Finding Hope - Colleen Nelson

Nelson, Colleen. Finding Hope. Canada: Dundern, 2016.

 

Sometimes a book will just break my heart, perhaps mend it, and break it again.  Finding Hope is one such title.  Nelson tells, in alternating voices, the stories of Hope and her brother Eric.  These stories are difficult ones. Hope is off to boarding school. Such a move is not her choice, but her mother is driven to get her out of the small town in which they live, so that she does not suffer the same fate as her brother.  Eric is addicted to meth; because of tough love, he is homeless and helpless, were it not for the money and supplies that Hope sneaks to him when her father is not around.  Boarding school does not work out so well for Hope.  She becomes the victim of mean girls and bullying.  Eric’s life becomes uglier and uglier as secret causes for his behavior are revealed. Together, will they have the strength to overcome the horror of the worlds around them.

This book is not an easy one to read.  The gritty reality took my breath away.  And what seemed too difficult for me to believe is sadly the likely reality for too many young people in our schools and our neighborhoods.  I’d like to say the events are unbelievable.  I’d like to say Nelson tackles too many big issues in one book. I’d like to say our kids should be protected from the story of Hope and Eric.  What I must say is that Nelson creates genuine characters, fully realized, flaws, strengths and all. The conflicts are powerful and fully fleshed out. When I wanted to say, “Too much,” I said, “of course; oh no!”

My older students need to read this book.  They need to understand the paths down which they can walk, ones nearly impossible to reverse. This title is instructive without being didactic and contains the kind of honesty to which many of my kids are drawn.  Honestly, though, I still would not be comfortable with my tweens taking this one on.  Certainly some of their lives can also be reflected in these pages. Others are still largely innocent, and I feel duty bound to protect that innocence even for just a bit longer. While this novel will not likely be in my library, it will certainly be in my arsenal, for the kids who need to see the other side of the dark, to see that they can, in fact, find hope.

Speed Dating!

So I was teaching AP Literature in a classroom one day, and the desks were set up in such a way that my students and I were reminded of speed dating.  We discussed, somewhat in jest, the idea of speed dating poetry. (I do still intend to develop that idea.) When I got back to my library, I met with the 10th grade teacher about book talks I had planned. We were doing banned and challenged books for most of the sections, but wanted something a bit more intriguing for the academic students who are reluctant readers.  Speed dating was at the forefront of my brain, so we decided to pursue a speed dating activity to introduce these readers to some high interest and lower level books that are often overlooked. Without much time to plan I took my “fresh” and “original” idea to the internet looking for forms that I didn’t think really existed. To my surprise (not really) speed dating ideas abounded.  For the tenth grade I used a version of the form found on Pinterest.

I had enough success with these tenth graders that I decided to pursue a speed dating activity with the entire 7th grade.  For February, I thought it would be a unique twist on my monthly book talks. Fortunately I have an amazing ELA teacher there, who is willing to go out on a limb with me.  I used many ideas found from Mrs. Reader Pants, and am grateful for this very thorough description.

We had a total of eight stations:  Who’s Who (biography); Who Knew (science/nonfiction); And the Winner Is…(Newbery titles); Magic (subject: magic); People Who Make a Difference (inspiration and self help); It’s a Mystery (mystery); Double Dates (fiction and nonfiction pairings on the same subject); and Online Dating (E book collection).  My creative aide made signs for each of these tables that sparkled! I introduced our ideas quickly with the help of a hearty powerpoint slide. We moved the students in groups of 2 - 4 at about every 5 minutes. I encouraged them to study the covers, read the book descriptions, and look at the first several pages before evaluating the books on a sheet that looked like this. We allowed about 7 or so minutes in the end for some hot chocolate (thanks to my ELA friend for arranging that!) and candy.  We used this time to circulate and talk about the books they liked and didn’t like.

I have to say we were pleased with this activity at every academic level.  We didn’t worry much about being quiet. (In fact, I played a Harry Connick, Jr. Pandora station while they “dated.” We called it the “music of love.”) The kids were just really talking about the books.  “I read this one and loved it.” “Look at this cover.” “I think ____ should read this one.” “I don’t like a single book at this table.” I will definitely do this again, and will actively seek out more alternatives to the traditional book talk that allow these middle schoolers to be active and engaged.

 

My Name is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout

Strout, Elizabeth. My Name is Lucy Barton. New York: Random House, 2016.

 

I want to be more elegant to review this title.  Yesterday and unexpected snow day allowed me the privilege of reading an adult book that I have been eager to get at since it arrived at my public library. I read it quickly, and to review it more elegantly and intellectually, I would need to read it again. I am not anticipating another snow day, so I am just going to talk about what I loved.

I love that Strout returned to the short story style that I loved so much in Olive Kitteredge.  She masterfully weaves together a series of stories that could potentially stand individually to create a beautiful novel. I love the glimpses into the lives of the folks from Lucy’s hometown, told primarily through the lense of her mother, perhaps a fractured lense. And through these individual stories, Strout explores what is universal in our experiences.

