Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two
Author: Joseph Bruchac
Publishing Information: New York, Dial: 2005
Length: 231 pages
Summary: This is the fictional story of Ned Begay, a Navajo man who served as a Navajo code talker during World War II. When he was a young boy, he left his Navajo home to go to a white school where he was forbidden from speaking his native language. When he became 16 years old, however, he joined the U.S. Marines as a code talker – helping to create and transmit American military codes during World War Two. The language that he was forbidden to speak as a child was now the language that – in code form – helps to protect hundreds of thousands of American troops and becomes a source of pride for Ned and his Navajo Marine brothers. Ned tells his story to his grandchildren, explaining the stories behind the medals he received for his service for the country during WWII.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives: Native American cultural pride, WWII narrative, racism, independence
Hot Buttons: Attitudes about race (Native American attitudes towards whites and Japanese, white attitudes towards Native Americans) – though nothing really noteworthy
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths:
- A great book for boys. Discussion of military environment, equipment, vehicles; companionship and conflicts in the Marines; battlefield situations (not too graphic).
- Written at an accessible level with short sentences and well-known words; Navajo words incorporated with English translations
- Deals with ethnic discrimination of whites against Native American in a subtle, age-appropriate way
- The book includes additional supplemental information in an index of sorts about Navajos and the real Navajo Code Talkers of World War II.
- Follows the tradition of canonical Native American texts like Impressions of an Indian Childhood by Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Bonnin) in the way that it presents the differences between white and Native American cultures.
- Incorporation of traditional Navajo myths and legends into the story.
Weaknesses:
- Writing isn’t “great;” it’s simplistic and not overly descriptive
- For readers wanting an exciting war novel, this isn’t it; the suspense is minimal (though it does build as the story progresses)
- Rather slow to develop the plot; I didn’t really find the book rewarding until I got to the end and saw it as a whole. It might be tough for middle schoolers to hang in there with this one.
Reading Levels: Upper Elementary or Middle School (Grades 5-8)
Potential Readers: Boys, especially those who are interested in military details
Possible Uses:
- Could be suggested for an independent reading / research project
- Might be good supplementary independent reading material for units about cultural differences, World War II, identity, narrative/ storytelling
- Could be used as a choice in Lit Circles
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Publishing Information: Random House Vintage, 2003
Length: 226 pages
Summary: This is the story of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15 year-old autistic boy living in Swindon, England. Christopher lives with his father; his mother has recently died of a heart condition. Though it is never explicitly stated that Christopher is autistic (he may have Asberger syndrome), he explains that he attends a “special school”, and through context clues based on his interests, his great intelligence, and individual “quirks” (for example, he hates the colors yellow and brown, he cannot be touched by people, and he is unable to understand the meanings of facial expressions), it becomes clear that he is autistic. The story begins with Christopher finding his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, dead – seven minutes after midnight – with a garden fork sticking out of its side. Christopher is upset about the dog’s murder, and – against the orders of his father – begins a quest to find the killer of Wellington. The novel is Christopher’s personal account of his discoveries. In the process of trying to discover who killed Wellington, Christopher unearths secrets he never imagined, and he learns about himself and his abilities to overcome his seeming inability to step outside his comfort zone.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives: Understanding individuality, morality, trust, and relationships between people; working to overcome obstacles; provides the unique first-person perspective of an autistic teenager (narrator)
Hot Buttons:
- Teenage rebellion, breaking free from parental constraints
- Language (particularly frequent use of “F” word)
- Adult themes (mother of main character is involved in an extra-marital affair)
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: Provides great insight (without directly addressing it) about autism. Wonderful first-person perspective that presents all information through the eyes and perspective of a character who is autistic. Provides opportunity for discussion on a variety of issues and perspectives.
Weaknesses: This seems to be a crossover book. Though author Mark Haddon is characterized as a children’s author, it’s arguable whether or not this book is appropriate for all adolescents. I don’t know that I’d say this book has “weaknesses,” though I would say that – depending on the class population – this book may or may not be appropriate as a full-class text
Reading Levels: Grades 9 and up
Potential Readers: 9th grade and up (for more mature content area); based on maturity of students, however, this book might be recommended for individual students as young as grade 6
Possible Uses: This could easily be taught as a full-class text (in fact, it is taught to the 9H – Honors – students at York); I would feel comfortable assigning it as a Literature Circles choice or as a text for independent reading.
