A little "Leverage" & Last (for now) Thoughts on Censorhip

Since I've no idea as to how to sufficiently and succinctly summarize Joshua Cohen's mind-blowingly disturbing debut novel, "Leverage," I shall start by pulling a fast one and stealing from the

publisher..."There's an extraordinary price for victory at Oregrove High. It is paid on-and off-the football field. And it claims its victims without mercy-including the most innocent bystanders.
When a violent, steroid-infused, ever-escalating prank war has devastating consequences, an unlikely friendship between a talented but emotionally damaged fullback and a promising gymnast might hold the key to a school's salvation.Told in alternating voices and with unapologetic truth, Leverage illuminates the fierce loyalty, flawed justice, and hard-won optimism of two young athletes..."

 

...I'd say that it's "Friday Night Lights" on steroids, a tale of brutal bullying to the point of torture and sodomy (condoned by adults) so chillingly realistic that I had to start and stop countless times.  Certainly, it's not for the faint of heart, it's just one of those books -- and I'm honestly at loss as to what to say.  You can either read it or you can't, but if you do, it's certainly thought provoking, and something that I can, in good conscience recommend to older(junior or senior) teens, and given it's complexity, it is perhaps most suited for an AP level classroom.  Then again, I think this book would be welcomed by many so-called "at risk" students as well, and it would be interesting to see how students from different walks of life respond.

 

As for we current and future teachers -- it should probably be a mandatory read.

 

 

I must admit, however, that I'm most intrigued as to why a book like this (hello, sodomy in the locker room?) was voted a Top 10 Teen Lit Pick by ALA, yet failed to be flagged as a 'should be banned' from the classroom / library novel.  (Please note, I'm not saying that it doesn't deserve the accolades) but rather what compels censorship screamers to hate books like "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian" simply because of a few masturbations scenes, or stories like "Boy Toy" that tackle teen sexual abuse?  Why is violent brutalilty less 'bad' if among peers?  Personally, I think all these books have a place in every library and classroom, so being of sound liberal mind, I'm admit I'm fascinated by the inner workings of the other side.  Anyone out there got any ideas???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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'Literary Merit' and "Maze of Bones"

Since I've long been promising myself that I'd make a valiant effort to read more literature geared towards younger teens, I decided to end this session on a bang via a little "Maze of Bones," which totally appealed the mystery lover / inner archaeologist in me.  I had no qualms about it being good, it was, after all, written by Rick Riordan, a teen literature titan, and it proved true to form-fun, funky, and fresh, with finely drawn and delightful characters (being a big sis myself, I especialy enjoyed the realistical sibling relationships) that nearly force the reader to be immediately drawn in.

In other words, it's an easy sell.  As a teacher and/or librarian, anything by Rick Riordan, especially something as short and sweet as "Maze of Bones" is a rock solid recommendation for even the most reluctant of readers.  This one in particular is far from complicated -- it requires neither an intense time commitment nor analytical thinking, which brings me to the subject of literary merit, a subject that's been broached a few times in the course, and, I admit, been plaguing me ever since.  So...

I'd like to play devil's advocate here (while stressing that I'm not opposed to the notion of 'literary merit' per say) and pose a few questions.  What exactly is literary merit and who decides?  I'd argue that it's completely subjective, and perhaps even a moot point (at least in some situations) and that anything that encourages kids to READ, to explore literature, and don their creative thinking cap (while improving their literacy skills) has literary merit, at least to some degree.  Thus, even books like ttyl & co. have a certain inherent value if for no other reason than they can serve as a gateway to future readership. 

Thoughts?  Opinions?  Inquiring minds want to know...

