The books I have
chosen to highlight are all novels that a variety of high school students would
enjoy. I have seen in my student teaching that students are almost exclusively
reading only the required text for their English classes instead of for personal
enjoyment and required reading for
class. Because reading is so important to the development of vocabulary,
critical thinking, and writing development for all students, especially English
Language Learners, I thought it would be good to highlight novels that can
appeal to students of all genders, races, socio-economic status, and
backgrounds.
These novels all
include main characters that are young people around the same age as high
school students, but these characters come from all different backgrounds and
must travel through different kinds of challenges. All high school students
must face challenges at different points, and unfortunately they can often feel
very secluded from their peers and alone in their struggles. Seeing characters
in books overcome obstacles that could be similar to or even different from
their own struggles remind them that they are not alone in life.
In addition, students
who read novels with characters who face similar struggles to their own
personal ones can find an enjoyment in reading that was not present before.
Often times, because students are required to only do the assigned reading for
English class (which can often be seen as boring or unrelatable,) they have a
bad connotation with reading. This is extremely unfortunate because of all the
benefits reading can provide to a student.
I believe the novels
I have chosen to review are ones that can open a new world to students. The
stories and characters are relatable, and students can finally feel a
connection to what they are reading. Most of the novels deal with sensitive
issues at some point, which is sometimes shied away from with high school
students because of so much controversy. However, I know the importance of
addresses those issues head-on with students because they are topics the
students are having to deal with in their every-day lives. Students need an
example, and books provide the perfect opportunity to help them think the
critical thoughts that are essential to developing an individual’s beliefs.
1. Title: The Outsiders
2.
Author: S.E. Hinton
3.
Illustrator: N/A
4.
Publisher: Viking Press
5.
Copyright: 1967
6.
ISBN#: 978-0670062515
7.
Genre: Fiction
8.
Library Location: Clear
Springs High School
9.
Summary:
A young boy in Oklahoma,
Ponyboy, is growing up with his two
older brothers as part of a gang of “greasers,” who are known for being
lower-class and mischievous. Their parents have died and left them alone, so
the older two brothers are working to support the family while Ponyboy attends
school. Unlike his brothers, Ponyboy likes school and excels in his English
class, particularly in writing. In addition, he participates on the school
track team. His dedication to these things set him apart from the other members
of the greasers.
One night when
Ponyboy leaves the theater a few members of the opposing gang, the “Socs,” jump
him. Fortunately his older two brothers come to his rescue, but the incident
leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. The next night Ponyboy goes to the
drive-in with a few of the other members of the greasers, where they meet
Cherry and Marcia, girls who are considered part of the Socs gang. After a
little while of conversation, Ponyboy realizes Cherry is not like the other
Socs he has met before, as she seems to not be superficial and she actually cares
about other people.
That evening,
Ponyboy comes home late and his older yells at him for being out past curfew.
Ponyboys leaves the house in a rage, claiming that his brother can’t understand
him. Pony meets up with another young member of the greasers, Johnny, and they
go to the park to blow off some steam. There, they run into the boyfriends of
Cherry and Marcia, who are drunk and claim Pony was trying to steal their
girlfriends.
In a rush of
action, Pony is almost killed by a Soc, who is killed by Pony’s friend in an
effort to save Pony. In a panic, the boys run to another greaser who helps them
hide in an abandoned church. Eventually Johnny is killed in a fire and Pony
returns to his brothers, who have decided they need to work out their
differences as a family so everyone can succeed.
10.
Personal Comments:
I think this book
could be extremely relevant to high schoolers in many situations. There are
many students who don’t have a parent at home to take care of them, and almost
any child can associate himself with some kind of dysfunctional family. This
story addresses many issues that I know my students are facing, and it doesn’t
wrap a gold halo around the situation to try and make it any better. This is a
realistic look at what is life is for many young families who do not have the
guidance from a parent at home.
11.
