One of the most challenging times in a person’s life is undoubtedly the period of adolescence. For most, the pre-teen and teen years are a period of struggle: a struggle for belonging, a struggle for independence, and a struggle for self-identification. Many young people today make choices and decisions based on their desire for acceptance. Many of these same young people make these choices without first really understanding themselves or realizing the power of their own potential. A powerful tool for finding self is the identification and development of a talent, an interest, or ability. Through personal growth and the expression of such, an understanding of self can be found. Being able to answer the questions, “Who am I?” and “Who do I want to be?” can help a young person make better choices for him or her self – even in the midst of conflict.
Literature featuring protagonists who struggle with these questions of self allows young readers a window into their own lives in a non-threatening manner. Characters who make mistakes but emerge in the end to better, stronger, and more independent selves offer hope and encouragement to kids who share in these experiences through reading. The following texts feature young characters who, despite difficulties, find a way to rise above their conflicts and obstacles by strengthening their own interests and following their own, individual dreams.
This annotated bibliography is designed for students in the ninth grade – a time when the adjustment from middle to high school provides unique challenges and difficulties and a period when self-confidence and an understanding of self is critical. The selected texts allow teachers to address questions of identity and purpose illustrated through individual interests. A focus on literature that supports and highlights the development of character’s interests can encourage students to focus on their own. Literature with themes so relevant to the lives of readers becomes an important means of validation and, through careful analysis of text and synthesis of ideas, the adolescent reader can empower him or herself.
Melinda is a freshman in high school. After a summer party, Melinda called the police – and now, no one, not even her longtime friend Rachel, will speak to her. In fact, the entire school ignores or makes fun of her. She finds herself navigating the rough waters of high school entirely alone – and hiding the deep secret of having been raped at that summer party as well. Throughout the novel, Melinda struggles to define herself, no longer belonging to her group of former friends and not welcomed by any groups of new friends. She retreats into herself and stops speaking in an effort to control the inner and outer conflicts she contends with on a daily basis. Through an animated and interested art teacher however, Melinda finds a talent within herself – she can draw and create. While all of her other grades in school go down, Melinda’s art grade is an “A.” At the end of the novel, Melinda is in art class where she finally admits, “There is no avoiding it, no forgetting. No running away, or flying, or burying, or hiding. Andy Evans raped me in August…It wasn’t my fault. And I’m not going to let it kill me. I can grow” (198). Through Melinda’s participation in art, she finds her self – and in turn, her own, renewed strength. This provides her the ability to speak and to stand for herself. The inclusion of this text in this bibliography is critical; the sensitive issue of rape is addressed in a manner which allows students to experience the results of a violent crime through the voice of one who has remained silent in an attempt to forget what happened. The story is appealing to students who have felt they could not share a vital truth and to those who may have also suffered a traumatic experience. Melinda’s personal account, shared with a bitter sarcasm, is entertaining and touching at the same time and the daily struggles of real life are vivid and identifiable for all students. Guiding questions might include:
· Who has power in a relationship?
· What is the role of women in society?
· How does society perceive / position women?
· What does a healthy relationship “look” like?
· What does being loyal mean?
· How do we find courage?
· How does art allow Melinda to grow?
Anita is twelve years old. She is living in the Dominican Republic with her extended family until suddenly, her whole world comes crashing down. It is 1960 and the Dominican Republic is under the tyrannical rule of a fierce dictator who has her father and uncle seized, and eventually, killed. While other members of Anita’s family manage to escape to the United States, she and her mother are left behind. Through trauma, fear, and loss, Anita stops speaking – and turns instead to keeping a diary. As she and her mother survive by hiding in a closet for more than two months, Anita writes every day and finally, escapes with her mother to join their family in the United States. Looking back, Anita reflects that “as scared as I was, I wanted someone to know what had happened to us…what good is it to escape captivity only to be imprisoned in your own misery?” (141, 162). Writing provides Anita a voice – one which helps her come to terms with her fear and suffering and one which allows others to know what she has experienced and overcome.
Alvarez’ fictional account is based on truth and centered on her own family and background. Students who read this book are allowed insight into a world very different from the one with which they are accustomed. Anita’s world is dangerous and restrictive and yet she emerges a better and stronger person with a clear sense of self and an appreciation for freedom and expression. Students can be encouraged to consider this text through a lens which considers independence and the ability to speak and write freely – what if it were taken away? How would their lives change? In our increasingly diverse classrooms, this text may offer opportunities for students from other countries to share their own experiences and encourage discussions among students about cultural differences and challenges. Some essential questions to accompany this text might be:
· How does our freedom as Americans allow us to interact with friends and family
· What does it require to be strong in the face of adversity?
· How does our voice matter in society?
· What voice do you have in your own government and why is this important?
· How can the act of writing free us?
