Read for: Leisure
Rating: 4.5
Chinese Cinderella is the memoir of author Adeline Yen Mah, who grew up in China during WWII. She is the youngest of four children and, unfortunately for her, her mother died from childbirth complications therefore crowning Adeline with the honor of being the unwanted daughter because she is considered to be bad luck. Her father remarries a beautiful Eurasian woman, who treats her stepchildren cruelly, especially Adeline. To try to impress her father, Adeline works very hard in school and consistently achieves top marks in all of her classes. He remains unimpressed until she wins an international writing contest when she is a teenager.
This story is deeply moving, and the fact that it is true makes it all the more compelling. Yen Mah has a simple writing style, but her words are nevertheless cutting and to the point. It is clear that she has poured her heart into writing her story. I think that this would be a useful and poignant book to use in the classroom, especially as it would add exposure to different authors, cultures, and genres to the reading list.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 4.7
I can see why this book is a modern young adult classic. I think that this would be a really great book to use with seventh or eigth grade students. The story is set in a futuristic, utopian society that has gotten rid of all pain, emotion, and idleness. The main character is a boy named Jonas. Through him and a man called The Giver we learn that only the Giver has all the memories of pain, sorrow, joy, love, war, etc. The Giver gives all of these memories to Jonas.
This would be a good book for writing prompts: What is one of your happiest memories? Aren't we better off without memories of pain or grief? What emotions were left out of the novel? If there was something you could change about our society today, what would it be? How does our society compare to the one portrayed in the book?
The Giver was a pretty easy read and I appreciated the fact that, even though there was a lot of background information on how the society works, the plot still moved quickly and there was a good amount of action. I don't think that students would get bored. My one reservation is that I think young students--especially reluctant readers--would dismiss this as stupid and hard to understand since it is set in the future and in a society that is completely different from our own.
Rating: 4.7
I can see why this book is a modern young adult classic. I think that this would be a really great book to use with seventh or eigth grade students. The story is set in a futuristic, utopian society that has gotten rid of all pain, emotion, and idleness. The main character is a boy named Jonas. Through him and a man called The Giver we learn that only the Giver has all the memories of pain, sorrow, joy, love, war, etc. The Giver gives all of these memories to Jonas.
This would be a good book for writing prompts: What is one of your happiest memories? Aren't we better off without memories of pain or grief? What emotions were left out of the novel? If there was something you could change about our society today, what would it be? How does our society compare to the one portrayed in the book?
The Giver was a pretty easy read and I appreciated the fact that, even though there was a lot of background information on how the society works, the plot still moved quickly and there was a good amount of action. I don't think that students would get bored. My one reservation is that I think young students--especially reluctant readers--would dismiss this as stupid and hard to understand since it is set in the future and in a society that is completely different from our own.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 5+
I've been delaying writing about this because the ending of the book absolutely blew me away, and I've been trying to wrap my mind around it ever since. My best attempt at an analogy is to compare it to an episode of LOST: You've been watching the whole show (reading the whole book) and you think that you have it all figured out and know what is going on, then in the last 5 minutes (or five pages) EVERYTHING changes which makes you question everything that happened before, and you are left not knowing what to believe.
So, way before the last chapter bamboozled me, I was in total awe of the quality of writing. The style is ... amazing. I wanted to underline every sentence. On the page of "Praise for Life of Pi" there is an excerpt from The Seattle Times that says "each chapter is a well-polished pearl." I think it is more apt to say that every sentence is a well-polished pearl. Every word choice is a well-polished pearl. Martel is the master of the metaphor. Each one that he gives is so vivid with imagery and yet so grounded and applicable to the situation being described. For example, during the storm that sank Pi's ship:
"Nature can put on a thrilling show. The stage is vast, the lighting is dramatic, the extras are innumerable, and the budget for special effects is absolutely unlimited" (p. 128).
Or, when Pi is enchanted by listening to a man recite the Qur'an in Arabic:
"The guttural eruptions and long flowing vowels rolled just beneath my comprehension like a beautiful brook. I gazed into this brook for long spells of time. It was not wide, just one man's voice, but it was as deep as the universe" (p. 78).
I feel that there is not much I can say about Life of Pi that would do it justice. I would absolutely love to teach this book; it is probably at the senior level. There is so much heart, so much feeling, and so much to discuss. I feel that every student would have their own interpretation of the ending. Even now, looking back through the pages I've found passages that I underlined for the sheer beauty of the words, but seeing the words through the lens of the last chapter drastically changes my interpretation of those words. They are still beautiful and deep, but now even more poignant.
