Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

 

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd was an interesting book as it contained many story lines including a story within the story.  The main story centered on the life of Fergus McCann.  The reader journeys with Fergus through his senior year at school as he prepares for his finals, deals with his brother Joey’s participation in a hunger strike,  struggles with his decision to be a courier for Michael Rafters, discovers the bog child which he names Mel, and falls in love with Cora O’Brien.  What is interesting is how the story of Mel is handled.  It is through Fergus’ dreams that the reader learns more about Mel and what transpired before her death.  It was sad to see that she had to sacrifice her life when she was truly innocent.  Her only crime was that she was different from the average person because she was a dwarf.  It is also sad that her brother who was the guilty party for killing Boss Shaughn was willing to let his sister pay for his crimes.

One element of the story I really liked was the friendship that developed between Fergus and Owain.  It showed how everyone is a victim of war, regardless of which side they support.  More important, it showed that despite their opposite political views, both boys were basically the same.  They both enjoyed the same things and had the same desires and dreams.  This aspect of the book would provide a good example for teaching respect for and tolerance of others’ differences.

This book was also interesting because it had a few surprises that I did not expect.  One of the surprises came when I learned that what Fergus has been secretly bringing across the border was condoms.  This provided a humorous surprise.  Like Fergus I had suspected that he was delivering substances needed to make bombs.  The second surprise came when I learned that Uncle Tally had been the person responsible for making the bomb that killed Owain and the other soldiers.  He seemed liked the friendly supportive uncle who was teaching Fergus how to drive.  So although his room had a scent to it, I never caught on that he was making bombs.  I also never expected Owain to be blown up near the guard shack but would have expected it happen more how Fergus described it with the band playing at the park.

Dowd did a good job of letting the reader know about the things that were taking place during the Irish “Troubles”.  Events were brought forth in a natural and non lecturing way.  He developed characters that you became drawn to as a reader.  For that reason, I was saddened when I read that Owain died.  I was sad for the bog child Mel that she went to her death an innocent victim of fear of ignorance about those that are different.  And I was even sad at the death of Uncle Tally, even though he had killed others.  This is because before I learned about his willingness to kill others, Dowd had created a character that had already struck a soft spot in my heart. 

Parable of the Sower

I found the novel the Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler to be a very interesting and yet haunting read because of its subject matter.  The futuristic view of the world that Butler portrays in the story is filled with action that keeps the reader on edge to find out what happens and who survives and how they are able to do so.  What is haunting to me about the story is how believable the storyline is.  When I look at the current status of the world today I see how Butler’s imaginative future world could become potential reality in the world.  One of the reasons I feel this way is just the change that has occurred with the human race.  People have become much more selfish and less concerned about their neighbor.  Examples of this can be seen on the highways with road rage, in communities with drive-by shootings, and with a fear of harm that keeps the Good Samaritan from stopping along a roadside to help a distressed motorist.  In addition communication between people is beginning to break down as influence of today’s technology pushes texting, twittering and facebooking ahead of face-to-face communication.  With the multitude of video games out there that deal with killing, today’s youth are becoming desensitized to violence.  Add that with other situations in the world such as rising food and fuel prices and it becomes easy to see how the world we live in has similarities to the world Butler created.  Thus as I read this book I got the unsettled feeling that the world describe by Butler could at a future time potentially become reality.

As was the case with other novels we have read, the importance of education was once again stressed.  It was Lauren’s persistence to learn about seeds and how to grow them as well as other survival skills that she learned that helped her to be a survivor in her crazy world.

Although I believe teens would take a real interest in this book, I would not make it a required read in an English Literature class but rather an optional book they could choose to read.  My rationale for this is the fact that much of the book has to deal with the subject of faith and therefore use of this book as part of the required curriculum might face resistance from some parents or even administration.

