Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

Street Love published by Amistad, 2006

Street Love is a modern take on the Shakespearean classic Romeo and Juliet.  Narrated in flowing free verse poetry, Street Love follows the romance of Damien and Janice, two teens with seemingly nothing in common.  For Damien, the sky is the limit.  He is a star athlete who also shines in the classroom.  The prestigious Brown University and the American Dream seem to be foregone conclusions.  All of this is made possible by his parents’ support.  Janice’s life could not be more different.  Her mother is serving a twenty five year sentence for possessing drugs which leaves Janice to care for her younger sister and her aging grandmother.  Janice’s life seems to be just another chapter in a never ending cycle of poverty and general familial turmoil.  Her father, like her grandfather before him, is nowhere to be seen.  Janice catches    

Damien’s eye and their unlikely romance struggles to remain airborne.  Will they succeed against all odds? 

Myers’ Street Love is without a doubt a masterpiece.  Myers’ use of poetry as a narrative technique is uncannily accessible for any reader and seems to pull you into the story.  Street Love would be an excellent way to introduce students to poetry as a narrative model for middle school students.  Myers’, as usual, is unafraid to approach tough real life issues like drug abuse and poverty while still making the book appropriate for middle school readers.   I would definitely teach this book in my classroom.  The educational potential is simply astounding.  Tough cultural, social, and economic themes coupled with an engaging but also unique style make this book a no brainer for any middle school classroom.

Double Dutch, by Sharon Draper

Novels about sports are always a bit iffy--either you have the right ratio of sports descriptions to other significant plot advancements, or the sports details overtake the rest of the book, which doesn't seem too meaningful. This book tries to avoid having too much emphasis on the double dutch aspect so as to move the plot along, but in doing so, it doesn't necessarily have a quality narrative apart from the sporting component.

This novel tells the story of 8th grader Delia, an African American girl on a double dutch team. Double dutch is her passion, which I really liked, because I think it's good to demonstrate to students that you can have passions that are different from your peers. Double dutch is a skill/hobby that is not often presented in young adult sport novels--it's usually either basketball, running, etc. But double dutch is a more quirky sport, which made those parts of the novel compelling.

The other layer of Delia, though, pertains to her inability to read--a secret which she has kept from her teachers, parents, coach, and teammates. This renders her frustrated and embarrassed in school on a regular basis, yet she can't really do anything about it until she decides to tell her parents. My question about this, though, was how realistic is it to have a 14 year old girl whose parents haven't noticed that their daughter can't read? Really? In the scene where Delia reveals to her mother that she can't read, they go out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant, and Delia cannot read the menu, which frustrates her so much that she cries. Then she tells her mother the truth, at which point her mom obviously arranges to help Delia overcome this by working with her teachers, and getting her reading tutoring.

There is a subplot pertaining to Delia's friend Randy, who hasn't seen his dad in several weeks. This storyline is resolved by a tornado, which hits the town where Delia and Randy live, and brings everyone in the school, including two major school bullies, together. There is also a culminating double dutch competition. It ends how you would expect it to. Delia can read. Randy's dad also shows up at the tournament.

The book was okay; not great. The language is a bit juvenile, and the fact that Delia's parents didn't know she couldn't read was a little unrealistic and annoying. I'd say 6th graders through 8th graders could read it.

145 Street: Short Stories

145th Street: Short Stories

Walter Dean Meyers pulls another great book from up his sleeve.  This one contains, as the title suggests, a collection of stories that all take place in Harlem.  Each story focuses on a different character, but recurring characters give each one a familiar feel.  Meyers’ stories are remarkable in that they are full of tough issues.  Poverty, discrimination, police violence, and poor work conditions are all present in this vibrant collection of stories.  However, the focus always comes back to the community’s or an individual’s strength to respond to any situation.  Meyers’ narrative voice hooks his reader and pulls them into Harlem and the lives of its residents.  How could a reader not have an emotional connection to Billy the boxer who is willing to risk his own wellbeing so that he can be a good father and husband for his family?  Or with Big Joe who just wants to pull a Tom Sawyer and attend his own funeral? Or Peaches Jones who thinks Big Joe has gone too far and must be defrauded? 

This is a fantastic piece of literature, especially considering it was written for middle school students.  It is an extremely accessible book.  The first page hooks the reader and the rest is history.  I would highly recommend this book to any middle school teacher for his or her classroom.  Although 5th through 7th grades would probably be best.  It would make an excellent catalyst for discussions about race, poverty, and many other issues.

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis, Yearling, 1999.

            Bud, Not Buddy follows ten-year-old Bud on his journey to find his father. Bud’s mother dies when he is just six. After her death, Bud is thrown into an orphanage and spends much of his life in foster care. After being locked in a shed by one foster family, Bud, armed with a suitcase of flyers about his presumed father and other keepsakes, runs away in search of his family.