Suggested Use in Classroom:
I would suggest
the book be taught by breaking students into groups of four and allowing them
work in a self-paced way that keeps everyone comfortable. Because this book
deals with some issues that could be sensitive to some students (such as a lack
of parental support), students need to feel safe and comfortable with the other
students they read the book with. Essentially, I would format the reading similar
to literary circle. Students should have assigned readings that are to be
completed at home and in the classroom; readings will be done independently and
with partners or a group. The literary circles would usually discuss the book
together, but the class would come together frequently to share ideas. This
book would provide a great opportunity to show the importance of school and how
school can provide an outlet for all kinds of hardships a student is
experiencing.
1. Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns
2.
Author: Khaled Hosseini
3.
Illustrator: N/A
4.
Publisher: Riverhead Books
5.
Copyright: 2007
6.
ISBN#: 978-1-59448-385-1
7.
Genre: Multi-cultural
Fiction
8.
Library Location: Clear Springs High School
9.
Summary
Mariam, an
illegitimate daughter of Jalil, lives with her mother in a very poor house in
the country while her father lives in the town with his three wives and nine
other children. On her 15th birthday when Jalil does not show up to
take her to the movies as promised, Mariam walks to town and goes to his house.
Jalil refuses to acknowledge her, and desperate to a part of his life, Mariam
sleeps on the porch that night. The next day she finally returns home in
defeat, only to discover that her mother has hanged herself out of fear that
Mariam has left her for good. With not mother to care for her, Jalil is forced
to take Mariam into his home, but he quickly arranges a marriage for her with
Rasheed, who is thirty years older than Mariam. After they are married, Mariam
becomes pregnant seven times but is never able to carry a baby full-term.
Because she cannot perform the ultimate wifely duty, Rasheed eventually becomes
abusive to her.
In the second part
of the book, a girl named Laila is introduced. Through horrible circumstances,
she comes to live with Rasheed and Mariam while she is already pregnant with
another man’s child. Rasheed immediately takes a liking to her and takes her as
a second wife, but when her daughter is born he becomes suspicious of her
faithfulness and begins to abuse her as well. Eventually Laila and Mariam
become close friends and confidants, and they try to escape from Rasheed
together with the baby. They are caught and returned to Rasheed, who almost
kills them several times out of anger. One day he is on the verge of killing
Laila and Mariam intervenes by hitting Rasheed on the back of the head with a
shovel, killing him. She takes the blame for his murder while allowing for
Laila and her two children to escape Afghanistan.
10.
Personal Comments
This is a very
powerful and moving story of unspeakable cruelty and stead-fast friendship.
Most students who were born and raised in the United States will have a hard
time comprehending some of the situations and consequences of behavior, while
other students might have a hard time admitting they come from a family who has
a similar belief system. This book is for more mature readers, as it deals with
topics of rape and suicide, but it is a worthwhile read for students who are
willing to discuss and research further into the themes and topics that are
presented in the book.
This book should
be taught carefully, as it would be easy for a class to begin stereotyping the
Muslim religion and/or the general population of Afghanistan. Students should
be carefully guided in their thoughts and taught that they must view all
literature from a tolerate stand point. Students should be allowed to do
research on the Muslim religion and the different populations from the Middle
East to gain a more rounded picture of what people from that area actually
believe.
11.
Suggested Use in the Classroom
This book would be
great to use for a gender study or as a new perspective on different cultures. Students should keep a reading journal where
they can log their feelings and thoughts as they read a difficult story. Class
discussion and research should take place on a daily basis. After reading this
story, students should continue to read different literature dealing with
gender studies or other multi-cultural literature, as they will have a ready
mind to accept new views.
1.
Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
2.
Author: Harper Lee
3.
Illustrator: N/A
4.
Publisher: J.B.Lippincott & Co.
5.
Copyright: 1960
6.
ISBN#: 978-0446310789
7.
Genre: Fiction
8.
Library Location: Clear Springs High School
9.
