A final look

Dear Joshua,

This is my last blog entry as a member of my YA class. I walked out of class yesterday with some friends and we all agreed that it was a sad day. We loved this class; we learned about a whole new world of books that we never really new existed. We knew about “Twilight” and how we wouldn’t touch that thing with a 10 foot pole. We knew about beginner reads like “Charlottes Web” which I loved. But YA can be so much different, so much better.

There were some advocates for the classic literature in the high school English classrooms, who were very adamant on the subject and reluctant to consider YA novels. I hope their minds have been changed. I believe classic literature is important and integral to intellectual growth, but if that’s all you use, then you’re going to lose some kids along the way. We talked about text pairing as a possible solution, like pairing a classic novel with a YA novel covering the same themes. I’m all for it.

We had some debates on what high school kids should read and what’s appropriate. I do not believe in censorship, but I understand there can be legal issues at hand with certain topics. But topics such as diverse cultures, drugs, violence, and even relationships must be mentioned if you are to truly teach a student. I went to Catholic school (unlike you, you lucky bum) and I was never told how to have safe sex. I was never told how to deflect violence. I was told that premarital sex was a sin of a terrible degree and abstinence is key. I was told to turn the other cheek when wronged and that smoking one little joint would be the end of me as I knew it.

These are all lies.

These are potentially harmful lies, especially considering that I know of 3 girls from my graduating class that got pregnant (without marriage) right away without any form of birth control. I currently work in a local high school that recently had a lockdown due to excessive gang violence that resulted in 7 fights in a matter of two hours. I have friends that smoke a little weed every now and then and function perfectly well.

Educators should do their job. They should educate. I don’t care if the subject is uncomfortable. Get over yourself; this isn’t about you. This is about your students. This is about their lives. The information you choose to give them, no matter what the format, will help shape their lives. Give them books to help them with their issues. Show them different sides of the story. Knowledge is power.

Your sister,

Paige

Adult novels should sometimes really be YA

Dear Joshua,

Remember my first post? I said I wanted to mention some adult books that should be considered YA, but I have not yet done that. Well, now’s the time!

First up, we have “Pure” by Rebbeca Ray. I read it during my senior year of high school, so that was about 5 years ago. Bear with me, as I don’t remember it too well. It’s about this 14 year old girl named Pure and how she sees her friends. One is super awesome and can do no wrong and the other is kind of a loner and a little weird (but Pure is still nice to her). Here’s where the book got a little strange to me. One day Pure meets a 27 year old guy in an electronics store and asks for her number. Remember now, Pure is 14 and this man is 27. And he calls her. And they start a relationship. And people think that the 5 year age difference between me and my husband is huge. Think again.

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Now comes “Hairstyles of the Damned” by Joe Meno. If there is any book on this blog that you should read, it’s this one. I would let you borrow my copy, but I have already highlighted in it and it’s more fun to find your own important quotes to cherish in your heart forever. Christmas present maybe?

If you like punk, you’ll like this book. And I’m not talking the new crappy “punk” out there now, I’m talking about the Misfits and Black Flag. And other awesome bands such as the Blue Oyster Cult, Lynrd Skynard, Danzig, Slayer, and Iron Maiden, that do not fall into the category of punk.

So Brian is a Catholic high school student who’s totally in love with his best friend Gretchen and is too afraid to admit it. He’s a punk kid who gets picked on (as does Gretchen, but she’s more likely to kick the crap outta people than Brian is). Brian struggles to find his identity and uses music to help him find it. It’s written from his perspective, and I think he’s someone you would be friends with.

“I’m just trying to get through school without going fucking crazy…I know why I’m miserable, I need to get laid.”

“Is that all you fucking think about?”

“Yes, I can safely say that is all I think about.”

This book was written for teenage boys.

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Finally, we have “The Cheese Monkeys” by Chipp Kidd. Kidd is a graphic designer and the book looks pretty cool. Be sure to spread out the edges of the pages and read the message (don’t forget to turn the book upside down during this activity, as well).

This is about a boy who goes to a state college to major in art. Kidd used some of his art school experience to tell the tale of the protagonist (who has no name) and his first year in college. It’s great, it’s wonderful, it has my Art Rule #1: “Something I have never seen before and will never be able to forget. Because that should always be your goal. If you can do that, you can do anything – never attempt anything less.” You want to be an architect, which is really cool. And I imagine you’ll be taking some art related courses (god, I hope so!) so I think you may find this interesting and worth a read. Another Christmas present, perhaps?