 

World War Z

Of all the books we have had to read this semester for this class, World War Z by Max Brooks has been the densest one for me to get through.  I grew up in the era when zombie movies were popular on late Friday night movie channels.  However, I have never been fond of this genre.  So when I began to read this book, I found it very slow going.  This is not a book I would ever choose for pleasure reading, but if it had been, it is one I would not have finished.  I think for me part of this was the way in which the book was organized.  I realize the author was trying to show the action that was occurring at various places throughout the world to show the invasion of the zombies was a global epidemic but the format to me read too much like a log of occurrences to be documented and lacked the personal attachment I would expect from a journal which is what I believe the author was trying to develop.  Because the story would jump from one site to another it would be easy to put this book down after one scene and not pick it up again.  There was nothing to compel me to continue reading other than it being a required book for a class.  However, with that being said, from the interest other students in class had for this book, I do think there would be students who would really enjoy this book.  When I was reading this book I saw no value in teaching it. But then during class students gave some great ways in which this book or parts of it could be used in studying this genre so that made me seriously rethink my ideas.  If I were to teach an English Lit class I still would not teach this book to class but rather have it as an option students could choose.  The reason is I do believe there would be some students like myself that would have a difficult time getting into the book.  This book is also very dense and could turn off students who already struggle with reading.

There were parts of the book that did engage me.  For example the boy who is a computer junky who seems to live in his technical world rather than the real world who finally is forced to face reality when a zombie tries to break into his apartment.  This begins his three-day climb from his 19^th floor apartment to the ground below.  Another story that also grabbed my attention was the story of the female airline pilot who is using the bathroom when the plane gets in trouble and she has to parachute to safety only to wander through zombie territory.  She is guided by a woman on a radio, but upon her rescue when she wants to thank the woman, there is no record of a cabin or a woman in the area.  So it left an open question as to whether the woman ever existed, if it was all part of a hallucination on the part of the female pilot or if the helpful woman was some kind of divine intervention.  If all of the stories in the book would have been this interesting I would have enjoyed the book more.

Normally they say a book is much better than the movie and I tend to agree with that.  However, since this story takes place in so many different settings, I wonder if the movie would be an exception.  Perhaps by seeing the various settings, I would have more interest in the plot than I did while reading the book.  I know that I enjoyed the interview we listened to class much more than I did the book.  The author was witty and I found myself laughing and wishing the episode had been longer.

Post on Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

One of the things I enjoyed most about Nikki Grimes’ novel Bronx Masquerade is the theme of the book - the desire everyone has to be accepted but their fear that they lack the qualities needed to achieve that acceptance.  Sheila Gamboroni sums up that need to connect to others in her poem “Private Puzzle” on pages 137-138. She uses descriptive words such as scrape and crushes to show the pain of trying to fit in but the comfort of finding her place in “someplace that feels like home”.

Through the introduction of Open Mic Fridays, Mr. Ward’s students were able to get a more intimate glimpse of fellow classmates.  To their surprise they found that despite their differences they each shared the same insecurity and lack of self-worth.  The poems allowed the characters to shed their daily masks (thus the title) that they hid behind and let classmates see the real person.  As a result, it was discovered that all had talents and worth that they just needed to recognize.  During this journey of self actualization some took a detour prior to acceptance.  For example, Lupe Algarin envied Gloria Martinez because Gloria had a son.  However, later in her poem “Message to a Friend” Gloria is able to express to Lupe that her lifestyle is far from ideal as she juggles the responsibilities of being a teenage mom with her school homework (p 43).

Through the character of Tanisha Scott the reader learns that even the life of someone with good looks is not what a person might imagine. Constant stares of envy had once prompted Tanisha to cut off her beautiful hair.  She wanted to be seen as more than “hair.”  Scott also allowed us to see how people’s perceptions of the same thing may be different.  While others complemented Tanisha on her beautiful caramel-colored skin and saw it as an asset, she saw it as a reminder that her great, great grandmother had been raped by her slave master.  Tanisha wanted others to see her pride of black ethnicity as she indicated by her poem “For the Record” (p 79-80).

Many of the characters the reader meets in the book have wonderful talents.  Tyronne Bittings has a way with words, Judianne Alexander is able to sew her own clothes, Raymond Patterson can play the sax, Raul Ramirez is a painter, and Diondra Jordan can draw pictures in charcoal.  But it takes Open Mic Fridays for these students to see the gifts they have.  For Devin Hope seeing the more intimate side of fellow classmates gave him the courage to stand up and say he was more than the jock “Jump Shot”; he was intelligent and interested in literature.  Moments at the mic reading her poems allowed Janelle Battles to forget about her weight, even if the feeling was only lasted while she was at the mic.