Summary:
Scout lives with
her brother Jem and their widowed father Atticus in Alabama during the Great
Depression. Atticus is an attorney and they family is highly respected by
everyone in the small town. One summer Scout and Jem make friends with a new
boy in town. Together they have many adventures, and the following summer when
their friend comes back the three of them decide to act out the story of a
famed neighbor who supposedly never leaves his house. While performing this
story unexplained things happen and the children decide the neighbor really is
a nice guy after all.
Meanwhile, Atticus
accepts a case to defend a black man who has been accused of raping a white
woman. Because the town is extremely racist, they begin causing quite a bit of
trouble for Atticus and his family for defending the black man, even though the
white woman is known for lying. Eventually the black man is convicted of the
crime despite Atticus clearly presenting all the evidence needed for an
acquittal. Unfortunately the man is shot and killed in an escape attempt from
jail. The father of the accusing girl is
angered by Atticus calling his daughter a lyer and accosts Scout and Jem one
night while they are walking home. The old neighbor saves the two children from
the drunken father, who is killed by “tripping and falling over his own knife,”
or so the sheriff says in an effort to save the neighbor from being charged
with a crime.
Because of his
kind and brave actions, Scout finally realizes that the old neighbor is not
only a human being, but a good one at that. Through his actions Scout gains
restored faith in human kindness and vows to be sympathetic and understanding
to everyone she comes into contact with.
10.
Personal Comments:
This book is great
for students of both genders and of varying maturity. As years pass, many
students become less aware of the way social and racial issues and prejudices
presented themselves is history in the United States. This book takes a look at
these issues that have really become a timeless debate. Students will realize
they can connect with characters from the 1920s in a way they never thought
possible, as people from that time period were “old fashioned.” In addition, if
students know anyone from this time period it is most likely their
grandparents, who may or may not have been raised with certain beliefs about
people of different social classes or race. This novel is a great way to
introduce another view on how people thought in the past decades.
11.
Suggested Classroom Use:
The best way to
incorporate this book and help relate it to their daily lives would be to teach
it using themes. Students of any age should have already been taught the
concept of themes and should be able to identify certain themes throughout the
novel. Students should be encouraged to work in groups as well as individually
to develop ideas about what themes are being presented, how they are presented,
and what Harper Lee wants us to take away from that. Students should be led to
make many connections with their daily lives. In addition, students should be
led to understand the timeless quality that many social issues retain. One idea
for a final project would be to have students create a fake grass-roots
movement to address one of the themes in the novel. Students would present
their movement to the rest of the class so everyone could see what is important
to the other students, different spins on solutions to social issues, and how
they might be able to connect to their peers on a deeper level.
1. Title: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
2. Author: Mark Twain
3. Illustrator: N/A
4. Publisher: Chatto & Windus
5. Copyright: 1885
6. ISBN#: 978-0486403496
7. Genre: Fiction
8. Library Location: Clear Springs High School
9. Summary:
Huck Finn, a young
boy growing up in Missouri during the 1830s, is living with an old and fussy lady,
who thinks it is a Christian duty to bring him up “right.” Huck is friends with
Tom, who is notorious for seeking “adventure.” Huck believes everything Tom
says, thinking Tom is educated because he can read books (or so Tom says.)
Eventually Huck
runs away from his small town to escape his drunken father, who has come back
to claim guardianship to Huck because he found a small fortune. While on his
way to escape, Huck comes across an escaped slave, Jim. Huck teams up with Jim
at first in order to help himself get away, but he feels bad about helping a
slave escape from his rightful owner.
The novel follows
Huck and Jim on their adventures to freedom, providing the reader with many
comic stories. However, if the novel is examined on a deeper level, the entire
novel can be read as a critique on society of time, pointing out many flaws
with American and European ideology. This book is a new American classic,
something every reader should be exposed to.
