Eyes of the Emperor

An Analysis of the 6^th Grade Level Reading in Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury

When I found this book, I felt that young people should be aware of the issue of racism in America during times of war. While most young people would assume that we live in a “melting pot”, the racism experienced by Japanese-Americans through interment camps is an important commentary about American life in WWII. Author Graham Salisbury writes this book for young people as teenagers, but it can easily be read by 11-12 years old at the 6^th grade level. With many of the students in my classroom on the cusp of teenage life, the experiences of Eddy Okana provide insight into multicultural teenagers behavior. Okana is boy that wants to join the army and serve his country, but he learns he cannot be trusted by the military in combat.  I was amazed to learn that when joins the 100th Infantry Battalion, the Army uses him as a decoy to train dogs to attack Japanese soldiers. However, after reading of some of the brutal training missions in which Okana and his friends are chased by dogs, I felt that this would be too much for an 11-12 year old. I felt that some of the students would be frightened at the intensity of the military episodes involving blatant racism towards Japanese-Americans. While Salisbury writes this story within the parameters of a 11-12 year old reading level, the content is just too strong for my particular classroom environment.



Night Rider.......

Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte

After reading this book, I felt somewhat irritated with the sensationalized violence that is being depicted in sporting culture in America. Of course, many athletes go to parties and can, occasionally, have non-committal sex with girls that may be fans of football, but Lipsyte goes too far in parts of the book. When “Co-Captain” Ramp sexually assaults another Chris after football practice with a baseball bat via anal intercourse, I realized that this was an extremely rare and heinous way to get the reader’s attention. I have read stories of violent incidents before, during, and after sporting events, but this was simply outrageous. In some ways, it promotes a crude myth of extracurricular violence in sporting culture, which is certainly not a common occurrence in high school life. Therefore, I would never use this book in class because it does not teach “literature” as life, as it propagandizes an artificially fear-based and sensational form of entertainment for the young adult reader. While I would not want dismiss the homosexual overtones of this story, I do not feel it teaches students to respect people from differing sexual backgrounds. In many ways, this book promotes an overly sensationalized view of “team” loyalty and it promotes a culture of unethical and immoral behavior as an acceptable paradigm in teenage high school social interaction. If my students read this book, I think they would respond negatively to the secrecy of the team after the sexual assault. More so, I don’t think any of them would really believe the story because of the blatant dramatization of violence and sexual assault in sporting culture.  

 

My Rotten Life.............

Lubar, David. My Rotten Life: Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie

     I really liked this fun book about the young zombie, Nathan Abercrombie. While I was initially against using a book about the “walking dead” in my classroom, I felt that Lubar’s plot inspires young people to not be zombies in real life. While Nathan has almost superhuman abilities by being able to outrun other students and play video games all night long, he truly desires to return to be a living human being. More so, Lubar takes the “misfit” of the school and gives him these extraordinary powers to empower himself and excel. I really enjoyed Nathan as a role model for my students because he truly wants to live again, but he uses his new powers to learn self-esteem and that he is human being of value—even though he is different. However, I didn’t like the character Abigail for trying to get Nathan to visit her uncle Hurt-Be-Gone as a solution to make him feel better about being a social misfit. I don’t think that would be a good example at all for students in the classroom…it would encourage emotional escapism. But for the most part, Lubar gives Charlie these powers to help him realize that it is much better to be human and to feel, than it is to not feel and have these supernatural powers to impress the popular kids. Lubar really does show the importance of learning self-esteem and being happy with oneself even though young people, such as Nathan, do not fit into school clicks or are not accepted.

Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan

For the most part, I really liked the comic book art done by John Rocco and other artists with a digital-painting style. Again, I am a big fan of the use of spatial imagery and text to help students connect words with pictures. With the help of the artists that imagined this illustration in the book, the student can also begin to see words as images in which to bring a story alive in their minds. Since words are abstraction of actual events, the graphic novel format can be very useful in the classroom. I liked Riordan’s main character, Percy Jackson, because he is a demigod/hero persona that enjoys reading. Through his textbooks, Percy imagines himself as a son of Zeus, which sets a plot structure in which reading becomes the crux of his adventures. More so, his reading skills promote a positive role model for learning. In the classroom, the graphic novel format not only allows students to better visual Percy and his adventures, the entire book is based on this theme. I found this aspect of Riordan’s characterization and plot structure extremely clever for students needing inspiration to read. I feel that this book entices the imagination and it provides a positive role model for students integrate visual imagery in the text that accompanies each image. I feel the students would love to read this book because of the mythic heroism that Riordan inspires through the premise of reading.

