"There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt."
-Erma Bombeck
By Joshita Reza, Ryan Howlett, Dan Killenbec
Introduction:
Explanation--
At some point or another, every person experiences some sort of loss or tragedy. Whether it is losing a loved one or facing a natural disaster, everyone deals with loss in a different manner. But how does one deal with these turbulent emotions? Oftentimes, different literature, movies, and music, often allow people to face and cope with these tough times. It allows readers to view how other characters cope and deal with loss and how in the end, these characters got through it, and they will too. Because tragedy and loss can happen to anyone at anytime, we as a group focused on all age groups--early childhood to old age. We selected various texts that highlight how different characters dealt with their own respective losses and how these texts and characters can translate to readers of all ages. Although the complexity of our texts vary from a child to young adult, all of these texts can be read, analyzed, and appreciated by people of all ages:I am Malala: 15-18
Thirteen Reasons Why: 14-18
Lost and Found: Ages 10-15
"Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning": Ages 8-18
Bridge to Terabithia: Ages 10-14
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze: Ages 9-14
"My Immortal": Ages 9-18
Where the Red Fern Grows: 8-13
Robot Dreams: Ages 8-12
I Love You Forever: Ages 6-10
The Lion King: Ages 5-10
In order to show different perspectives and tones, we have chosen to do both fiction and nonfiction and we have also chosen a myriad of genres: books, poems, movies, and songs. Although loss and tragedy can encompass a myriad of things, we have chosen to focus primarily on: the death of a loved one, natural disaster, and loss of a friend for these are probably the most common forms of loss and tragedy. All of the texts, however, can be used to help anyone cope through any form of loss or tragedy. The following two links are also two other resources that adults can use to help a child/students cope with loss:
Rationale:
Since everyone faces some sort of tragedy or loss at some point in their life, we decided to include students and readers of all ages (5-18). However, with that being said, many (if not all) of our texts are accessible to readers older than 18 and many of our texts geared toward the younger audience, can also be used in a high school/middle school classroom (Robot Dreams, Lost & Found).
No one can account for when tragedy or loss is going to happen in one's life, so many of these texts help children and teenagers cope with loss when it does happen. It allows readers to see how the characters in the book made it though their tragedies (more or less) and that they themselves can make it through their loss. It also allows readers to connect to the text in a more personal way. We as educators, must remember that our students are not just these machines who are in our classrooms to consume information, but are humans that bring their personal lives into the classroom (hooks, 1994). We must remember that our students do have things going on outside of the classroom, and using texts that speak to these events will allow students to look at their lives critically as well as understand what is happening to them. Also "reading literature widely for personal purposes highlights choice and extensive reading for purposes that are significant to children's own lives" will help students critically engage with the text on a deeper level and allow students to create a life-long, positive relationship with reading (Lynch-Brown, 2011).
A lot of texts are also accessible to readers with varying levels. The term "struggling reader" can refer to "youth with clinically diagnosed reading disabilities as well as those who are unmotivated, in remediation, disenchanted, or generally unsuccessful in school literacy tasks"(Alvermann, 2001). Our wordless comic books can help ELL's and struggling readers engage with the text in a more critical manner. The songs we provided also can help reluctant readers to engage with the lyrics and deconstruct it in a manner that allows them to develop their literary skills. And as we mentioned earlier, accounting for a student's personal experience outside of the classroom can also help struggling and unmotivated readers to engage with the texts.
We also included several picture books, particularly aimed for a younger reader. It is important to make a child's first experience with a book to be enjoyable (Lynch-Brown, 2011). A negative experience could mean that "they may never learn to read or to enjoy reading". All of the texts we have selected also have gotten good reviews through sites like Amazon (click on title to be redirected) or Goodreads. By creating positive reading experiences (and helping students cope with loss and tragedy in a positive way), we as educators can hope to help our students gain a positive outlook on reading and life.
Book Blog Overview:
We selected our annotated bibliography so as to cover as many different genres and literary styles as possible. We selected picture books for young readers, a nonfiction text, a film, a poem, and a graphic novel. Though all of the books share a common theme in that they revolve around loss or tragedy, we tried to select texts that would lend themselves to more multimodal applications. To that end, we’ve attached links for several of the texts to either film clips, audio performances, interviews and even the melody for the song in I love you Forever. Many of our text choices have also garnered awards:
Honors and Awards:
I Love you Forever: Was named on of Teachers top 100 books by the National Education Association. On many all time bestselling children’s book lists.
