On My Honor- Dealing with guilt after a horrible tragedy

On My Honor. Marion Dane Bauer. Clarion Books, 1986.

Joel Bates is best friends with Tony Zabrinsky, the boy who lives across the street from him. Although they get along well, Joel is bothered by Tony’s steady stream of crazy ideas and Tony’s insistence on having things his way. One day, Tony suggests that he and Joel ride their bikes out to Starved Rock State Park and climb the bluffs there, which is a very dangerous activity. Joel, seeking to get out of this plan, asks his dad for permission, banking on his dad saying no. To Joel’s dismay, his dad allows the boys to go; his only condition is that Joel must swear to his dad that he and Tony will do nothing else besides ride to the park and ride back.

On the ride out, Tony stops on a bridge over a river and decides that he wants to swim. Joel tries to convince him that it would be dangerous, but Tony’s stubbornness causes him to ignore Joel, instead accusing Joel of being scared to go swimming. The boys get in a fight, and Joel retaliates for Tony’s previous insults by daring Tony to swim out to a sandbar in the river with him. He knows that Tony is not a good swimmer, so he expects to be victorious in this dare. The boys race there, but when Joel arrives, Tony is nowhere to be found. After frantically searching the river and riverbanks (and nearly drowning from the undertow in the water), Joel comes to the sickening realization that Tony had drowned, and that he must now return home to inform his parents and Tony’s parents that Tony drowned on account of Joel’s dare.

The remainder of the book deals heavily with Joel’s feeling of guilt, of anger, of blame, and of responsibility for the death of his best friend. The reader is met with an engaging perspective into Joel’s disheveled emotional state following the tragedy. He strives to avoid his parents and absolve himself of any blame, but he must ultimately come forward with the truth. He struggles to find any solace, viewing it as a weight he must bear forever. This book offers a fascinating and chilling account of the manner in which a simple summertime activity can turn into a nightmare. I would highly recommend this book to middle school readers. It is a page-turner, as the reader quickly becomes enthralled in Joel’s dilemma. The vocabulary and content are age-appropriate for 5^th-7^th grade students. While this book would be great for individual reading, this captivating tale of internal character conflict would also work well as the subject of a whole-class study. Highly recommended!

High Heat- A baseball thriller about much more than baseball

High Heat. Carl Deuker, HarperCollins Publishers, 2003.

High Heat is a story about Shane Hunter, an up-and-coming baseball star at an elite private high school in the suburbs of Seattle. Shane lives a pampered life, residing in a mansion in a gated community. This is a result of the hard work and financial success of his father, who is a car dealership owner. Shane’s father is incredibly supportive of his baseball playing and is always present at the games. One day, however, Mr. Hunter is approached in the bleachers by police and arrested−he was being charged with money laundering. Shane endures incredible embarrassment in the days following his father’s very public arrest, yet he still believes his dad is innocent. He now finds that his father’s presence at his games causes him to pitch poorly, a theory confirmed by his excellent performance at a game that his dad missed. Trying to figure out a way to tell his father not to attend his games anymore, he drives home from his victory, but upon arriving on his street he is met with a slew of ambulances and police cars. To the disbelief of Shane and his mother and sister, his father had committed suicide inside their home.

Shane is devastated, mystified, angered, and intrigued by his father’s suicide; his emotional state causes him to quit the baseball team and to pass through the remainder of the school year apathetically. Following the suicide, Shane’s family loses nearly all of their money and possessions in a legal settlement, and Shane’s gated-community lifestyle to which he was accustomed transforms into his new residence in public housing in Seattle. He is incredibly bitter about his new environment and swears he’ll never play baseball again, certainly not for an inner-city public school. Yet he is swayed by some newfound friends to take up the sport again, leading to some intense moments when his new team faces his old friends from the private school in the city tournament. Is Shane able to maintain his talent? Or will the pressure and embarrassment of his old lifestyle overwhelm him?

I would highly recommend this book to middle school students, especially to boys who like baseball, as there are quite a few intense narrative scenes that are better understood by someone who knows the game of baseball well. However, I think that anyone could enjoy this book. It deals with intense themes that do not directly relate to sports; Shane continually struggles with the abrupt and drastic changes in his life following his father’s suicide, which often causes him to display angry outbursts both on and off the pitcher’s mound. He deals with poverty and becomes integrated into a diverse school environment that is foreign to him. Many students who have gone through a difficult move, divorce, death of a parent, or other tragedy will likely be able to relate to Shane’s emotions that he expresses throughout the novel. He ultimately uses his love of baseball to cope with his sense of abandonment following his father’s death; although it is a sports narrative, it deals with a lot more “heavy” issues than sports. My only concern would be that the suicide could be slightly bothersome to certain readers, so I would definitely monitor a student who was reading the book and discuss it with him or her to make sure that he or she was comfortable with reading about the suicide. I think this book would be better as an individual read. I believe that many students would find this book very enjoyable, as it is a page-turner with an exciting ending. Highly-recommended!

