Monday, June 19, 2017
LSSL 5385 textbook reflection 4- What is YA literature?
Young adult literature typically involves a youthful protagonist who gives the reader an adolescent point of view. This independent protagonist will go through some major change or life event, and usually will suffer/reap the consequences of his/her decisions throughout the novel. Young adult literature gives the reader a peek into the growth and gradual development of adolescents, and often reveals concerns over a contemporary issue. Ultimately, all of these factors lend it to be very relatable for young adults going through major life changes and experiencing some major life events for the first time. I think this is one reason why young adult literature is so influential. When I read young adult literature, it gives me a peek into the window of the minds of our youth and helps me to empathize with the feelings they may be feeling. Knowing that these authors are writing with the persective of an adolescent allows me to appropriately critique and review the language, writing style, and book format.
LSSL 5385- SPEAK
Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak.
Farrar, straus & giroux.
Melinda
Sordino is a freshman in high school, and right from the start her ironic voice
and pessimistic personality made me laugh, but context clues told me that her
voice was a bit dark for a reason.
Melinda is a fairly depressed teenager who doesn’t feel like anyone listens
to what she has to say, nor do they care to. Her parents don’t understand her. Most
of her teachers don’t seem the slightest bit interested in her success as a
student. Worst of all, she doesn’t have many friends because she called the
cops at a party and it got busted.
Little do they know, she called the cops that night because she was
raped by an upperclassman, and she continues to feel threatened by his
presences on a daily basis. Through art class, Melinda finally learns to open
up and speak.
The mood of this book perfectly fit our protagonist, Melinda. It was dark, dreary, and dry, yet, realistic throughout, and often funny, too. The strength of this book is that it starts with a dark mood, and the reader isn't sure where that stems from. As the novel unfolds, we start to fully understand the theme of shame and darkness throughout, and we watch Melinda grow from that shame and literally, find her voice. It's such a great connection and lesson for high school girls to read and relate to.
This is a great book for freshman students, although, my students said it was very depressing to read as a freshman because it was a little disheartening to enter high school and read about a sexual asssault. The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Fault in Our Stars are similar books
to consider for young adults, particularly high schools students. Wintergirls is another book that is also
by Laurie Halse Anderson that is about a dark subject matter that would appeal
to young high school students, particularly girls.
LSSL 5385- THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN
Alexie,
S. & Forney, E. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time
indian. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.
Fourteen year old Arnold, aka Junior, is a Spokane Indian living on a reservation, with brain damage from birth due to his alcoholic parents. The circumstances on the “rez” are pretty grim as most people never leave and just live in poverty their entire lives. Arnold, despite his disabilities, yearns for more, so he asks his parents if he can attend a high school 22 miles away. At Reardan High, Junior finds himself through playing basketball- his coach recognizes his talent and puts him on Varsity his freshman year. He is determined to succeed despite his hardships, and by the end of the year, he’s not such an outcast anymore.
This is a well written book full of powerful themes regarding bravery and being unapologetically YOU! Junior pushes through so many difficult times and everyday hardships and doesn't allow those to stop him from reaching his goals. He is a great protagonist with a beautiful spirit, despite his physical limitations and, at times, unfortunate surroundings.
I definitely think this book is a little mature for young adults, and I can see why it’s a controversial book. Nonetheless, it has some important topics and themes to explore, and it gives the reader an insight into Indian reservations, which really opened my eyes. The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie is another novel by the same author with similar themes that you may consider reading if you are intrigued by the topic of American Indians and Indian reservations. Fools Crow by James Welch is another classic novel that discusses similar topics, but is set in history, shortly after the Civil War.
Fourteen year old Arnold, aka Junior, is a Spokane Indian living on a reservation, with brain damage from birth due to his alcoholic parents. The circumstances on the “rez” are pretty grim as most people never leave and just live in poverty their entire lives. Arnold, despite his disabilities, yearns for more, so he asks his parents if he can attend a high school 22 miles away. At Reardan High, Junior finds himself through playing basketball- his coach recognizes his talent and puts him on Varsity his freshman year. He is determined to succeed despite his hardships, and by the end of the year, he’s not such an outcast anymore.
