This is my blog for Young Adult materials I've created for LIBR 265-10. Please enjoy my selection of novels, magazines,
films and more! Hope something piques your interest!
ISBN: 9781416911715
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2007)
352 p.
Reading Level: Grade 8 and up.
Summary:
Three girls from different backgrounds become friends during the early 1900s in New York City. Bella, from Italy, is employed at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory where she and many others work grueling hours, hunched over in horrible conditions for a meager wage. Yetta, her co-worker, is a vocal supporter of the union, and when there’s a strike, she is one of many who rally everyone together. Jane, a wealthy young lady whose father owns factories such as the one Bella and Yetta work in, is aghast at the conditions the girls must endure, runs away from home, and joins both the girls and the cause. As they grow to be each other’s family, learn English, and enjoy small acts of kindness, they find love and self-worth and dream of a better life for themselves and their family. All three are at the factory on that fateful day, March 26, 1911, when a fallen match kindles a fire. Will the three girls make it out alive? Turn the page and find out.
Critical Evaluation:
This novel gives readers a glimpse into a history not often written about in a young-adult format. The voices of Yetta, Bella, and Jane present the alternating chapters and give us a unique perspective of what it must have been like to be an immigrant fresh from her hometown, one who had been in America for a while, and an American who was born into opulence. When their paths cross and they become fast friends, they keep their spirits up and hope for a better future while persevering to live through their present.
The main theme and idea a reader should take from this novel is the empowerment
of women and the freedom to be oneself.
Although Jane has all she could possibly want, she’s trapped in a life in which her father is free to marry her off like livestock. As Jane watches Yetta, head held high, being led off to jail for picketing the factory, she says, “‘She’s that free,’ Jane whispered to herself. ‘That free, even on her way to jail.’” (p. 120). Freedom does not come with riches and wealth, but the ability to shape one’s life and make of it what one will, not following those who would make another person’s life what they would like it to be. At a union meeting, Yetta eerily says, “We’re like tinder, Yetta thought. Just one spark, that’s all we need . . .” (p. 108). Even though this is an obvious foreshadowing of when the factory bursts into flames, engulfing the workers, this also suggests how it simply takes a few voices to gain more power and change the rules and regulations that keeps everyone down. Ironically, there might not have been such a swift change to place safety precautions on factories if the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire had not happened, but this was also the time of women’s uniting for the vote. These changes and many others have shaped our history to make better working conditions, but there is still a long way to go, both in America and in the countries where American businesses set up their shops.
Reader’s Annotation:
Bella, Yetta, and Jane are all from different pasts and circumstances, but band together in loyalty and love in the year 1909. The three end up in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, of which the echoes of their screams reach out to readers of the present.
Author Biography:
Margaret Peterson Haddix grew up in Ohio and came from a line of bookworm farmers, then went to college where she studied creative writing, journalism, and history. When her husband became a city editor of a newspaper, she realized that having one’s boss as a husband may not be ideal, so she decided it was time to write.
Writing as well as teaching part-time and starting a family led Haddix into writing many much-loved books, most notably The Shadow Children series. Haddix’s awards include the International Reading Association Children's Book Award, the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults Award, as well as state readers' choice lists in over 28 states
Genre: Fiction - Historical
Curriculum Ties:
This novel would be a perfect addition to an English class or a social studies class.
Haddix has crafted an historical novel that not only shares historical information about immigrants and their plight, but also captures the slice of life that was this horrific fire,
the burgeoning labor movements, and the struggle for women’s rights.
Booktalking Ideas:
- How are the conditions in the Triangle Factory different from many of the factories of today, but similar to those in other countries, as well as some of those in America?
-How does Jane change throughout the novel, especially when she learns what
her father does for a living?
-During the novel, Yetta, Bella, and Jane grow as individuals while coming together.
How does this novel showcase how women from different backgrounds and walks of life can become a family?
-Discuss the historical aspect of this novel and how it shaped worker’s rights for future women and men.
Read-Alikes:
-Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez.
-Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos.
-Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch.
-Lost by Jacqueline Davies.
