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

LS5603: Fantasy 3—“The Arrival" By Shaun Tan

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2006. ISBN 978-0-439-89529-3

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
This wordless graphic novel follows an immigrant traveling from one fantastical land to another (albeit one that seems less dangerous). He arrives alone, leaving his family in his country. He searches for work and meets people that help him in his new life.

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

            Although people say that a picture is worth a thousand words, it can be difficult to establish a character’s personality or explain their motives with no words at all, especially in a way that moves a story along, but this poses no problem to Shaun Tan, who introduces characters with personality and clear actions throughout the book, many complete with backstory.

            The setting is very fantastical, with otherworldly creatures and sights. All the writing is in a script that is not an alphabet on Earth, which neither the main character nor the reader can read, which helps immerse the reader in how the character feels. The whole book is done in either sepia tone or black and white (for flashbacks) which makes it feel like one is going through an old photo album.  

4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

·         From School Library Journal: "  Young readers will be fascinated by the strange new world the artist creates, complete with floating elevators and unusual creatures, but may not realize the depth of meaning or understand what the man's journey symbolizes. More sophisticated readers, however, will grasp the sense of strangeness and find themselves participating in the man's experiences. They will linger over the details in the beautiful sepia pictures and will likely pick up the book to pore over it again and again."

·         From Booklist: " Soft brushstrokes and grand Art Deco–style architecture evoke a time long ago, but the story's immediacy and fantasy elements will appeal even to readers younger than the target audience, though they may miss many of the complexities. Filled with subtlety and grandeur, the book is a unique work that not only fulfills but also expands the potential of its form."

5.     CONNECTIONS

Other graphic novels by Shaun Tan:

Tales From Outer Suburbia ISBN 978-0545055871

Rules of Summer ISBN 978-0545639125

Lost and Found ISBN 978-0545229241

Other graphic novels that are somewhat fantastical in nature and are not what one would expect

Flight, volumes 1-8, (various artists and authors--anthology) volume 1 ISBN: 978-0345496362

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes edited by Kazu Kibuishi (anthology) ISBN 978-1419700095

The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen ISBN 978-1595827982

  

Activity: 24 Hour Comic Book Day

Once a year, the comic community holds a “24 hour comic book day,” a challenge similar to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). NaNoWriMo is a challenge to write a novel in a month; 24 Hour Comic Book Day is a challenge to write a 24 page comic in 24 hours. Many comic book stores sponsor the day and a place for artists and writers to stay for 24 hours while they work on creations. While this might not be feasible for a school or library, a similar challenge can be put out to groups of students; to create their own comic. Comics like The Arrival or the short story comics of Flight are great introductions for students to show that there are more varieties of comics than just Batman and Calvin and Hobbes  and can encourage new ideas. The official page for 24 Hour Comic Book Day is http://www.24hourcomicsday.com/

LS5603: Fantasy 2—“The Scorpio Races" By Maggie Stiefvater

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2013. ISBN 978-0545224918

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
            On the island of Thisby, once a year, there is a race with capaill uisce, carnivorous water horses, a deadly race where all compete for the esteem and prize of winning. There are two main characters—Sean, a young man who owns nothing but has a gift with the water horses and has won three races prior to this one, and Puck Connolly, a girl who has never even watched the races but enters to keep her family together. The story follows their lives over the month of November, when capaill uisce are taken from the sea and trained for the race, and how the water horses profoundly affect the path both their lives are on.

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

            The characters are somewhat uninspired but they have distinct personalities. Puck, like many girls in YA fiction, is deeply stubborn, gets angry and defensive about things she’s passionate about (like her family when under fire), is pretty—but not in a way that most people notice, and not particularly to herself--, has a connection with horses, and garners the main male protagonists attention through no real effort on her part. She also has a problem with authority figures, which is basically a trope in YA fiction. There is nothing wrong with any of these personality traits, other than they make Puck interchangeable with so many other YA heroines. On the bright side, she will no doubt be someone teen girls can empathize with. Sean is talk, dark, brooding, and handsome, and does everything a male counterpart should do. He is deeply mysterious, and loves horses. His world revolves around horses.