            This book deals with issues of family and identity. Bud spends much of his life in the dark about his father and other family members because his mother passed away before she could discuss those issues with him. Though Bud has a strong sense of his literal identity (Bud, not Buddy), he lacks-and desperately desires- a sense of belonging. Over the course of the novel, he begins to learn that family can come from unlikely places. The book also includes undertones of racism and poverty. This novel would fit well with a historical study of the Great Depression, since it takes place during that time period and there are many time-specific markers throughout the story (e.g. Hoovervilles and Pullman porters).

            I think this book is definitely teachable at the middle school level. Bud has many humorous yet insightful thoughts about the world that students will find relatable. The language is simple to understand and the book is only 236 pages long.

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia

Set in Oakland, California in 1968--a peak year during the civil rights movement-- the story revolves around three African American sisters, Fern, Vonetta, and Delphine. In search of the mother who abandoned them, the girls travel around the city, having both extremely difficult and extremely joyful experiences with each other along the way. Williams crafts her prose to actually be extremely poetic, but the writing style is not difficult to read whatsoever. That's what's cool about the narrative style of this book--middle schoolers might not pick up on the fact that the narration is actually very poetic, but the fact that it is poetic makes it a very fast read and overall just exquisitely written. Another aspect of this book that made it very enjoyable to read was the fact that although the time period of the story is during the Civil Rights movement, the story is not about the civil rights movement. I think it's important to demonstrate how life was during that time, without including too much information about the timeframe and historical context. It's more about the advancement of the plot and the character development. The sisters are crafted to be extremely multi-faceted and vivid, which also made the story enjoyable and fluid. This is a wonderful book, and I would certainly recommend it.

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 First Part Last

The First Part Last
By: Angela Johnson

This book is about Bobby.  He is a 16 year old, African American boy living in New York City.  He and his girlfriend, Nia, find out they are having a baby.  They decided to put the baby up for adoption but Nia becomes ill while giving birth and Bobby decides to keep the baby girl, Feather.  The book depicts Bobby’s struggles with single, teenage parenthood.  He does have supportive friends and his parents are there for him as well.

The book is formatted uniquely – oscillating between chapters of ‘then’ and ‘now’.  It gives insight into the struggles of family life, parenting, grief, and the difficulties that teenagers face.  There is language throughout the book which you might want to discuss with parents first.  I think this book would be a better book for high schoolers, though eighth graders might be able to handle it.  It’s kind of a heavy book because of all the issues it deals with but in an inner city school these issues are pertinent.  I’m not sure I would recommend it as class reading but for independent reading it would be good.  Especially if the teacher made sure the students knew that she was available to talk to.

Monster, Walter Dean Myers

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Monster, 1999, Walter Dean Myers

This book is definitely a change from the norm.  Written as a screenplay, Walter Dean Myers introduces us to a young adolescent that is on trial for felony murder, Steve Harmon.  Harmon’s lawyer Kathy O’Brien works to prove his innocence, as narrated in Harmon’s screenplay and in his personal journal entries that are scattered throughout the novel.  Harmon expresses his fear of both the outcome of his trial and his time in jail; as a young adult he experiences many things that other people his age have not.  His screenplay introduces readers to the courtroom and the processes that are followed in a trial, and to the many people that are involved in a case.  Additionally, it not only shows his own personal struggle with the trail, but also the struggle of those around him, especially that of his parents.  Myers presents his story in an interesting way that is easily read and should appeal to students.

There are many teachable aspects of this book.  First, it introduces students to the processes of the courtroom.  This presents students with levels of critical thinking, as the lawyers must do in the trial.  The lawyers must also consider audience when delivering their arguments, which is something that could be discussed with students.  Secondly, there is a great deal of film terms used in Harmon’s writing of the screenplay that present unique vocabulary for the students to learn.  It also gives them a model for a screenplay of their own, which could be an exciting writing activity for the class. 

I think that this story would be most appropriate for older students, probably eighth graders, due to the discussion of sexual harassment in prison and also for some foul language.  If students are mature enough to handle this, then I think that this book would be a great teaching tool in an upper level middle school classroom. 

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis, Yearling Books, 1999

Bud is a young boy orphaned during the Great Depression. He has never met his father. The only clues he has about his identity is from his mother are a poster advertising a band and some rocks with words on them. After being mistreated by a foster family for the last time, he decides to go look for his real dad. Along the way, he encounters many new friends and learns what it means to have a family.

