LS5623: The Fire Wish by Amber Lough

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lough, Amber. The Fire Wish. New York: Random House, 2014. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Zayele, a young Middle Eastern woman, is forced into a betrothal with the prince of Baghdad by her uncle, the vizier. On her way to Baghdad, she encounters a jinni and forces the jinni to grant her wish. Najwa, the jinni, has trained her whole life to be a spy and to spy on humans. But Zayele’s wish ends up revealing secrets in both their pasts that changes everything.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

Even in a fantastical setting, The Fire Wish comes with a great deal of diversity and insight into a culture that most Americans don’t know; that of the Middle East. Most fantasy novels take place in a very Western culture: there are kings, knights, and dozens of other words we as Americans are familiar with from both history and fantasy books. The king is called a caliph, the genies are jinni. Small details also color this story with authenticity, like the clothes. Zayele wears a hajib and her clothing is carefully modest—very unlike the popular Disney movie Aladdin (often one of the few pieces of media a young adult in America would have seen that takes place in the Middle East with a fantastical setting). The details are not so different that they make the book difficult to read, but there are enough that it feels like a new culture that the reader gets to explore.

The characters are also unusual; both main protagonists are female, not something that people would assume when being told they were reading a fantastical Middle Eastern story. Even very minor characters, such as the characters’ respective mothers, have distinct personalities. The only criticism that could be given would be that only the two main characters show much dynamic change—all other characters are static in their personality.

The theme is probably where the book shines the most, and it is not terribly subtle about it. The jinni and the humans have been at war for over a decade, and each has a very specific stereotype of evil of the other. As both Zayele and Najwa interact with their opposite race, they come to discover that everyone they meet is very much like them and the people they know—there are some good people, some bad people, and generally just people that wish to live their life. The parallel to a reader’s own life is obvious; perhaps not all Middle Eastern people are terrorists, and perhaps most people that live there simply wish to live their lives and enjoy time with the people they love.

Stylistically, The Fire Wish is not a difficult book to read. It is written in a first person point-of-view style, switching between Zaeyel and Najwa. Other than the occasional Arabic word, the vocabulary should not be too difficult for a teenager, and the syntax is also within reach of a normal teenager. This would be a good book for a younger teenager, though older teenagers would enjoy the plot just as much.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

In The Fire Wish, the jinni get their power from their “wishpower.” The wishes should be simple (the more complicated, the bigger chance they have to go wrong), and they can’t be things like “world peace.” Have each student come up with an answer to the following question: If you could have one wish granted by a powerful jinni, what would you wish for? When they share their wish, have the other students see if they can figure out ways that the wish could go awry.

Another activity, though a little more in-depth, could be done about the culture. Girls and boys are not allowed to mingle on their own in the book (part of the culture). Separate the class so that each gender is on a different side of the room. There are a lot of other parts of this culture you could bring in. Trying on hajibs, working within their modesty rules, but these might need to be done on a culturally aware level and not done offensively.

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

You can buy signed copies of The Fire Wish from http://amberlough.squarespace.com/new-products/the-fire-wish-hardcover-copy . This is especially useful for book clubs, classrooms, or libraries for a drawing.

Amber Lough, the author, is also active on several social media sites including Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. She also attends regular conferences. These can be found at http://amberlough.squarespace.com/new-page/

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Kirkus. The Fire Wish: Kirkus Review. Kirkus Reviews. 2014.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/amber-lough/the-fire-wish/

LS 5623: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. New York: MTV Books, 2014. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Charlie enters his sophomore year of high school in this coming-of-age story. Charlie is very emotionally sensitive and cries easily but has deep insights on the feelings of those around him. He meets Patrick and Sam who introduce him to a group of voluntary outcasts who bring him into their circle. It’s a very honest book and discusses topics like rape, masturbation, and homosexuality. It’s been on the top of the banned book list for years because of those topics, but it handles them with honesty and in a plain manner.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

Perks of Being a Wallflower is a very honest novel. The reader feels the heartbreak that pervades adolescence. Even though Charlie is not a typical teenager, readers will relate to his struggles from dealing with crushes to the awkward missteps in social niceties and conversation.

Like Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, this book is also written more informally and done almost conversationally. It’s written as casual letters to a “friend”, and his writing noticeably improves as Charlie practices his writing. He often talks directly to the reader and asks questions to them, involving them in the writing.

The characters all have distinct personalities, making them all easy to remember despite the numerous side characters in the story.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Writing Activity: have the students write a letter to a nameless friend asking advice in something they are having trouble with in their own life.

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the movie.

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Review: Perks of Being a Wallflower. Kirkus Reviews. 1999. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stephen-chbosky/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/

Award-winning YA Lit: Confessions: A Novel by Kanae Minato

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Minato, Kanae, and Stephen Snyder. Confessions: A Novel. New York: Mulholland, 2014. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Yūko Moriguchi, a middle-school teacher in Japan, is devastated after her four-year-old daughter is found dead on the campus she works at. She investigates the death herself, and realizes that it wasn’t an accident—it was murder, and her own pupils are to blame. It’s now the last day of school, and Moriguchi has one final lesson to give, and that lesson sets a devastating plot into motion.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

Confessions is a high-intensity book that is best read with little or no information about the plot so that it can be more fully enjoyed as the twists and turns happen. That being said, it is hard to critically analyze it without giving any of the plot away, so there will be minor spoilers in the following section, but I will endeavor to keep them as minimal as possible while still analyzing the book.

