Acceleration

I, like so many others in our class, was very suprised by this book. I am a huge fan of mystery novels, but I do not like the really scary mystery novels and judging by the cover, that is exactly what I expected. For that reason, I put off reading it until the weekend, when I could read it during the day (I know, I'm goofy!). Once I started reading, I could not put the book down! I was so drawn into the story.

The author expertly uses all kinds of comparisons and imagery to help us see and feel what is being described in the story. I could visualize the "dungeon" with its rows and rows of dusty unclaimed items as if I was staring at it with my own eyes. I could feel the terror as the water turned black as night in the middle of the day. I used this book for my craft lesson for that very reason. This would be an incredible resource when teaching literary comparisons like metaphor and simile.

I was a little disappointed in the ending. It felt like everything happened very quickly and I was very suprised that "Roach" died so quickly. I felt like the time between discovering who he was and his death could have been a little longer in order to learn more about what had happened in the time since the diary left off and allow further exploration of that character. It just seemed to end entirely too quickly. I expected something more explosive (that sounds funny to say since he was hit by a train), but it was not what I expected.

I would definitely recommend this book to older students (high school); although, I would be careful due to some of the more adult content found in places. All in all a wonderful book!!

Book Talk: A Step from Heaven

Craft Lesson: Simile & Metaphor

Materials: Acceleration by Graham McNamee

Purpose: Authors use simile and metaphor to develop images and convey messages to readers. These are powerful literary tools and it is imperative that students learn to recognize them and understand their significance in reading and writing. The images created in this way allow students to literally see what is going on in the story, because they are able to equate what the author is discussing with something familiar and tangible.

How to Teach It:
In the book Acceleration, the author uses simile and metaphor to help us create comparisons and images in order to better understand the meaning of the words. To help us understand the difference between these two let’s define simile (a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.”) and metaphor (a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”). ( www.dictionary.reference.com ) (Allow class to discuss and define the terms) Can anyone point out a simile in the first chapter? (Pg. 1 – “a political prisoner of the capitalist overlord otherwise known as Dad”) What about a metaphor? (Pg. 2 – “If you think of a half-deflated soccer ball with two of the hairiest ears you’ve ever seen attached to it”) How do these descriptions add to our understanding of this part of the story?

Now that we know what we are looking for, Let’s take a deeper look at the book. In groups of three find some examples in the book and explain how the comparison helps you understand what the author is trying to convey to the reader.

After the students have had time to find a few examples, come back together as a large group and ask the students to share some of the examples they have found and ask them to explain how those examples helped give them a clearer picture of the book.  

Bibliography: McNamee, Graham. Acceleration.  New York: Random House Children's Books, 2003.

TEKS: Subject chapter 110: English Language Arts and Reading
Subchapter: High School
Grade 110.42: English I (one Credit)
Standard 11: Reading/literary concepts. The student analyzes literary elements for their contributions to meaning in literary texts.

Book Review for Miracle's Boys

Miracle’s Boys is the powerful story of three brothers attempting to deal with the death of their parents. The story begins after the middle brother, Charlie, has returned from Rahway, a juvenile detention center. He has changed so much in the time he was there, that his younger brother, Lafayette, refers to him as Newcharlie. The oldest brother, Ty’ree, struggles to take the place of both parents and provide for his family. As the story unfolds, we discover that Lafayette was the first to find his mother on the morning she passed away and blames himself for her death, because he froze and could only scream. We also discover that Ty’ree blames himself for their father’s death, because he told his dad to save the woman and her dog. Newcharlie has difficulty dealing with their mother’s death, simply because he was not there when she died and attempts to comfort himself by believing that he could have saved her had he been there. As the story progresses, we watch the brothers grow closer together and begin to deal with their grief in their own separate ways, Ty’ree and Lafayette holding to the hope that one day Newcharlie will become Charlie once more.

This story is very well written and draws the reader in so that we feel the emotions of the readers as if they were our own. The author expertly uses flashbacks to help the reader “get to know” the characters and understand them on a personal level. This novel grabs the reader and draws them and we find ourselves living the struggles these boys face along with them – their hopes, their dreams, and their pain. As the book closes, we realize that only two days have passed, but we feel as if we have known the boys for a lifetime. This book deals with the pain of loss, raw grief, and some teenage violence; each of these issues adds to the power of the book and the relationships described. I would definitely recommend this book, though not to someone whose grief is new.

