I’m a bit of a snob. Not the condescending obnoxious kind that thinks everything I like is better than everyone else’s, or the uppity bourgeoisie kind that marries importance of brands to my self-worth, but more like the kind that likes high quality items and doesn’t like to waste time with mediocre, mainstream garbage. Life is too short to waste on junk food, music, films or books. I can appreciate the occasional sitcom, romantic comedy or Beyonce single, but I would rather get lost in quality shows like The Wire, or a complex indie film. As for music? Well look for yourself.
While I occasionally dip into the top 40 or watch some terrible blockbusters for mind numbing satisfaction, I have a much more difficult time reading trash. I respect the relationship between text and soul too much to allow myself to waste a few weeks reading a trashy novel. I like books with depth. I want them well written and insightful. I want my books to change the way I see the world and make me think and feel and well….you get it.
Needless to say, I seldom, if ever, read young adult fiction. As a middle school English teacher this is problematic. I know. I have made a ridiculous stand against titles like Harry Potter, Twilight, and ahhhh….ohhhhh those are the only two series I know. You see? I got issues.
A few months ago someone on Twitter suggested I read Speak– a 1999 novel by Laurie Halse Anderson about a girl named Melinda Sordino who is an outcast as a high school freshman due to reasons later revealed in the book…Read more here.
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, and people she doesn’t even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that’s not safe. Because there’s something she’s trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.
As always, I was reluctant, but decided to end by supercilious embargo and read something that could prove not to be “quality” literature. Man! Was I pleasantly surprised. Speak is fantastic. Is it a classic to be studied for generations to come and placed in the canon next to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy? Probably not. It is a well written, easily accessible novel that will grip young readers because it is about issues they deal with- sexuality, acceptance, gender roles, alienation, depression, friendship and more. Yes! With clear and simple symbols and themes, enough figurative language to keep teenagers engaged, and a real world accessibility- Speak is the perfect book for any ninth grade English class novel study.
While the main event of the book, a rape, can seem controversial to some districts, it is important to remember that 1 in 6 American women will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape. In the U.S. a rape is reported every five-minutes. Nearly half of all rapes and sexual assault victims are girls under the age of 18. If a girl is old enough to be raped, or if a boy is old enough to attack, than they are both old enough to talk about why in a classroom. It should be our duty as teachers to help young people navigate these issues.
But this book is not only about rape. It is about the alienation so many young people feel while in school. It is about the disconnect between the dreams promised- study hard, be popular, succeed, be happy and the reality- we are all broken in some way, trying to find a way to make the world make sense. School is not all cheerleaders and prom queens, for most of us, high school was/is a terrifying four years of uncomfortable understanding of who we are and what is expected of us from our friends, family, teachers, and society. Speak does a great job of showing the world through the eyes of a broken young woman who finds a way to heal herself.
The cynic in means has to say that parts of the book do read like an after school special, but for the most part it was a pleasure to read. The cold sardonic tone and imagery held my attention, and I didn’t want it to end. I would have loved a book like this when I was fourteen. Sure, we can continue to try and connect to students by pushing the greatness of Mice and Men, but perhaps we should start where kids are. Let them relate to characters that are dealing with issues they face, then move into Salinas county and the rabbits. I would love to teach this book with say Catcher and the Rye and a film study of Elephant.
I would also love to hear from those of you who have already taught this book. What resources can you share? How did students react? Parents? Did you face any obstacle or problems? Final note, I would love to dive deep into more quality young adult fiction. Friends are always recommending great series, but I always lose track. Could you please share your favorites in the comments below. Don’t worry about mentioning The Hunger Games. I have already placed an order.
Having two younger brothers I have enjoyed reading young adult fiction just so we could talk about the books they are reading. One of my favourite series, and a best-seller in Australia, are the Tomorrow series by John Marsden. Start with Tomorrow, When the War Began and work your way through. It has just been made into a movie I think this year but was written in 1993.