-A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly.
Challenge Issue:
This book seems not to have had any challenge issues leveled at it. There is no questionable language, but there is violence. This is a fictional take on a moment in history, so any violence and death is a representation of what actually happened in the past.
Reason to include in blog:
I read this last year, for I wanted to learn more about the Shirtwaist Factory Fire, and this is a great take on the horror that happened, using the three interweaving voices of young girls from different backgrounds.
References:
Haddix, M. (2010). Biography. Retrieved from http://www.haddixbooks.com/bio.html
Haddix, M. (2007). Uprising. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Margaret Peterson Haddix. (2010). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from
In Robert Cormier’s last novel before his death, a young child is murdered and left in the woods. A 12-year-old named Jason, a lonely boy with not too many friends and who feels most comfortable with those younger than he is, was the last to see her alive when he was visiting at her house while her brother and friends were there. The town is struggling to find out who could have done this horrible deed, so the police bring in Trent, an expert interrogator from another town to see if he can uncover if Jason saw or knew anything . . . or if he is the killer. As both Trent and Jason struggle with their inner fears and personal choices, they circle around each other wearily, both testing the boundaries of their relationship and wondering where it will lead. This novel is “a terrifying look at what can happen when the pursuit of justice becomes a personal crusade for victory at any cost.” (Retrieved from http://www.teenreads.com/guides/rag_bone_shop1.asp).
Critical Evaluation: The bulk of this novel takes place in a cramped interrogation room during a struggle between Trent and Jason. The chapters alternate in point of view between the two and show how the abuse of power from one in a trusted position can ruin a child’s life. Even though Trent is known for always catching the perpetrator in forcing confessions, he thinks, “He looked at the boy . . . So vulnerable. Suggestible. Unguarded, open to being shaped and molded. As others have been shaped and molded—the thought like a moving shadow across his mind.” (pp. 131-132). This is the moment when the reader realizes that this sentence foreshadows how Trent will achieve his mission, no matter what the consequences might be. Jason thinks, toward the end, what many in the justice system must come face-to-face with in many instances: “But how did Mr. Trent get him to say what he did when he didn’t do it? Could never do it, could never do something like that. Never.
Never?
But if you said you did it, maybe you could do it.” (p. 152).
This novel takes a look at how the best of intentions can corrupt an otherwise decent human being as the life of a child hangs in his hands and the immense guilt a child feels, not perhaps for what he did, but for what another put in his mind.
Reader’s Annotation:
If you’re told forcefully enough that you’re guilty . . . are you?
Author Biography: Cormier was one of the most prolific and important writers of young-adult novels. Born in the French Canadian section of Leominster, Massachusetts, he grew up to become a newspaper writer for the Worcester Telegraph & Gazette and, finally, the Fitchburg Sentinel, where he won awards for his human-interest stories. He gave up working as a journalist full-time in 1966 to concentrate on novel writing, but continued to work as a columnist and associate editor for the Sentinel. In 1974, when The Chocolate War received critical acclaim, it started Cormier on the path of becoming one of the most beloved, but controversial authors who are still being read in high schools across America.
Most of Cormier’s novels deal with the more complicated side of teenage life such as the anxiety, confusion, and hardships that teens go through and the alienation they feel. Cormier won many awards, including the Margaret A. Edwards award for novels The Chocolate War, I am the Cheese, and After the First Death, The New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year, 1974,1977, 1979 and the Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, 1974.
Genre:Fiction - Mystery/Suspense
Curriculum Ties:
This would be a great addition to a creative writing class with its use of suspense or a Social Studies or English class in order to look at ethics and how Trent has waylaid his morality in order to achieve further success in his position.
Booktalking Ideas:
-How does Trent’s application of pressure change Jason?
-How does the title sum up the novel and why did Cormier choose Yeat’s poem and this specific title?
-What does it mean when Lottie tells Trent, “You are what you do”?
Read-Alikes:
- I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier.
- For Mikeby Shelley Sykes.
- Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci.
- What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci.