Random Thoughts Re: "The Declaration"

Having given the audio version of this book an intial go a few years ago (big mistake as I have a serious aversion to that British accent) I wasn't exactly stoked to sit down for a re-do, save the suggestion of a 7th grade student who told me I should scope it out because "it's very, very weird!" (his words, not mine).  So, it was with some suprise to discover that I rather enjoyed it--at least at the offset.  With visions of Mrs. Pincent that alternated between Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest," and an evil henpecking crow (complete with a pincher beak) dancing in my head, I was highly entertained.  The journaling component was pretty cool too, and I think it is just one of "The Declaration" fodder for potential lesson plans.  This book, in fact, is simply so rich with engaging educational opportunities that it's darn near impossible to not appreciate it's value.

That said, I do have a few complaints...

1. The first half of the book was far more interesting than the second as it lacked the incremental (and necessary) character development to keep me captivated; (2) and, for whatever reason (maybe a result of the recent onslaught of dystopian lit, I didn't find the science fiction component nearly as incredulous as the suprisingly sudden relationship growth between Anna and Peter, but then again, perhaps I'm just being picky...In any event, the second half of the book didn't captivate nearly so much as the first as it struck me as too much of a rush job to leave me fully satisfied.  Thus, that coupled with Kelly's head's up that the second book in the series is pretty weak, doesn't leave me wanting to run out and snag the sequel. Nevertheless, I've certainly read far worse, so...up to you!

I tried and tried again...

...to make it through "The 9/11 Report," but, alas, I failed to cross the finish line.  Granted, I haven't read near as many graphic novels I as I probably should (I readily admit that it's far from my favorite format as I prefer text sans pictures, so as to let my imagination do the rest) yet I have managed to discover some rather stunning ones that even my scattered-brained self could do nothing save appreciate the dual information load approach.  "9/11," I'm sorry to say, was so ugly (sorry, I know that's harsh) so visually unappealing (tiny print, bland illustrations, and so much crowded on a page) that made my eyes nearly bug out of my head in the vain attempt to focus.  Maybe that's a sign of my age?  In any event, it was a no go, which means I'll have to pick something else off our lovely list.

It's been my experience that graphic novels, on the whole, are a wonderful means of encouraging reluctant readers for those students, especially those who process information visually (a means of intelligence that I must say I envy!) but that manga tends to be more popular with teens, and the old school graphic novel approach moreso with adults -- makes me wonder why this is so?  (For the life of me, I've never been able to decipher a manga text, despite numerous attempts by teens to teach me as that whole backwards thing is simply too confusing, but again, maybe tht's just a sign of my age?) 

I'm also curious as to what kids are learning about 9/11 in the classroom these days--anyone know?

Fever, 1793

Ok, so I'm only half way through this book, but in the attempt to get this week's blog business checked off my list, I'm going to be naughty and just go with it.  So, what can I say?  So far, so good, which doesn't exactly come as a shocker given it's authored by Laurie Halse Anderson, one of the (deservedly) 'big dogs' of adolescent lit.  With regards to this title in particular, I think it's safe to say that it's quintessential Anderson -- great characters, rich (but not overly done) setting, and historical accuracy along with diverse audience appeal and wide age range appropriatness (the latter comment not applicable to "Speak," which I'm incredibly grateful that we didn't have to tackle).  In other words, it's fun, informative, and not too terribly taxing.  In other words, I'm enjoying the opportunity to learn a few things, to visualize a slice of historical life, and time travel via the wonders of the imagination. 

(On a personal note, my sweet mama is a nurse, and I'd love to suggest this as a family read for she and my 12 year old niece so we could book bond over the net, which is likely another reason I like it so).

It also appeals to the suppressed forensic scientist in me (yeah, I once fantasized about doing forensic work for the FBI, long before I realized I'd, like have to dissect people and stuff!) and utilizing a book like this in school strikes me as (1) an awesome opportunity to broaden our own respective knowledge bases, and (2) an equally awesome opportunity to co-teach with science and history folk were the chance to present itself.  Of course, a little research practice is the school LIBRARY would also be cool...