I am Malala: Recently Malala won the Simone de Beauvoir Prize, the National Youth Peace prize, and the Sakharov Prize. She’s also been given honorary Canadian citizenship.
Bridge to Terabithia: Won the 1977 Newbury Award for the most distinguished contribution to literary fiction for children.
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze: Won the 2011 QWF Literary Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature and the 2011 Sid Fleischman Humor Award.
The Lion King: Won the 1995 Academy Award for original song and for original score.
Where the Red Ferns Grow: Won the 1981 North Dakota Children's Book Award.
Lost and Found: Won the Oscar for Best Animated Short film in 2010 for the adaptation of The Lost thing. Won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year, Honour book for The Lost Thing and The Red Tree.
13 Reasons Why: Was named a Borders Original Voices finalist. Named Barnes & Noble, Top 10 Best for Teens and a Chicago Public Library Best Books
1. Lost & Found by Shaun Tan
Tan, S. & Marsden, J. (2011). New York: Artur A. Levine.
Summary: Shaun Tan’s Lost and Found is a book with three stories in one. Each story in their own unique way deals with loss. In The Red Tree, the young girl protagonist is feeling depressed and down – like she’s lost something important, but can’t remember what it was. The story can be read as a metaphor for the loss of something tangible, or intangible like happiness or hope itself. Slowly though, the girl finds what she’s been missing and realizes that it may have been there all along. In The Lost Thing a boy finds a strange alien just standing in his town. Nobody else notices it or even cares about it. The boy realizes that the thing is lost and sets about trying to find out how to get it home. In The Rabbits, which was written by John Maraden, Shaun Tan illustrates a dark story of colonization. In the story rabbits – travellers from another place begin settling (and taking over) a country previously occupied by a peaceful ecologically minded culture.
Connection to overall theme: All three of these stories deal with loss in a different way, though the book as a whole has a very dark tone. In all three stories the central character(s) must deal with the prospect of living in an altered world. A world either altered by depression or gloom, by knowledge or displacement. Although in two of the stories, The Red Tree and The Lost Thing, there is a hopeful ending, in The Rabbits there is not. The sense of loss therefore is darker, more tragic, and ultimately sad.
Practical application: There are all sorts of things that can be done pedagogically with this book. First is the fact that the pictures tell a far deeper story than the words. Having students write their own stories to go with the illustrations might be a logical activity that can draw out a detailed summary of the stories, but also students’ own interpretation of the material. The stories could also be used to look for literary motifs that are used to create tone, mood, as well as poetic devices such as metaphor. Students may want also want to write their own story in the style of Shaun Tan, illustrating their own tales. The Rabbits would also be an excellent supplementary text for any unit or work being done on colonization. It might also be a companion text to New World narratives. This book would best be used with students in the age range of 10-15 as there are several images that might frighten younger readers.
Clip from the Academy Award winning short film of The Lost Thing
2. Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
Silberberg, A. (2010). Milo: Sticky notes and brain freeze. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Summary: Milo Cruikshank is a thirteen-year-old boy who just lost his mother. Since his mother’s death, nothing for Milo has gone right. The girl he likes (Summer Goodman) won’t look at him twice, while Hillary Alpert (his annoying neighbor) won’t him alone. Milo’s life was once filled with his mother’s love and music, but now it is being haunted by a thick and dense fog. Nothing is the same: not his dad, his sister, and definitely not Milo. Milo tries to navigate his new world with the help of his best friend Marshall, and even forms a newfound relationship with his sister and his father.
Connection to overall theme: This book deals with loss from the point of view of a thirteen-year-old boy who just lost a parent. While it follows his 7th grade year and how he copes with no longer having his mother around, it also tests the relationship with his father and sister, for his mother is no longer around to act as a buffer. Milo begins to live life despite the “fog” that his mother’s death created and finds new meaning and hope as he moves onto the 8th grade.