Challenge Issue:
Cormier’s novels have been the topic of controversy many times, but as Cormier said in the past,
I don't object to parents who do not want their sons or daughters to read, say, The Chocolate War or We All Fall Down. But I object when parents don't want other people's children reading those books. I think that a controversial book belongs in the classroom where it can be discussed, where a teacher can guide the students, where, in fact, a student can get up in class or write a paper saying that he or she doesn't like the book and objects to facets of it. That's the kind of freedom we must preserve.(Retrieved from http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-cormier-robert.asp).
Although I did not find any controversy around this particular novel, a parent may have issues with how Jason is treated by those in the police force. The Chocolate War is the novel most often in the middle of controversy for its language and for showcasing sexuality. Again, Cormier writes realistically from the point of view of teenagers, and parents should read his novels along with their teens and discuss any content that makes them uncomfortable. In the ALA Freedom to Read statement, librarians are said to have the responsibility to give patrons the freedom to read and ask for any materials they see fit.
Reason to include in blog:
Robert Cormier is one of my top two favorite authors. His lyrical style and choice of words simply jump off the page and transport the reader into every story he weaves together. The novel, The Chocolate War, is often used in high school English classes, but all his books are gems that every reader should discover.
References:
American Library Association. (2006). Freedom to Read Statement. Retrieved from
56 minutes
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/
Reading/Viewing Level: Grade 9 and up.
Summary:
This PBS Frontline segment covers the lives and stories of a handful of teens who have grown up with the Internet their entire life. Both parents and their teens discuss their sides on such matters as privacy, cyber-bulling, and other issues that have changed the way childhood is looked at and experienced from the decades of yesteryear. The Internet has also changed education. Teens now need to have a constant stream of information thrown at them with computer screens, and teachers become “entertainers” to keep the students engaged. This documentary also tackles eating disorders and the websites that glorify them and speaks to a teen who tries to turn her life around as well as a teen who, because of cyber-bullying, killed himself when he was only 13-years-old. Although there are many areas teens need to be careful of when using the Internet, there are also many wonderful ways to use the Internet in order to break free into adulthood and feel at one with themselves.
Critical Evaluation:
This documentary shows an unbiased look at the downfalls and advantages that the Internet brings both teens and adults, as well as the points of view of each.
As Greg, a teen, says, “You need to have the Internet on to talk to your friends because everybody uses it. It's like a currency. If you don't use it, you're going to be at the loss.”
This prevalent attitude of teens is one that adults must take seriously. They must monitor their teens’ viewing habits, as well as make sure that they are not immersed in their digital world so much that they forget how to live without being “plugged in.” Teens need to face the consequences of their actions such as posting pictures on MySpace or Facebook or appearing on a YouTube video, which may hurt their chances at college or employment because teens operate in the present while adults think of the future. The teens’ points of view, however, are not simply discounted, but reveals many of them to be responsible about how they deal with potential predators and others who may want to cause them harm. At one point, the narrator states, “It's been said that the Internet has created the greatest generation gap since the advent of rock-and-roll.” I disagree. Saying such things makes the Internet seem as harmless as rock-and-roll. Yet one scene shows a girl who is battling eating disorders finding help for her disease at sites that glorify eating disorders, and another profiles a young boy who learned how to kill himself through the Internet and had contact with a teen who encouraged suicide. Both prove that the Internet can often be a portal for tragedy. Still, the most important message is that a balance of life and Internet use, as well as continually clear lines of communication between adults and children, are a must. Teens need to be able to turn away from the Internet sometimes in order for their attention span not to worsen and for them to be able to succeed in high school, college, and life in general.
Reader’s Annotation:
Take a look at the risks and rewards of the Internet and all the rooms it enters.
Author Biography: Rachel Dretzin has won many awards and has been producing documentaries for Frontline since the mid-1990s, focusing on filming American life and the culture that surrounds men and women. John Maggio has been a producer, director, screenwriter, and editor. He’s co-produced and co-directed films for PBS’ American Experience.
Since 1983, Frontline has been producing documentaries in its public affairs series. It has been on television for over 28 seasons, covering “the scope and complexity of the human experience,” including controversial issues over and over again. (Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/us/).