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

Feathers

By Jacqueline Woodson

 A young, black, sixth grade girl named Frannie deals with the everyday pressures of young adolescence and racial tension during the 1970’s, the years following the end of segregation laws. Her life, which is complicated by her deaf brother, pregnant mother, and the class bully, becomes only more complex as a new boy transfers to her school. This boy happens to be the only white boy in her school. Jesus boy, a nickname coined by her classmates, has Frannie intrigued and wanting to learn more about him. Jacqueline Woodson immerses her reader into the mind of a young girl, who is going through and incredibly challenging transitional period, as she questions her beliefs and relationships.

This book deals with the issues of racism, discrimination, and disabilities while incorporating themes of faith, hope, acceptance, which are broadly applicable to the middle school level. Taking place in the 70’s, I think that this book creates an interesting opportunity to work with historical social issues that are still relevant in modern-day society.

The Rookie by Scott Siegler

The Rookie by Scott Siegler, Dark Overlord Paperback, 2012

            

             Scott Siegler’s novel, originally produced in podcast form, is a gripping work of speculative science fiction.  The story revolves around the protagonist Quentin Barnes who is a quarterback in a low tier interstellar football league.  In Siegler’s world, humanity is not the only intelligent species out there and football has been adopted by many planets as the sport of choice.  This changes the game completely since different species have different abilities that allow them to perform better than humans at certain positions.  Quentin Barnes is a citizen of a group of planets called The Purist Nation.  The Purists are a very xenophobic people who hate all nonhuman species simply because they are different from them.  Quentin Barnes is an incredible player who is traded to a team outside of the Purist Nation.  Quentin, having been raised in an all human environment where other species have been labeled demonic, struggles to adapt to and accept his new teammates.  Will Barnes be able to rise above his personal prejudices and his sheltered upbringing to fulfill his dream of playing football at the highest level?

          Siegler’s novel takes advantage of the futuristic setting to address issues of racism, homophobia, drugs, alcohol, and ethics.  He makes this expansive commentary palatable for the young reader by filling each chapter with intense action and drama.  Boys interested in sports will love this sports heavy novel.  Students interested in politics and social issues will also find this novel engaging.  At 464 pages this book’s easy prose makes it an easy read for most students.  I would definitely recommend this book for middle school students.  While science fiction is generally relegated to low culture, Siegler’s novel is chock-full of themes and character development.  One thing to be cautious of is the novels portrayal of religion which could upset some religious students and parents.  

The Flag of Childhood, Poems from the Middle East

The Flag of Childhood, Poems from the Middle East

Selected by Naomi Shihab Nye

Through her compelling collection of sixty poems from authors of the middle east, Naomi Shihab Nye attempts to defuse some of the cultural and racial tension that has persisted in America since the attacks on the World Trade Centers in 2001. While many Americans have been left with negative, generalized stereotype towards members of the Middle Eastern community, Naomi combats these attitudes by giving voice to members of these varying communities, who relate their connection with a common humanity through different poems.

Each poem in this anthology offers a new and valuable perspective, from authors of Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, and many other nations of the Middle East.  Many of which deal with the themes of love, family, belonging, and equality, which help break down the cultural barriers that exist today.

These poems, of which many are translated into English, are generally easy to read, making it appropriate for middle school level classrooms. The poems can be used to teach a number of poetic and literary devices, since each author employs their own stylistic choices. Since it deals with such serious and prevalent issues in American society today, this book has great potential for fostering class discussion while also shedding light on varying cultural perspectives.

The Fault in Our Stars, John Green, Dutton Books, 2012

            The Fault in Our Stars is a young adult novel that truly embodies the emotional roller coaster of growing up with the added angst of being diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease. The main character, Hazel, has cancerous tumors in her lungs. Naturally, dealing with the idea of a potentially early death at such an early age creates all kinds of stress. Hazel, like many teens, rejects her parents’ advice on how to deal with her emotional stress and hates going to the local support group for young people with cancer. Instead she distracts herself with other things. The book An Imperial Affliction is a major obsession for her. On one fateful night, Hazel attends her support group where she meets an attractive young man and a passionate romance ensues. The plot twists and turns as Hazel and Augustus, previously mentioned attractive young man, travel around the world discovering what it means to live, love, and die.

            This book is very raw when it comes to emotions and dealing with hard personal issues, mainly death. Grief and tragedy, very universal issues, are dealt with in good and bad ways by the main characters. However, the book is not all grief and tragedy; it also delves deeply into romance, familial love, and friendship. At almost 300 pages, this book could be daunting to some readers. However, the prose is easy and the narrative engaging which makes it very accessible to almost any reader. This book is also bound to be a hit with young girls. The “star crossed lovers” trope in this book will definitely attract fans of the Twilight novels and expose them to better writing and more mature themes. I could see this book alienating young male readers as it is told from the first person point of view of a teenage girl. There is also some sexual content which could raise some parents’ eyebrows. In my own classroom, I would recommend this book for emotionally mature individual readers.