Practical application: This book would work really well for middle school aged children—especially those who have lost a parent or a parental figure. The symbolic “fog” that encroaches Milo’s life can help other students feel a personal connection with the book and allow them to see how Milo made it out okay, and how despite their loss, they will be okay too. The format of the book includes pictures and comics, which makes the text extremely accessible to all readers. Throughout the narrative, the book carries two different tones: somber and humorous. Students can compare and contrast these two different tones and how the author uses humor to deal with a tragic situation and vice versa.
3. "My Immortal" by Evanescence
Hodges, D., Lee, A., & Moody, B. (2002). My immortal. [Recorded by Amy Lee]. Californi: NRG Recording Studios. (2003).
Summary: Although many perceive this song to be about a relationship that has recently ended, it has been cited that the song's writer, Moody, was inspired to write this song after the death of his grandfather. Lyrically, it talks about a spirit staying with someone after his/her death and haunting him/her and how the spirit and the haunting feeling will never fully go away.
Connection to overall theme: This song describes the lasting feelings that one feels after the death of a loved one. No matter how much one tries, these feelings will never go away, no matter how hard one tries. Like with any loss or tragedy, no matter how hard one may try to fully let go of the emotions, it may not ever happen, but that is life, and life moves on.
Practical application: This particular song was chosen for this blog because the possible connection that could be made with this and Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze. Both texts discuss this inescapable feeling (or in Milo's case, a fog) that won't go away after the death of a loved one. Students can deconstruct this song and search for meaning and how it may apply to other scenarios other than losing a loved one.
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen reasons why. New York: Penguin Group.
Summary: Clay Jenson receives a box of tapes from an unknown sender. As Clay listens to the first tape, he finds out the dreadful reason for the existence of these tapes. Hannah Baker, a girl from Clay's school (and his crush), who recently committed suicide, created thirteen tapes which chronicles her last hours alive and explains thirteen reasons that led to her death. As the tapes go on, Clay finds out that each person to receive these tapes is a reason as to why Hannah committed suicide which ultimately means that he is one of those reasons. Clay walks in the footsteps of Hannah (who left a map with the tapes) and learns each of the reasons as to why she took her own life: her first kiss, sexual assault, bullying, etc. Clay eventually learns that he was in fact not a reason for her death, but a glimmer of hope for Hannah that she herself crushed.
Connection to overall theme: This book deals with many traumatic issues that many teenagers face everyday: bullying, rape, suicide, etc. Not only does Clay deal with the tragic loss of his crush and classmate, he also deals with finding out numerous secrets that many of his other classmates hold. He learns to cope with these tragedies and losses and finds a new outlook on life for himself as well as others by helping another student, Skye, who also is showing signs of suicide.
Practical application: As mentioned earlier, Thirteen Reasons Why deals with many issues that today's teenagers face. It is a useful text to use as a gateway for many students that deal with the loss of a friend/classmates or students that may be dealing with depression and contemplating possibility of suicide themselves. The dual narrative can be critically examined by students and students can also use this text as a gateway for a community project as many stories flood the media about students that commit suicide or face bullying.
Book Trailer:
5. I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Munsch, R. & McGraw, S. (2006). I love you forever. Ontario: Firefly.
Summary: This book is the rare children’s book that deals with the most serious of subjects
without detracting from the story – in other words this is not simply a book with a message. I Love you Forever, written by Robert Munsch, was inspired, by his own experience with two stillborn children. The story is about loss, but really it is about the cycle of life. It is the story of a mother loving and taking care of her baby as he grows up to become a man. The twist in the story is that it is also about how the son learns to take care of his mother, as she herself grows older. The mother eventually dies, but the son carries on the song she’s sung to him throughout his life.
Connection to overall theme: The book though comedic at times is ultimately about loss. It is about a son who loses his mother to old age. While the book certainly is about the pain of losing a loved one, it’s also about how difficult it is to see a loved one grow older. Part of what resonates about the book however, is how the boy/man is able to move on despite the loss. How he learns to continue singing his mother’s song. I love you forever is how the mother states her love for the boy and when she dies, it is how the boy honors her memory and allows her to live on.
Practical application: This book is a great text to read or recommend to students who are dealing with loss, especially younger children 6-10. The book is tender, bittersweet, but tinged with just enough comedy to make it bearable. Teachers could certainly read this book aloud, but would have to do a post discussion with students to allow for questions that they may have to ask. Teachers would have to presume before reading, that some students might want to relate stories about loved ones they’ve lost – especially grandparents. It also bears noting that teachers should be prepare themselves to read it. Many who read this book aloud are reduced to tears, especially if they are going to sing the song.