I think what makes this book so powerful and why it would be a great read for high school students is the reader is exposed to a variety of people and each person who reads this book can find at least once character among the group that they can relate to. This gives them hope as they strive develop into the person they want to be.  This desire is eloquently expressed in Judianne Alexander’s poem “Cocoon” (p 62-63).  This poem speaks about the pain of judgment by others, but also the determination and hope for improvement.  Study of this novel by youth provides a great example of how the use of literature and the expression of words can give power to youth as a way of creating positive change rather than resorting to violence to make a difference.

Post on Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel Does My Head Look Big In This? By Randa Abdel-Fattah.  The book was as fun and colorful as the cover.  What made the book so colorful were the various characters and their relationships as well as their journey of coming-of-age. 

I begin with the main character Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim.  It takes a strong character to have such a long name.  In fact, when she first entered school she was labeled as slow because she was the last student to master the spelling of her name.  What does this say for her teacher’s?  Did they not take into consideration the length of the name?  Anyway, Amal shows the strength of her character as she makes the commitment to practice her religious beliefs full-time, including the wearing of the hijab.  She does not make this decision lightly as she knows the hijab is like wearing a badge of her faith and as a result she will now face even more discrimination than before.  As her relationship with Adam grows she is tested in her resolve to keep her faith practices when Adam wants to kiss her.  She could have easily allowed the kiss to happen but she does not, even though it causes a rift in her friendship with him.  Near the end of the book she realizes it is not enough to change her outer appearance but a true commitment to her faith means the willingness to change her attitude as well.  “But what’s the good of being true to your religion on the outside, if you don’t change what’s on the inside, where it really counts?  “I’ve been kidding myself.  Putting on the hijab isn’t the end of the journey.  It’s just the beginning of it” (p 333).

This brings the focus of this post to Adam.  Through the story Adam befriends Amal and outwardly appears to be open-minded about her faith and supportive of her right to practice it.  However, when it affects him, the rejection of his kiss, he turns his back on her for a time.  This shows that he had not truly supported her decision to follow her religious practices.  However, I believe Adam comes to this realization which is why he later re-establishes his friendship with Amal.  Granted the friendship is not as close as it once was but the fact that he once again accepts her friendship shows he has matured enough to accept her beliefs.

My heart went out to Leila as I saw her constantly being harassed by her mother to commit to a marriage relationship while her brother seemed to be able to get away with everything.  I can understand how Leila felt like she couldn’t handle it anymore and thus ran away.  But I was happy to see how she matured enough at the end of the story to realize that she could not run away from her problems but had to face them head on.  I was also happy to see Leila’s mom willing to compromise and see things from Leila’s perspective.  Prior to class, I only had negative feelings for Leila’s mom.  However after class discussion Monday night, I realized I was not taking into account how Leila’s mom had been raised and she only wanted the best for her daughter so she was raising her the way she had been raised.

Simone seemed to represent many young girls I see in the classroom today.  She has many things going for her but she can’t see them as she is too busy loathing herself.  Of course, her mother definitely does not help the situation as she constantly prods her daughter about her weight.  In fact when she learns Simone is dating Josh she suggests her daughter go on a crash diet so that she not lose him.  Too many girls today already feel the pressure of society to be thin that the last thing they need is to have a parent constantly reminding them that they don’t conform to society’s obsession of beauty.  So here was a mother I disliked even more than Leila’s.  Instead of constantly putting down her daughter why didn’t she offer her daughter support and talk to her.  I am glad to see that Simone decided not to stick with cigarettes as a way of controlling her weight.  I am also glad to see her friends were not afraid to speak up about how they felt about Simone’s smoking.  In fact, it was Josh’s dislike to the smoke that spurred Simone to quit the nasty habit.

Like Bronx Masquerade, I feel this book would be a hit in the classroom.  I think girls especially would find it easy to relate to the various coming of age issues addressed by Abdel-Fattah including:  beliefs, boyfriends, mean girls, body image, relationships with peers, and relationships with parents.

