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This semester I am fortunate enough to be teaching a course on Young Adult literature. This is a variable content course and we will be reading YA realistic fiction, starting with an eight-week survey of American YA and then spending six weeks on translated literature in order to understand how language, nation, culture, and history influence the presentation of "problem" to the teen reader.
Over the course of 14 weeks, the students will be reading 17 novels and 10 theoretical articles. That's a lot of varied material to cover in a semester and I'm not sure the material is suited to the six-eight short academic essay format I use in most of my literature courses. I am not fond of journals (too much "impression," too little analysis) or reader response assignments. And blackboard discussion lists have never worked well for me. I have decided to do a class blog for the first time in addition to three-four academic essays. There are approximately twenty five students in the course who will be responsible for 3 posts each and at least 10 comments over 15 weeks. This should make for an interesting blog as well as a good assignment!
I have been thinking about how to make sure the blog is not an "add-on" component to the course, but rather an integral part of class discussion. And, in doing some research I ran across Denise Harrison's "Can Blogging Make a Difference?" on the Campus Technology blog. Harrison's article clearly identifies several ways blogs can enhance the classroom experience. Here are two points in Harrison's article that resonated with me:
1. A blog allows for "the exposure of their posts to meaningful audiences, including other students, and a potential global audience, encouraged careful reflection and articulation of the subject." (p. 4) This is especially true when we consider the close-knit world of the kidlitosphere.
2. You have to bring the blog into the classroom, and the classroom onto the blog. (p. 5)
Have any of you used a blog in the classroom? What suggestions do you have for a first-timer?
0 Comments on Blogging in Higher Ed? as of 1/1/1900
With one exception, I did not read a Young Adult novel in 2010. I didn't read a Middle Grade novel. I suppose I was on sabbatical from novels for young readers.
I did read many novels written for adults, a few of which will crossover for the teen reader quite well. I will write about these tomorrow in a "novels I loved in 2010" post.
Those of you who know me know that I rarely post a negative review or comment. If I don't like a book, I just don't write about it. At least not extensively. It's an energy thing, I guess.
However...the book I did not like in 2010 was THE book--Jonathan Franzen's Freedom. And I've thought for months about writing a review of Freedom and have decided, as usual, not to do so. Instead, I will provide the two main reasons I disliked Freedom.
1. If you happen to be a woman, Freedom is one disheartening read. As in War and Peace, which Franzen refers to directly in Freedom, the novel's main protagonists are two men and one woman. They're all fairly unlikable, a feature of the novel Laura Miller refers to and defends at Salon**, but the male characters, serious Walter (Andrei) and unfocused Richard (Pierre), have redeeming qualities the reader either admires or finds charming. (Oh, that rogue!)
The female center to this contemporary love triangle is boring, self-centered, untalented Patty. She's no Natasha, that's for sure. There's no life to her, but for narcissistic bitterness, and it's hard to see why Walter, her husband, and Richard, her occasional lover, would ever find her intriguing enough to pursue, let alone argue over.
I think I might have enjoyed Freedom if the secondary characters did not follow this same pattern. I suppose there is one "positive" female character, Walter and Patty's daughter, but she's such a stereotype ("good girl," recent graduate from a prestigious college, "selfless" job in publishing) that she serves mostly as a plot device.
2. The sex scenes. I'm not sure I've seen mention of the sex scenes in Freedom in the reviews I've read, but I just can't let this novel go without mentioning them. The sex between Walter and Patty and Patty and Richard is forgettable or, sadly, very like rape. And, the phone sex shared by Walter and Patty's ne'er-do-well son, Joey, and his girlfriend Connie is ridiculous.
Crossover Potential? None. Teens do not want to read about the pathetically middle aged. ------------------------- Other Books on My "Did-not-Love" List:
I've already mentioned that I was underwhelmed by Mockingjay. T
2 Comments on What I Did Not Love in 2010, last added: 1/13/2011
I totally agree re: Freedom, Kelly. All of the women served as plot devices to show how desirable or good the male characters were. The worst was Walter's girlfriend, who existed only to love him and then ... well, no spoilers here. I loved reading the book, the act of reading it was pleasurable, I like Franzen's writing in a way, the sentences are well-constructed, but god, it's sort of insufferable at the same time.
I'm finally returning to this blog (Big A little a will be an archive now).
I have a question regarding the Kidlit blog world. Has anyone taken over Weekend Reviews posts? If not, then I will resume those this weekend.
Also, I'll be using [email protected] as my contact e-mail now and am rebuilding my reader and bloglist. This will give me a chance to catch up on the state of the kidslitosphere.
