I absolutely loved this book, in part because I have also struggled with religion throughout my life. My sister has as well, and it was nice to be able to discuss certain issues that the book brought up. Hautman does a really good job of showing how confident Jason is as he creates this new religion. Jason develops the commandments of sorts, and appoints different people for different positions, all the while really believing in what he is doing. Once Shin starts acting weird and gets way too involved in the religion, Jason explains that he doesn’t believe in the water tower as a god, but that he believes in what he is doing and how it challenges his own beliefs. There is also a big transformation with Henry, who appears macho to the community but is actually very smart and well-read behind closed doors. My favorite character is Shin, however, because the CTG gives him something to truly be a part of, and he ends up losing himself in it in the process. Shin goes from being satisfied with collecting snails to letting them die and focusing all his energy on climbing the water tower. He is so obsessed at the end that Jason has to call the police on him to retrieve him from inside the tower.
The small-town setting is great for the plot of this book. So often in small towns we hear of youth involved in drinking, smoking, getting into trouble. And while this group of teenagers doesn’t cause trouble in those ways, they do, in a sense, by creating their own religion. Their parents as well as the reverend and the members of PTO do not approve of what is going on, and think there needs to be more religious respect from the teens. But Jason is strong in his convictions, and has the time to carry them out.
Hautman really brings up some great questions about religion, about the differences between religion and faith, about society’s outlook and interpretation of how religion fits in with the people of the community. We get to see the development of Jason’s character as well as how his feelings parallel the activities of the CTG, and through that we are able to understand much more where he is coming from. Religion can be a difficult subject to bring up, especially because not everyone is involved the same way and not everyone participates equally in their church. Jason’s dry, sarcastic humor mixed with his willingness to challenge his religion and his parents is what truly brought this book together. Hautman’s writing of Jason’s thoughts is fantastic, and I love when Jason rationalizes religious activities for us:
“I once read a short story about some cannibals who didn't turn their victims into steaks and chops and roasts; they made them all into sausages. Because when you're eating a sausage you don't think so much about what you're eating.
It's the same with communion wafers. Hosts are little white disks that do not resemble any kind of real food. The closest thing I can think of would be a flattened, sugarless marshmallow. They have almost no taste, just a faint sourness, and they require no chewing. I think they're made out of some kind of digestible paper.
My point is, the miracle of Holy Communion is when the priest turns these little white disks into the flesh of Jesus Christ. They call it transubstantiation. So, if you buy that, then the host the priest places on your tongue is actually a sliver of Jesus meat. But they make the host as different from meat as they can, so that even though communion is a form of cannibalism, nobody gets grossed out. Like with the sausages."
This is my favorite passage from the book because it so wonderfully states something that I have felt since I can remember. Maybe I wouldn’t have stated it in the exact same way, but that’s what I love about Jason — he comes up with witty, almost nonsensical descriptions of real-life problems.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Synopsis of Godless: Pete Hautman
Godless. 1-4169-0816-1. Pete Hautman. 2004. National Book Award. Ages 13-17. Middle-class. Contemporary realistic fiction.
After getting punched in the face by bully Henry Stagg, 15-year-old Jason Bock decides to start his own religion. His inspiration? The town water tower, which he renames the Ten-Legged One. Jason has struggled with his own faith in the Church of the Good Shepherd, and openly admits that to Reverend Allan Anderson (who he calls “Just Al”) and everyone else at the Teen Power Outreach meetings at the church. Sick of being told what to believe, Jason names his own religion the Church of the Ten-Legged God (CTG), its followers being Chutengodians. He is the Founder and Head Kahuna; his best friend, Shin, is the First Keeper of the Sacred Text; his “ordinary” friend Dan Grant is the First Acolyte Exaltus; town sweetheart but tough girl Magda Price is the High Priestess; and without asking the other members, Jason inducts bully Henry Stagg as the High Priest because Henry shows him how to climb the water tower. The group creates religious laws to abide by and guidelines to follow, but ultimately want to climb the water tower to hold service. Shin freezes going up and runs home, but the other members not only climb the water tower, they swim inside of it. The night ends with a contaminated water supply and Henry having to go to the hospital for falling off the top of the water tower onto the railing below. Shin has a nervous breakdown, Magda and Henry become close, and Jason becomes an outcast, only clinging to his religion for peace of mind. The story depicts how difficult religion can make things, especially when you doubt your beliefs. Jason questions his openly, and learns valuable lessons along the way.