The best I can do is say that this a book that everyone should read.
Rating: 5+
I've been delaying writing about this because the ending of the book absolutely blew me away, and I've been trying to wrap my mind around it ever since. My best attempt at an analogy is to compare it to an episode of LOST: You've been watching the whole show (reading the whole book) and you think that you have it all figured out and know what is going on, then in the last 5 minutes (or five pages) EVERYTHING changes which makes you question everything that happened before, and you are left not knowing what to believe.
So, way before the last chapter bamboozled me, I was in total awe of the quality of writing. The style is ... amazing. I wanted to underline every sentence. On the page of "Praise for Life of Pi" there is an excerpt from The Seattle Times that says "each chapter is a well-polished pearl." I think it is more apt to say that every sentence is a well-polished pearl. Every word choice is a well-polished pearl. Martel is the master of the metaphor. Each one that he gives is so vivid with imagery and yet so grounded and applicable to the situation being described. For example, during the storm that sank Pi's ship:
"Nature can put on a thrilling show. The stage is vast, the lighting is dramatic, the extras are innumerable, and the budget for special effects is absolutely unlimited" (p. 128).
Or, when Pi is enchanted by listening to a man recite the Qur'an in Arabic:
"The guttural eruptions and long flowing vowels rolled just beneath my comprehension like a beautiful brook. I gazed into this brook for long spells of time. It was not wide, just one man's voice, but it was as deep as the universe" (p. 78).
I feel that there is not much I can say about Life of Pi that would do it justice. I would absolutely love to teach this book; it is probably at the senior level. There is so much heart, so much feeling, and so much to discuss. I feel that every student would have their own interpretation of the ending. Even now, looking back through the pages I've found passages that I underlined for the sheer beauty of the words, but seeing the words through the lens of the last chapter drastically changes my interpretation of those words. They are still beautiful and deep, but now even more poignant.
The best I can do is say that this a book that everyone should read.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Pre-Blog Reads: YA Lit Class Edition
Read in: February 2008
Read for: YA lit class ... duh
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Rating: 4.4
I don't know why, but I really enjoy solo survival stories. I found Hatchet to be very suspenseful. I immediately liked Brian, the main character and narrator. I think that reluctant readers, particularly males, would enjoy this book. It isn't difficult to read, but Paulsen's writing is still intelligent. I was cheering for Brian the whole time, celebrating his victories and mourning his failures when trying to survive in the wilderness on his own after a plane crash. It's the mark of a good book when I hold my breath, which I did during this one.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Rating: 4
The screenplay format of this book is very different from other young adult novels. The fact that there is a lot of space on the page might draw in young readers. Steve is a good narrator/screenplay writer, and the nights when he is alone in jail are the heart of the story. I think this would be a good book to teach, especially because there are a lot of different themes that could provoke discussion. Also, the fact that the reader is left not knowing whether or not Steve committed the crime that he is on trial for would make a good classroom activity: I imagine some sort of mock trial, where students act as prosecutor, defense attorney, witnesses, etc. to come to a class consensus on whether or not Steve was innocent or guilty.
Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
Rating 3.5
I have read one other Francesca Lia Black book, Missing Angel Juan, which is actually a part of the Weetzie Bat series. Weetzie Bat is the first in the series, and I wish that I had read it first in order to become accustomed to Block's style of writing as well as the unique chracters. Block is infamous for fantastical imagery and creating settings that are set in reality but are on the verge of being mythical. At first this was hard to get used to, but after a few chapters I really appreciated the unique style of writing. I thought Weetzie Bat was more exciting than Missing Angel Juan, and I enjoyed the characters a lot more, as well. Even though I appreciated Block's style of writing, it just wasn't for me. I can see, however, why young adults would really enjoy it and would therefore recommend it.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Rating: 4
I saw the movie version with Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe long before I ever read the book, but I was surprised to find that the movie was actually pretty faithful to the plot of the book, which is hard to find these days. I really enjoyed reading The Outsiders. I was drawn into the life of the Greasers and was cheering for them against the Socs, even though I would probably be placed in the Soc category if I was a character in the book. I think that this book would be a good one to teach for that very reason: teaching students how to empathize with characters and that just because a character is not similar to you does not mean that you don't have anything in common with him or her.