I can't wait to talk to you all! First up will be review posts of what I liked and didn't like in adult fiction from 2010 (and which novels would crossover well for the teen audience). Then it's off to the Cybils shortlists in Young Adult, Fantasy/Science Fiction, and Middle Grade. I'll also be blogging (on another blog) with students in my Young Adult literature class this spring semester. I'll link it up as soon as the semester gets going.
12 Comments on Back to the Blog, last added: 1/12/2011
THE Crossover title of 2010 has to be the third volume of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay.
I really enjoyed The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, but I have to admit I was disappointed by Mockingjay. Mostly I think that the balance between moments of near death and moments of mundane beauty was off. At every moment Katniss stands on a precipice; there's no time for reflection beyond Katniss's neverending surprise at her own status as a hero or symbol of the revolution.
What's really bugging me, though, after reading Mockingjay is the Peeta-Gale question. I'm tired of the two-wonderful-boys-devoted-to-one-not-very-special-girl conceit.* (And its even more annoying variant: the two-wonderful-boys-devoted-to-one-girl-who-doesn't-realize-how-strong-and-beautiful-she-is conceit.) Does this come from romance fiction? I've lived in the world a few decades and it just doesn't ring true to me. --------------------------- * I write this having read not one Twilight novel. --------------------------- I've missed talking books with you all. I'm hope to see some of you in Minneapolis!
6 Comments on Not a Review: A Question about Mockingjay, last added: 9/3/2010
It's a storytelling trope, obviously. But I agree: it's a bit overused. (And I say this having, unfortunately, read all the Twilight novels.) I thought a more honest ending to Mockingjay would have been for Katniss to end up with neither, mostly because she wasn't ready, but also because there's never just two options in one's life.
I'll take it a step further: this always seems to go down in fantasy books. I wonder why that is?
I agree completely but I loved Mockingjay and I thought the 2 boys devoted to one girl was believable throughout the series because of the circumstances. It made total sense in the first two with the games and with the last one, it made sense that they would stick together and put the romance thing on hold until they got through the conflict of the book. No one could afford abandoning anyone at that point. So I thought it worked in this one. I didn't really think she'd end up with either but was happy at the ending, thought it was resolved well.
I never finished reading Catching Fire because early on it was coming across as a romance. Will I have to marry the boy I don't love to save the boy I do? Having read the first book, I suspected there would be thriller action coming up and, certainly, there was the dystopia thing going on for readers who like that. But in the first chapter or two, it seemed as if romantic questions were the big issue and, as a rule, that's not enough to hold my attention through a whole book.
The fact that you guys are even discussing a Peeta-Gale question makes me feel I made a good decision not to continue with this particular series.
I'm up with a post about J. Patrick Lewis's new poetry book, Spot the Plot - a riddle book of book riddles. AND, I was inspired to write my own book riddle!
Kelly, Thanks for hosting! I have The Ballad of Romy, a work in progress, chronicling another old pet at Notes from New England. I love the inspiration (and the inclusive spirit) of Poetry Friday!!
Hi, Kelly! Thanks for hosting. I have a write-up of my time in the Poetry Pavilion at the National Book Festival, where I heard Edward Hirsch give some amazing answers to questions about poetry. I'm also featuring his poem, Wild Gratitude. The link is here.
Thank you for hosting. Over at readertotz we have Twenty White Horses. And at On Point, I've written a haiku titled Like Hiro and Ando. :~) Been watching Heroes!
Thanks for hosting again. I'm in this week with a mention of my poetry column in Book Links which also features an original poem by Laura Purdie Salas, "Fiesta."
This week's Poetry Friday will be hosted here. I'll have two posts tomorrow morning--a Poetry Friday entry and a Fall Schedule post. You may leave your links in the comments to any post and I'll roundup throughout the day.
34 Comments on Poetry Friday here!, last added: 9/5/2009
Thanks so much for hosting. I'm in with an original poem, At the Book Museum. Here's the link info for you: http://kellyrfineman.livejournal.com/478369.html
Good morning Kelly and all! (And thanks, Kelly, for doing the round up!) Franki has a review this week of Truckery Rhymes -- part of Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series.
Kelly, thanks for hosting roundup! I'm working on a piece with nonsense words and have posted Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky." http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2009/09/poetry-friday.html
Hi Kelly, Thanks so much for hosting today. At www.TeachingAuthors.com, April Halprin Wayland shares an original poem about apologizing. See: http://www.teachingauthors.com/2009/09/activities-for-teachers-parents-and.html
This week I share a poem about rooftop fireworks that tied for third place in my seventh annual teens between cultures poetry contest.
http://www.mitaliblog.com/2009/09/poetry-friday-rooftop-fireworks.html It's written by a student with roots in Moldova, so sort of appropriate for you to host, I guess ...
