How Tía Lola Came to Stay

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Julia Alvarez, How Tía Lola Came to Stay, Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2001.

            I think that this book would be a great story to read with a young middle school audience.  The book follows two young adolescents, Miguel and Juanita, who are children of two divorced Dominican immigrants.  The story highlights different aspects of life with divorced parents, and also introduces a great deal of cultural aspects.  The children and their mother move from New York to Vermont in order to start a new life, but when they settle in, their lonely mother invites their aunt Lola, or Tía Lola, to come to Vermont to visit them.  Tía Lola is from the Dominican Republic and cannot speak any English, her culture and traditions are strange to the children, and they are very embarrassed by her.  However, after they begin to teach her English and she introduces them to Spanish, their relationship draws closer and they reach a mutual understanding and grow to love and appreciate each other.  Finally, when the family travels to the Dominican Republic together for Christmas, everything finally makes sense for them and they learn to appreciate their family and the Dominican culture. 

            This book has many teachable qualities.  It not only discusses the hardships of divorce, which many students may relate to, but is from the narrative of a young teenage boy, most likely around the age of the middle school students that would be in our classes; the book narrates his hardships in school, especially with trying to fit in, which would also be relevant to students.  The most interesting teachable aspect of this book, however, is the rich cultural knowledge that it presents and the strong attention to cultural misunderstanding that can happen without the drive to learn about other cultures.  Additionally, for most of the book, Tía Lola speaks in Spanish, but it is immediately translated after each sentence, which would meaningfully introduce students to this language.  A memo in the back of the book also explains why some of the words in the story were not “typical” Spanish, because they are the words used in the Dominican dialect. 

            I would be comfortable teaching this book to any level of middle school students.  The language and vocabulary in this book are not difficult to understand, but the Spanish words and information about the Dominican culture is relevant to any age group; I even found myself learning new things about life in the Dominican Republic.  I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it, especially if doing some kind of multicultural unit.   

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"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.

"Rules" by Cynthia Lord

Rules, Cynthia Lord, Scholastic Inc.  2006. 

The novel Rules by Cynthia Lord tells the story of twelve-year-old Catherine, a girl growing up with an autistic brother.  David, her brother, struggles with picking up on social conventions because of his autism.  To help him, Catherine devises a system of writing down rules for him, that explain everything from, “No toys in the fish tank,” (Lord 70) to “If you want someone to leave you alone, agree with her,” (Lord 56).  The rules are meant for David, but along the way Catherine slips in rules that are relevant to her own life and experiences.  Catherine loves her brother, but sometimes it can be difficult for her to form relationships with people who don’t understand her situation.  She is embarrassed to invite her new neighbor Kristi over, and gets into trouble with the boy from the bus stop who teases David.  Yet David opens many more doors for Catherine than she at first realizes.  David goes to occupational therapy once a week, and it is in the waiting room of the OT clinic that Catherine meets Jason, a boy who cannot talk and uses a wheelchair.  Catherine slowly makes friends with Jason, adding cards with words and colorful pictures to the book of words he points to in order to communicate.  Catherine struggles at first, with being in public with Jason, but by the end of the novel, the two are close friends.  Catherine attends his birthday party, and they go to the school dance together.  

Cynthia Lord’s Rules is definitely appropriate for a middle school audience.  In fact, we read this book with our class of 8^th graders in our field placement.  Catherine’s quest for acceptance and friendship, though complicated by her brother’s autism, is one that students at this age can relate to.  Even students without a disabled sibling experience family issues or have things about their family situation that they would rather not share with the whole world.  Some students may be able to relate to Catherine’s life growing up with a disabled family member, but for those who cannot, this book is an engaging, accessible way to help students become aware of these issues and more accepting of diverse personal and familial situations.  The novel is a fairly easy read, and would work well for the middle school level. 

"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!

Parrot in the Oven by Victor Martinez

Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida, Victor Martinez, HarperTrophy, 1996.

Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida chronicles the life of Manuel “Manny” Hernandez, a Mexican-American boy growing up in California. Each chapter features a different story or memory to help readers understand the hardships Manny faces on a daily basis. In addition to living in a poverty stricken area, Manny is forced to deal with his alcoholic and abusive father, his mother’s obsessive tendencies, his sister’s rebellious behavior, and his brother’s lack of motivation. He continuously struggles with the decision to succumb to or overcome the circumstances of his life. 

The novel contains many themes and ideas that are relevant to middle school kids today. Manny’s struggles with his home life and peer pressure are things many adolescents can relate to. His journey to discover himself and form his own identity highlight other issues students of this age are likely experiencing. This novel deals with a lot of culture and discrimination, which can be a good discussion topics. Martinez’s use of rich figurative language can be included in conversations and lessons as well.

Parrot in the Oven is definitely teachable. The language is simple and though there are the occasional Spanish words and phrases, it is not unmanageable. Because there isn’t much of a plot, the chapters can be taught separately from the whole novel.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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

The Fault in Our Stars tells the story of Hazel, a teenage girl with tumors on her lungs.  Hazel finds it hard to be a normal teenage girl due to her condition so she wraps herself up in a world of books and America's Next Top Model.  But Hazel's solitary life changes when she meets Augustus in a support group meeting.  Augustus, a fellow cancer survivor, is smart, funny, and all-around dreamy.  The book follows Hazel and Augustus as they deal with love and loss in their tragic and beautiful world.

This book deals with themes of love and loss in an amazing way.  The main characters have cancer, but the book is not just a "cancer book."  Any young person could easily relate to the story of falling in love for the first time.  I wouldn't call this book very multicultural since all of the characters are white, but it definitely deals with issues that apply to students of any culture.

At three hundred thirteen pages, the book seems like it would be a little long for middle school students.  However, the story is so well-written and compelling that I don't think the length should be a problem.  I would have this book on my classroom shelf for personal reading.  The book might be a bit too mature for some middle school students.  It deals with some very emotional issues and talks about sex at certain points.  All in all, The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best young adult books I have ever read.  I will definitely have a copy of the book in my classroom.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman, HarperCollins Children's Books, 2008

The Graveyard Book tells the story of Nobody Owens, a young boy orphaned in the first chapter of the novel and taken in by the ghosts of the local graveyard.The boy grows up in this atypical world, learning how to be both ghost and human at the same time. Every chapter of the book takes us to a different year of Bod's life, seeing how his unique family is helping him grow. Eventually, this family helps him become a man and confront the man who killed his family.

Although this book is a fantasy novel, it very aptly describes a story of growing up and maturing. We see how Bod changes not only as a person, but in how he relates to other people as well. He learns different skills from the family he has formed around him, such as Ms. Lupescu, the werewolf who teaches him how to be self sufficient. It also gives a story with a family that cares about their adopted son very much. Although almost everyone else in the graveyard is a ghost, they do not love Bod any less, with The Owens being heartbroken when he finally has to leave them.

I think this book would be great for the classroom. Apart from an engaging story, the book has creepy, cool illustrations and inventive creatures that students would spend much time trying to figure out and create. Not only could this be used in some type of self identity/ maturing unit a class would be doing, the fantasy aspect of the novel allows students to use many creative outlets in activities like drawing the Sleer or the Graveyard, making up character back stories, or creating their own ghost who has their own unique powers. This text is not very difficult to understand, the only challenging aspect would be the multiple characters that might trip up readers. I think that both boys and girls would be intrigued by the text and could produce a really excited classroom discussion!