10. Personal Comments:
This book is
written about a boy about the same age as high school students, so even though
some of his thoughts and stories could seem a little juvenile to some, most
students will find enjoyment in reliving the adventures of their youth. For
less mature readers, this novel is easy to read for surface value, which still
provides insight into certain themes dealing with race and social class. If
guided to a deeper level, students will see the bigger critique Twain gives
society in general. Twain’s points are valid still today, and can connect to
students in a way they probably never thought “classical” literature could.
11. Classroom Use:
This book requires
a certain level of trust between the teacher and the students and the students
among themselves. Touchy topics, mainly regarding race and social class, are
discussed throughout the entire book. Words that we would consider inappropriate
or even extremely offensive are used in the book, and students should be
comfortable using and discussing those terms in context of the book in order to fully understand Twain’s points.
Students should be
led through a deeper reading of the book than just simply racial issues,
though. Twain comments on the perception society in general has of those who
are deemed educated, and students should explore what they believe an
“education” is. For different students this will mean different things, but all
views points are worth discussing.
In addition to
these topics, students should be made aware that this book has been banned from
different school in different periods of time. A lesson or two should be
conducted on the significance of this specific book being banned, as well as
what book banning means for students in general. This could easily lead into a
discussion on Freedom of Speech and Ideas, a topic all students will have
something to say about.
1.
Title: Life of Pi
2.
Author: Yann Martel
3.
Illustrator: N/A
4.
Publisher: Mariner Books
5.
Copyright: 2001
6.
ISBN#: 978-0156027328
7.
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy
8.
Library Location: Clear Springs High School
9.
Summary:
Pi, a
sixteen-year-old boy who lives in India with his parents, who run a zoo, sets
out for Canada in a ship filled with zoo animals. This boy has lived an
enchanted life in the zoo and freely incorporates elements of Hindu,
Christianity, and Islam into his life. While on the passage to Canada the ship
sinks, leaving Pi alone on a raft boat with a hyena, an orangutan, and injured
zebra, and an extremely large Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
The majority of the book tells Pi’s story of how he and Richard Parker managed to survive on the life raft for almost a year. His stories are rich and vivid, and the reader may not realize until the very end of the book that these stories are all a hallucination. In the last twenty or so pages the reader discovers that the “animals” on the life raft were really people, leaving the reader to think about the true nature of human kind.
10.
Personal Comments:
This story does
not immediately come to mind when I think about stories students can relate
to. The main reason for this is because
ninety percent of the book can be pure fun for the reader; a rich boy is
learning to survive on a life raft with several wild animals. The stories are
vivid and easy to get lost in, and the improbability rarely crosses the
reader’s mind. However, Martel hits us with multiple deep and thought-provoking
themes in the last few chapters of the book, leaving little time for the reader
to completely digest all that he has read. Martel clearly wants us to think
about many different things, and he wants us to have to retrace our steps and
delve deeper into the book in order to do so.
11.
Suggested Classroom Use:
All students
deserve to read something “fun” and that makes them either remember or think
for the first time that reading can be fun. Reading has become a chore that is
required of students in class, but with this book it is possible to show kids a
magical world waiting to be opened by them. Though this book has plenty of fun,
it is also a book with themes for more mature students who can and are willing
to go back and take a second look at what they have read.
This book should
be read with a caution of making sure there is plenty of time available for
class discussion, mainly toward the end of the novel. This would make a great
end-of-year “treat” for upper-level classes to take on to keep them interested
until the very end of school. Students should explore and research the country
of India, as well as the religions of Hindu, Christianity, and Islam. The students
should be able to pick out elements of these religions with the story and
explain how they add to the overall understanding of the novel. The country of
India should be researched and students should be able to discern what about
Pi’s stories is significant when viewed from the Indian perspective.
In addition,
students should explore the major subjects presented in the Life of Pi. The three major subjects
presented are: man’s relationship to animals, man’s relationship to God, and faith.
Students should have a final paper (creative story that explains their ideas
through their own story or an academic essay) to finish the experience.
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