The book follows six different narrators, all with their own distinct voice. What makes these characters so interesting though is their moral ambiguity. Unlike most books, even the protagonist (Moriguchi) makes decisions that, while obviously seem justified to the character, are not the sort of decisions most readers would be able to condone. It becomes an intense adventure as the reader attempts to unravel the plot without the guide of a character’s moral compass.

This book was originally written in Japanese, and the cultural differences between Japan and America will be noticeable, especially the interactions between students and perhaps the way some family members interact with each other. However, the cultural differences only add to the flavor of the book, giving it a more authentic feel to its Japanese setting.

Also, while this won the 2014 Alex Award as an adult book that would have special interest to young adults, because of the moral ambiguity of the characters, it might be more recommended for older teens.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

I have two activities related to Confessions, though both are discussions.

Discussion 1: Was Yūko Moriguchi justified with what she did? Did any of the main characters have justifiable reasons for their actions?

This sort of discussion should have some research done by the students beforehand. This would also be an ideal time to discuss some basic philosophies (such as tabula rasa) that students could use as part of their argument for whether or not Moriguchi was justified.

(As a side note, in my senior year of high school English, we had a similar discussion about Medea and whether or not she was justified in her actions in Medea by Euripides. We had to have at least three points to offer on both sides, preferably at least one on each side with philosophical backup. It was one of the best discussions I have ever had about a book; everyone was able to discuss morality without feeling personally attacked or invested.)

Discussion 2: Compare/contrast Yūko Moriguchi with other characters from revenge stories. Whether in classic literature (Edmund Dantes in The Count of Monte Christo to Hamlet in Hamlet) or popular culture (The Bride in Kill Bill to Wesley from Princess Bride), revenge is a popular subject. Can a character enact revenge and still be considered a good person? A moral person? How does the choice for revenge change their lives?

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

Other revenge movies:

·         Memento

·         Kill Bill

·         True Grit

·         Oldboy

·         Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

·         Carrie

·         The Prestige

·         Memento

·         Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

·         A good portion of the horror genre (Shutter, The Last House on the Left)

Confessions was actually made into a movie, directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, that could also be watched.

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Minato, Kanae, and Stephen Snyder. Confessions: A Novel. New York: Mulholland, 2014. Print.

LS5623: Classic YA Lit: Catcher in the Rye

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Salinger, J.D. Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown, 1945. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old student, is kicked out of his most recent prep school. Not wanting to wait around the prep school for the next four days with his fellow classmates, all of whom he feels are “phonies,” he heads to New York City to spend three days alone as an adult before facing his disappointed parents.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

Catcher in the Rye is a book written from a unique point of view. Not only is it done in a conversational first-person narrative, but Holden talks very casually, often using slang and profanity when describing a situation or person. His fresh perspective helps teenagers find themselves in his depressed optimism in life and rebellious nature towards authority, parents, and society.

This is a book that often faces censorship or outright banishment from schools and libraries across the country for its profanity and dealings with sexual encounters. People who feel the need to police such things from their teenagers’ reading might be offended. Even though this is considered a YA book, I would not recommend it for tweens because of its mature material.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Catcher in the Rye is a book meant to be read by upper level high school students, so this creativity is merely a writing prompt (unlike younger children, who often have crafts and activities that involve felt or construction paper).

J.D. Salinger writes the entire book from a first-person, conversational perspective. Using this unusual tactic makes it seem like Holden Caulfield is discussing with the reader his three days in New York after getting kicked out of school. Invite the students to do their own creative writing narrative. They should try to write about an event in that same first-person, conversational perspective. Although the event does not need to be their own (they can take a story that happened to a friend and pretend it happened to them) it’s encouraged that they take from their own life—Salinger was heavily inspired from his own life.

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

American Masters on PBS:
PBS did a broadcast about J.D. Salinger and created both a poster and an education guide for teachers to help discuss this controversial book. It includes a lot of information about Salinger himself and how his life influenced Catcher in the Rye and his other writings.

PBS, 2014. American Masters: J.D. Salinger. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/jd-salinger/educators-guide-and-poster/2852/ . accessed on June 9, 2015

If a Body Texts a Body: Texting in The Catcher in the Rye
This lesson plan discusses the role of technology in communication and uses The Catcher in the Rye and discuss points where Holden might have used texting or other technology, had he been in the modern age.

Filkins, Scott. If a Body Texts a Body: Texting in The Catcher in the Rye. ReadWriteThink. http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/body-texts-body-texting-1170.html

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Aiman, A. 2012. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger-review. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jun/21/review-salinger-catcher-rye