The Shadow Club, Neal Shusterman

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The Shadow Club, Neal Shusterman, 2002

The Shadow Club takes bullying to the extreme.  In this book, Jared and his best friend/love interest Cheryl, both good kids and students, feel that they are second best to others in their school.  As much as they try to be the greatest, one other individual always outdoes them.  They discuss their resentment for those who keep them from the top, and share stories of the hurt that they would cause these individuals to blow off steam.  However, they decide to start a club named The Shadow Club, a club exclusive to those that are the second-best.  Jared and Cheryl invite five others to the club, including the second best swimmer, second smartest student, and the second best trumpet player.  They meet secretly and plan pranks on those who are better than them and treat them poorly for it.  But after they perform some harmless pranks on the “unbeatables,” other pranks begin to happen at the school that are much worse.  When people begin to get hurt, the school principal suspects the club of performing these terrible pranks.  The club, however, blames the pranks on a student who is the target of a great deal of bullying, who gets into many fights, and who they catch spying on a Shadow Club meeting.  As they try to get the student to confess, the once innocent students of The Shadow Club become incredible bullies themselves and learn something about what is defending yourself, and what it taking it too far.

I think that this book has teachable qualities in the sense that it encourages the fact that we cannot judge an individual if we do not know his or her past.  It also shows how bullying can get out of hand, and how we may not even recognize the fact that bullying is happening.  The vocabulary in the book was not difficult, and it was very easy to read.  The mystery feel of the book would keep students intrigued and wanting to keep reading.  This book was recommended by my cooperating teacher, who said that her sixth grade class was more engaged in this book than any of the others they have read this year.  I think that this book could be read in any middle school grade, but the vocabulary and ease of reading might make it more appropriate for younger students. 

Before we were Free

Before we were Free by Julia Alvarez follows twelve year old Anita in the Dominican Republic in the 1960’s. After her uncle mysteriously disappears, Anita begins to question her father’s associations with various government agencies, including a conspiracy to murder the general, which causes her to question whether or not she is actually free. In addition to her family, Anita also interacts with a variety of classmates, including a couple of boys. Anita also talks about various cultural customs, like her sister’s quinceniera, and cultural values, like when and where to talk to boys, throughout. Another interesting aspect of the book is Anita’s relationships with foreigners, like her American friend Sam. Her interaction with Sam also causes her to question the political situation going on in her country, as well as her relation to her own culture. Alvarez uses authentic language, including some Spanish words sporadically in the novel, and follows the chronology of historical events occurring at this time. Given that this book follows a historical moment, the novel could be compared and contrasted with other historical accounts of the time, as well as with similar novels or diaries of people living in a turbulent political culture.

While the book is recommended for grades 7-12, I think this book would be most useful in the middle school setting. The book is written with simple but powerful language; however, I thought it was a little too simple for a high school student. There is authentic Spanish language, which is essential to understanding Anita’s cultural values. This book would be a great option to introduce students to the story of a girl who must also deal with a crumbling country on top of her developing independence as a woman. I found that this book was very teachable and could take a variety of different routes to be presented and discussed in a classroom. 

A Step from Heaven

A Step from Heaven, by An Na, traces Young Ju’s emigration from Korea to the United States. In her new world, Young Ju struggles with learning English, adapting to the American culture, and melding her native culture with the culture in which she is now submerged. What is most interesting about this novel is the style in which it is written. The story

begins with four-year old Young Ju and ends with an adult Young Ju reflecting on her experiences during her life. Na adapts the Young Ju’s narration to correspond to her age. As the chapters progress, the language becomes more and more sophisticated to match Young Ju’s growth. This book also uses authentic language relevant to the Korean culture, such as the traditional names for grandmother and father throughout the book.

Na’s book would be a good choice to use in a classroom because there are many different directions a teacher could take the novel. For example, this book would be a great example of a text that uses style and language to show how Young Ju changes throughout her life. While Na uses an interesting writing style, the book does not adhere to traditional grammar rules, like using quotations marks to indicate dialogue. This is not necessarily a deterrent to using the book in a classroom, but it is something to keep in mind if this book were used as a model. This book would also be an interesting choice to use if a teacher wanted to focus on themes such as assimilation, Americanism, and clash between cultures. Since the story spans many years in Young Ju’s life, there are many instances where she is challenged because of her culture. This book is an eye-opening account into the life of a young girl’s journey to adapting to new culture. 

The Birchbark House

The Birchbark House, Louise Erdrich

This novel was written by Louise Erdrich, a Native American author, in 1999.  This novel takes place in 1849 in Minnesota and follows the story of Omakayas, an eight year old Ojibwa girl who is adopted into a family after her people were wiped out by a smallpox outbreak.  The novel itself is broken down into four sections, which are labeled as the natural seasons.  There is a strong connection between her family’s lifestyle and nature, including an altercation Omakayas has with a mother bear and her cubs.  Throughout the novel, there are various tasks and chores to be done, all strengthening Omakayas’ bond with nature and her overall understanding of life in general.  Her relationship with her family and the reliance on nature are what allows Omakayas and her family to face the troublesome winter season, in hopes of fighting through to the peaceful spring.  

This novel is suitable for middle school reading; probably more for a sixth grade level rather than an eighth grade level.  Because of its vivid description of nature and the setting of the novel, I believe there could be some great projects to be done with the students about their own settings.  Perhaps the students can create a storyline that follows the season and perhaps what kind of bonds they may share with the elements.