Module 7 - Purge



Littman, S.D. (2009). Purge. New York: Scholastic.

Summary:

Janie is a young high school student who suffers from bulimia.  After an incident at her step-sister’s wedding, which the reader does not find out the specifics of until later in the story, she is hospitalized at a psychiatric facility.  Through individual and group therapy, Janie begins to explore issues that led to her bulimia.  The reader is privy to other patient’s issues through group therapy and general socializing at the hospital.  One anorexic in the story dies, a gay male anorexic comes out to the group and his parents, and another patient is a cutter in addition to her eating disorder.  The reader eventually learns that Janie became very drunk at her step-sister’s wedding while watching a boy she slept with flirt with another girl.  She returned home after the wedding and took an overdose of Xanax.  After discussing the incident with her therapist and parents, she is allowed to go home.  The story ends with Janie talking with a good male friend of hers, and realizing that this is someone she wants to date.

My Impression:

I felt the book did a good job of portraying the seriousness of eating disorders.  It also included two male patients with eating disorders, an area often ignored.  The book portrays Janie as a likeable character, and the reader can’t help but hope that she recovers.  The ending of the book is a little bit ‘too good to be true.’  I feel that the book does not address the on-going work that will need to go on with Janie and her family.  This type of ending can be dangerous for young adults who are already in the throes of an eating disorder.

Library Usage:

This book contains many facts about anorexia and bulimia.  It also discusses some of the opinions that characters in the book have about the two diseases.  Students can research both diseases and create a chart of facts and opinions about eating disorders.

Review:

Gr 8 Up-Stuck with a bunch of "Barfers" and "Starvers," Janie, 16, describes her experiences at Golden Slopes, a rehab facility. Partly dead serious and partly humorous, her narrative slowly changes as she goes from believing that she's almost normal to understanding that she is sick and needs help. Other patients include various girls, an older woman, and a couple of boys, all of whom have wide-ranging issues at the heart of their pain. While other books are more realistic about the time involved in treating eating disorders, Littman provides a sympathetic character and a quick overview of treatment and hopeful progress. Janie moves from denial of habitual bulimia to release back to her regular routine in only three weeks. Her parents are loving, her family is loyal, and her friends are forgiving. The universality of Janie's blindness to her own behavior is clearly portrayed, as is her later insight into her destructive choices. Drinking and sexual situations are necessary to the plot and are described realistically. This is a worthy addition to the current books on the topic for its relatively lighter touch and accessibility.

Edwards, C. A. (2009). Purge. School Library Journal, 55(7), 88.

Module 7 - Anything But Typical





Baskin, N.R. (2009). Anything but typical. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young People.

Summary:

This book is told in first person through the voice of Jason, a twelve year old boy with Autism.  The reader views Jason world as he views it, referring to non-autistic people as “neuro-typicals.”  Jason loves to write stories, often posting his stories on a storytelling website to share with others.  He enjoys the fact that people who read his stories cannot see him and his autistic characteristics.  The online storytelling  site is a type of escape for Jason.  Through the site, he ‘meets’ a girl, Rebecca,  his age and they begin to communicate.  At first they give feedback on their stories, and eventually begin to get know each other.  When Jason discovers that they will have the opportunity to meet in person at a conference for the website, he panics.  His greatest fear is that she will see his differences and reject him.  Despite some struggles at the conference, Jason leaves with his friendship with Rebecca intact.

My Impression:

I thought the author did a wonderful job portraying Jason as a twelve year old boy, who happens to have autism.  The reader is able to see Jason as more like themselves, than different.  He is struggling to fit in and avoid conflict, just as any twelve year old strives to do in middle school.  Having worked with autistic children, I could tell the author had done her research regarding characteristics of autism.  She also weaves into the story the ways that Jason’s parents are handling his autism, and the way in which it effects their lives.  Definitely a great book to recommend to those students who have autistic siblings.

Library Usage:

This is a great book to use for a lesson in author’s perspective.  The author chooses to tell the story through the voice of a twelve year old with autism.  Students can discuss how the story might be different if told through the voice of Jason’s mother, or through Rebecca.  They can then write a short story told through the voice of someone that is typically not heard.  Research may have to be done in order to produce a successful voice.

Review:

Gr 4-7. As if adolescence isn't difficult enough by itself, 12-year-old Jason Blake is not a "neurotypical" (NT), he's autistic and interprets the world differently from other children. As a result, kids at school make fun of him and no one seems to understand him, including his family. Writing stories is one of Jason's few escapes, the one place where he can really be himself. After Jason begins a tentative relationship with Rebecca (PhoenixBird) on Storyboard, an online writing forum, he struggles with the fear of meeting her in person. Simultaneously, he narrates his past, giving listeners a glimpse of what life is like growing up as an autistic child. Tom Parks gives a near perfect performance of this eye-opening novel (S & S, 2009) by Nora Raleigh Baskin told from Jason's viewpoint. Always using just the right tone, he liberates the story's apprehension and wit. Poignant and real, the novel's honesty will bring tears to listeners' eyes. Recommended to fans of the Joey Pigza series.