Reading of I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
6. "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson
Jackson, A. (2001). Where were you (When the world stopped turning). [Recorded by Alan Jackson]. Nashville: Arista Nashville.
Summary: This song was written in the wake of the September 11th attacks. It mourns the losses that happened on that fateful day, and the emotions that the writer went though.
Connection to overall theme: This was a disaster that the nation faced together. Everyone coped with this tragedy in different ways, but many people can remember where they were during the attacks. Everyone was impacted by this (as well as the ensuing war) in a different manner.
Practical application: Students can concurrently use this song when discussing the September 11th attacks, or any sort of nationwide/worldwide disaster. They could even create their own version, and talk about where they were when an tragic event happened to them personally.
7. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
Varon, S. (2007). Robot dreams. New York: First Second.
Summary: Robot Dreams is a wordless comic book about a dog and his robot companion. Feeling lonely, Dog orders a mail-order robot which soon becomes his best friend. After an unfortunate event involving water at the beach during Labor Day, Robot soon becomes immobilized. Dog returns to his life alone by the memory of their friendship lingers as the seasons pass. The dog unsuccessfully tries to replace his best friend by making new friends, but no one can seem to replace the void that Robot left. The Robot lies on the beach and his only salvation from loneliness are his dreams. Ultimately, both Robot and Dog find that they have changed and find new friends and purposes in life.
Connection to overall theme: Everyone (especially children) goes through the process of losing and making new friends. The loss of a close friend can affect anyone but Robot Dreams shows that it is okay to lose a friend and that life moves on and that people can make new friends. Although they will no longer be close friends, Robot and Dog have their fond memories of one another and find happiness for one another.
Practical application: The wordless comic book format appeals to many reluctant and young readers. Because the interpretation of what is being said is left open to readers and since the text is accessible to students of all ages, this book can be used in any classroom. Students can create their own dialogue or narration for the book or they can critically examine and analyze the pictures and create their own meaning.
8. I am Malala by Christina Lamb & Malala Yousafzai
Yousafazai, M. & Lamb, C. (2013). New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Summary: I am Malala by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai describes how a young female student struggled for equal education rights in Pakistan. Malala describes a gruesome assassination attempt when she was shot in the head after refusing to leave a bus that was on the way to school. She eventually was able to survive and become an advocate for the rights of female students across the world. Her story has caught the attention of world leaders including President Barack Obama.
Connection to theme: Malala’s story demonstrates perseverance after dealing with a tragedy. Her story can be taken as a model for the struggle women face in education in certain areas of the world. Malala was able to overcome a significant tragedy and present her equal education message to people throughout the world.
Practical Application: Students could do an interdisciplinary English and Social Studies project concerning current events and the role of women in education throughout the world. Students could do a research project in Social Studies that documents the access that women have to education throughout the world. Students could then do a current event reading pertaining to Malala in English. Students could combine their findings from both projects to understand the magnitude of Malala’s actions.
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Paterson, K. & Diamond, D. (1977). New York: Crowell.
Summary: Bridge to Terabithia is the story of Jesse Aarons a lonely kid who spends his summer training in order to be the fastest kid at school. When he gets upset in the race by a newcomer named Leslie Burke, Jesse discovers she’s a bit of a loner like him. Leslie introduces Jesse to a secluded area by a nearby creek that she names Terabithia and the two decide to reign as monarchs over their imaginary territory. The two spend most of their free time in Terabithia and Jesse becomes increasingly confident, even letting go of some of the anger he had been working through alone. One afternoon, Jesse's art teacher invites him to a museum and he is forced to forego his usual trip to Terabithia. When he returns, he is horrified to discover that Leslie has died in an accident crossing over the creek to Terabithia. Jesse is shocked and extremely pained by Leslie’s death, though the confidence she instilled in him becomes the only thing that can pull him out of the depression caused by her death.
Connection to overall theme: Bridge to Terabithia is about loss, but also about tragedy. Jessie and Leslie are both lonely kids and the fact that they find each other and foster such a special friendship makes the sudden sad twist in the book all the more painful. The myriad of ways Leslie’s death could have been prevented serves to highlight the random and freak nature of the accident. The overwhelming loss is not something that only affects him, it affects Leslie’s family too, and because of this they move away in order to come to grips with the loss.