I posted this morning but forgot to come back here and leave a link. I was looking for a poem mentioning September and came across "The Falcon of Ser Federigo" from Longfellow's "Tales of a Wayside Inn." Loved it:
It's that time again: Time to schedule Poetry Friday hosts!
We need volunteers for September, October, and November. Available dates are listed at the end of this post--just leave a comment here or at Crossover with your preferred hosting slot. I'll update throughout the weekend.
September 4: September 11: September 18: September 25: October 2: October 9: Crossover October 16: October 23: October 30: November 6: November 13: November 20: November 27:
2 Comments on Poetry Friday: Time for a New Schedule, last added: 8/23/2009
As I mentioned in my late Poetry Friday roundup, I am finally online again and ready to blog. Here's what will be happening:
1. I'll be keeping Poetry Friday updates and hosting schedules at Crossover. (And, at Big A little a, for the time being.)
2. I'll be reviewing crossover books at Crossover. (Next up: Exposure, by Mal Peet.)
3. Grandma's Picture Book reviews will be posted at Big A little a.
I'm back on both blogs, back on my e-mail account ([email protected]), and starting in on my twitter account. Thank the gods, I'm getting an iPhone next week, so hopefully I'll be able to keep up. Hope to see you all soon!
Three weeks ago I was to be the host of Poetry Friday. And, I'm sorry I let you all down: I experienced a massive computer failure.
Fortunately, my hard drive was saved and, after 10 days or so, I was back in business and buried under makeup work. Now I'm eager to get back into the blogging here and at Big A little a.
First things first: Today's Poetry Friday is being held over at Becky's Book Reviews.
Thanks for doing the roundup this week. I'm heading for Maine today. Here's the URL of the poem I just posted at Political Verses. The poem's entitled IF WOMEN GET THE VOTE.
Hmmm -- not sure if I should leave this info on last week's Crossover Post...? For Poetry Friday 6/26, I have two original abecedarian poems written in response to The Poetry Stretch challenge Tricia gave us. You'll find the poems over at The Drift Record
Thanks for hosting & happy summer! I'm offering a sneak peak at my middle grade book, "We Rule the School: A Fifth Grade Yearbook," with an original field trip poem.
I’m still traveling with the kids and the parents in Scotland and am following my goal of reading a number of books on the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize longlist. The one book I was most eager to read was Siobhan Dowd’s Solace of the Road. It was not easy to find up here in the Highlands, but I finally found one lone copy in Aviemore’s Waterstones. And, thank goodness, really. Solace of the Road is a book worth reading—for teens and for adults.
On the surface of things, Solace of the Road is a simple tale: Holly is a fifteen-year-old English foster child who decides to run for it and find her mother in Ireland. After years in a group home, she’s finally found placement with Fiona and Ray, a middle-aged couple whose comfortable lifestyle and quiet comportment rankles after the chaos of the group home. Holly questions whether or not Fiona and Ray even like her, or will the slightest infringement send her back to the home. In heading out on her own Holly convinces herself she is postponing the inevitable.
Solace of the Road becomes a road novel as soon as Holly takes a runner. She ‘borrows’ a blond wig from her foster mother and renames herself Solace, becoming an older, more sophisticated version of her 15-year-old self. She makes it all the way to Ireland—by bus and by hitching a ride with a number of strangers—before realizing her mother, in fact, would not be waiting for her on the other shore.
While runaway teens aren’t exactly a groundbreaking subject in Young Adult fiction, Solace of the Road is unique in its telling. Siobhan Dowd’s characterization nears perfection. Holly/Solace takes off with nearly forty pounds, but manages to blow it all on the first leg of her journey (Oxford), instead of squirreling it away carefully to last the entire trip. Holly’s judgments are split-second, instead of well considered and reasoned. When, for example, she finally decides to break her own moral code and shoplift, she nicks a pretty, floaty dress, instead of food. And, like most teens, her talent for denial serves her valiantly all the way to Ireland.
Solace of the Road distinguishes itself from standard teen fiction thematically, as well. While Holly meets one or two creeps on the road, most people who help her out do so out of human kindness—as would be the case in real life. This is not a dark teen novel, but rather one in which ordinary goodness shines through—to the reader and, in the end, to Holly as well. When back with Fiona and Ray at the novel’s conclusion, Holly realizes what she has experienced when talking with a therapist:
Other times I tell her [the therapist] about everyone I met on my travels. I show her the map and describe the good people on it who were like guardian angels because they did something to help me and asked for nothing back.