"To Kill a Mockinbird" by Harper Lee

As I read this book, what I found the most intriguing was the wisdom of the youth in regards to behavior toward others.  The innocence of the children in regards to equality for all was so refreshing compared to the ingrained prejudices among the people of Maycomb.  In Chapter 19, Dill is asked to leave the courtroom because he is crying.  His tears are borne out of empathy for Tom Robinson and how he cannot believe how Mr. Gilmer is treating Tom in court by referring to him as "boy".  This is not the only time we see wisdom from the youth in regards to prejudice.  After Tom is found guilty Jem cannot believe it and even asks his father, "how could they do it (find him guilty), how could they? "(p 285).  Atticus' response reinforces that thought that prejudice comes with age:  "I don't know, but they did it.  They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it - seems that only children weep" (p 285).

Along this same subject matter, I also found it interesting how Lee showed actions common among adults in regards to prejudice.  For example, Mrs. Merriweather defends her prejudicial actions because at least she is up front about it and thus not guilty of the sin of hypocrisy (p 313).  She even describes those who do not share her same beliefs about black people are "misguided" (311).

Lee also includes characters in her book who seem to be ignorant of their own prejudices.  For example, Jean Louise's third grade treacher Miss Gates, talks to the class about the atrocities of Hitler and his treatment of Jewish people.  She speaks of "democracy, dictatorship and prejudice" (p 238-239).  Yet despite her teachings about the wrong Hitler was doing, Miss Gates was acting the same way in regards to the black community.  Jean Lousie reflected back to comments she had overheard her teacher say as she was exiting the courthouse following Tom Robinson's guilty verdict.  "I heard her say it's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an' the next thing, they think they can do is marry us.  Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home-" (p 331).  Again, Lee shows wisdom coming from the mouths of babes.

As I think about use of this book for teaching, I must admit I have conflicting feelings.  I feel this book includes some great "quotes", addresses the theme of prejudice in a unique way by utilizing the perspectives of the children, has interesting characters that youth can easily identify with, and includes many connectors to the lives of students today.  Yet despite all of its wonderful attributes, I found the book sometimes dragging and a difficult read to get through.  For that reason only, I would be concerned that some students would become bored as they read the novel and as a result be oblivious to the positive things this book has to offer.  In the end, however, I feel the book has more positives than negatives and would use it.  I think if it were read aloud in class and discussion were used to break up the chapters it could make it more digestible for those who may on their own get bored and never finish reading it.

"Kindred" by Octavia E. Butler

I can definitely say that this book held a surprise inside for me.  Before I read the cover of the book I anticipated that this would be a novel about slavery.  However, I expected it to be written in third person and written as a reflection of past experiences.  What I found was an interesting use of time travel to deal with the subject matter with a first person narrator.  One of the main benefits I found from the format that Butler used is it allowed the speaker of the story to not only tell the story but to feel the experiences.  It made the experiences seem that much more real as if I was traveling back in time with Dana.  The time travel also allowed history to suddenly become present time.  In addition, it added more suspense to the story because you never knew when Dana was going to head back home and when Rufus would once again summon her to the 1800s. 

At first I wasn't sure what to think of the ending with Dana's arm becoming part of the wall.  But my copy of the book included a Reader's Guide by Robert Crossly and his explanation of the ending and how the arm represented that Dana could not have gone through all she did in the past era without it having a lasting affect on her definitely made sense.

The novel did leave with with a question regarding the California home that Dana and Kevin were living in when the time travel took place.  Since the story had the couple moving into the home, I am left to think that the house had to have some significance with the story.  If not, the author would not have mentioned they just moved into the house.  So as a result I wondered, had the couple not moved into the house would the time travel still taken place or would it have taken place at a different time and originated from a different location?  It also raised those questions regarding time travel in regards to Dana's actions and could they have affected the future?  For example, had she not traveled back in time is it possible she would have ceased to exist?  If she had not traveled back I was curious which incident would have caused Rufus' death and the fact that she was the one that killed him lead to some of that confusion.  Since I have not read many books involving time travel I wondered if these unanswered questions takes away value of the novel.  I do know that despite the questions that still linger, I really enjoyed the book and found the style in which is was written refreshing.