The time and place are unknown but the setting is a futuristic Utopia where all are equal and forbidden to favor anyone or thing above another. The society works together for the good of all. There is no electricity, no cars, and no “modern” comforts of any sort. All members of the society have similar names and are identified as a number. One member speaks the forbidden word and the protagonist, Equality, is forced with all the others to watch as the man’s tongue is cut out and he is burned at the stake. Equality remarks that this man’s eyes sought him out and that “there was only joy in them, and pride, a pride holier than it is fit for human pride to be. And it seemed as if these eyes were trying to tell us something through the flames, to send into our eyes some word without sound” (51). Equality stands out from the others because he is tall and strong – and this is problematic for him. To make matters worse, Equality, though “happy” to work for the good of his “brothers,” is curious – and, in his inquisitiveness, finds a hole leading to a long forgotten subway tunnel. Here, Equality begins to experiment with remnants of the past. At this time, Equality meets a woman, Liberty – and he falls in love with her though the two are forced to keep their feelings hidden due to the laws of their society. He conducts scientific experiments using bits of wire and curious “boxes” which he finds. After many experiments, Equality discovers the new power of light and desires to share it with all, thinking that he will be appreciated. Instead, he is imprisoned and condemned. He escapes to The Forbidden Forest where he finds a house filled with books and is later joined by Liberty. He reads and studies philosophy and science and determines at last, the Unspeakable Word and all its power: “I.”
Rand’s powerful text can be confusing at first because it is written from the perspective of Equality but is entirely in the third person. This element is a good opportunity for examination of both grammar and point of view. Rand’s use of the third person however, helps the reader to better identify with Equality and supports an appreciation of the pronoun “I” – both literally and figuratively - when finally introduced and used. Having used this book in my own class, I found that the boys were more interested in the text than the girls – but the girls did take extreme interest in the romantic element that appears in the text between Equality and Liberty, perhaps due to the forbidden nature of their love and the fact that love, in the end, prevails. Whatever the motivation, while reading, students can be encouraged to consider:
· What is your freedom worth?
· What does it mean to be equal?
· How do our differences make us stronger together?
· What are your liberties and how do you protect them?
· Is civil disobedience ever warranted?
· How do science and the study of philosophy benefit us?
Alfred is a black, 17 year old boy. His father left him as a baby and his mother died when he was 12. Alfred lives with his Aunt and nieces in 1960’s Harlem; they live in a tenement room. Alfred dropped out of school and works for Epstein’s grocery store but is bullied by Major and Hollis who ridicule him frequently for working for a Jewish family. Alfred is conflicted between trying to work to help support his Aunt and the temptation of joining Major and Hollis in their illegal activities. After his best friend James is arrested for robbing the grocery store where Alfred works, Alfred blames himself for James’ troubles. James does too – and compounded by his addiction to drugs, he turns his back on Alfred. Alfred feels lost and alone; he turns to Mr. Donatelli at the neighborhood boxing gym. Alfred trains to become a fighter. Alfred’s love for boxing and desire to become a better person win out over his conflicts with Major and Hollis. In the end, Alfred admits that before boxing, he “had no ideas about anything, what I wanted to do…didn’t seem like any reason to stay in school…If you can concentrate on learning to box, you can concentrate on learning anything” (196). Though Alfred retires after only three fights, he has developed strength and courage and identifies himself as being strong and determined. He enrolls in night school to get his GED and helps James to overcome his drug problem.
The Contender offers relatively simple vocabulary so it is a non-threatening text to use with lower-level readers and offers on-level readers the ability to read freely without the need to focus on decoding or context clues. The book has large appeal to boys because of its protagonist and the subject of boxing however, due to the realism of the conflicts that Alfred faces throughout the book, girls are very drawn to the story as well. Peer pressure, bullying, a desire to belong, and the decisions that teens are faced with everyday make this story pertinent and interesting to many readers. An introduction of Harlem in the 1960s is helpful before reading as is an introduction to the sport of boxing and an examination of famous boxers (Muhammad Ali, for example). Another worthwhile use of this text is in conjunction with current day news articles about troubled youth and community programs offered as alternatives to crime. Here in Central New York, one such boxing program does exist – and provides many parallels to the text. Some central ideas to provide focus for reading are:
· How do we recognize true loyalty?
· What can we accomplish through hard work?
· How do we overcome challenges?
· How can we stay true to ourselves?
· How do sports encourage self discipline?
· How does self discipline allow a person to build identity?
· How can boxing help a person discover self and build strength of character?
Ten year old Bud Caldwell is an orphan in the 1930s; the country is in the midst of The Great Depression. Bud is chosen to leave the orphanage to live with a family – but he is abused and mistreated. He runs away in search of the father he believes exists based on flyers and small rocks left him by his mother, who died when he was 6. On his own, he follows these clues to a man, Herman E. Calloway and his band, The Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!! A member of the band gives Bud his first saxophone and Bud exclaims, “It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen…Something told me I could learn how to play this. Something told me that those sounds were more than just bad notes…I could tell those were the squeaks and squawks of one door closing and another one opening” (235). Bud finds that Calloway is his grandfather – and in him and in music, Bud finds his identity and future all at once.