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Enter Three Witches
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
Publishing Information: Scholastic, 2007
Length: 278 pages
Summary: Enter Three Witches follows the same timeline as Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and follows the story of Lady Mary – the fourteen year old daughter of the Thane of Cawdor who has been sent by her father to live with Lord and Lady Macbeth. The narrative follows Mary’s story as well as stories of other characters (most of whom never appear in Shakespeare’s Macbeth) but who are privy to the action that is featured in the tragedy.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives: Different perspective of the actions that occur during Shakespeare’s Macbeth; explores the ideas of courage, loyalty, good vs. evil, friendship, and trust
Hot Buttons: N/A
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: A neat supplemental reading for a classic text with references that are both satisfying for those who have already read the original text and intriguing for those who might become interested in reading it but have not. Incorporates quotes from Macbeth and explores some characters from the original play in interesting detail while adding new characters. It’s an enjoyable read.
Weaknesses: While the idea of providing a companion narrative to Macbeth is great, the target audience is definitely female, which prevents it from being a successful full-class text. Additionally, while the references to the play and the interweaving of the new characters with the real Macbeth characters is interesting, I’m not entirely sure that the reading level of the book and the reading level of the play are the same. (The book, perhaps, is geared towards a younger audience than the play).
Reading Levels: Middle – high school (potentially). Has the same appeal as books like The Other Boleyn Girl that have recently been popular.
Potential Readers: Girls, especially those interested in Shakespeare or historical fiction
Possible Uses: Independent reading (especially for students who are interested in Shakespeare); could also be good as an entry text for students who struggle with Shakespeare
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Monster
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Publishing Information: HarperTempest, 1999
Length: 281 pages
Summary: This is the story – told from the first person perspective, in screenplay format – of Steven Harmon, a 16-year-old boy who is on trial for his life for his possible involvement in a crime that ended in murder. The bulk of the book is spent detailing the courtroom proceedings of Steve’s trial, but there are flashbacks to his school life, his home life, his friendships, and his time in jail as he awaits trial.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives: Arguably this is a rare perspective – first person perspective of a teen (whose innocence remains ambiguous throughout) who is on trial for involvement in murder; issues of race, racial profiling, social class, family, friends, the power of decision-making
Hot Buttons: Discussion of crime, murder, drug abuse, some language
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: Material is presented in the form of a screenplay, which is an interesting and unique genre; good issues for discussion – for example, the ending is open-ended which leaves possibilities worth talking about; this edition of the book included questions for discussions as well as an interview with the author; could also provide a good segue into discussions of the way that movies are filmed and the effects of things (that are described in the book) like camera angle, voice-over narration, etc.
Weaknesses: Might be a difficult text for some readers to become engaged with; at times seemed to have more of a goal of proving a social point than it did to really develop the characters, etc.; for me as a reader, I had a hard time getting invested in the book, and only really got “into” it
Reading Levels: Content makes it geared more towards a high school audience, though reading level is middle school. Depending on the level of discussion, though, (and depending on the student population), this book could be taught from grades 8-12.
Potential Readers: Mostly boys, but possibly some girls; would likely appeal in particular to students whose lives are more inner city, like Steve’s. However, students of all backgrounds can benefit from the topics of discussion this book encourages.
Possible Uses: Depending on the school and the students, this could be used as a full-class text. I would feel comfortable assigning it as a Literature Circle option, as well. I’m not sure that it would be best read as an independent text as there is so much worth discussing in it, but I would not dissuade an interested student from reading it.
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Nation
Author: Terry Pratchett
Publishing Information: Harper Collins, 2008
Length: 384 pages
Summary: Nation is the story of two universes that collide as the result of a huge tidal wave: a island, polytheistic world represented by Mau and the genteel, colonial world represented by Daphne. The tidal wave destroys the family and island home of Mau, a young island boy whose world collapses just as he is about to become a man. The tidal wave also shipwrecks Ermintrude (who renames herself “Daphne”), a young aristocratic girl who is the only survivor of a ship on an important mission. In this story about acceptance, loyalty, and independence, Mau and Daphne struggle to survive in the wake of the tidal wave and help other survivors of the tragedy who begin to arrive on their island. As Mau and Daphne struggle against language and culture barriers, they learn about themselves, each other – and each other’s culture – and are ultimately forced to make decisions that must be based on their own experiences and not their respective culture’s prejudices.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives: Colonialism, Individualism, Acceptance of different cultures / peoples
Hot Buttons: Rebellion against cultural norms / ideals; rebellion against authority
Strengths and Weaknesses:
- At its heart, this a great story about acceptance, understanding, and being open to change and difference. However, the characters are inconsistent at times, as is the narrative voice. While this may not be as frustrating to the book’s target audience (who will likely get easily wrapped up in the events, conflicts, tensions, and possibility of romance) that keep the narrative moving along, it may be frustrating for readers at the older end of the target audience spectrum.
