal Reactions:

I loved this book when I was in 7^th grade. I thought it was super interesting and at the time dystopian novels were very popular. I think this would be a great book for students to get interested in. This book is a classic and has been taught in school for a number of years. I think it is important that students read this book because a lot of its themes can be connected in a lot of other dystopian books.  

Canonical Work:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was a book that was paired with The Giver when I read it in 7^th grade. It offered a new take on this idea of a dystopian world. The Giver can sometimes give a very dated feel to the reader because the technology in the book is not as advanced as we would think for an advanced society. The Hunger Games; however, gives a more modern element to the genre. I think that it is a book that students genuinely like to read and is a novel that I could see becoming a classic one day. 

 

The Giver Trailer (2014)

 

The Hunger Games Trailer (2012)

The Servant

 

 

 

Author: Fatima Sharafeddine

Title: The Servant  

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Sharafeddine, Fatima. The Servant. Groundwood Books, 2013.

 

Grade Level: 9th Grade

Pages: 144 pages

The Servant by Fatima Sharafeddine is a novel about a 17-year-old Lebanese girl, Faten. Faten is forced by her father to work for a wealthy family in Beirut. She was not given an education and instead is dependent on her father and superiors to provide for her. Her father takes her salary every month, leaving her unable to start a life for herself.  Despite the rules and expectation set out for her, Faten becomes friends with Marwan, a young boy across the street, who helps her realize her dreams of becoming a nurse.

Possible Teaching Concerns:

Personally, I didn’t see any teaching concerns with this specific novel. I felt that this was a great novel that would inspired students to find value in their education.

Personal Reactions:

I liked this book. I think it offers a different perspective on life that many young people have no experienced here in the United States. Most of us have not experienced war firsthand. In this novella, it shows how war is a part of people’s lives all over the world and is still going on today. I think whenever you have the chance to show students another culture or another perspective on life through a book, you should. This is why I think this book should be taught in the classrooms. It is a short novella that is very easy for students to read. It is engaging and has a bit of romance to string students along and keep them interested, while also exploring very impactful themes.  

Canonical Work: 

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adiche is a novel that comes to mind when reading this novella. Although I didn’t read Half of a Yellow Sun until I was in college, I think that is a great book and could be paired with The Servant if it was being taught for an older class. In Half of a Yellow Sun, the reader witnesses a similar story on how war has become a casual day to day thing in the lives of many people in Nigeria. This story follows the perspectives of Olanna, Ugwu, and Richard, characters who come from all walks of life but yet still find themselves being equally affected by the same war. Faten’s story reminds me of Ugwu’s story. He started out as a young village boy would was later sent away to the city by his parents to make money from himself and his family. Here Ugwu is educated and begins to make a life for himself that will one day be more than just a servant boy. I think these novels would pair nicely together and offer similar themes and different perspectives for students to respond to.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

 

 

Author: Sherman Alexie 

Title

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian  

Genre

Contemporary Realistic Fiction 

 

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012.

 

Grade Level: 11^th - 12^th Grade (maybe excerpts for 9^th & 10^th)

Pages: 230 pages

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel by Sherman Alexie that follows the life of Junior, a young Native American teen living on a reservation. Junior has experienced discrimination his entire life. He was born with hydrocephalus which has caused his own community to pick on him, and as a Native American he is looked down on and stereotyped by the people outside of his community. Despite this, Junior makes the courageous step to leave the reservation and seek out an education at Reardan High School. Junior seeks to make a life for himself and give himself hope. This novel is told in the first person and illustrated by Junior’s comics throughout the pages.

Possible Teaching Concerns:

This novel has a lot of sexuality in it. Junior talks about his masturbation habits often throughout the novel and often expresses his own interest in the girls around him. There are chapters where Junior and one of his friends talk about “boners” continuously. He also mentions the magazines of naked women that he has. There are other parts of the novel where racial slurs are used. I think that things like racial slurs need to be handled very carefully in the classroom environment. It is the teacher’s job to ensure the safety of the students in the classroom and so it is important for teachers to be aware of their students and how talking about these subjects might affect them. There is also a lot of alcohol and violence depicted in this novel. Junior’s father’s best friend is shot in the face over a dispute over alcohol, and this is just one of the very disheartening instances that this topic comes up.

Personal Reactions:

Although there are a lot of reasons why teachers should be careful when picking this book to be read in the classroom, I think it is a necessary book. There aren’t lot of Native American authors or role models for students to hear from. The Native American culture is disappearing, and these are real issues that surround their communities. I think this book is vital in making sure that all students are represented in the classroom. Although this novel tends to be vulgar, in the end it tells a story of hope and a bright future. I think that every kid needs to read this story and I think it is important for teachers to teach it. Now, I might not teach the specific chapters where sexuality is talked about in great lengths, and I would make sure to preface this book before the class read it. One very important thing to highlight is that not all Native Americans are alcoholics. Sherman Alexie was just depicting his own life experiences, and this was not meant to become another stereotype. I would use this book for a multicultural unit or a coming-of-age themed unit.

Canonical Work: 

The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, is another coming of age novel centered around a young teenage kid, Holden. I would pair this book with The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because both talk about different types of discrimination. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior talks about the stigmas that surround Native American and people with physical disabilities. Holden talks about the stigmas that surround mental illnesses like depression and suicide. Both these books offer commentaries on very difficult subjects that unfortunately exist in the classrooms. This is why it is so important to teach these types of novels in the classroom to our students, so that we can educate them and give them a voice. 

 

Sherman Alexis Interview

 Smoke Signals Trailer (Co-written by Sherman Alexis)

The Hate You Give

 

 

Author: Angie Thomas

Title: The Hate U Give

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. HarperCollins, 2017.