Genre: Film - PBS Documentary – Social and cultural issues
Curriculum Ties:
This documentary can be used in a social studies class in order for students to see their parents’ point of view and how cyber-bullying and privacy rights affect their lives, as well as who they should turn to in case of trouble.
Booktalking Ideas:
-Discuss how online time is used and what house rules, if any, do you have.
-Do your parents have your passwords?
-Do teens know about on-line predators?
As in the documentary, do they know to “stop, block, and tell”?
View-Alikes:
There are over 90 Frontline programs that a viewer can access online here:
Titles include Digital Nation, The Medicated Child, When Kids Get Life, Inside theTeenage Brain, Medicating Kids, and A Class Divided.
Challenge Issue:
I wasn’t able to find any challenge issues on this documentary or any other PBS Frontline documentaries. They prove to be a great outlet for research and learning
for both teens and their parents.
Reason to include in blog:
I have always found these documentaries very interesting and, for teens, they’re a good length, at around 55 to 60 minutes. Many times the transcript is also available for those who want to go back and study them.
References:
Frontline. (2011). A brief history. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/us/
Frontline. (2008). Growing up Online. Retrieved from
ISBN: 1158253303
Books LLC as well as available for download by Icarus Plays (1998, revised in 2009)
http://www.icarusplays.com/preview-plays/bbyd/read-play
71 p.
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
Summary:
This play shows the aftermath of what Josh has done after he has killed his parents and five of his classmates. He is surrounded by the ghosts of his classmates, which are really figments of his imagination, who not only command Josh to tell them why he killed them, but to let him know the many things in life they will miss. As Josh constantly deflects and tries to ignore them, as well as the flashbacks of scenes with his parents, “they become akin to a chorus of Greek Furies who torment him, make him re-live events, and drive him towards the threshold of remorse.” (Retrieved from http://www.icarusplays.com/preview-plays/bbyd). The magnitude of his actions slowly hits Josh as he must come to terms with what he has done. There is no way to turn back time in order not to murder his parents and classmates, and there is little hope that redemption will find him either.
Critical Evaluation:
This play is from the point of view of Josh, the teen who has killed his parents and some of his classmates. The audience watches as Josh deals with his depression, his simmering anger at himself as he shouts at his ghosts, and the reasons—or the lack thereof—for what he has done. The ghosts set the tone of the play, which is somber and tragic, by telling Josh all the times in life he stole from them and all the people affected by their deaths. Josh’s first brush with death in killing the buck is when he first wants to take a murder back, but he can’t unkill it, much as he can’t take back the murders he has committed, serving as both a flashback and, within the flashback, a foreshadowing of the tragedy that awaits him. Josh is also the “blackboard phantom” who writes a warning on the blackboard for the students and tells Emily that it “must be somebody whose switch got flicked once too often.” (p. 41). He shares his thoughts about how a “word is a needle, a look is broken glass. A laugh—oh, especially a laugh—is a razor.” (p. 42) to which the ghosts reply, “So you make your face a mask/A mask that hides your face/A face that hides your pain/A pain that eats your heart/A heart nobody knows.” (p. 42). The lyrical style in which the ghosts speak gives the play a continual current of the mental spiral Josh is going through, as well as a voice to all the victims who have died in a school shooting and what they could say, if given a chance.
Reader’s Annotation:
“I didn’t know it would be like this. CONTROL ALT DELETE” (P. 26).
Author Biography:
William Mastrosimone is from Trenton, New Jersey, and is a graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, a part of Rutgers University, for playwriting. Mastrosimone has written numerous plays and screenplays, including Into the West, which was nominated for a Prime Time Emmy, and the adaptation of his play, Extremities. He’s also won a Daytime Emmy Award for Bang, Bang You’re Dead.
This play was based on Kip Kinkle a 15 year-old who, in 1998, shot his parents and then, after two days alone with them in their house, went to school and killed two of his peers and wounded 25 others. Also, the author’s child told him of a classmate who wrote a threat of violence toward his classmates and teacher on the blackboard.
