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