This book has a large focus on what it means to be a family. When Bud meets the band, Bud gets accepted right away. They take care of him and treat him like a son. It also spends a lot of time exploring the historical context of the time. Although it doesn't go into specific details, it gives many real people and the desperate feel that this time period had.

I think you could definitely teach this book, but I would teach it in a 6th or 7th grade classroom. As the book is narrated  by Bud, a 6 year old, it is fairly easy to understand. Those of a higher grade might find it too easy. I would teach this book in literature circles. It has very vivid scenes the illustrator would have much to do with and the connector could explore a lot the historical context. I think it would be interesting to use this text in conjunction with a history class studying this time period. That way, they can better understand ideas presented in the text, like Hoovervilles and soup kitchens.

"Monster" By Walter Dean Myers

Monster by Walter Dean Myers follows the story of Steve Harmon, a 16 year old boy who is on trial as an accomplice to the murder of a New York City drugstore clerk. The book is written as a movie script which is being thought up by Steve as he witnesses the proceedings of his trial. The movie script is inter-spliced with journal entries written by Steve as he reflects on his time spent in jail, including his fears of the future, and also his relationship with his parents during the trial. As the story progresses, we learn more about Steve’s actual involvement with crime, and about how sometimes it is possible to simply be a victim of one’s environment. The story is easy and exciting to read as it builds up to its climax.

At the beginning of the story we are presented with the fact that it is very unlikely that Steve will win the case. We quickly learn of the multitude of biases and tricks that are used against inner city blacks who find themselves involved with cases such as the one Steve is involved in. We learn that juries are often more likely to convict based on appearances rather than testimony, and that only one slip up in a courtroom can spell doom for a black male in many cases. Monster is particularly interesting in the way that it explores the influence that environment has on inner city crime, and the fact that the problem with inner city violence is not a series of unrelated crimes, but an issue which needs to be fixed from a societal perspective.

I, personally, greatly enjoyed reading Monster due partly because of its unusual story-telling structure, but also because of the way that Myers fuses Steve Harmon’s case with a gritty and “not-watered-down” light. I feel that this story could be greatly readable for any Middle School classroom. It is accurate in terms of the realities of the judicial and prison system, and also makes a powerful statement about the nature of crime and environment in an accessible way. As stated before, parts of the books are quite violent, due to the “gritty” nature of the subject matter. However, with a mature student, this book could be a useful key to teaching social issues of the inner city.

"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

Monster, Walter Dean Myers, HarperCollins, 1999

Monster is the story of 16-year-old African American, Steve Harmon, on trial in New York for felony murder.  The book is written as if it is Steve's journal.  From the beginning, Steve decides that his life would be better expressed in a movie, so he writes most of the book as a screenplay, with short narrative interjections.  Steve recounts the trial process and includes flashbacks and reflections on his experience as it happens, having been accused of an ambiguous crime.  The reader must hang on till the end to discover the verdict...

 This novel is about 280 pages long, but it is extremely fast-moving because of the screenplay format.  Important themes that are raised include issues of law and justice, right and wrong, and people's perceptions of others, especially African Americans.  The title comes from this important theme, as people view Steve as a "monster," even though he is a good person.  The style is fresh and gripping, and Steve's voice is frank and honest about life in jail and in court as we get to see the camera-view of his life from his perspective.

This is an excellent choice for a middle school, because the language is easy to understand and the book is fast-passed .  Middle school readers might have some trouble with the law proceedings with situations of objection/sustained/overruled/etc., but this can be an excellent opportunity to teach students about legal proceedings and our judicial system.  It also offers a new format, the screenplay, which teachers can work with that is both easy and interesting (and can make for a fun film project!).  The themes are very relevant and important, and can spark some controversial discussions in the classroom, which also leads to opportunities for debates, and maybe even mock trials!

Slam! By Walter Dean Meyers

Slam! by Walter Dean Meyers
Scholastic Paperbacks May 1, 2008

Gregory “Slam” Harris just wants to play basketball and everything seems to be getting in his way.  He has great friends and a stable place in his high school when his family has to move and everything changes.  After the move Slam has to attend Latimer High School.  This separates him from his friends from his old school.  Latimer has much higher academic standards than his old school which comes between him and being able to do what he does best, basketball.  But at this new school even that is not how he wants it to be.  His coach and his new teammates do not like his game.  They say he has a bad attitude and he won’t get game time unless that changes.  As he adjusts to all of the changes of moving to a new school, his past comes back to haunt him.  His best friend from his old school, Ice, appears to be dealing drugs since he now has a lot of cash to spend.  To top it all off, his grandmother is sick.  All of these things threaten to overwhelm Slam as he tries to navigate his life.  Will Slam be able to take his team to the championship?  Can he keep his personal life under control?