This is a well written book full of powerful themes regarding bravery and being unapologetically YOU! Junior pushes through so many difficult times and everyday hardships and doesn't allow those to stop him from reaching his goals. He is a great protagonist with a beautiful spirit, despite his physical limitations and, at times, unfortunate surroundings.
I definitely think this book is a little mature for young adults, and I can see why it’s a controversial book. Nonetheless, it has some important topics and themes to explore, and it gives the reader an insight into Indian reservations, which really opened my eyes. The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie is another novel by the same author with similar themes that you may consider reading if you are intrigued by the topic of American Indians and Indian reservations. Fools Crow by James Welch is another classic novel that discusses similar topics, but is set in history, shortly after the Civil War.
LSSL 5385- ANNIE ON MY MIND review
Garden, N. (2013). Annie
on my mind. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.
This book is about two high school girls, Annie and
Liza, who meet in a museum and have an instant connection. Confused by her feelings
and unsure of what it means, Liza brings us through her journey of love,
finding out who she is, understanding homosexuality, and coming out to her
community. In the midst of this journey, she encounters conflicts that threaten
her reputation at her private school, Foster Academy, as well as her dreams of
attending MIT, and her beloved relationship with Annie. She also learns the struggles, and triumphs,
of homosexuality through her teachers, Ms. Widmer and Ms. Stevenson, who she
comes to find out are living together as spouses. In the end, despite the
separation that Annie and Liza find themselves in when they go to college, they
end up back together and unashamed of their love.
The strength of this book is the imagery, mood, and tone that it provides. I really enjoyed the descriptive writing- I could see Annie and Liza meeting in the museum, I could feel the changing weather on my skin, and I experience the shame and fear that Liza felt as she navigates these new feelings.
The strength of this book is the imagery, mood, and tone that it provides. I really enjoyed the descriptive writing- I could see Annie and Liza meeting in the museum, I could feel the changing weather on my skin, and I experience the shame and fear that Liza felt as she navigates these new feelings.
Similar books to consider about LGBTQ topics
are Am I blue? Coming out from the
silence by Marion Dane Bauer, and novels by Sarah Waters such as Tipping the Velvet or Fingersmith. Annie on my Mind presents a
great teaching opportunity to discuss banned books and teach lessons on
challenges to materials as it was burned in front of the Kansas City School
Board building in 1993 and banned from school library shelves. However, a group
of high school students and their parents in Olathe, Kansas sued the school
board in federal court, and ultimately got it back on shelves.
5385 Textbook reflections 3- Genres and Formats
Genres, categories, and formats are probably different than you may realize.
Genres are divided into Fiction and Non Fiction. Let's talk about fiction first. Fiction is divided into realistic fiction and fantasy fiction, which is pretty self explanatory. From there, realistic fiction is divided into modern/contemporary vs historical fiction. Fantasy is divided into modern fantasy vs traditional fantasy fiction. When we talk about traditional fantasy, we are talking about folktales, ballads, fairtytales, fables, etc. With modern fantasy, we are talking about hard and soft science fiction, high and low fantasy.
On the other hand, we have non fiction, which is informational. These informational non fictions are divided into three categories- biography, narrative, and expository. Biographies can be autobiographies or memoirs. Narrative non fiction is written more like a story, and reads like a traditional novel. Lastly, expository non fiction is written with facts and not written like a novel.
Categories are completely different from the above genres. Examples of categories are chick lit, horror, sports, guy reads, etc. These are not genres of writing but more of another way to categorize stories.
Lastly, formats are just that- the format of writing that the book is written in. Examples are poetry, novels, chapter books, short stories, picture books, and graphic novels, to name a few.
Understanding genres, categories/subjects, and formats is so important as I pursue a career as a librarian. It allows me to correctly organize my library, appropriately guide my users to the correct books, and correctly identify these books based on their genres. Since getting clarification on this, I've been trying to "label" the books that I read based on this information. It's great practice!
Genres are divided into Fiction and Non Fiction. Let's talk about fiction first. Fiction is divided into realistic fiction and fantasy fiction, which is pretty self explanatory. From there, realistic fiction is divided into modern/contemporary vs historical fiction. Fantasy is divided into modern fantasy vs traditional fantasy fiction. When we talk about traditional fantasy, we are talking about folktales, ballads, fairtytales, fables, etc. With modern fantasy, we are talking about hard and soft science fiction, high and low fantasy.
On the other hand, we have non fiction, which is informational. These informational non fictions are divided into three categories- biography, narrative, and expository. Biographies can be autobiographies or memoirs. Narrative non fiction is written more like a story, and reads like a traditional novel. Lastly, expository non fiction is written with facts and not written like a novel.
Categories are completely different from the above genres. Examples of categories are chick lit, horror, sports, guy reads, etc. These are not genres of writing but more of another way to categorize stories.
Lastly, formats are just that- the format of writing that the book is written in. Examples are poetry, novels, chapter books, short stories, picture books, and graphic novels, to name a few.
Understanding genres, categories/subjects, and formats is so important as I pursue a career as a librarian. It allows me to correctly organize my library, appropriately guide my users to the correct books, and correctly identify these books based on their genres. Since getting clarification on this, I've been trying to "label" the books that I read based on this information. It's great practice!
Sunday, June 18, 2017
5385 Textbook Reflections 2 Divisions of young people's literature
There are 4 divisions of young people's literature. Children's literature is the first one, mainly spanning ages 0-8. For our youngest readers, these are your beginner books, easy readers, wordless picture books, etc. Since this category does cover 8 years of life, clearly there must be a progression of reading levels as the child gets older. The 7-8 year old reader would be reading illustrated chapter books that take on more of a "novel" form, which is still considered children's lit.
Tween or middle grade literature is for kids of ages 8-12. Remember, middle grade is not the same as middle school. A great example of middle grade/tween is Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. These are going to be chapter books with less controversial or complicated themes.
The next division for ages 13-18 is, of course, young adult books. These are going to be chapter books with "tougher" topics. Often, this division discusses many "firsts," for example, first love, first sexual encounter, or first high school experience. A few examples of young adult books are Lily and Dunkin, Annie on my Mind, or Pushing the Limits.
New adult books will be our last division which is targeted to ages 18-30. This division is fairly new as it really took off in 2009. These books typically have a cutting edge protagonist who would be slightly older than your young adult characters. These characters are more relatable for an adult audience and they are usually dealing with college experiences, or first major relationships. Examples of these books would be This is Falling, Sweet Home, or November 9.
Understanding the divisions of young people's literature is an important tool when picking books for specific age groups. It's important to find age appropriate material that will challenge the reader but still staying age appropriate. Paying attention to these age divisions will really help me to accurately evaluate the books for young people as I read them, and it helps me to understand the perspective of the author as their write for a target audience of youths.
Tween or middle grade literature is for kids of ages 8-12. Remember, middle grade is not the same as middle school. A great example of middle grade/tween is Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. These are going to be chapter books with less controversial or complicated themes.
The next division for ages 13-18 is, of course, young adult books. These are going to be chapter books with "tougher" topics. Often, this division discusses many "firsts," for example, first love, first sexual encounter, or first high school experience. A few examples of young adult books are Lily and Dunkin, Annie on my Mind, or Pushing the Limits.
New adult books will be our last division which is targeted to ages 18-30. This division is fairly new as it really took off in 2009. These books typically have a cutting edge protagonist who would be slightly older than your young adult characters. These characters are more relatable for an adult audience and they are usually dealing with college experiences, or first major relationships. Examples of these books would be This is Falling, Sweet Home, or November 9.
Understanding the divisions of young people's literature is an important tool when picking books for specific age groups. It's important to find age appropriate material that will challenge the reader but still staying age appropriate. Paying attention to these age divisions will really help me to accurately evaluate the books for young people as I read them, and it helps me to understand the perspective of the author as their write for a target audience of youths.
5385- Textbook reflection 1- Why do we share literature with children?
Why do we share literature with children?
There are truly too many reasons to name, but let's talk about some of the most important reasons we have a responsibility to share literature with chidren.
First of all, we share literature with children because it's fun! Reading is such a joyous, fun, and intriguing experience that can truly be an adventure for kids. Aside from the reading itself, the cover art, illustrations, character development, and dialogue from the book, among other things, is so much fun for kids! We also strive to share literature with youth to aid in the acquisition of language and language development among kids. I consider myself to be a strong speller, reader, and writer, and I definitely attribute much of this success to the fact that I was always reading as a kid. The development and awareness of a wide range of vocabulary is truly fostered by reading a lot.
One of the main reasons it's so important for us to share books with kids is because it develops empathy. I always say that every novel I read helps me to find out something about someone else, and something about myself. It truly allows the children of our world to development empathetic bonds with the characters in the books they read, and therefore they can relate that situation to their daily lives out in the real world as well. It's so important that we develop lifelong readers so that they continue to learn these lessons, and they eventually share it with the children of their world, too. Similarly, it's vital that they have an opportunity to read about characters or people that they can relate to. Reading about someone that is like you is such an important aspect of literature; it helps us to not feel alone, and it allows us to learn more about ourselves without feeling like a complete outcast!
Another purpose that literature can serve for kids is to allow them to form their own opinions about issues in the world. Reading gives them the opportunity to "philosophically speculate" about things going on in the world simply by reading about similar situations. It gives them a chance to answer those big life questions: why am I here? What is my purpose on earth?
Literature also develops the imagination and helps readers to think outside of the box. For example, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter can open up the minds of readers and force us to enter into a new realm that we never knew existed. It allows us to go to a new place of imagination and creativity! This can help kids be inventors and creative thinkers in all aspects of life!
Lastly, literature can truly transmit culture. It can help us to learn about new cultures, different qualities of life, religions, traditions, and economies. For kids, this is vital. If you don't learn about what's going on around the world, you can form well rounded opinions, build empathy, or fully understand other cultures. This purpose ties together many of the others and encourages us as future librarians to make sure we are providing a wide ranger of variety and diverse books.
The truth is, we could go on forever listing reasons why it's important to share literature with children. It's so important on so many levels. Reading allows us to relate to each other no matter how many differences we have, and that's what makes it so special. Reading gives us the opportunity to jump into the life of someone else and experience the feelings and events that we may not have the opportunity to otherwise experience.
There are truly too many reasons to name, but let's talk about some of the most important reasons we have a responsibility to share literature with chidren.
First of all, we share literature with children because it's fun! Reading is such a joyous, fun, and intriguing experience that can truly be an adventure for kids. Aside from the reading itself, the cover art, illustrations, character development, and dialogue from the book, among other things, is so much fun for kids! We also strive to share literature with youth to aid in the acquisition of language and language development among kids. I consider myself to be a strong speller, reader, and writer, and I definitely attribute much of this success to the fact that I was always reading as a kid. The development and awareness of a wide range of vocabulary is truly fostered by reading a lot.
One of the main reasons it's so important for us to share books with kids is because it develops empathy. I always say that every novel I read helps me to find out something about someone else, and something about myself. It truly allows the children of our world to development empathetic bonds with the characters in the books they read, and therefore they can relate that situation to their daily lives out in the real world as well. It's so important that we develop lifelong readers so that they continue to learn these lessons, and they eventually share it with the children of their world, too. Similarly, it's vital that they have an opportunity to read about characters or people that they can relate to. Reading about someone that is like you is such an important aspect of literature; it helps us to not feel alone, and it allows us to learn more about ourselves without feeling like a complete outcast!
Another purpose that literature can serve for kids is to allow them to form their own opinions about issues in the world. Reading gives them the opportunity to "philosophically speculate" about things going on in the world simply by reading about similar situations. It gives them a chance to answer those big life questions: why am I here? What is my purpose on earth?
Literature also develops the imagination and helps readers to think outside of the box. For example, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter can open up the minds of readers and force us to enter into a new realm that we never knew existed. It allows us to go to a new place of imagination and creativity! This can help kids be inventors and creative thinkers in all aspects of life!
Lastly, literature can truly transmit culture. It can help us to learn about new cultures, different qualities of life, religions, traditions, and economies. For kids, this is vital. If you don't learn about what's going on around the world, you can form well rounded opinions, build empathy, or fully understand other cultures. This purpose ties together many of the others and encourages us as future librarians to make sure we are providing a wide ranger of variety and diverse books.
The truth is, we could go on forever listing reasons why it's important to share literature with children. It's so important on so many levels. Reading allows us to relate to each other no matter how many differences we have, and that's what makes it so special. Reading gives us the opportunity to jump into the life of someone else and experience the feelings and events that we may not have the opportunity to otherwise experience.
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