Genre: Play - Realistic Fiction
Curriculum Ties:
This was a play written for high-school teens. Although there is violence, the play is about reaching out to those in pain to show them that murder can’t be taken back and there are so many reasons to stop, think, and ask for help. This also shows that when a fantasy of violence becomes a reality, there is no turning back or turning off as in a book, movie or video game.
Booktalking Ideas:
-What are some of the warning signs that someone may become
volatile and dangerous?
-How can one help make schools safer? Do anti-bullying laws help?
-Why does Josh use sarcasm to deflect his ghosts and his emotions?
Read-Alikes/View-Alikes:
Films:
- Bang, Bang You’re Dead, a film by Guy Ferland.
- Elephant, a film by Gus Van Sant.
- Homeroom, a film by Paul F. Ryan.
Books/Play:
- Columbinus, a play by Stephen Karam and P.J. Paparelli.
- Hate List by Jennifer Brown.
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.
- Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser.
Challenge Issue:
Many who have not read the play believe that it glorifies violence, but this could not be further from the truth. This is a play about consequences and how any act of horror cannot be taken back. This play was immediately endorsed and sponsored by the Ribbon of Promise, whose members are dedicated to nonviolence in schools.
Reason to include in blog:
I was originally going to include the film Bang, Bang You’re Dead in this blog, but then I re-watched Homeroom and decided to include that instead. I then realized that the play utilized within the film, Bang, Bang You’re Dead, was a real play, and I decided to use that on this blog instead. Both the play and the film are haunting and should be included in any high-school curriculum that hopes to battle bullying.
References:
Hempel, J. (2002). Ribbon of Promise volunteer campaign spreads the message about
preventing school violence. Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/reports/grr/035695.htm
Icarus Plays. (2010). Bang, Bang, You’re Dead Synopsis. Retrieved from
http://www.icarusplays.com/preview-plays/bbyd
Mastrosimone, W. (2009). Bang, Bang You're Dead. Icarus Plays.
Retrieved from http://www.icarusplays.com/preview-plays/bbyd/read-play
William Mastrosimone. (2010). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from
ISBN: 0142437336
Publisher: Penguin Classics (Original, 1953, this edition, 2003) 143 p.
Reading Level: Adult crossover taught in schools, 9th grade and up.
Summary:
This play deals with the Salem witch trials of 1692. A group of young women have been found, dancing and chanting in the forest. Upon discovery, one of them, Betty, faints and now lies prone on a bed while another, Abigail, refuses to say what has occurred. Before long, the town is sure that the devil and witchcraft are involved. Abigail, when she realizes the man she loves, John Proctor, won’t leave his wife, confesses with others that they were there and that other women, witches, made them do it. When John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, is arrested on suspicion of witchcraft, John believes it was all Abigail’s doing. In court, the young ladies go insane and screech out hideous declarations about the devil and the women they have put in prison. John Proctor vocally declares Abigail a whore and that he has had relations with her. After other protests, Proctor is also jailed. The play ends with a scene in the fall that ends John and Elizabeth’s relationship, as well as the heartbreak of many who see what a sham the young girls have projected onto the townsfolk. This play is not only a look at the Salem witch trials, but is a powerful allegory about the McCarthy hearings and the fear of being labeled a Communist.
Critical Evaluation:
Although this play deals with many themes such as good versus evil, morality and guilt,
I believe that above all “it concerned something very fundamental in the human animal: the fear of the unknown, and particularly the dread of social isolation.” (Miller, 1989, p. 6). This play is a very strong allegory about the McCarthy era of the 1940s to 1950s in which Senator Joseph McCarthy and others sought to uncover Communists, their main targets being those in the entertainment industry, professors, and those active in unions. Arthur Miller, himself, was under much scrutiny and was eventually blacklisted as well, while many of his friends named names in order to save themselves. At the moment in which Proctor admits to dealing with the Devil in order to spare his life, they ask him who else he saw with the devil. He refuses to name any names and “they think to go like saints. I like not to spoil their names . . . I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. Crying out, with hatred: I have no tongue for it.” (pp. 130-131). This is how many felt during the McCarthy era. They had the strength and the moral conviction that individuals may only answer for themselves, and to drag the names of strangers and friends into the mud so that they may be cleared is a cowardly act that they must live with for the rest of their lives.