Godless is an interesting book to read in school, because it discusses religion very openly. I’m not sure this book would be allowed in many public schools unless the curriculum involved students not being allowed to discuss their own religious experiences. That said, I think it could be an interesting historical study for how religion has been formed/created throughout history.
After getting punched in the face by bully Henry Stagg, 15-year-old Jason Bock decides to start his own religion. His inspiration? The town water tower, which he renames the Ten-Legged One. Jason has struggled with his own faith in the Church of the Good Shepherd, and openly admits that to Reverend Allan Anderson (who he calls “Just Al”) and everyone else at the Teen Power Outreach meetings at the church. Sick of being told what to believe, Jason names his own religion the Church of the Ten-Legged God (CTG), its followers being Chutengodians. He is the Founder and Head Kahuna; his best friend, Shin, is the First Keeper of the Sacred Text; his “ordinary” friend Dan Grant is the First Acolyte Exaltus; town sweetheart but tough girl Magda Price is the High Priestess; and without asking the other members, Jason inducts bully Henry Stagg as the High Priest because Henry shows him how to climb the water tower. The group creates religious laws to abide by and guidelines to follow, but ultimately want to climb the water tower to hold service. Shin freezes going up and runs home, but the other members not only climb the water tower, they swim inside of it. The night ends with a contaminated water supply and Henry having to go to the hospital for falling off the top of the water tower onto the railing below. Shin has a nervous breakdown, Magda and Henry become close, and Jason becomes an outcast, only clinging to his religion for peace of mind. The story depicts how difficult religion can make things, especially when you doubt your beliefs. Jason questions his openly, and learns valuable lessons along the way.
Godless is an interesting book to read in school, because it discusses religion very openly. I’m not sure this book would be allowed in many public schools unless the curriculum involved students not being allowed to discuss their own religious experiences. That said, I think it could be an interesting historical study for how religion has been formed/created throughout history.
Critique of Big Mouth & Ugly Girl: Joyce Carol Oates
I enjoyed reading this book. I’m big on character development, and I thought Joyce Carol Oates really let us into the minds and lives of Ursula and Matt. We see Ursula’s character develop internally for the most part, describing her mood like Fiery Red and Ugly Girl, but we also see her struggle through interaction with her family and those around her. Confidence springs from her position on the basketball team, but she quits after everyone thinks she loses a game on purpose. Throughout the book she goes back and forth between depressive moods, eventually taking more control of her life through her relationship with Matt. We see Matt’s character develop more socially, going from popular student council vice president who writes for the school paper to possible terrorist. His friends abandon him, his family is stressed out, he feels like an outcast and doesn’t know where to turn. His feelings of desperation unfold through his deleted-before-sent e-mails to Ursula, saying how lonely he feels.
The plot of this book is pretty complicated in trying to connect each event to something or someone, but overall the themes are simple: accusation, betrayal, loneliness, shifts in socialization, family struggles, emotional downfalls and triumphs. Oates creatively shifts virtually every other chapter into the mind of Ursula and Matt, which eventually blend together as their relationship grows. Their lives mirror each other’s in many ways, and they are able to help each other through the problems they have. The reactions of the students at school feels very realistic because they are unsure of whether they should even talk to Matt and ignore Ursula because she appears different from everyone else. I love the way Ursula doesn’t care and talks to Matt anyway, and how Matt embraces Ursula’s differences.
In suburbia New York there is an expectation of upholding reputation, which everyone except Ursula seems to follow. Matt’s parents file the lawsuit for defamation of character, fearing the repercussions of having their family name smeared. Ursula’s parents don’t want her to speak up for Matt in fear she will be associated with the alleged crime. Matt’s friends say their parents don’t want them to talk to him because they don’t want them to be involved. And the principal, Mr. Parrish, wants to keep his school in good faith with the community. This is all very emotional, and I like how Oates displays so much of this by using different fonts (for e-mail, for the beginning line of each chapter, for the newspaper clippings).
