American Born Chinese - Gene Lune Yang

I read American Born Chinese by Gene Leun Yang in one sitting and when I finished, I handed the book to my mother and she read it in one sitting. We could not stop discussing this book. Graphic novels is a fairly new idea to me and I am constantly searching for ways to try to incorporate them into my classes. I started with a graphic novel of Beowulf (which my students loved!) and would like to try to teach Maus one of these days. I think graphic novels are a great way to get students to read.

American Born Chinese was a great story. I was really impressed how the 3 story lines all tied together at the end. All along I kept wondering what the thread was that tied them and was happy to have such closure in the end. I was really impressed by the story of the monkey king and think that this is a great storyline for students to follow because it isn't as obvious as the others. I really like how the story talks about Danny became so "Americanized" he completely lost his own identity - he didn't even recognize himself in the mirror and it took a visit from his cousin Chin-kee for him to realize all of this.

The whole plot with Chin-kee was interesting because I think many young students might want to laugh at a foreigner who acted and spoke differently. (He reminded me of Long Duck Dong from Sixteen Candles.) I think it is important for students to read about tolerance and this book was really successful in doing that. I think that this book would be a great book to use at a middle school level.

Under the Melanin Sun and The Dear One

In today's society, a teacher has to be aware of so many factors when addressing his/her students - divorce, IEP's, race, religion and also family members. I think Jacqueline Woodson's books are great books to open up a classroom discussion on same sex familiies. Students who are not used to a home where both parents are the same sex may have questions or even prejudices against different types of relationships and Woodson's novels open up a discussion forum to help educate people about what they might not know.

I thought that From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun was beautifully written. Woodson really allows her readers to get into the mind of an adolescent young man who has to deal with the fact that his mother is gay. This is a different situation that that of a child who is raised by two same sex parents from birth. Melanin was forced to deal with changes in his lfe and in his mother's life. I thought the ending of the novel was really strong when Melanin takes the time to talk to Kristin on the beach. He finally sees them as two people who are getting to know one another rather than one straight black boy and one white lesbian. I think this book is a great way for students to understand that acceptance of change (of any kind) sometimes takes time. Melanin was not immediately happy for his mother, but with time, he started adjusting to the idea. I grew up with a boy who had a gay father. His mother knew that his father was gay, but chose to have a child with him anyway but my friend didn't know that his father was gay until we were 12 years old. His father thought that he was old enough to know the truth at that point. Well, for years my friend struggled to accept his father's decision and also with his own sexuality. We were just coming to an age where boys and girls start liking one another and he was confused if he was gay because his father was gay. In addition, my friend had to deal with the cruelty of other students because once they learned about his father - the mental abuse was all over the place. He had to defend his father when he wasn't even sure how he felt about his father.

I also think that The Dear One was a great book on acceptance. There was the acceptance of the young, unwed mother into Feni's home and the acceptance of the gay couple on the pary of Rebecca. I loved this book. I think that the beginning of the story is a great way to take the glory out of teen sex. I think that this too can be used to open up discussions about teen sexuality and teen pregnancy. Many children think that certain topics are taboo and they end up making foolish mistakes becuase they are uneducated about the truth. I also like how young Feni is and how she is jealous of the attention that Rebecca gets when she comes to live with Feni and her mom. However, it made me sad to realize how young Rebecca was when she held Feni's dolls.

Woodson had a beautiful writing style and I really think that her books would be an asset to any classroom.

When Pigs Fly

I thought When Pigs Fly was a really great story. It had so many elements mixed in to it - poverty, special needs children, divorce, alcohol and more. I was particularly moved by Buddy's best friend - Jiniwin. She was the neglected child of divorced parents who turned to alcohol for her escape. Her character seemed very real to me. I think that as a teacher it is hard to always get to know your students - especially on a high school level where you might have 5 or 6 classes of 25 students in each class. It is easy to get annoyed at a student who falls asleep in class or doesn't do his/her homework, but we never know what the real backstory might be about what is going on at home.

I think this would be a great novel to use in a classroom to bring up the idea of acceptance of special needs students. All to often, special needs students might be forced into an unwanted spotlight of attention and I think that students - starting at a young age - should be able to have a forum to discuss how students might be different and how to handle and accept these differences. When Pigs Fly is the perfect starting point to open up topics that might be harder for students to bring to the table on their own. I tutor in a learning center and we have a young woman who comes in who only has one leg - due to a birth defect. The other students all love her and her beautiful smile and her positive attitude. Every once in awhile we get a new student who might stare at Jasmine. She smiles at them and encourages them to ask her about herself. She says that she would rather educate people about her life rather than have them talk about her or wonder about her.

I do not know anyone with Down Syndrome, but this book really captured a beautiful and innocent essence of Reenie. She has a big heart and just seems to try to find the nice things in life and Buddy's life is only made better becuase of her.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham was one of my favorite books that we have read this semester. I really think that students will be pulled into the story like I was and really come to love every member of the Watson family. They really fought and loved each other like a real family and not just a fictional creation. My favorite part of the novel was when Byron comes home with his hair dyed and his father shaves his head becuase he is not happy with his decision. I think that this is a good sign of parents who care and are concerned about their children which is good for a young audience to read.

By the time the reader gets to the bombing in the church, I think any reader is really invested in the family and can really understand the power of a hate crime. This was a moment where a teacher could really use this book to discuss the power of the Civil Rights Movement in a classroom. I think that the power of this book lies in the strength of the description of the family and the life of an adolescent and when the hate crime comes rocketing in at the end - the readers can really appreciate the power of the crime and the feeling of fear that the family experiences.

I also liked the humor that is in this book because it really shows readers that they are able to laugh even through some hard situations. I loved the beginning of the book where Byron's lips get stuck to the mirror and his father can't stop laughing at him. I thought it was a great way to show that parents sometimes have a hard time taking their own children seriously.