 

Grade Level: 10^th - 12th Grade

Pages: 444 pages

The Hate U Give is another one of those heartfelt coming of age novels. The book follows the life of Starr, a teenage African American girl, who is trying to find her place among her peers. After watching the death of her childhood friend, Starr learns to discover her voice to speak up for those who have been oppressed and mistreated. This story gives reader insights on why it is important to get to know people’s stories and background, instead of just judging them based off how they look. 

 

Possible Teaching Concerns:

This novel deals with mature themes. At the very beginning of the book, Starr witnesses her childhood friend, Khalil, killed by a police officer after they are driving back from a party that had been shot up. Although the description is not overly graphic, his death is very shocking. As teachers, we don’t always know what our own students have experienced in their lives and it is important we are mindful of that. I think when teaching this book, the teacher needs to be aware of their students and be observant to see whether or not this book and some of its more violent contents might be triggering to some students. Another issue teacher might come across is the classroom environment itself. As sad as it is, some students do not understand the gravity of injustice there is against people of color. This could be due to their own environment that they were raised in; however, it is still important that such subjects are talked about but in a matter that ensure the safety of everyone in the classroom. The classroom should be a safe place for everyone, and the last thing teachers should do is allow immature conversation to start that might disrupt the inclusiveness of the class. There is some sexual content in the book that is mentioned, and it is important for teachers to be mindful of that when teaching. Another issue teacher might face with this book in the classroom is its language. There is a lot of swearing in this novel, both in dialogue and in Starr’s thoughts. Teachers should be mindful of this and mindful of what their audience can handle from class to class. 

 

Personal Reactions:

Personally, I really enjoyed this novel. I felt like it has a lot to offer to the classroom. I think it is important to bring different voices into the classroom that represent all students in the classroom. Too often, the cannon for high school literature only offers the perspective from white men. It is important to incorporate literature that is diverse and represents the cultures of minorities in the classroom. I think this novel does a really great job of it. I think there are many good conversations that can come out of these piece that would benefit the class. This novel would be great for lit circle reading or a Socratic seminar. Starr’s internal dialogue is extremely relatable to students. It is a text that grabs readers attention right off the bat, which it is to the teacher’s advantage. Although it is a large novel, it reads quickly and engages students well. 

 

Canonical Work:

 

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini would pair well with this book. I would probably use these two books in a unit plan together. In A Thousand Splendid Sun is a novel takes place in Afghan and follows the two perspectives of Mariam and Laila. Mariam is an illegitimate child who is later forced to marry her husband, Rasheed. Years later, after Mariam is unable to provide a child for Rasheed, he seeks out a new wife. Laila comes from a much more prosperous family background, but she faces a similar fate to Mariam when she is also forced to marry Rasheed when her family is killed by the rockets the destroyed her home. These two women, despite coming from different backgrounds, become friends and scheme a runaway plan to get away from their abusive husbands. In both A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Hate U Give both have character who experience a large amount of death and trauma. Both characters experience discrimination in their life based off of their gender or race. Ultimately, both these characters find their voice to fight their way out of the oppression. 

 

Hate U Give Trailer (2018)

The Inspiration for The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas
 

House on Mango Street

 

Author: Sandra Cisneros

Title: The House on Mango Street

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Vintage, 2013.

 

Grade Level: 9^th Grade

Pages: 103 pages

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a coming-of-age novel that showcases the experiences of Esperanza Cordero through a series of vignettes. The novel covers one year of Esperanza’s life as she transitions from childhood to womanhood. With this transition comes challenges in her life and others around her that often involve issues like social class, race, and sexuality.

Possible Teaching Concerns:

This novel deals with mature themes. One of these themes is sexuality discussed in the novel. Originally, the readers witness Esperanza explore her sexuality as she wants to be perceived by those around her as beautiful and cruel. However, later she is sexually assaulted which causes her to redefine how she wants to be seen by the world. Although this experience inspires Esperanza to take control of her life and become more independent by developing her talent as a writer, these themes might cause some concern for students in the classroom and parents. Another theme that is delt with in this novel, is the racism seen against the Mexican-Americans. In the chapter, “Geraldo No Last Name” the narrator, Marin, witnesses a man who pretty much forgotten after his death because he had no last name due to being an illegal immigrant. In this novel, racial slurs are used to refer to Geraldo which might make some students uncomfortable and cause tension in the classroom. Although these topics are important to talk about, it is important to do so in a safe classroom environment and that teachers are mindful of what their students from each class can handle.

Personal Reactions:

Although this novel brings up some difficult topics, I still believe it is important that we are teaching in the classroom. I believe this novel is a classic, even though some will refer to it as young adult literature. It talks about important topics that are relatable to the audience. Although not everyone will experience the experiences that Esperanza and other characters have from The House on Mango Street, this novel makes something that might be unrelatable to some students suddenly relatable through the empathy created through these characters.

Canonical Work: 

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was a book that came to mind while reading this novel. It follows the life of a young Nigerian girl, Kambili, who navigates life as she transitions from childhood to womanhood. When she is forced to live with her mother’s sister, instead of in her own home with her very religious and harsh father, Kambili is able to become more self-aware of herself and her own desirers. These desires, including those of her sexuality, begin to blossom in a home where her and brother are able to express their own opinions. I felt that I saw a lot of similarities between Kambili’s and Esperanza’s lives even though they come from different backgrounds and don’t necessarily experience the same experience. We see that both these characters, through their experiences, grow into themselves more and more and make a life for themselves that fights back against the expectations that society has for them as young women. 

 Read House on Mango Street Here

Interview with Sandra Cisneros

Summary and Analysis 

Powerful Words from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie