Dec. 2 “Multicultural Literature and Young Adolescents: A Kaleidoscope of Opportunity.”

The central focus of this article was very clear within the first couple of paragraphs. The author, Susan M. Landt, used the pairing of a kaleidoscope to the personal development and reflection through multicultural literature. What immediately caught my attention was this quote; “It is these memories that reinforce my belief in the power of literature to open doors in our minds.” This reflection of her childhood merely represents her personal reflection on the impact of literature. Another, or similar target of this article was to educate teachers with information to open these doors in our minds of strategies that will encourage students to use multicultural literature for student development. Though initially I had to Google what a kaleidoscope was, it allowed for a nice parallel to the openness of creativity as students read the literature and put themselves within the lives of the characters and imagine possibilities beyond reality.

Susan Brandt follows her opening with a solution or “point of attack.” She proposed the idea of developing minds of students: not a static, narrow vision, nut a spectrum of perceptions and possibilities. “My goal is to facilitate awareness and availability of quality literate that can provide young minds with a richer, clearer, and more accurate window which to gaze.” This quote was very interesting, but I included it on order to ask this question. If Susan M Landt restricts the selections of multicultural literature with the focus of race and ethnicity to provide depth of focus, how is she right by saying these “restricted selections” can allow the possibilities of drawing on a range of offerings within an area?

Though I did find this article quite fascinating and actually quite helpful, I began feeling annoyed after the author seemed to repeat herself over and over, and over, and over again (but maybe this was on purpose to really make her point clear). We as readers can grip some ideas out of this article that we will be able to use within the classroom, but each reader is able to understand that Literature can serve as a bridge to awareness and understanding and help students make intercultural connections. This point does in fact make me question how I want to teach young adult literature. In all honesty, it’s actually quite difficult to put my feelings on paper because I want to collaborate with my classmates before I come up with my connection or reflection. By taking a stab, I feel that if we as teachers promote the idea of reading multicultural literature, we open the windows for students to look out and imagine their own reality or world (as cliché as that sounds). I did in fact enjoy this article, and what I was able to come away with it as a future teacher myself. With that being said, I am curious and interested in how the classroom discussion will go today if majority of the people read the same article that I did.

Bad Boy

Walter Dean Myers, the author of the memoir titled “Bad Boy,” wrote similar to how Sherman Alexie did with the way the main character within the book is a mirror reflection of his own life. Myers mentioned that after writing this book that he was so emotionally attached to writing this because he felt that his teen years was the most difficult part of his life.

            The book begins with information and thoughts that Walter obtained through childhood memories, family quotes, and other records, all of which took place in his early hometown within Harlem. What made this author interesting was his ability to make readers focus and narrow their attention on many concepts within the book. Although in the early chapters we want to latch on to Walter’s mother and the way she seems to drift from work in order to keep a closer eye on her son, I found myself wanting to learn more of his speech disorder in chapter three when he discusses his early childhood school memories. He wrote of the main characters quick temperament and anger towards his peers as they made fun of him for his speech disorder, so much of which that it led his to punch his tormenter straight in the face. Though I don’t want to summarize the entire book, I was wondering if the common punishment back then of writing sentences on paper as punishment either helped him or influenced him to become a writer? Though I though that childhood incident was interesting, I became heartfelt and almost shocked when I read about his moms way of handling the situation. Even after receiving school punishment, Walter came home to a larger punishment dished out by his mother.

            Walter Dean Myers wrote of such a transformation from a writer’s perspective that was influenced by such early childhood. His young love for reading actually began within classrooms of teachers that believed in him. Yes, Walter was a “bad boy, a very bad boy,” but his teachers promoted his schooling and only wanted him to achieve more. Walter wrote that he was given books and developed a love for reading at a young age. Considering Walter was a quick-tempered and physically strong boy, reading wasn’t seen as a “cool” thing as a student in Harlem, so picking fights was something he had no problem in pursuing. This book had me very emotionally attached that I would in fact recommend this to other readers or teachers to teach in their classroom. I do believe that I would teach it in my class. It lets students and readers learn about customs of others while it is a short-time read at the same time. Though it’s themes were actually quite difficult to grip, the idea of race and conflicts between school and society was there.