Also, a personal favourite of mine and a realistic glimpse into Italian culture, is Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. The book deals with themes such ethnicity, suicide, freedom and change in a gentle but honest way. The author is a family friend and the book deserves all the acclaim it has received since it was published in 1990 and included in the Year 12 English syllabus book list. It has also been made into a film.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looking_for_Alibrandi_(novel)
SPEAK is a very powerful book. I completely remember reading it in one sitting in 2001.
I think you’ll find the following resources helpful as you continue along your path of discovering YA and middle grade novels and how to share them with your students, though I’m really surprised that you didn’t at least come across Nancie Atwell’s IN THE MIDDLE in graduate school. It is practically the middle school English teacher’s bible. Good luck.
http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/about/
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=8132
http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/teacozy
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/previouswinners/winners.cfm
http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/winners/
I write YA, and I was told by my first agent to read SPEAK. It was not for me. I think it is hyped; I don’t see why it’s considered to be so brilliant. Don’t get me wrong: I thought it was good, of course, but it didn’t blow my mind (and I love when that happens!).
That can happen with any book, of course. Some people will loooove it, and some will go, “Meh.”
I much prefer THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins (no relation)–although only the first book in that trilogy is really amazing, IMO.
I really like SHIVER and LINGER, too, both by Maggie Stiefvater. I think LINGER (the second book) is better…they’re about werewolves!
I read the entire TWILIGHT series because of my students. It’s grabby (although hyped), but most people realize it’s not high literature. That doesn’t mean it is not of value; there are so many parallels we can draw between the structure of those stories and other great works of literature…for me, reading YA and discussing YA is largely about helping my students make connections with other great reads.
YA can be weird, of course–there are so many variations of excellent.
I started reading YA in earnest about 8 years ago; I love writing about teenagers and reading about them. The best YA is not only for teenagers…it is for anyone who remembers what it’s like to be that age.
You might like Meg Rosoff’s HOW I LIVE NOW. It blew my mind! That novel came out 7 or so years ago, I think.
Some people have a visceral reaction against YA because they hated being a teen, I think. But I always, always took my students’ book recommendations and read what they were reading because I wanted to engage them in discussions about books and encourage more reading. You have to read what they like, I think, in order to relate better and to help move them on to other works of literature they will also like.
Teenagers are really seeking books that grab their attention…great YA grabs anyone of any age.
I like YA because of that wonderful tension of “everything is new and exciting when you’re a teenager” and everything feels like such an enormous deal. I guess with SPEAK I felt as though I was being strung along and the big secret at the end didn’t seem worth all the stringing along…the “drawing a tree” trope wore on me, too.
Best,
Elizabeth
I agree Elizabeth, the book is not earth shattering, and maybe because I am not too aware of all the hype I didn’t see it as such. As I mentioned I felt the themes and symbols where easy enough to grasp for a younger audience and lead easily into conversations about bigger ideas. The tree is a great example, of course you are right that as an adult or even higher level student, the symbol of growth personified in a tree can be pedantic, but I think for new readers it can be empowering to finally “get it.”
I felt strung along too, but I saw feeling as an analogy of the high school experience itself. High School for me was one long, ” being strung along and the big secret at the end didn’t seem worth all the stringing along.”
The criticism you made are the exact reason I have not been a fan of YA lit, but I am starting to realize that there must be a bridge between no reading or ES reading and Thomas Pynchon.
I will check out your recommendations. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I appreciated Speak mostly because Melinda’s voice rang so true to throughout the novel. The stereotypes bugged me, but I think that was part of the point. I never taught it in class but I did review it and read chapter one aloud. Then I’d leave it on the shelf for students to borrow, and it would always be checked out. I haven’t spent much time reading YA lit over the past few years, but a few books my students and I have loved include: The Chocolate War by Cormier, Tears of Tiger by Sharon Draper, Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, and When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt. You might want to check out the Teen Reeds website. They have a decent list on their “Ultimate Teen Reading List” http://bit.ly/gEQ9b4.
Hey Jabiz
Give Harry Potter a chance…
And I really liked Holes by Louis Sachar. I read it in my children’s literature book and while it was no Secret Garden, it was certainly entertaining.
http://www.louissachar.com/HolesBook.htm