Read for: YA lit class ... duh
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Rating: 4.4
I don't know why, but I really enjoy solo survival stories. I found Hatchet to be very suspenseful. I immediately liked Brian, the main character and narrator. I think that reluctant readers, particularly males, would enjoy this book. It isn't difficult to read, but Paulsen's writing is still intelligent. I was cheering for Brian the whole time, celebrating his victories and mourning his failures when trying to survive in the wilderness on his own after a plane crash. It's the mark of a good book when I hold my breath, which I did during this one.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Rating: 4
The screenplay format of this book is very different from other young adult novels. The fact that there is a lot of space on the page might draw in young readers. Steve is a good narrator/screenplay writer, and the nights when he is alone in jail are the heart of the story. I think this would be a good book to teach, especially because there are a lot of different themes that could provoke discussion. Also, the fact that the reader is left not knowing whether or not Steve committed the crime that he is on trial for would make a good classroom activity: I imagine some sort of mock trial, where students act as prosecutor, defense attorney, witnesses, etc. to come to a class consensus on whether or not Steve was innocent or guilty.
Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
Rating 3.5
I have read one other Francesca Lia Black book, Missing Angel Juan, which is actually a part of the Weetzie Bat series. Weetzie Bat is the first in the series, and I wish that I had read it first in order to become accustomed to Block's style of writing as well as the unique chracters. Block is infamous for fantastical imagery and creating settings that are set in reality but are on the verge of being mythical. At first this was hard to get used to, but after a few chapters I really appreciated the unique style of writing. I thought Weetzie Bat was more exciting than Missing Angel Juan, and I enjoyed the characters a lot more, as well. Even though I appreciated Block's style of writing, it just wasn't for me. I can see, however, why young adults would really enjoy it and would therefore recommend it.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Rating: 4
I saw the movie version with Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe long before I ever read the book, but I was surprised to find that the movie was actually pretty faithful to the plot of the book, which is hard to find these days. I really enjoyed reading The Outsiders. I was drawn into the life of the Greasers and was cheering for them against the Socs, even though I would probably be placed in the Soc category if I was a character in the book. I think that this book would be a good one to teach for that very reason: teaching students how to empathize with characters and that just because a character is not similar to you does not mean that you don't have anything in common with him or her.
Pre-Blog Reads: Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Read in: March 2008
Read for: Leisure/procrastinating academic reading
Average Rating: 4.2
Twilight
Rating: 4.3
I was really surprised that a vampire love saga could be so compelling. The relationship between Bella and Edward is the most believable in this first book (as believable as a vampire-human romantic relationship can be) even though I find myself questioning why exactly Edward is so attracted to Bella in the first place--what exactly does she have to offer? Despite that, the characters are the most likeable in this book, in my opinion. One thing I noticed about Meyer's writing: She has a repertoire of about ten adverbs that she uses when describing how her characters speak. Her favorite is "grimaced." So, Bella might say something and then it is followed by "["insert what Bella says here"], I grimaced." Small writing habits like that were only semi-annoying, and probably only to me. The plot in this book has been the best so far, although I disliked how soon Bella wanted to become a vampire in order to be with Edward. I feel that Meyer is writing herself into a corner.
New Moon
Rating: 4
The second book in the series focuses on the relationship that Bella forms with Jacob when Edward leaves her. I am going to be completely biased here and state that I LOVE Jacob. Ever since the evolution of his and Bella's relationship, I have been rooting for him instead of Edward. Jacob was only a minor character in the first book, which is why I didn't develop this loyalty earlier. And of course, this goes against the grain of most Twilight fans: they all love Edward. I don't think there is anything wrong with Edward per se, I just like Jacob better. My main complaint about Edward is that you can tell it is a woman writing his character. He is too much the macho-yet-sensitive-always-says-the-right-thing type that all women dream of. This book, although he isn't in it as much, is when I started to doubt the believability of his character. Jacob, on the other hand, has more flaws but I believe in him more as a man.
My main qualm about this book is Edward's reason for leaving. It sucks. And I hate that Bella takes him back. Again, I feel that Meyer is writing herself into a corner.
Eclipse
Rating: 3
Still compelling, but definitely my least favorite of the three. Edward is back and he and Jacob are fighting over Bella the whole time. And unfortunately, the character of Bella becomes super annoying. All of her reasoning for the decisions that she makes are very stretched--you can understand why she would feel that way, but you can't understand why the heck she acts on her stupidity. I feel that the reason for this is Meyer's plot. As I mentioned, I feel that Meyer gets in the habit of writing herself into a corner. Unfortunately, the only way that she can get herself out of a plot corner, then, is to have one of the characters make a stupid decision to change the course of events. This task usually falls to Bella, which is frustrating.