Practical application: Bridge to Terabithia won the Newbury prize in 1977 and can be taught to most middle school classes on its literary merits alone. The imaginary nature of Terabithia might lend itself to some creative writing activities and story writing – even some independent journal writing. That being said it is also a book about tragedy and loss – a book, whose twist is a shocking death by a central character. For this reason alone, care must be taken in how the book is read. Planned supports should be in place to accommodate students before the text is taken up. Loss is a central theme of the book and a great deal of classroom time might be spent on that subject. Teachers would certainly need to plan for.
Bride to Terabithia Movie Trailer
10. The Lion King
Hahn, D. (Producer), & Allers, R. & Minkoff, R. (Directors). (1994). The lion king. [Motion Picture]. United States: Walt Disney Pictures.
Summary: The “Lion King” directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff encompasses the circle of life pertaining to animals in the African wild. The “Lion King’s” main character, Simba, deals with tragedy when his father, Mufasa, dies in a stampede. Simba is left without a father and direction in life. Simba’s dark uncle Scar takes over as leader of the animals within the circle of life. While Simba is gone, he is taken in by Pumbaa and Timon. Simba goes through a period of depression and is able to turn himself around when he encounters his childhood girlfriend Nala. Simba then confronts Scar at the end of the movie and is able to take back the circle of life that his father once had.
Connection to overall theme: The “Lion King” has several deeper meanings in it. However, Simba’s dealing with loss and tragedy dominates the movie. Simba seems to have a pretty nice life prior to the death of his father. The outlook of the animals within the circle of life looks bleak when evil Scar takes over for Simba’s father. Simba is able to overcome the loss of his father and confront Scar at the end of the movie. Simba completely overcomes the tragedy when he is able to take back the circle of life from Scar that his father once had.
Practical Application: The “Lion King” can be used in English classrooms with a storyboard project that outlines the plot of the movie. Students could cut out images and place them on the board in order of occurrence in the movie. Furthermore, students could potentially do an animal-land interaction project in Social Studies where they have to brainstorm how the animals within the circle of life adapt to their land.
The Lion King Trailer
Mufasa's Death
11. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Rawls, W. (1961). Where the red fern grows: The story of two dogs and a boy. New York: Doubleday.
Summary: Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is set in the rural Ozark Mountains. Billy, the 10 year old main character, is charged with raising two hunting dogs that he bought for $25 in the state of Kentucky. Throughout the text Billy develops a close relationship with both of the dogs. Billy decides to name the dogs Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy, Old Dan, Little Ann compete in hunting competitions and become very competitive to the point that they make other teams jealous. Billy and the dogs frequently went out into the mountains to hunt. Eventually, Little Ann wins a beauty competition prior to a big hunting competition. One night, the three of them go out and the dogs trapped a mountain lion in a tree that was trying to attack Billy. The mountain lion eventually comes down and kills the dogs, but Billy is able to avoid death. Billy is overcome with tragedy after the dogs die saving his life. The dogs were able to provide Billy and his family to move into a better home. Billy is not able to completely overcome the tragedy until he visits the dog’s graves and observes a fern growing over their graves.
Connection to overall theme: Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls details a 10 year old main character who loses two animals that he becomes very close with. The main character is not able to overcome the death of the two animals despite effort from his friends and family. The main character visits the graves of his dogs and discovers a fern growing. The discovery of the fern allows the main character to overcome the death of his two dogs.
Practical application: The book is a great piece of Americana that can be connected in an interdisciplinary sense between Social Studies and English classrooms. Students could potentially do a project in Social Studies that concerns the geography and way of life of citizens in the Ozark Mountains while relating the project to an analysis of Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann. Furthermore, the students could read the text in English and create a story board that describes the events in detail of the text while highlighting how the main characters lived and what was important for them.
Additional References:
Alvermann, D. (2001). Reading of adolescents' reading identities: Looking back to see ahead. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 44 (8), 676-690.
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress. Great Britain: Routledge.
Lynch-Brown, C., Short, K., & Tomlinson, C. (2011). Essentials of children's literature. Massachusetts: Pearson.