 

Dust-bowl-era

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

 

I really enjoyed this novel as a means in which young students can understand the grim history of the Dust Bowl era during the Great Depression. While many written histories discuss the suffering of farmers that had lost their crops in the Great Depression, Billie Jo brings a young adult perspective to suffering and poverty in the Dust Bowl. Also, Hesse’s use of a free verse provides an effective way in which a young adult could communicate in a diary format. In the classroom, the stanza form simplifies the dark emotions that are represented in Billie Jo’s own education and through her mother’s discipline: I do as she says. I go to school,/ and in the afternoons I come home,…and all the while I glare at Ma’s back with a scowl/foul as maggoty stew (Hesse, 1997, p.29). This type  free style verse made an impact on me because of the honesty and clarity of Billie Jo’s writing. More so, it does not hide emotions that many young people feel, especially in having to do their homework. Personally, I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of young girls struggles, which I feel that some of the students can learn the historical and personal realities of life in the Dust Bowl. More profoundly, Billie Jo’s tragic loss of her mother and father can also teach young people resilience and self-reliance. I liked this book and I would highly recommend this book to be used in classrooms for young adult readers.

 

Storm......breaker

Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel by Anthony Horowitz

I feel that the Stormbreaker graphic novel is an excellent way to spatially influence young people to read complex plot structures. Alex Rider’s role as a “superspy” is one example of complex storyline that reveals illustrated action, scene segments, and multiple plot development in a compartmentalized manner. I also enjoyed the mange art, which captures much of the action that as young adult reader might miss if they read Horowitz's text-only original novel version. I feel that this book could definitely be used in class, but only within certain parameters of reading instruction. I disliked the character of Alex Rider because he presents unrealistic expectations of young adults in reality. This was a “turn off” to me because Alex is really behaving like an adult through the lens of a young adult perception of the world. To be able to accomplish heroic feats of physical strength and to also have an extremely high IQ at this age level is unrealistic (Horowitz, 2006, p.15). In some ways, I think it will make the students become awe inspired at Rider’s abilities or it will discourage them to learn in the classroom. However, I felt that Horowitz can challenge students to grasp multiple plots in the spy novel format.  Overall, I felt that that this book would be excellent for bridging spatial and text-based reading skills in the classroom, but not as a strong example of realistic characterization for teaching young adults literature.

 

The Dear One

The Dear One and From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson

I felt a sense of pity for the main character, Melanin Sun, in the Notebooks of Melanin Sun because of the gender confusion he experienced in his mother’s lesbian relationship. When Melanin becomes angry and confused about his mother’s sexual identity, it reveals the secrecy and taboo that affects him because of homophobia in American society. In one example, Sean, an enemy of Melanin, yells: “You mother’s a dyke” in front of crowd when he is with his mother (Woodson, 1995, p.106). A feeling of vulnerability and despair ripped though me as Melanin and his mother were humiliated in this part of the novel. I think this type of gender challenge is crucial for student to read in the classroom. They need to know that stereotypes about a person’s sexuality do not make them “different” and that lesbians are, in fact, human beings too. Woodson’s The Dear One also gave me a feeling of pity and compassion for a pregnant teenager having to live with a family in a middle class suburban neighborhood. Rebecca is a city girl that has a very poor education and she has become accidentally impregnated. This book can be extremely helpful to the class by understanding how suburban girls, such as Feni, must come to understand poverty, ignorance, and class status that cloud her stereotypes about urban life. I enjoyed this book because Woodson has a impressive ability to communicate issues of sexuality that teach diversity and tolerance towards young women from differing backgrounds.