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl could be used to discuss alienation, bullying, and unprecedented judgment of others. So much of this occurs on a daily basis, and it can be emotionally destructive to those experiencing it. Discussing the effects of such behavior and how it truly can make teenagers feel unwanted and like they want to die would be a good suicide prevention technique as well.
The plot of this book is pretty complicated in trying to connect each event to something or someone, but overall the themes are simple: accusation, betrayal, loneliness, shifts in socialization, family struggles, emotional downfalls and triumphs. Oates creatively shifts virtually every other chapter into the mind of Ursula and Matt, which eventually blend together as their relationship grows. Their lives mirror each other’s in many ways, and they are able to help each other through the problems they have. The reactions of the students at school feels very realistic because they are unsure of whether they should even talk to Matt and ignore Ursula because she appears different from everyone else. I love the way Ursula doesn’t care and talks to Matt anyway, and how Matt embraces Ursula’s differences.
In suburbia New York there is an expectation of upholding reputation, which everyone except Ursula seems to follow. Matt’s parents file the lawsuit for defamation of character, fearing the repercussions of having their family name smeared. Ursula’s parents don’t want her to speak up for Matt in fear she will be associated with the alleged crime. Matt’s friends say their parents don’t want them to talk to him because they don’t want them to be involved. And the principal, Mr. Parrish, wants to keep his school in good faith with the community. This is all very emotional, and I like how Oates displays so much of this by using different fonts (for e-mail, for the beginning line of each chapter, for the newspaper clippings).
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl could be used to discuss alienation, bullying, and unprecedented judgment of others. So much of this occurs on a daily basis, and it can be emotionally destructive to those experiencing it. Discussing the effects of such behavior and how it truly can make teenagers feel unwanted and like they want to die would be a good suicide prevention technique as well.
Synopsis of Big Mouth & Ugly Girl: Joyce Carol Oates
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl. 0-06-623756-4. Joyce Carol Oates. 2002. Ages 13-17. Suburban youth. Contemporary realistic fiction.
Big Mouth, Matt Donaghy, and Ugly Girl, Ursula Riggs, have gone to the same school not knowing each other for years. But when Matt is accused of threatening to blow up the school, Ursula must come to his aid. Matt is joking around in the lunchroom about his play not winning the school competition, and he sarcastically asks what he can do, blow up the school? Misinterpreted by the Brewer sisters, they report him to their father and the principal. Matt is suspended, his friends stop talking to him, and his whole life changes. Ursula calls herself Ugly Girl because she is somewhat of social outcast who doesn’t even feel a part of her own family. But she knows the difference between right and wrong, and Ursula stands up for Matt, saying that she overheard him and everyone knew he was joking, and the investigation against Matt is dropped. Nothing goes back to normal though, and Matt is treated like a heretic. Eventually Matt and Ursula develop an unconventional relationship, both drawn to each other’s humor and the fact that they feel like outsiders. Matt’s parents decide to sue the school for defamation of character (later dropped), Matt’s dog, Pumpkin is kidnapped (and returned safely), and another bomb scare threatens Matt’s emotional sanity. Eventually we learn that Reverend Brewer, the racist unforgiving father of the girls who reported Matt in the first place, has called in the second bomb threat, and things finally start turning around for Matt. Despite the ups and downs of their relationship, Matt and Ursula grow stronger, and develop into more than just friends at the end.
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl could be used to study the media and its effects on society. Matt’s situation might not have even caused such a terrible problem were it not for the initial news reports of the supposed bomb threat. That, plus word of mouth and people’s perceptions of situations without the truth, can really escalate into something unnecessary.
Big Mouth, Matt Donaghy, and Ugly Girl, Ursula Riggs, have gone to the same school not knowing each other for years. But when Matt is accused of threatening to blow up the school, Ursula must come to his aid. Matt is joking around in the lunchroom about his play not winning the school competition, and he sarcastically asks what he can do, blow up the school? Misinterpreted by the Brewer sisters, they report him to their father and the principal. Matt is suspended, his friends stop talking to him, and his whole life changes. Ursula calls herself Ugly Girl because she is somewhat of social outcast who doesn’t even feel a part of her own family. But she knows the difference between right and wrong, and Ursula stands up for Matt, saying that she overheard him and everyone knew he was joking, and the investigation against Matt is dropped. Nothing goes back to normal though, and Matt is treated like a heretic. Eventually Matt and Ursula develop an unconventional relationship, both drawn to each other’s humor and the fact that they feel like outsiders. Matt’s parents decide to sue the school for defamation of character (later dropped), Matt’s dog, Pumpkin is kidnapped (and returned safely), and another bomb scare threatens Matt’s emotional sanity. Eventually we learn that Reverend Brewer, the racist unforgiving father of the girls who reported Matt in the first place, has called in the second bomb threat, and things finally start turning around for Matt. Despite the ups and downs of their relationship, Matt and Ursula grow stronger, and develop into more than just friends at the end.
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl could be used to study the media and its effects on society. Matt’s situation might not have even caused such a terrible problem were it not for the initial news reports of the supposed bomb threat. That, plus word of mouth and people’s perceptions of situations without the truth, can really escalate into something unnecessary.
Critique of Scorpions: Walter Dean Myers
Jamal’s character is very well-developed. His struggles with living in a single-family household with his older brother in jail come through as he tries to be responsible and care for everyone (his mother, older brother, and younger sister). This also applies to his strong feelings of protectiveness over his friend, Tito. When Jamal gets caught up in the gang activity, he is emotionally torn between taking over the Scorpions for his brother and walking away from it. Should he be in charge, carry a gun, risk his life and the lives of those he loves? He struggles throughout the book and Myers does a wonderful job of making the reader feel anxious for him, for making us want to help him through his difficult decisions.
The setting of Harlem is a good choice for the storyline. It emphasizes historical involvement with gangs and violence, and yet focuses on strong community. The connections people make in this neighborhood are crucial to their development, and Tito and Jamal’s friendship is a great example of this. We actually feel for the boys during their times of troubled youth, and Myers’ shows us the strong connection they have with each other despite the growing gang activity in their neighborhood. We feel Tito’s anxiety over Jamal being involved with the Scorpions and killing someone, see Jamal’s struggle to decide between what’s best for his brother or himself, sympathize with Jamal and Tito’s lack of positive male role models, feel sorry for Jamal constantly feeling overwhelmed by everything around him, empathize with Jamal feeling like no one takes him seriously or wants to see him succeed except his mother, and anger for Jamal feeling like the gang makes him actually belong somewhere. These all connect to Myers’ themes of responsibility, loyalty, making difficult decisions, self-awareness, and self-preservation.
Scorpions is a good book for young adults to discuss many issues surrounding them today. Gang activity and the struggles not to become involved; loyalty to our friends, family, and especially ourselves; and a willingness to stand up for individuality and making positive decisions are all good topics for discussion. This could also be a good book to teach with the history of gang violence and other challenging community issues in the neighborhoods the students live in. Students could discuss their own social difficulties, whether personal or communal, and they could research examples of strong, positive change in their community.
The setting of Harlem is a good choice for the storyline. It emphasizes historical involvement with gangs and violence, and yet focuses on strong community. The connections people make in this neighborhood are crucial to their development, and Tito and Jamal’s friendship is a great example of this. We actually feel for the boys during their times of troubled youth, and Myers’ shows us the strong connection they have with each other despite the growing gang activity in their neighborhood. We feel Tito’s anxiety over Jamal being involved with the Scorpions and killing someone, see Jamal’s struggle to decide between what’s best for his brother or himself, sympathize with Jamal and Tito’s lack of positive male role models, feel sorry for Jamal constantly feeling overwhelmed by everything around him, empathize with Jamal feeling like no one takes him seriously or wants to see him succeed except his mother, and anger for Jamal feeling like the gang makes him actually belong somewhere. These all connect to Myers’ themes of responsibility, loyalty, making difficult decisions, self-awareness, and self-preservation.