Your Sister,

Paige

My most mediocer book

Dear Joshua,

This weeks book is “My Most Excellent Year” by Steve Kluger. As a class, we decided that it is not the most excellent book, however it does have something to offer.

The novel is told through journal entries and IM chats of three different friends, T.C., Augie, and Ale. The parents and other supporting characters can be found by way of memos to each other. This is a story about friendship and family and it’s all wrapped up in a neat little package. T.C. and Augie are brothers, although not by birth. They became friends when they were six years old and decided that being brothers would be much more fun. Ale is T.C.’s love interest and a socially and politically minded individual. She is a strong female character, which I can appreciate. Augie is most certainly gay; although he doesn’t know when everyone else does (he writes his journal entries to his “Diva of the Week” for crying out loud!). He does figure it out and falls in love for the first time. T.C.’s mother died when he was 6 and he has taken in another 6 year old, Hucky, as his friend/little brother. Hucky is deaf so T.C. and everyone else learn sign language pretty quick so they can all communicate.

I cannot honestly say what the story was trying to do. What was the plot? Ummm….I guess it was some friends during their Freshmen year and how they got to know each other with some parents and a deaf child mixed in. I don’t have a clear answer. There was no big drama, no big dilemma; everything was fixed in the end and you are left with a fuzzy feeling inside.

Needless to say, this week was the week on “Innovations With Form.” I enjoyed the book and did not find it difficult in the least to read, but I was part of a select few. After having read plenty of graphic novels I was able to get into the swing of things pretty easy. There is a lot of changing view points and messages and letters and chats that make up the story, but that’s what I found most interesting. I doubt you would like it, Joshua, but it’s still a pretty easy and fun read.

Your sister,

Paige

Relatability, Shrematablity

Dear Joshua,

During this blog, I have been trying to find ways to get you to relate to the books I review. I have tried using your interests, your experiences (that you have had or will have eventually), or lessons you should probably learn. This time I have a book that caused quite a commotion in class, due to the subject of relatability.

“We Were Here” my Matt De La Pena is a book about a Mexican American teen, Miguel, who winds up in Juvenile Detention in California. He is sent to a house to work off his sentence with a Judges request that he write a journal. The journal is to help counselors help him. He meets Rondell, an African American teen, in Juvi who also ends up in the same house. At the house already is Mong, a Chinese American teen who just looks plain crazy to Miguel.

Miguel and his new acquaintances decide to run away to Mexico and find jobs. On the journey, we learn a lot about where the boys come from, what kind of family life they had, what their aspirations are. Miguel is the narrator, we have a limited perspective, but we can see the progression of an unlikely friendship between three kids brought together by actions deemed irresponsible.

“Throughout Missouri, the Division of Youth Services operates 32 residential programs serving 72 groups of 10-12 youth and 10 day-treatment programs. Division of Youth Services programs are located in both rural and urban/metropolitan areas throughout the state.” This was found at http://www.dss.mo.gov/dys/faq/genopt.htm. This means that, in the state of Missouri, there are 23,040 – 27,648 kids in the DYS database at a given time. The discussion raging in class was over how students could relate to a book about Juvi kids. I believe the numbers above deem relatability a moot point.

We know these kids. We see them on the street, in the grocery store, at the mall, cleaning trash on the side of the interstate. To not present a book like this would pretend that these kids don’t exist. I didn’t work at a non-profit crisis care center for abused and neglected children for 12 months to walk away thinking that I will always be surrounded by white, middle to upper class, privileged kids.

Joshua, I know that at your Super Nerd Tech School (just poking fun) probably doesn’t have a lot of Juvi kids, if any at all. But your school recently ended up having the largest Toledo Public High School, Scott, merge into your building. That school is riddled with gangs and violence like you wouldn’t believe. And you share a building with them, despite TTA’s best efforts to prevent that from happening. You are going to see Juvi kids. And you would be better off knowing that they come from a home life that you could only imagine. They need extra guidance and a hell of a lot of support. Read “We Were Here.” These kids are human and worth taking a look at. I don’t care if you can’t relate. Suck it up, boy.

Your sister,

Paige

Now that's more like it!

Dear Joshua,

You are a big fan of Tolkien, just like me and Justin. Justin got us into the books and I can remember reading The Hobbit on our way to Florida the first time. We were sitting in the car and I was reading Gollum’s riddles to dad. I remember you (how old were you? You had to have been super little) trying to guess the answers. It was so cute!