Set during a time of extreme conflict, Bud, Not Buddy is an illustration of a child’s desire to belong and to have a place and family to call home. Knowing his roots and connecting to them fully allows Bud to then know himself and his potential. The theme of the importance of family runs throughout the text and is a universal theme for readers. Also a non-threatening text, Bud, Not Buddy appeals to many students through its use of humor and realism. Based in reality and the history of the author’s own family, this text offers an opportunity for students to understand the challenges faced by many during a difficult time in the history of America. The use of music in the text is also an appealing feature to many young readers considering the popularity of musicians and their craft’s affects upon the lives of young readers today. Potential topics of writing and discussion include:
· How is family integral to identity?
· What lengths would you go to in order to find your roots?
· How can obstacles help us or hinder us?
· What impact has our own history in the United States had upon our present society?
· What role does music play in your life?
· How is music a means of self expression and representation?
This is the story of Lily Owens. Her mother was killed when she was little and she lives with her abusive father on a peach farm in South Carolina in 1964. Lily is 14 and attends school but is painfully aware of her differences from the other girls. This contributes to her conflicts and loneliness. She longs to know independence beyond the farm and away from the father she calls T-Ray and desperately wants to know the mysteries of her mother, whom she struggles to recall. She only knows the love of her caretaker, a black woman named Rosaleen who treats her as if Lily were her own. Together, they set out on a journey to find the history of Lily’s mother with only a pair of white cotton gloves, a faded photograph, and a picture of a black Madonna with the words “Tiburon, S.C.” written on the back. These clues lead Lily and Rosaleen to a house in Tiburon where three sisters live and keep bees; the women take Lily and Rosaleen in. Here, Lily learns the art of keeping bees and harvesting honey. One of the women, August, shows Lily how to operate the machines – one, the spinner, separates out the honey. She tells Lily that the spinner “takes out the bad stuff, leaves in the good. I’ve always thought how nice it would be to have spinners like this for human beings…” (77). Through learning about bees and the process of making honey, and through the power and love of strong women and the history of the black Madonna, Lily finds out the truth about her mother and discovers who she is as well. Despite challenge and conflict, Lily emerges and realizes her inner strength and her importance as a young woman.
The Secret Life of Bees centers on strong women – and is quite appealing to young, female readers because of this. While boys may not be as receptive to the text, there are issues pertinent to young men which can be highlighted in the text and used for discussion purposes. The text provides a challenging yet engaging read to students at the ninth grade level. Students will find it helpful if teachers provide a historical background to events and objects which the author includes in the text. (A hyperlink at the beginning of this paragraph will lead to a web quest I developed). Additionally, much of the text features information about the nature of bees; a brief study of the nature of bees and their skills of work and communication is a useful complement to much of the text. Some questions to help center study of the text might include:
· What characteristics of bees are similar to humans?
· What is the traditional role of women in society?
· How does the traditional role of women differ from the one featured in the text?
· How are strong women central to Lily’s self discovery in the text?
· In what ways does keeping bees and making honey help Lily to discover her own truths?
This is the story of Jake Barnett – who, at 13 years old, is an honors college sophomore. He began taking college courses at the age of 8. By the age of 12, Jake was a paid scientific researcher. Jake can recite from memory the infinite series of numbers of pi – and he memorized these in only one day. Jake “understands and analyzes the logic of higher mathematics.” He refers to seeing math and science in the “4th dimension.” At the age of 2, Jake’s parents recalled that he suddenly “stopped speaking and making eye contact. He was going further and further into his own world.” Jake was diagnosed with autism. His parents were fearful that they might not ever get him back and noticed that he was “not happy unless he was doing something he loved.” With this in mind, they provided him with anything involving math and science. By second grade, Jake was still behind socially, but way ahead in terms of academics. He dropped out of school by the fifth grade – and taught himself all of high school math in two weeks in an attempt to prove to his parents that he was capable of taking college courses. He then completed the Indiana State curriculum for grades 6-12 in one year. All of Jake’s symptoms of autism have all but disappeared.
Jake’s struggles with autism could have been the obstacle that kept him from fully functioning in society. Instead, through his interest and involvement in math and science, Jake has shown an amazing ability to understand and even develop mathematical and scientific ideas. He has been published in a prestigious scientific review journal and his physics professor refers to Jake as a “powerhouse of raw talent.” Jake himself has called his autism the “key to his success.”
This video is appealing to students because of the incredible story of a young boy whose intelligence is almost unbelievable. Jake is seen in the video as an average boy – he likes to play video games and hang out with his friends and he admits to not being able to find things around the house when he’s looking for them – yet he possesses an amazing ability which even most adults do not. This video is a real life portrayal of a child’s triumph over adversity and in that, the development of potential, the actualization of a goal, and a realization of self. When using this video, some useful questions to guide viewing might be:
· What is autism and how many people does it affect?
· What does it mean to be a savant?
· How can we overcome challenges?
· What do you need in order to turn an obstacle into a “springboard to success?”
· How can academics help you to find your identity?
· How do you identify yourself as a student?
· How can an interest in math /science help us in other areas of our lives?
· How can a dedication to academic success bring about future success?
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