Reader’s Annotation: Turn the pages and enter into a slice of society where greed, fear, jealousy,
and ambition all fester. As hysteria covers the town of Salem, Massachusetts,
tragedy prevails, and families are torn apart.
Author Biography:
Arthur Miller, who was born in 1915 and died at the age of 89 in 2005, was a prolific author of stage plays, radio plays, non-fiction, and screenplays. His works have won numerous awards, most notably a Kennedy Center Honor and a Pulitzer Prize for drama. His works have also been banned all over the world, especially in the Soviet Union, “after he campaigned for the freedom of dissident writers.” (Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Miller#Stage_plays). His non-fiction writing includes collections of theatre essays in which he discusses public theatre as a social critic, and he also wrote on theatrical conventions.
Miller was married three times, most notably to his second wife, Marilyn Monroe, but it was his third wife, Inge Morath, to whom he was married the longest and who was a renowned photographer. Miller’s plays have been performed throughout the world, and he is considered to be one of the best playwrights of the twentieth century. Each play is a treasure and will undoubtedly live on as long as the works of Shakespeare.
Genre: Play (Tragedy) - Adult crossover
Curriculum Ties:
This play is perfect for a high-school English class. Not only is it short, but even though the vernacular is not what modern teens are used to, the story jumps off the page. Discussions can range from the themes of good and evil to the element that history continually repeats itself. Miller’s take on the Salem witch trials can very much be paralleled to Joseph McCarthy’s hunt for Communists and their supposed sympathizers.
Booktalking Ideas:
-Discuss examples in the current day and age where men and women admit to something in order to be
freed from imprisonment, even though they are not guilty.
-Parallel in The Crucible the men and women who give up their friends and neighbors
as witches with the McCarthy era where many gave up their friends and neighbors
as Communists in order to clear their own names.
-Discuss how the character of John Proctor changes throughout the course of the play.
How does he wish to atone for his sins?
Read-Alikes/ View-Alikes:
-The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
-Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.
-A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry.
-Guilty by Suspicion, directed by Irwin Winkler.
Challenge Issue:
Some high schools in the United States and the former Soviet Union itself have banned The Crucible and other works by Miller for their use of language and ideology. The Crucible uses a lot of the vernacular of the time, and the plot deals with the devil, but more importantly it can be used as a mirror to other moments in history such as the McCarthy era. Only by learning about the past can we be hopeful that history not repeat itself.
Reason to include in blog:
I’ve loved Arthur Miller since Death of a Salesman, which I read many moons ago. His plays are wonderful slices of life, made especially meaningful. I thought The Crucible would be a great addition to this blog and for teen readers interested in playwriting. I was also particularly interested in this play, once I learned of the reason behind Miller’s writing it, when in college I studied the McCarthy era and all the lives that were ruined by the hysteria.
ISBN: 9781416912040
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2007)
335 p.
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
Summary:
In a future not unlike our own, humanity lives after a war whose cause was reproductive rights. The issue is that life starts at conception, and a woman must have her child. There are, however, ways to deal with the child after conception. One can “stork” their child, that is, leave it on a stranger’s doorstep and hope for the best, or parents can opt to “unwind” their child until they are 17. At their eighteenth birthday, the children are considered adults and may choose their own path in life. Unwinding is the chilling solution where all of the organs of the child are donated to different recipients so that they may do good. This is the story of Connor, a boy whose parents signed him up for unwinding because he got into trouble; Risa, who is a ward of the state, but whose skillful piano playing is not enough to keep her safe; and Lev, a tithe, who is a child raised to be unwound and is taught to see it as the ultimate honor from God. The three teens cross paths in a remarkable and thrilling journey about loss, life, and the pursuit of survival against all costs.