Scorpions is a good book for young adults to discuss many issues surrounding them today. Gang activity and the struggles not to become involved; loyalty to our friends, family, and especially ourselves; and a willingness to stand up for individuality and making positive decisions are all good topics for discussion. This could also be a good book to teach with the history of gang violence and other challenging community issues in the neighborhoods the students live in. Students could discuss their own social difficulties, whether personal or communal, and they could research examples of strong, positive change in their community.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Synopsis of Scorpions: Walter Dean Myers
Synopsis:
Scorpions. 0-06-4406237. Walter Dean Myers. 1988. Newberry Honor Book. Ages 12-16. African American.
Twelve-year-old Jamal Hicks cannot escape stressful situations no matter where he goes or how much he tries. At home he deals with his brother Randy being in jail for murder, his sister’s pestering remarks, his mother’s exhaustion from trying to provide, and his absent father’s comments that berate him. At school he deals with troubling assignments, teachers sending him to the principal, and fights with an older boy named Dwayne. Mixed in with all of this is pressure from the gang his brother used to lead called the Scorpions. Doing what he can to raise money for Randy’s $2,000 appeal, Jamal joins the Scorpions and unintentionally involves his best friend Tito, who ends up killing another gang member in self-defense. Overwhelmed by what he has done, Tito confesses his actions to his grandmother as well as the police, is charged as a juvenile delinquent, and returns to Puerto Rico, leaving Jamal to face a world that hasn’t changed much for himself.
Scorpions, like Monster, is a good book to discuss real-life issues with students in middle school. Peer pressure to join gangs and get involved with very serious problems such as guns, drugs, murder, and jail time is a realistic pressure teenagers deal with. Making sure students know safe places to go and people to talk to could make all the difference in their lives, especially if they are unaware of the options but desperately need them or know someone who does.
Scorpions. 0-06-4406237. Walter Dean Myers. 1988. Newberry Honor Book. Ages 12-16. African American.
Twelve-year-old Jamal Hicks cannot escape stressful situations no matter where he goes or how much he tries. At home he deals with his brother Randy being in jail for murder, his sister’s pestering remarks, his mother’s exhaustion from trying to provide, and his absent father’s comments that berate him. At school he deals with troubling assignments, teachers sending him to the principal, and fights with an older boy named Dwayne. Mixed in with all of this is pressure from the gang his brother used to lead called the Scorpions. Doing what he can to raise money for Randy’s $2,000 appeal, Jamal joins the Scorpions and unintentionally involves his best friend Tito, who ends up killing another gang member in self-defense. Overwhelmed by what he has done, Tito confesses his actions to his grandmother as well as the police, is charged as a juvenile delinquent, and returns to Puerto Rico, leaving Jamal to face a world that hasn’t changed much for himself.
Scorpions, like Monster, is a good book to discuss real-life issues with students in middle school. Peer pressure to join gangs and get involved with very serious problems such as guns, drugs, murder, and jail time is a realistic pressure teenagers deal with. Making sure students know safe places to go and people to talk to could make all the difference in their lives, especially if they are unaware of the options but desperately need them or know someone who does.
Critique of Monster: Walter Dean Myers
Critique:
I thought Steve Harmon’s character was well developed throughout the book. His journal provides insight to his thoughts as he struggles with his feelings of guilt despite not thinking he did anything wrong. He shares his reaction to emotional experiences such as seeing his father cry, wishing he could talk to his brother, feeling as if he wanted to die at the thought of being sentenced to life in prison. The dialogue feels real, scattered with silent contemplative actions of the characters as well as appropriate diction and street language used by the people testifying.
Harmon goes back and forth between feeling innocent and feeling guilty, giving the plot an underlying question of how much, or if, Harmon was involved in the crime. The photographs throughout the book gave the reader snapshots of Harmon’s movements, but Myers makes it unclear if they are how Harmon wants his movie to look or pictures of how things played out during the crime in Harmon’s mind. Throughout the book Myers gives us glimpses of testimony as well as Harmon’s inner thoughts about the crime, always leaving the reader to wonder what and if Harmon had anything to do with the drug store crime. Harmon must struggle with how he sees himself versus how everyone else sees him, and what it truly means to be guilty.