            To wrap this up, this memoir reminded me of the novella “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros. Its similarities between the short read and the plot of wanting to escape or accomplish something larger than what they were supplied with as children interested me. Because the memoir “Bad Boy” had me interested for majority of the read, I will rate it a B. Of course, I am a very lenient grader, but I do believe that the childhood stories of Harlem in the middle 1900’s allowed the reader to open their eyes to something the probably haven’t read or learned about before.

Unwind

Dystopian books are my favorite, and as long as we are studying young adult literature books, they always will be. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman, addresses a theme head on from the beginning of the novel, pro-life and pro-choice. What makes this interesting is how he wrote this book to relate to young adolescents that me be experiencing some of these issues. However, let me give a quick background of the story and why I happened to love it.

            Considering this book is quite difficult to summarize, bare with me, since you have read the book yourselves (I hope). Unwinding is a process for unwanted teenagers to be disassembled or transplanted before the age of eighteen. However, whether or not he or she is “unwinded,” it is guaranteed that he or she will live on, just in a disassembled state. However, the process of unwinding happens throughout the book, and is seen as quite a controversy after a second world war, The Heartland War. To not spoil any endings, I will end it at that. However, I just wanted to emphasize on the disagreement between pro-life and pro-choice, or the two sides of the Heartland War.

            Pro-life and pro-choice is clearly the theme that needs to be addressed within this book. What made this book interesting was the author’s ability to hide or cover his views upon the modern term of abortion. In fact, the last few lines within the book reveal the authors thoughts through the main character, Connor. Shusterman wrote, “We have a right to our lives....We have a right to choose what happens to our bodies....We deserve to live in a world where both those things are possible.” Though I believe this book would be interesting to teach in a high school classroom, I would find it quite difficult to teach as well considering you aren’t supposed to be bias towards your view on modern issues, or at least I think so. With that being said, leaving the book to persuade readers doesn’t really do anything either, especially after those last lines. In a sense, it left the readers of the pro-life or pro-choice debate wondering.

            Another concept I want to discuss is the character development. One thing I want to discuss within class is the way in which characters (and readers!) are positioned to wonder what the term life means. For example, is unwinding seen as murder, or not? Characters within the book seem to develop because they don’t believe its murder based upon their consciousness. After furthering my knowledge on this book, I found a great question based upon the book that may also be touched on in class. Is consciousness the definitive element that makes up life? 

            Like I mentioned above, I love dystopian novels, which is why it is very easy for me to rate this book an A. However, not only do I love it for its dystopian theme, but also the way the author approached such a difficult issue. Though I think this book is fantastic, sometimes I feel like as teachers it is so difficult to teach these tough issues in class. However, whether or not they are difficult to teach, I do not believe that they should be ignored!

Feed by M.T. Anderson

I love dystopian novels, including Feed, by M.T. Anderson. Though I am typically attracted to dystopian novels like The Hunger Games or Divergent, I was interested in this book because it is a story of a failing futuristic society that is controlled by a larger corporation. Thankfully, compared to most weeks where we have to blog on the first half of the book, I am able to rate this book an A based upon the entire book!

What I enjoyed most about this book was the way in which its themes can relate to young adolescents. From the beginning of the book, people are taught to value object, money, and entertainment, which is why they have the feed, or system-like devices installed into their brains to communicate directly to that person. The first theme I want to focus on is the theme of identity. Considering people within this book have the feed installed into their brains, often times it was difficult as readers to identify the difference in identity between characters. For example, considering the feed provides a constant stream of info on what people should buy, what to like, or what to listen to, it made it difficult to find the difference in identities between the characters (like Marty and Link).