Slam is a great book from middle school readers.  The rapid fire prose is engaging and makes the reader wish the book was not a mere 288 pages.  This book is a “slam dunk” from young male readers who are interested in sports.  The book has a fast pace and the adversity that Slam goes through is something anyone can relate to.  While I might not recommend reading this book as a class, I would highly recommend this as a great option for independent reading.

"Edith Jackson" by Rosa Guy

Edith Jackson by Rosa Guy, published in 1980, is about Edith Jackson, a 17 year old girl who moves between foster homes while trying to keep her family together. Edith, the main character, takes it upon herself to take care of her sisters and maintain some sort of stability in their lives. However, Edith finds her life to be anything but stable. The book’s characters experience issues surrounding orphans, abortion, accidental death, sexual assault, and death. The themes in the book are quite heavy and may be difficult for students to deal with. Some of the most difficult parts of the novel include Edith identifying her sister Bessie’s body after being in a car accident, and the ending of the novel where Edith makes the decision to have an abortion.  I think another one of the most challenging issue in the novel to work through is the explicit sexual assault that takes place between the characters and their care-givers. In my opinion, it might be too much for a student in middle school to understand. As a whole, I also felt the book did not really take time to dig deeper into the emotions or consequences associated with these heavy topics other than the incidents themselves. One theme that I thought might be interesting to explore with students, though, was the author’s realistic depiction of the failure of American institutions like churches, orphanages, and schools. Although this book highlights these themes very well, there might be another novel out there that explores institution failures in a less salacious context.  As a whole, I feel that this book might be good for an independent study, however, to teach to an entire class might run into serious issues with not only students’ comfort levels, but with parents or administrators. The themes, although potentially applicable to life, are a bit provocative to encourage middle school students to read about and experience. This novel could potentially work in a high school setting where students are more mature and have more background knowledge about the themes presented. 

Walter Dean Myers 145th Street Short Stories

Walter Dean Myers, 145^th Street Short Stories, 2000

Walter Dean Myers’ 145^th Street Short Stories is a collection of short stories dealing with the lives of the characters that inhabit a block in a poor but determined neighborhood.  The stories in this book are an engaging mix that range from eclectic, including the tale of the man who arranged and experienced his funeral while still alive and the girl who dreamed of those who were about to die, to heartwarming and uplifting tales of a police officer’s family spending Christmas Day with an old, lonely woman and a young girl who refuses to abandon her boyfriend after his horrible accident. 

The short stories in this collection deal with the themes of friendship, loyalty, and love, in a romantic, familial, and neighborly sense.  145^th street is a place that is no stranger to violence and death, but in the lives of many of the characters, hope and kindness towards one another prevail in the end.  The fear of gangs is ever present for the characters, especially the school-age ones, but they never give up on trying to live well in a tough neighborhood.  The novel was a fairly easy read that most middle school age students could manage, but there is one scene involving drug use that might be a bit mature for middle school students.  This book would work either as a book students read on their own or as a book for the whole class.  This book would work well if a teacher wanted to read aloud a bit to students every day.  It is organized into short stories, so it would make sense to introduce a new one each day, yet many of the characters appear in more than one story, giving the book as a whole a more unified feel.  This approach allows for readers to encounter a multitude of different points of view on the same place and characters.  Each story allows readers to see 145^th street in a different, deeper light, giving readers a more well-rounded picture of the neighborhood and its inhabitants. 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Puffin (October 1, 1991)

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor is one of those rare novels that affectively addresses tough issues in an accessible manner for young readers.  Set in rural Depression era Mississippi, this Newberry Award winning novel paints a painfully accurate picture of what society was like for African Americans in the south at that time.

The story revolves around the narrator Cassie Logan, a young idealistic African American girl, and her family’s struggle to survive in the hostile south without compromising their freedom.  When the owners of the local store begin burning African Americans, the Logan family organizes a boycott of the store in hopes that the persecution will end.  This act of civil disobedience causes all kinds of trouble for the Logan’s and their friends.  Eventually the various conflicts are temporarily resolved in a tension filled confrontation at the end of the novel.

Some of the content in the novel could be offensive to some readers.  The book does contain some racial slurs and discusses terrible acts of violence towards African Americans.  However the “offensive language” is historically accurate and used to show the abuse African Americans received at the time.  If anything the violence in the book is toned down for young readers.  However, the violence in the book is very affective in conveying the situation African Americans during that time were in.

This coming of age story is an excellent book for middle school readers because it is written from the perspective of a young person not far from their age.  Cassie’s naivety when it comes to matters of racism probably mirrors those of middle school readers to a certain extent.  Showing racial conflict from this youthful perspective clearly shows the institutional and individual racism of that time.  It also gives context for racism present today.