Lawler, T. (2009). Anything but typical. School Library Journal, 55(9), 61

Module 6 - The Relatives Came



Rylant, C. (1985). The relatives came. New York: Bradbury Press.

Summary

The Relatives Came is a story told in first person by a child who anticipates her relatives coming to visit from Virginia.  The relatives arrive and there is much hugging.  The book then describes the many things they do together, such as eating, fixing things, taking pictures, and making music.  One of the most humorous parts of the book is the description of where everyone sleeps, when there is obviously not enough room for the relatives.  The illustrations, by Stephen Gammell, add a great deal of humor and detail to the story.  This book won a Caldecott Honor Award in 1986 for the illustrations.  The story ends with the relatives leaving for home, but both families know they will see each other the next summer.

My Impressions

This book is a fun read, with pictures that add a great deal to the book.  It catches the essence of having family visit, both the togetherness and the occasional discomfort.  I think any child who has had relatives visit for a long period will relate to this story.   Many families live far apart, and children often experience company visiting.  The story manages to capture the joy of family togetherness, the sadness of separating again, and the anticipation of the next visit.

Review

When Gammell finished his art he called to say delightedly he'd bring it to New York; he wanted to watch me react-for this giddy, colored-penciled book marked a departure for him. For Rylant, a poet foremost, the large cast was the departure (note "all that new breathing in the house"--my favorite line) but the celebration of family was familiar. The appeal of the combination lies in its blend of over-the-top visual humor, sense of place, and down-to-earth human connection. Can you find the narrator? She's shown once only.

Jackson, R. (2005). Dick's Picks. School Library Journal, 51(9), 36-38.

Library Usage

This book is an excellent example of a narrative that is a personal experience.  Often, narratives are problem/solution based, and students need more examples of a personal experience narrative.  After reading aloud and discussing the various story elements used, students can brainstorm a personal experience they might write about.  Then each student can write a personal experience narrative on the topic of their choice. 

Module 5 - Talkin' About Bessie - The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman

 

 Grimes, N. (2002). Talkin' about bessie: the story of aviator elizabeth coleman. New York:                 Orchard Company.

Summary 

 

This biography is written in an unique format.  Various people from Bessie Coleman's past tell about their experience with her.  The reader is informed at the beginning of the book that the facts are true, but the form is fictional.  In addition, each person tells about their experience with Bessie in a poetic, lyrical format.  The book begins with her childhood, told by her parents, teachers, and siblings.  The reader learns not only facts about her life, but also inside peeks to her personality.  The story continues as she travels to France to learn to fly, which includes stories from her fellow students and instructors.  The book shows how Bessie overcame discrimination due to her race and sex, to become the first African American female aviator.  

My Impression

I never read this book, even though I saw it often in the library.  I assumed it was a fact filled biography, and I was already familiar with Bessie Coleman.  What a wonderful surprise!  The format of this book is so unique.  The reader truly feels they are getting an inside look at Bessie Coleman.  One of my favorite parts is told by one of her laundry customers, a white woman who describes Bessie as 'unsettling' because she didn't look down.  Instead she looked her in the eyes, like they were equals.  This one part of the book shows the reader so much about Bessie, as well as the attitude of the world she was living in at that time.

Library Usage

After reading the book aloud, students will have become familiar with the format of the book.  They can then write a short paragraph about a part of their own lives, told through someone's perspective.  They could write from the perspective of a friend, relative, teacher, or even their school librarian!

Review

 

Grimes skillfully employs first-person testimonial verse to give young readers a fully realized portrait of African-American aviator Bessie Coleman. At Coleman's death, Grimes invites twenty individuals to a fictionalized wake and, in valedictory monologues, has each remember Bessie and the forces that shaped her life. Bessie's father tells about leaving the family when his daughter was "jus' a chile." Her mother recalls how she wanted Bessie to "first learn the wisdom of the Lawd, / and then, the wisdom of the world"; an older brother comments on her drive, how she "kept her focus fixed...to find a lifelong work of substance"; her flight instructor remembers how bravely Bessie flew a Nieuport 82 the day after witnessing one crash to the ground in flames; and a young fan reveres her idol: "I haven't made up my mind about being a pilot, / but Bessie made me believe I could be anything." E. B. Lewis personalizes the tributes (and a concluding testimonial from Bessie) with small photo-like, sepia-toned portraits of the speakers. Impressionistic watercolors on facing pages evoke each incident and often soften the harshness in Coleman's life. Taken as a whole, these illustrations portray a young woman yearning for and taking pride in that "lifelong work of substance." Although the assemblage of mourners is slightly contrived (would a field hand Coleman once worked alongside and a woman who once hired her to do laundry really be present at her wake?), their parts in Bessie's story are integral to her early life. Grimes separates fact from fiction through introductory comments on the historical period and the setting, concluding observations about Coleman, and source notes. Like Bessie, this tribute to her life soars.

Carter, B. (2003). Talkin' about Bessie. Horn Book Magazine, 79(1), 96-97.