Submitted to Barnes & Noble (still awaiting confirmation) and Amazon http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0142406023/ref=cm_cr_pr_recent?%5Fencoding=UTF8&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

Miracle's Boys

As I read Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson, I went through an entire gamut of emotions along with the characters. Anger and disbelief when Newcharlie calls Lafayette "Milagro killer" (p. 15); grief and anguish as Lafayette describes the morning he found his mother; comfort when he talks about seeing and feeling her near him; fear that Newcharlie has messed up again and that Lafayette will have to go live with Aunt Cecile; anguish and pride as Ty'ree describes the manner in which their father died; and relief as Newcharlie becomes Charlie again. Very well written, the author invites the reader to feel the emotions of the characters. We feel their pain and connect with them. Though only two days pass, we seem to understand the boys and their lives intimately. The memories are well written and well placed to facilitate this closeness with the characters. These memories also allow us to understand the transformation in Charlie that warrants the change in his name to "Newcharlie." We watch Lafayette seek to understand this change in his brother and the longing that one day he will return to them.

One aspect of this book that was extremely important for me was that both Lafayette and Ty'ree felt responsible for their respective parent's death. They shared a kinship over that guilt. As the book unfolds, you begin to understand why they feel the way they do and how the events of those days have been skewed in their minds to support that reality for them. I love how they begin to unravel those memories and understand that they both did everything they could. I think this is all too often the reality of loss - someone is always to blame or at least it seems that way during grief. We constantly "could have, should have, would have" ourselves until the loss makes sense. Grief is a process we must work through. We are never immediately at peace with a loss; peace takes time.

This book is one of such grief and loss that it was difficult to read. I would be very careful who I recommended this book to (as far as students are concerned). It gives insight into the grief process and reflects the change in entire families when this loss occurs. This book also provides understanding into the effect one person can have on all members of the family (ie. Newcharlie's effect on both his brothers and their lives), but I am not sure that some adolescents would be able to read and appreciate this book for anything more than a "sad story."

A Step from Heaven

What struck me most about this book was Young Ju's struggle to find her identity...an identitiy that is uniquely her's. From the moment her hair was permed to the final vignette when she mentions that she never learned to read or write Korean and needs to go to her mother for translation, we watch her struggle to find her place...Her place in the world, her school, and her family. Her identity remains rooted in her Korean background, but she begins to find an identity somewhere between being Korean and being American. When she first has her hair curled, she says that she looks in the mirror and does not even recognize herself, but her mother thinks she looks beautiful, because now she looks like a "Mi Gook" girl. Later in the book, her father tells her that she is no longer a good Korean girl, because she does not respect him the way he believes she should; she has become "too American". In the end, she pushes her straight black hair behind her ear...She has found her identity.

What makes this identity development so compelling is that it could be any one of us. No, we have not all immigrated to the US from another country, but every person goes through a time in their life where they are searching to define themselves. The audience for this book is in that particular stage of life where students are beginning to search to find out who they are apart from their family. I really like that the book follows Young Ju's development from a child through college. So often, I think that we want to try to define who we are overnight and in a few words. The truth is that our identity, like Young Ju's, is multi-layered and very complex. We cannot be defined by one particular aspect of our lives. Young Ju was not just a Korean or an American; she was somewhere in between. She was not just a student or a daughter or a sister or a friend, she was all of the above and more. No one aspect was more important than the other. As Young Ju did, we must all find ourselves...an identity that is uniquely our's.

The other part of this book that struck me was the vivid abuse. I realize that many more people than I know suffer from some type of abuse. Abuse is one ugly aspect of society that crosses all cultural boundaries. It knows no limits...no boundaries. And it is just as ugly in every culture.

Standing Against the Wind

Well deserving of its accolades, Standing Against the Wind by Traci L. Jones is truly a “flower amongst garbage and filth.” This book is inspiring, engaging and allows students of all ages to relate to the thoughts and experiences found in its pages.

An overriding theme in this book is a deep sense of hope. Patrice seems to always find the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. Whether she is contrasting the warmth of the Deep South with the frigid air of Chicago or her current school situation with the one she hopes to be in next year, we see her hope that she can achieve her dreams with a little hard work and determination. I love that we watch her rise above her situation to be the young woman she is and that she is not afraid to show that person to the world. She is unwillingly to compromise herself to be the person that others want her to be.

For me, it truly spoke to my personal school experiences. Though I cannot relate to her difficult home situation, I can relate to being the shy, studious student who was often set apart from others. Especially in middle school, I was the girl who was made fun of for being “too smart.” I also found myself in the poofy-haired insecurity. I have naturally curly hair and at that age, neither my mother nor I truly knew how to care for it. As I grew older, I finally found myself, my voice and my confidence, just as Patrice does in this story. With Monty’s help, Patrice begins to gain the courage to stand up for herself and find her voice. She also begins to realize that she truly is beautiful as her self-image and confidence grow.

I would most definitely recommend this book to students. One of few stories with strong female protagonists, Jones develops strong young characters who grow as the pages unfold. This book is a true examination of relationships and the personal growth of confidence and voice. This novel also helps young readers understand that there can be hope in every situation and they have the opportunity to achieve their dreams no matter what their immediate circumstances are. I enjoyed this book immensely.