I love that Strout frames the novel from the point of view of a novelist.  The pieces with the published novelist workshopping Lucy Barton’s work are intriguing.  I love that she helps Lucy to envision that which she cannot quite see on her own in terms of her life and her writing.  But I also feel a little like Strout is instructing me...here is what you might take away from THIS part of the novel.  I felt more of a nudge than a slap, and on a snow day the nudge was lovely.

I love the slow burn to the reveal of Lucy Barton’s childhood. The hints and suggestions that work together much like the stories mentioned earlier. And then...and then...in the ends, I was still left just a little uncomfortable wondering just exactly what happened to Lucy Barton as she grew up in her dysfunctional home - one that didn’t break her.  Her gratitude at having her mother by her side in the hospital is real as is her grief when her mother leaves.  Her mother is not bowed by Lucy’s adult self.  She maintains her attitude throughout (oh how she reminds me of Olive).

I love that I could read this novel in an afternoon, but that I want to read it again this summer and savor it word by word, story by story, and chapter by chapter. I hope to mine some short story gold for my AP Literature class.

I wish I could elevate my writing in this review to the level of Strout’s in My Name is Lucy Barton. I'd love to pull out all of my AP Literature chops and formally analyze the novel like a champ. Hopefully, my love of the title will stand on its  own for now. Read the book.

 

A Farewell to Arms (I have the BEST job)

So...after 30 years of teaching English, many of them in Advanced Placement, and 8 years of librarianship and book talking, I have finally completed a Hemingway - beyond The Old Man and the Sea (which I read because it was part of the curriculum I was teaching). I am not entirely sure where my slight aversion to Hemingway originated.  Each year I teach “A Clean Well Lighted Place” in AP Lit.  And I kind of like it.  But I always talk about how I haven’t read his novels.  Somewhere along the line, I became upset over his portrayal of women.  After I read  The Paris Wife, I became a bit more intrigued with Hemingway the author.  McLain does such a lovely job of illustrating ho Hemingway struggled to make each word in his work the perfect one. I recognized the preciseness of the language in the short story. Further, I have been making an effort at book talking more classic authors. My assistant principal was a “guest talker” and took over the Hemingway slide for me in the fall, and I felt duty bound to have one read before a banned and censored book talk presentation.  

Any way - A Farewell to Arms it was. I may have picked the title because it looked the shortest, and I had about 24 hours to knock it out.  I may have read it a bit too quickly.  But, most definitely, I surprised myself with how much I liked the novel.  I am in awe of Hemingway’s command of the language.  His sentences while precise and spare are surprisingly poetic. His characters, while I didn’t necessarily like them, engaged me with their frank honesty and real brokenness. Honestly, I didn’t just love his portrayal of Catherine, but that’s OK, I was drawn to her nonetheless. I don’t think I need to actually review the book here.  Those reviews, by much more talented critics than I, are all over the internet.  I’m just reporting that I read the book.  

True story.  One of our tenth grade boys had also chosen Farewell to Arms after my first book.  Largely on the recommendation of the principal.  He was so pleased that I, too, had read the book.  “That ending,” he said, “I didn’t expect it. I couldn’t believe it; wasn’t that something?”  That, my friends, was something.  I read Hemingway and had a moment with a tenth grade as a result.  I have the BEST job.

 

Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon

Yoon, Nicola. Everything, Everything. New York, Delacorte, 2015.

Good heavens! I don’t know which hat to put on to review this book.  I know that I certainly should be wearing my librarian glasses and talking that way. So for young adult librarians; your readers are going to love this book. Madeline Whittier has an unbelievable life. An immune disease has her living her young life in a bubble.  She lives in an air controlled home.  Her company is limited to her mom and her nurse Carla. Most of her living consists of reading and what she can see through her window. And then...she sees Ollie in her window. Forever her life is different.  Through electronic media, and the view through the window, Ollie and Maddy fall in love, causing them to dare fate and be together whatever the cost.  My romantic girls will LOVE this story.  Yoon creates the kind of relationship that dreams are made of.  She explores the lives of one ill and one abused teen and creates a beautiful new reality for them.   And certainly, I can encourage the read.  Maddy and Ollie come of age. They become brave, take chances, and defy the world around them.

Which (here comes a different hat…) was what also drove this grown woman and mother crazy! At some level, I’ll want to say, “Here, read this beautiful love story, but don’t ever, ever defy your parents in such a dangerous way!”  I’m not sure the ending made the middle OK for me. I understand the idea of young adult literature, and that for the most part I need to remove my parent lense, and I don’t know why this one was so rough for me, but it was, indeed.

So...great fiction.  Really neat characters - fully developed.  They are intellectual and tough.  The approach the world (kind of) with thoughtfulness, and don’t take beautiful days or moments lightly.  The ending is the kind of happy that my endless stream of Hallmark movies provides for me. The illustrations by David Yoon are such a cool touch.  I love how they accentuate the development of Madeline’s personality.  This mixed media of text and art is so appealing to my readers today.  Like with Challenger Deep, I love how the two work together to tell the story. Ultimately, is will suspend my disbelief, take a deep breath, and offer this book to my girls.  Certainly I will promise them a great story; likely I will encourage them to listen carefully to their parents. I don’t think I will be able to help myself.   The good news is that they will laugh at me and read a great new book!