Critical Evaluation:
This novel is full of compelling characters in a slightly futuristic time where certain words have loaded meanings. The Bill of Life is a document that lets a parent “unwind” their teen who they believe did not turn out right and after which the teens “live in a divided state,” meaning that although their body parts are in other hosts, their parts at times retain muscle memory, or part of their soul, and transmit this to their new owners. The overarching theme of the argument of when a life starts, stops, and is conscious is dealt with in this novel. As the Admiral tells Connor,
Everything that we think defines right and wrong was turned upside down. On one side, people were murdering abortion doctors to protect the right to life, while on the other side people were getting pregnant just to sell their fetal tissue. (p.223).
The irony of killing life to “save life” is not lost in this novel, just as it’s not lost on those who are Pro-Choice in our society. The population has lost their humanity, and it is a long road to regain it. As Connor and Risa hide in the high school with the baby they saved from storking, a teacher comes upon them. As Connor says, “Please . . .” “Please what? the teacher thinks. Please break the law? Please put myself and the school at risk? But, no, that’s not it at all. What he’s really saying is: Please be a human being.” (p. 83). This is not only an action-packed novel that will have readers furiously turning the pages, but the different paths the characters take are touching, tragic, and lend a hope for a better tomorrow.
Reader’s Annotation:
In a world where parents can sign over their teenager’s life to be unwound,
fear and uncertainty reigns. In this not-too-distant future, Connor, Risa, and Lev
must fight to be what their parents are not . . . human beings.
Author Biography: Neal Shusterman was raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he fell in love with the written word. He graduated from high school and moved to UC Irvine where he wrote a humor column. A year after graduation found Shusterman with his first book deal, and he was also hired to write a film script.
Since his earliest days, he’s been a novelist, screenwriter, and a television writer. His novels have been awarded many accolades from such groups as the International Reading Association and the America Library Association. At present, he is also adapting his own novel, Everlost, into a feature film, much to the joy of fans everywhere.
Genre: Science Fiction
Curriculum Ties:
A discussion about government and abortion could be led with this book in a social studies or English class. Those who are against abortion and for abortion, in this novel, compromise with the idea that a child between the ages of 13 and 18 can be “unwound,” if deemed unsuitable to continue living. To essentially kill children after they’ve had so many years on the planet raises many moral considerations about how far humanity is willing to go in order to prove either side of an argument. This is a strongly provoking book that stays with the reader long after reading.
Booktalking Ideas:
-What if you found out you were going to be unwound? Would you run?
-How do Connor, Risa, and Lev grow throughout the book?
-Because unwinding makes businesses a lot of money and helps people,
the population does not raise any concerns about the process.
What similarities are there in our day and age with sweatshops and other businesses that exploit people?
Read-Alikes:
-The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.
-Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden.
-The Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras by Scott Westerfeld.
-The Skinjacker Trilogy (Everlost, Everwild, Everfound) by Neal Shusterman.
Challenge Issue:
In researching if this book has been banned, I found that Montgomery County High School in Kentucky had their copies withdrawn from classroom use and curriculum, but it was still available in their school library and book club. The complaints ranged from “child abuse, suicide, and . . . deemed unsuited to discussion in coed high school classes. They also contend that the books don't provide the intellectual challenge and rigor that students need in college preparatory classes.” (Retrieved from http://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/books/unwind.asp).
I would let parents know that this book does, indeed, tackle ethical issues, but much can be taught through reading and discussing it. Although abortion, ethics, and power have always been sensitive subjects in America, this book is a wonderful way to open lines of communication between a child and a parent or teacher.
Reason to include in blog:
When I first read this book, I was blown away. I was immediately transported to this world that is far too like our own where two sides of an issue can blur in a moment. Readers will be gripping the pages until the end in order to find out what happens to Connor, Risa, and Lev. This and all the other books by Shusterman are must-reads, for they not only entertain and transport the reader from their day-to-day life, but also address the hard questions that are not for the faint of heart.
References:
Shusterman, N. (n.d.). Bio. Retrieved at http://www.storyman.com/bio/
Shusterman, N. (2007). Unwind. New York: Simon & Schuster.
We Are Marshall (2010). Banned Book Week: Unwind. Retrieved from