The next way in which this book relates to adolescents is with the theme of power. As people read dystopian novels, its usually about a community or society that is in either undesirable or frightening in some sort of way. Within this book, we read on how the feed controlled everyone’s thoughts from the time they were born, to their time of death. The way the feed works tends to allow the readers and the characters within the book to know exactly who is in charge. People grow up on kids programs and attending school, and eventually become brainwashed into decisions based upon what the feed provides them with. As a reader, I enjoyed the imagery we almost see when we read about the brutality of people when they rebel against the “power.” For example, we read about the corporation’s power and brutality when the rioters were beaten into submission, which reminded me of the similar events in Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

Relating back to the first theme I mentioned, identity, I want to touch on the role of technology and modernization. Considering the feed controls everything within an individuals mind, why would people even bother to think for themselves? Even today, in our society, I feel that technology is controlling us. Although it doesn’t make decisions for us, it seems that we overly rely on it or overuse it. It bothers me how much time my generation spends on electronics, especially cell phones. Though I fall into modern technology myself, it seems that some people wouldn’t be able to live their lives if Apple products weren’t created! Anyways, besides my rant, I feel that these technology advancements that we read about within Feed may help students realize how much we use technology. Obviously, this theme of technology and modernization would be used to stop being on electronics so much, but more of a theme to help students become more aware.

As I mentioned above, I rate this book an A because not only do I love dystopian novels, but I think this book can really help students within modern culture become more aware of technology and the ways they can find their own identity. I would really be interested to see how much of an impact this book could have within a middle school or high school classroom.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Though our posts are supposed to be related to the book, I initially want to mention the fact that much of this book was based upon the real-life experiences of the author, a Spokane Native, Sherman Alexie. His intention in writing this young adult novel was to be able to portray a life-like depiction of what reservation life was truly like. By presenting an autobiographical depiction, Alexie was able to relate many themes within this book to the experiences that happen within adolescents lives.

            Compared to some of the other books we have read in this class, I felt that there were more themes than just one or two within this book that need to be discussed. Arnold Spirit Jr, or even the readers, are taken through a roller-coaster of themes and ideas that young adolescents need to be exposed to. Although some reviewers or book critics may be against these themes, I believe that Sherman Alexie wrote about masturbation, racism, drugs and alcohol, bullying, poverty, death, and even anorexia for a reason. Although I think limiting a theme could possibly help students really understand an issue or topic easier, I felt that many themes were included to possibly reach more kids than just a selected group of individuals struggling with a problem. Random thought, it seems like differentiated instruction. He seems to use a variety themes throughout the book to get all kinds of readers involved and interested.  Because of this, I absolutely would teach this book within a classroom, and yes, it absolutely relates to young adolescents. However, let me take a step back and say that although I would enjoy teaching this book, I would find it quite challenging at the same time. For example, I would hate to overstep my boundaries. I think as teacher you just need to make sure you do not disrespect any students that struggle with some of these issues.

            What I found interesting about this book was the way that Alexie introduced themes. If anybody other than the professor is reading this, don’t you agree that majority of the issues and themes throughout the book are discussed or brought up through Juniors ideas or thoughts of stereotypes? With this question in mind, I think the idea of finding ones self needs to be discussed. It seems that the role of identity was considered throughout the book based upon which themes that I listed above were encountered by specific characters. It seemed to me that students that read this book could do the same. Considering that I believe that this book has many themes that can relate to several young adolescents, I rate this book and A (which is my highest grade given yet). One way, personally, that I loved this book was because we were reading about two characters. Not only the life of Junior, but the real life of Sherman Alexie. Though some young adults could struggle finding the connections between the character and the author, I think that as a teacher, an authors biography lesson would be relevant and very beneficial before reading this book, or maybe even after.

*This book was fantastic. An “A” book, my favorite book yet, and a book that can shine within the hearts of many young adolescents.