            The plot is straightforward—horses need to be trained, and there are difficulties. Problems in Puck’s family intensifies the situation. As long as one doesn’t think too much about what is going on, like why don’t people have better fences after hundreds of years of capaill uisce attacks during two months of the year, especially when they kill off people in the night, is a question left unanswered. It really seems like Thisby needs more engineers and not horse riders. It is, I suppose, a nice enough story, and a light read. While the danger aspect is kept up throughout the entire book and makes for an intense read, there aren’t any deep prevailing themes that will make the reader think once the book is put down. Not that all books need to be thinking books, but this book has been set next to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I expected a little more substance, when in reality it seems closer to Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. A romance with horses.

            This fantastical book will certainly appeal to those who love animals, particularly horses. It seems to skew towards a female demographic for readers, though male readers would also enjoy the danger and the thoughts of stoic Sean. It seems like a slightly more grown-up horse book compared to the ones meant for children. If horses do not hold that mystical sway over the reader to begin with that they seem to for so many girls, it might not be the best read.

It was well-written, and Stiefvater does an excellent job of world-building for the water-horse mythos, something that is not common enough for readers to understand without a lot of exposition, yet she does it in a way that feels effortless and is engaging to the reader.
4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

·         From School Library Journal: "Upon the sea-battered and wind-swept isle of Thisby, fall brings the famed and feared capaill uisce, or water horses, and with them, death . . . The author takes great liberties with the Celtic myth, but the result is marvelous.."

·         From Booklist: "A book with cross-appeal to lovers of fantasy, horse stories, romance, and action-adventure, this seems to have a shot at being a YA blockbuster."

5.     CONNECTIONS

Other books by Maggie Stiefvater

• The Raven Cycle
• The Raven Boys
• The Shiver Trilogy
• The Gathering of Faerie series

LS5603: Fantasy 1—“The Graveyard Book" By Neil Gaiman

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-053092-1

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
In the darkness of the night, the assassin Jack comes to put an untimely end to a family. Despite his careful planning, one of the family, a boy barely old enough to be a toddler, escapes the murderer's clutches and finds himself in a graveyard. Like all graveyards, it's full of dead people and their ghosts. However, these ghosts do something very unusual; after finding out what happened to the boy's family, they decide to raise him in the graveyard. As the boy grows, the only living one among his family of dead people, he gains supernatural powers to help him deal with the dangers of the graveyard and the inevitable return of Jack. 

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Graveyard Book's characters are memorable by their very nature of being so different. The book spans about 12 years, and many characters come and go, but even the minor characters have distinct personalities, often given by the time period they died in. Many of the characters speak with different accents according to the time they died, which helps distinguish the many ghosts the main character interacts with. Bod, the main character, seems to be a very different main character, almost otherwordly because of his upbringing, but teens will empathize with his feelings of loneliness and not belonging.
Unlike many traditional fantasy books where the call is obvious and the quest spelled out, Gaiman's book meanders down the plot. It reminds me of the movie Spirited Away by Miyazaki; the journey is one that all people take through coming of age, not by an actual quest. It might seem slow at first to a reader, but it moves faster as Bod starts growing older.
The setting, like Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson series, is on our own world, if our world had magic in it. The theme of family is strong throughout the book, and the struggles of growing up are universal. This book may seem a little daunting for younger readers, as Gaiman is not afraid of using bigger words when appropriate. 

4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• Newbery Medal winner
• Carnegie Medal winner
• Hugo Award winner for Best Novel
• From School Library Journal: "Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family."
• From Booklist: "This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages. Grades 6-10."

5.     CONNECTIONS
Other children and YA books by Neil Gaiman:

• The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel: Vol. 1 ISBN 978-0062194817
• Coraline ISBN 978-0380807345
• M is for Magic ISBN 978-0061186479
• Stardust ISBN 978-0061689246
• Fortunately Milk ISBN 978-0062224088
• Please note that Neil Gaiman also does a great deal of novels meant for adults and is possibly most famous for his graphic novel series, Sandman. While an excellent series, plese don't assume that just because it's a graphic novel it is appropriate for children. Sandman is meant for mature readers and while I do not discourage teens from reading it, please be aware it was not meant for teens and has a corresponding amount of adult material in it.