Thirteen Reasons Why

I originally read "Thirteen Reasons Why" when it was released in '07, and was absolutely blown away by both the novel AND the then debut novelist, Mr. Jay Asher.  Thus, I immiately added it to my mental librarian list of guaranteed great reads and I've been happily "pushing" it on high school students ever since (not, mind you, that it's required a lot of convincing on my part because the book sells itself) so it was interesting to revisit with that in mind.  I wondered, would I love it still...???

In a word, yes.  As many of you have already pointed out, there is simply so much here that's subject to analysis, interpretation, and discussion: bullying and ostracization, rape and sexual assault, depression and alienation, love and friendship (or lack thereof), suicide vs. staying alive...the list is virtually endless, which is likely the reasons we find it taught so often in school and on so many community reads lists.  It's just one of those books -- a book that can get a community talking (no censorship here!)
which is one of the many reasons (rich character development being another -- for how can we fail to fall in love with both Clay and Hannah?) that I too continue to consider this is amazing teen read.

That said, I did fail to enjoy the story as much this second time around -- I found it far more painful.  I would, of course, prefer to think that this is simply a result of having garnered a little wisdom these last few years, but...I have an inkling that back then I was just really into the mystery component of Clay's search (and able to force myself to focus on that in order to avoid the agony).  Today, not so much, as it was Hannah who snagged my soul, and I found I could not escape her pain.  It's a beautifully rendered story, but dang if it doesn't break your heart.

 <In case your interested, this is one of the rare reads where one could justifiably argue that is actually better on audio, and I think it would be wonderful to incorporate a few snippets into a lesson plan.>

S.E. Hinton's, "The Outsiders"

Now seems as fine a time as any to pen my second post (with my apologies for the double dose -- I only now just noticed the two per week requirement.  Oops!) as well as particularly fitting since my first book pick is one that could justifiably be considered one of the originals in street lit, "The Outsiders."  It is also, I'm ashamed to say, one of the few titles on our assigned list that I hadn't already read.  Feel free to call me a nerd, that I am, but to clarify, I am a nerd with longstanding aversion to the "classics"
("Tale of Two Cities," freshman year, sheer horror of horrors, and the discover that Dickens absolutely bored me to tears, but I digress).  Thus, I chose Hinton's book as my first read in order to finally check that baby off my list, and, I'm so, so very glad that I did because it totally rocked my world while likewise provided a much needed reminder: classic doesn't = it sucks (which I obviously should know).

But, back to "The Outsiders," a book that is simply ripe for class discussion (so why wasn't I assigned it in high school, inquiring minds want to know...)  There's simply so much analytical and debatable fodder here, social class, gang warfare, loss, courage, coming-of-age, friendship, the meaning of family, male emotion, and the variations of "maternal" love, to name but a few.  The book just strikes so many a chord, and throughout the course of my read, I found myself continually shaking my head and marveling over the fact that Hinton was but a mere 16 (16!) years old when she authored this work.  Her understanding of the depth and gradation of human emotion coupled with her ability to convey it so eloquently, all I can say is "Wow!"  Of course the fact that she accomplished this feat while a teen herself is itself another means with which to connect students to text, and I readily confess that I'm excited to someday (soon) share the love.  One thought, pair it with Jacqueline Woodson's "Miracles Boys," an exemplary modern African American teen classic, which I only recently realized borrowed rather heavily (and beautifully compliment with that old wonderful Woodson spin) from Hinton's 1967 publication.  Proof positive that the classics, the REAL classics, are absolutely timeless.

The question(s) I pose to my cohort members / partners in crime is this, I'm guessing that many of you (alas, younger) folk did actually encounter this novel at some point during your pre-collegiate academic career; and, if so, what were your experiences like?  Is your reaction, response, opinion different now, as an adult?  And, if you were to teach "The Outsiders" in class, how might you choose to do so?  (Yeah, I totally plan to myself borrow heavily from your creative and grand ideas!)  :)