What I dislike about this book is how quickly the relationship between Edward and Bella moves towards marriage. I feel that Meyer should explore other options before this one. A marriage is a cheap way to tie off a sitcom that is being cancelled, and it feels that the Twilight series is reaching this point.
Prediction for Book 4: Since Bella is the only one is actually choosing the vegetarian vampire life, and she dislikes the smell/sight of blood in her human life, will this carry over to her vampire state? Will she be the first naturally vegetarian vampire?
Read for: Leisure/procrastinating academic reading
Average Rating: 4.2
Twilight
Rating: 4.3
I was really surprised that a vampire love saga could be so compelling. The relationship between Bella and Edward is the most believable in this first book (as believable as a vampire-human romantic relationship can be) even though I find myself questioning why exactly Edward is so attracted to Bella in the first place--what exactly does she have to offer? Despite that, the characters are the most likeable in this book, in my opinion. One thing I noticed about Meyer's writing: She has a repertoire of about ten adverbs that she uses when describing how her characters speak. Her favorite is "grimaced." So, Bella might say something and then it is followed by "["insert what Bella says here"], I grimaced." Small writing habits like that were only semi-annoying, and probably only to me. The plot in this book has been the best so far, although I disliked how soon Bella wanted to become a vampire in order to be with Edward. I feel that Meyer is writing herself into a corner.
New Moon
Rating: 4
The second book in the series focuses on the relationship that Bella forms with Jacob when Edward leaves her. I am going to be completely biased here and state that I LOVE Jacob. Ever since the evolution of his and Bella's relationship, I have been rooting for him instead of Edward. Jacob was only a minor character in the first book, which is why I didn't develop this loyalty earlier. And of course, this goes against the grain of most Twilight fans: they all love Edward. I don't think there is anything wrong with Edward per se, I just like Jacob better. My main complaint about Edward is that you can tell it is a woman writing his character. He is too much the macho-yet-sensitive-always-says-the-right-thing type that all women dream of. This book, although he isn't in it as much, is when I started to doubt the believability of his character. Jacob, on the other hand, has more flaws but I believe in him more as a man.
My main qualm about this book is Edward's reason for leaving. It sucks. And I hate that Bella takes him back. Again, I feel that Meyer is writing herself into a corner.
Eclipse
Rating: 3
Still compelling, but definitely my least favorite of the three. Edward is back and he and Jacob are fighting over Bella the whole time. And unfortunately, the character of Bella becomes super annoying. All of her reasoning for the decisions that she makes are very stretched--you can understand why she would feel that way, but you can't understand why the heck she acts on her stupidity. I feel that the reason for this is Meyer's plot. As I mentioned, I feel that Meyer gets in the habit of writing herself into a corner. Unfortunately, the only way that she can get herself out of a plot corner, then, is to have one of the characters make a stupid decision to change the course of events. This task usually falls to Bella, which is frustrating.
What I dislike about this book is how quickly the relationship between Edward and Bella moves towards marriage. I feel that Meyer should explore other options before this one. A marriage is a cheap way to tie off a sitcom that is being cancelled, and it feels that the Twilight series is reaching this point.
Prediction for Book 4: Since Bella is the only one is actually choosing the vegetarian vampire life, and she dislikes the smell/sight of blood in her human life, will this carry over to her vampire state? Will she be the first naturally vegetarian vampire?
Have We No Right? by Mabel Williamson
Read for: Discipleship with Lois
Rating: 3.5
Have We No Right? was written in 1957 by Williamson, a missionary to China. She asks this question about the rights of missionaries in other countries. A lot of her examples were outdated, but I think that the main point of the book raised a good thought, mainly that as missionaries we are to follow the teachings of Paul to become all things to all people, so that we do not hinder the message of the Gospel. Becoming all things to all people may mean giving up some of the rights that we are accustomed to in America, Williamson points out. One of those rights is gender equality. In America, although in reality it may not always work out this way, there is still a high prevalance of the ideal of gender equality. In other cultures, though, it is taken for granted that men are better than women, and all the customs revolve around that fact. As a woman missionary, I may want to lead meetings or sharing the Gospel, but the culture that I am in might find that out of my place, so my unwillingness to give up that right might hinder the advancement of the Gospel. So, I think that the point that Williamson was making about the rights of missionaries was better than the way in which her book was written.