- The questions that the book raises about culture-clash, misconceptions, and standing up for what you believe in are excellent ones, however, even if the story itself is (at times) inconsistent and the characterization is somewhat lacking; the story takes awhile to “get into” which may discourage some readers.
- The book brings up issues that would be great seeds for discussion – could be a good small reading group / Literature Circle book choice, for example.
Reading Levels: Early High School
Potential Readers: Grades 8-11 (could appeal equally to both boys and girls)
Possible Uses: Possible Literature Circle book, independent reading
Personal Response: Boring at times; not consistent; frustrating to read
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The Outsiders
Author: S. E. Hinton
Publishing Information: Viking, 1995
Length: 188 pages
Summary: The Outsiders is a novel told from the first-person perspective of Ponyboy Curtis, a “greaser” whose parents are dead and whose close-knit gang of friends is his true “family.” Rival social class skirmishes (between Ponyboy’s “greasers” and the rival, rich-kid “Socs”) are a daily occurrence for Ponyboy and his gang: Johnny, Soda, Dally, Darry, Steve, and Two-Bit. However, when Johnny kills a member of the rival Soc group in defense of Ponyboy, he and Ponyboy must flee to avoid charges of murder. The events that follow teach Ponyboy lessons about family, friendship, loyalty, and love.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives: First-person perspective dealing with fitting in, understanding those who are different, figuring out what really matters in life (and how many of us are all the same inside), loyalty to family, sticking up for what’s right, coping with loss, and finding yourself.
Hot Buttons: Underage smoking and drinking, violence, death; teenage rebellion / lack of respect for parents, police
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: A book about timeless issues of growing up, class differences, loyalty, fitting in, finding out who you are and what’s truly important. A classic.
Weaknesses: Might seem “dated” to younger readers; might be more geared towards an adolescent boy audience (in other words: it might not appeal to adolescent girls)
Reading Levels: Grades 6-9 (though possibly relevant for high school, too)
Potential Readers: Middle school, boys or girls (though more likely to appeal to boys)
Possible Uses: Definitely would use this novel as a full-class text for middle schoolers or early high schoolers. The issues of growing up and being true to one’s self and one’s family are timeless. Using this book as full-class text might be best because as an independent reading project (or even as a Lit Circle book), many modern students might feel that the slang and the terms are dated. Without guidance and priming, some might fail to connect to the themes.
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The Sea of Monsters
Author: Rick Riordan
Publishing Information: Disney-Hyperion, 2006
Length: 288 pages
Summary: Sea of Monsters is the second book in the Percy Jackson series. In this book, Percy learns that he has a half-brother named Tyson (a Cyclopes) who will be joining him this year at Camp Half Blood. After Percy discovers that his best friend (a satyr named Grover who is on a special quest to find Pan) has been taken captive by a Cyclopes on an island in the middle of the legendary Sea of Monsters, he, Annabeth (daughter of Athena), and Tyson set out on a rescue mission. In the middle of their very own “Odyssey,” they are chased by their half-blood nemesis Luke and plagued by mythological monsters (Scylla and Charybdis, Calypso, and the sirens).
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives: Acceptance of different people, knowing right from wrong, standing up for your friends
Hot Buttons: Rebellion against authority
Strengths and Weaknesses:
- Even more so than The Lightening Thief, this second Percy Jackson book has great mythological references. New characters are introduced and the parallels between this book and The Odyssey are particularly strong. Also compared with the previous book, the character development and descriptions are more vivid, while the connections to Greek mythology are more clever.
- The writing is still weak, and (despite the improvements) the character development and descriptions still leave something to be desired. (These books are not on par with the world of Harry Potter, for example). However, despite the fact that the plot moves by at a very quick pace – denying the reader a chance to really get to “know” Percy and his world – the opportunities to connect this text to a lesson or unit on Greek mythology / The Odyssey are many.
Reading Level: Middle School
Potential Readers: Grades 6-8
Possible Uses: Could be used in conjunction with The Odyssey or other Greek mythology; perhaps used in segments (“Nobody” segment, for example); independent reading
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The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriquez
Author: Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Publishing Information: Hyperion, 2008
Length: 312 pages
Summary: This is the story of Sonia Rodriguez, told from her perspective. Sonia lives in Los Angeles and – along with her four brothers – was born in the United States; her parents are illegal immigrants from Mexico. Her father works 17 hours a day, and her mother is pregnant with twins. Sonia struggles with the responsibility of being the only girl in a large Mexican family. Despite the expectations that her family has for her (she must take care of her younger siblings, look after her alcoholic uncle – who has designs on her, and do all of the housework of her pregnant mother), she wants to break the stereotype, succeed in school, and build a good life for herself.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives:
- The struggle between the desire for autonomy/ independence and family obligation.