The jail scenes felt just as crowded and dangerous in my mind as Myers depicted them in the book, which led to the feelings of fear and anxiety surely felt by Harmon. The camera shots and stage directions from Harmon’s movie perspective helps the reader see what he sees during the trial, from the worried face of his mother to the jurors trying not to make eye contact, from the smirks of the prosecutor to the half-asleep courtroom guard.
Monster could spark discussion about the varying levels of guilt as well as a guilty conscience. Especially with influential young teenagers, this book would be a good example of how even being associated with the wrong people could lead to extreme consequences. There is so much gang and violent activity in society today that tying this book in with real-life stories of at-risk and troubled youth could be beneficial in more ways than just another literary perspective.
I thought Steve Harmon’s character was well developed throughout the book. His journal provides insight to his thoughts as he struggles with his feelings of guilt despite not thinking he did anything wrong. He shares his reaction to emotional experiences such as seeing his father cry, wishing he could talk to his brother, feeling as if he wanted to die at the thought of being sentenced to life in prison. The dialogue feels real, scattered with silent contemplative actions of the characters as well as appropriate diction and street language used by the people testifying.
Harmon goes back and forth between feeling innocent and feeling guilty, giving the plot an underlying question of how much, or if, Harmon was involved in the crime. The photographs throughout the book gave the reader snapshots of Harmon’s movements, but Myers makes it unclear if they are how Harmon wants his movie to look or pictures of how things played out during the crime in Harmon’s mind. Throughout the book Myers gives us glimpses of testimony as well as Harmon’s inner thoughts about the crime, always leaving the reader to wonder what and if Harmon had anything to do with the drug store crime. Harmon must struggle with how he sees himself versus how everyone else sees him, and what it truly means to be guilty.
The jail scenes felt just as crowded and dangerous in my mind as Myers depicted them in the book, which led to the feelings of fear and anxiety surely felt by Harmon. The camera shots and stage directions from Harmon’s movie perspective helps the reader see what he sees during the trial, from the worried face of his mother to the jurors trying not to make eye contact, from the smirks of the prosecutor to the half-asleep courtroom guard.
Monster could spark discussion about the varying levels of guilt as well as a guilty conscience. Especially with influential young teenagers, this book would be a good example of how even being associated with the wrong people could lead to extreme consequences. There is so much gang and violent activity in society today that tying this book in with real-life stories of at-risk and troubled youth could be beneficial in more ways than just another literary perspective.
Synopsis of Monster: Walter Dean Myers
Synopsis:
Monster. ISBN 0-06-440731-4. Walter Dean Myers.1999. National Book Award Finalist. Ages 13-17. African American.
Steve Harmon, a 16-year-old black man, is on trial for felony murder for allegedly being the lookout in the robbery of a drug store turned shooting of the owner, Mr. Nesbitt. The book goes back and forth between Harmon writing in his journal while in jail, to the court and jail scenes depicted by Harmon in the movie script he is writing of the trial. In the end Harmon is found not guilty but the author, Walter Dean Myers, leaves the reader to contemplate whether or not Harmon is truly involved. An emotional journey for both Harmon and his family, Monster is a realistic portrayal inside the mind of a young man mixed up in a terrible situation.
Monster could be used in a social studies or government class as a realistic study of the court/judicial system. It could also be used to stimulate discussion about law, whether certain consequences fit the crime, and the inner-workings of local jail/detention facilities.
Monster. ISBN 0-06-440731-4. Walter Dean Myers.1999. National Book Award Finalist. Ages 13-17. African American.
Steve Harmon, a 16-year-old black man, is on trial for felony murder for allegedly being the lookout in the robbery of a drug store turned shooting of the owner, Mr. Nesbitt. The book goes back and forth between Harmon writing in his journal while in jail, to the court and jail scenes depicted by Harmon in the movie script he is writing of the trial. In the end Harmon is found not guilty but the author, Walter Dean Myers, leaves the reader to contemplate whether or not Harmon is truly involved. An emotional journey for both Harmon and his family, Monster is a realistic portrayal inside the mind of a young man mixed up in a terrible situation.
Monster could be used in a social studies or government class as a realistic study of the court/judicial system. It could also be used to stimulate discussion about law, whether certain consequences fit the crime, and the inner-workings of local jail/detention facilities.
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