Well, today I have a really great fantasy book for you! It’s called Graceling by Kristen Cashore. It doesn’t have very many of the same elements as Tolkien’s world, but it’s still pretty darn good. Katsa is a Graceling, someone who has a Grace. A Grace in this world is a gift of tremendous ability. Not everyone has one and you know a Graceling by their eyes being two different colors. Katsa has the gift of killing. She can kill any person at any time with any method. She’s quite a phenomenon. She is used in her kingdom as a hit-man (hit-woman?) by the king. She doesn’t like her job and doesn’t appreciate her skill being used to solve petty crimes.

Katsa creates her own secret society to put her Grace to good use. She and her friends stumbled upon a mystery and have decided to take it into their own hands. Someone is causing a lot of trouble, namely kidnapping an elderly man for no apparent reason. Katsa meets another Graceling, Po, who happens to have a strong connection to the elderly man. Katsa and Po’s relationship unfolds into something beautiful and intimate and together they learn of a terrifying man who destroys the minds he meets. It is their duty to put an end to him.

We talked in class about fantasy books and what types of questions they raise and how those questions can be answered by fantasy. Basically, a fantasy book can ask any of the same questions a non-fantasy book can ask. We have discussed how The Lord of the Rings is similar to the Second World War, raising many of the same issues. Well, Graceling presents questions on gender, power, altruism, and relationships. Remember how I said that Frankie was about how NOT to treat a girl? Well, Graceling is about how you SHOULD treat a girl. Po is an excellent male figure, one that I think most young adults would appreciate.

It doesn’t matter what you’re vehicle is. You can write in plain old fiction or amp it up with fantasy. As long as you have some pertinent questions and make use of our higher cognitive functioning, you’ve got yourself a good book. Graceling is one you must read.

Photos!

Dear Readers, Here is a fun post! My older brother, Justin, got married in September and Joshua just sent some pictures to me that were taken from his camera. The first is one of Joshua himself. You can see Justin in the background, just look behind all of Joshua's bulk. The second one is of both Joshua and myself. We really do love each other, I promise!

Take care,

Paige

Remember: I can always bring you down, I don't care how big you are.

Dear Joshua,

I know you. You're an upstanding guy. But I also know you're a guy and probably could use some help in the romance department, not to mention the gender issue department. This is why you should read "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landaue-Banks" by E. Lockhart. This National Book Award finalist is a funny and engaging read that I read in about a day and a half. It's easy to get through, has some awesome pranking material, and offers a little lesson in love on top of that.

Frankie is a sophomore at a boarding school on the East Coast and she has "blossomed" from her freshmen year. "She gained four inches and twenty pounds all in the right places." So she's a hot tamale and now, all of a sudden, everyone is noticing her, including the super hot Senior Matthew Livingston.

She and Matthew start dating and he's kind of a jerk. Here's where gender roles come in: he likes it when she needs him, he likes to do things for her, he doesn't open up to her, etc. Frankie doesn't like this so she follows him one day after he's blown her off for his friends (again) and finds out he's in some secret all boy society that pulls lame pranks on the school. Long story short, she infiltrates the group and organizes a plethora of pranks worthy of getting certain people in deep trouble.

What I want to discuss with you, little brother, is the gender and romance stuff. You know me, I am independent and can fend for myself quite easily. This is what you need to know about most girls: we can do things on our own. Frankie is sick and tired of being looked at as a little girl, defenseless and in need of help. So she does something about it. I would have to say that if any girl you ever date acts the way Frankie does because of you, then you deserve it. Matthew leaves her all the time in favor of his friends. Every once in a while is fine. You know Les (Readers note: Les is my husband) goes off with his friends, that's cool. But he never blows me off to be with them. When you make plans, keep them. Unless of course you end up having knee surgery the day before Halloween and end up having to stay home by yourself (good luck with that!).

I say gender and romance together because they do go together. A man is expected to do certain things for his lady and the lady is expected to do other things for her man. Frankie does not like this. Hence infiltrating an all guys secret society without letting her identity be known. But it's ok to let down societies gender roles and do your own thing. For example, Les does more laundry than I do. Do I object? Haha. And one more important thing about gender that you cannot escape: when guys get even, they do it overtly. Girls, however, are covert. Always. Remember. That. It may save your face someday if you cross a girlfriend.

Your big sister,

Paige