- Culture / family tensions
- Friendship
- Love
Hot Buttons: You name it: illegal immigration, alcoholism, child abuse, language, sexual abuse, sexual content (references), teen pregnancy
Strengths and Weaknesses: The writing is a bit simplistic, but the story and the issues that the narrative brings up are compelling and sincere. The story is suspenseful, and the characters are well-crafted. The first-person narrative adds a layer of authenticity.
Reading Levels: Grades 9 and up (due to the mature subject content); protagonist is a high school sophomore
Potential Readers: Girls, particularly minority girls who might be reading below grade level. However, the story is so compelling, it can easily draw in readers who read at higher levels as well.
Possible Uses: This would be a great book for Literature Circles. It could be good in conjunction with Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street as it provides another Latina perspective that would be fascinating to compare with Esperanza’s. This would also be a great novel to recommend as an independent reading book.
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Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publishing Information: Penguin, 1999
Length: 198 pages
Summary: This is the story of Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman who was raped by an older boy during a party the previous summer. Due to the fact that she called the cops after the incident (and they arrived and broke up the party), none of her former friends will speak to her. She is a complete social outcast. Unable to talk to friends, teachers, or her parents about the incident, Melinda retreats further into herself as she watches the boy who raped her become closer to her best friend. Melinda rarely speaks in the novel, but she gradually begins coming to terms with what happened, and as she does she slowly regains her voice.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives:
Told from first-person perspective; about being a social outcast in a socially ostracizing adolescent world; focuses on dealing with changing friendships and relationships; tensions between children and parents; coping with the emotions and trauma of a rape situation; general issues of being an adolescent
Hot Buttons:
- Teenage rape
- References to underage drinking, sex
- Conflicts between parents and children; teachers / school authority and students
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: A book about the issues that girls face as adolescents. Deals with social issues and feelings of isolation (from parents, from peers, from people who would “understand”) in an authentic way. The narrator is mature yet struggling to cope with a very traumatic experience. Her narration draws the reader in and deals with the subject matter in a relatable way. The message is a strong and positive one.
Weaknesses: It’s definitely geared towards a female audience (which isn’t necessarily a “weakness” but it might make it harder to rationalize teaching the text to a full class of both sexes).
Reading Levels: Grades 8 and up
Potential Readers: 8th grade and up (for more mature content area); based on maturity of students, however, this book might be recommended for individual students as young as grade 6
Possible Uses: This novel could absolutely be used as a full-class text. Even though the protagonist and almost all main characters are adolescent females, the issues explored are worth discussing with all students. However, I think I would feel most comfortable assigning this book as a choice for Literature Circles. It makes a great discussion book, but I don’t know that boys would be able to relate as well as girls to the situations being discussed. If this book didn’t fit with Literature Circle themes, I would recommend it as an independent reading selection. All adolescent girls should read this book. I loved it.
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What I Saw and How I Lied
Author: Judy Blundell
Publishing Information: Scholastic, 2008
Length: 288 pages
Summary: This book begins in post-World War II Brooklyn. The first person narrator of the story, Evelyn (“Evie”) Spooner is the daughter of a drop-dead-gorgeous mother (Bev) and a war-veteran stepfather (Joe) who is the owner of several appliance stores in the New York City area. After a series of strange phone calls from a man who claims to have been in the war with Joe, Evie and her family take a trip to West Palm Beach, Florida. Once there, they meet a swanky couple named the Graysons (who have a secret that must be kept hidden) and an attractive 23-year-old young man named Peter who (coincidentally) served in the war with Evie’s stepfather Joe. Evie soon falls in love with Peter and his charming ways, and she and her mother spend many days in his company, despite Joe’s obvious aversion to Peter. The tensions begin to run ever-higher, and they eventually culminate in the death of one of the main characters, a courtroom trial, and a life for Evie that will never be the same again. Evie’s innocence and inability to notice anything awry with her situation adds to the suspense of the story. Throughout the story, she wants nothing more than to “grow up” and be just like her beautiful mother. By the end of the story, Evie indeed grows up, but in neither the way she nor the reader expects.
Themes, Issues, and Perspectives:
- Existence of anti-Semitism in post-WWII America
- The struggles of growing up and bridging the gap between childhood and adulthood
- Loyalty / duty / responsibility to self and family
- First love
Hot Buttons: Rebellion against parents
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: Compelling story, interesting issues for discussion, good imagery, complex characters
Weaknesses: Good story (though a bit slow at times with suspense slow to build), not enough “meat” to warrant it being classified as a full-class text
Reading Levels: Middle School (grade 7 and up)
Potential Readers: Girl audience
Possible Uses: Good to recommend for student independent reading; perhaps a Lit Circle book choice
YA Book Blog - ENGL 698 