Rating: 3.5
Have We No Right? was written in 1957 by Williamson, a missionary to China. She asks this question about the rights of missionaries in other countries. A lot of her examples were outdated, but I think that the main point of the book raised a good thought, mainly that as missionaries we are to follow the teachings of Paul to become all things to all people, so that we do not hinder the message of the Gospel. Becoming all things to all people may mean giving up some of the rights that we are accustomed to in America, Williamson points out. One of those rights is gender equality. In America, although in reality it may not always work out this way, there is still a high prevalance of the ideal of gender equality. In other cultures, though, it is taken for granted that men are better than women, and all the customs revolve around that fact. As a woman missionary, I may want to lead meetings or sharing the Gospel, but the culture that I am in might find that out of my place, so my unwillingness to give up that right might hinder the advancement of the Gospel. So, I think that the point that Williamson was making about the rights of missionaries was better than the way in which her book was written.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Read for: YA lit class/leisure
Rating: 4.5
This was a really great book to read right after having read Speak. Story of a Girl is about Deanna Lambert, a girl who has been labeled the school slut. When she was thirteen her dad found her parked in a car with Tommy, her older brother's friend who was seventeen. The events in the book take place three years after that, when Deanna is sixteen.
What I really enjoyed about Deanna's narration was that she was oftentimes bitingly sarcastic and blunt, but then when she is on her own you see the softer side of Deanna and how she has truly been affected by her past. The heart of the story lies within the relationship that Deanna has with her father. After he found her with Tommy, Deanna and Mr. Lambert's relationship has never been the same. He doesn't look her in the eyes anymore, they don't talk, and he almost always refers to Deanna as "you" or "she." He is highly suspicious of all Deanna's activities and interrogates her about everything she does. At one point Deanna overhears her father and mother talking about her, and Mr. Lambert is suspicious that Deanna is going to "get into trouble" by working late nights at her new job.
"See, he talked about me that way even when he thought I couldn't hear. It wasn't just something he did when I was around so that he could make me feel like crap, punish me, or whatever. If I needed proof about what he really thought, here it was" (p. 69).
That is an example of the bitingly blunt combined with the softer side of Deanna. I think that students could really relate to Deanna, especially students who have made a mistake that they regret, but can't seem to get away from the repurcussions of it. I liked reading Story of a Girl in conjunction with Speak because it gave a different perspective on the issue of sex. What I would like to read next is a book that has a male perspective. This book is a lot more explicit than Speak was with regard to the sex and there is also a higher prevalence of swearing, which might give some pause for being recommended in schools, but I still think that students would benefit from reading it.
Rating: 4.5
This was a really great book to read right after having read Speak. Story of a Girl is about Deanna Lambert, a girl who has been labeled the school slut. When she was thirteen her dad found her parked in a car with Tommy, her older brother's friend who was seventeen. The events in the book take place three years after that, when Deanna is sixteen.
What I really enjoyed about Deanna's narration was that she was oftentimes bitingly sarcastic and blunt, but then when she is on her own you see the softer side of Deanna and how she has truly been affected by her past. The heart of the story lies within the relationship that Deanna has with her father. After he found her with Tommy, Deanna and Mr. Lambert's relationship has never been the same. He doesn't look her in the eyes anymore, they don't talk, and he almost always refers to Deanna as "you" or "she." He is highly suspicious of all Deanna's activities and interrogates her about everything she does. At one point Deanna overhears her father and mother talking about her, and Mr. Lambert is suspicious that Deanna is going to "get into trouble" by working late nights at her new job.
"See, he talked about me that way even when he thought I couldn't hear. It wasn't just something he did when I was around so that he could make me feel like crap, punish me, or whatever. If I needed proof about what he really thought, here it was" (p. 69).
That is an example of the bitingly blunt combined with the softer side of Deanna. I think that students could really relate to Deanna, especially students who have made a mistake that they regret, but can't seem to get away from the repurcussions of it. I liked reading Story of a Girl in conjunction with Speak because it gave a different perspective on the issue of sex. What I would like to read next is a book that has a male perspective. This book is a lot more explicit than Speak was with regard to the sex and there is also a higher prevalence of swearing, which might give some pause for being recommended in schools, but I still think that students would benefit from reading it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