Chloe, who told me about Thule. Kim, who gave me a sandwich. The magnet man. The boy on the motorbike, whose name I never knew, and Kirk, even, with his truckload of pigs. Sian, who said I had a figure like a dancer.
And Phil with his sad vegan eyes giving me the cake with pretend candles, and God is sitting in him still, I bet you, and he’s taking the scenic routes and chasing the white dividers in his cheese truck, planning his next move.
All these people—Phil the Vegan Truck Driver easily the best among them—help Holly on her journey, and only want the best for her, though they think she’s an eighteen-year-old off to elope with a sketchy boyfriend. Call me naïve, but I suspect this is what happens in the majority of similar situations, and level-headed realism instead of stylized darkness is refreshing to read in a teen novel. Enjoy this one on the road.
Solace of the Road By Siobhan Dowd U.K. edition David Fickling Books London, 2009 Copy Purchased
Notes:
U.S. edition due October 13, 2009.
I have to admit I hate the cover. I am so tired of the back of teen girls’ heads. Can someone please put a stop to this? Please?
8 Comments on Review: Solace of the Road, by Siobhan Dowd, last added: 7/12/2009
I have been meaning to read Siobhan Dowd for ages. Although this heroine's lack of financial sense might annoy me. I never ran away from home as a teen, but if I had done, I could have made that 40 pounds last, oh yes, and still had change left over at the end of it. But then my forebears were Scottish. :-)
After hating A Swift Pure Cry and then LOVING Bog Child, I'm looking forward to this one. Also, I have fond memories of staying at a hostel in Aviemore and now I'm jealous on both counts - the book and Scotland.
I really look forward to reading this one--I loved Bog Child, which is the only Siobhan Dowd book I've read so far. Great review!
And, re: the cover--I'm getting really tired of seeing random stock-photo teenagers grace the covers of just about EVERY YA book. Bring back paintings and drawings!! They shouldn't just be confined to fantasy and children's books. :)
Missing, by Karin Alvtegen, is a psychological thriller published for adults that will entrance teen readers as well. Missing is perfect for teens for two primary reasons: 1) The central mystery alternates with flashbacks to the heroine’s teen years and 2) the heroine, Sybilla, resolves Missing’s unique mystery with the help of a 15-year-old schoolboy.
Sybilla Forsenstrom lives on the streets in Stockholm, a life she has chosen since escaping an emotionally-abusive mother, neglectful father, and a stint in a mental institution. Every so often, Sybilla cleans herself up, dresses in a professional suit, and charms wealthy businessmen into buying her dinner and a room of her own in a fancy hotel. One night her luck runs out: a traveling businessman, who treats her to dinner and books her a room in Stockholm’s nicest hotel, is murdered and brutalized during the night. Sybilla becomes the prime suspect and begins a life on the run.
Sybilla’s run from the police becomes more complicated as three more men are murdered—in locations she’d never visited. One night, while living rough in the attic of a school, she meets a schoolboy named Patrick, who believes in her innocence, only because the fourth man was murdered when they were sharing the same attic space. (Patrick wanted to experience “living rough.”) Together they figure out who really committed the murders and set out to clear Sybilla’s name.
Sybilla’s life on the lam is interspersed with vignettes from her childhood and teen years. The cold horror and loneliness of her childhood provides insight into Sybilla’s fascinating character and her choice to live on the streets as an adult. Missing moves along at breakneck speed and is perfect for a rainy afternoon or an (enforced) family trip.
(Cautions: There is one sexual encounter in Missing Sybilla is reluctant to participate in, but it is also one that makes sense within the context of the story and her life on the streets.)
Missing By Karin Alvtegen Translated by Anna Paterson Felony & Mayhem Press (New York) 2009 paperback edition Copy purchased.
4 Comments on Review: Missing, by Karin Alvtegen, last added: 6/13/2009
This sounds great, Kelly! And my girls will be all over it. I'm constantly reading books and wondering if they're appropriate for them, only to have one of them say that they read it a few years ago and didn't think it was too violent.
First and foremost: An enormous thanks goes out to Mary Lee of A Year of Reading who helped me during my great blog crisis of 2008-2009. She organized hosts and kept Poetry Friday going when I was unable to keep track of things. Thank you, Mary Lee!
I'll be posting the schedule here, and at Big A little a, and on the kidlistosphere group from now and into the future. As a reminder, here's who's up next:
I'm not going to be commenting on children's book awards often on this blog (with the exception of The Cybils, of course), but if there's one children's book prize that favors the crossover novel, it is the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.
Here's this year's longlist of novels--a list populated by authors known for writing on more than one level to more than one audience.
Genesis by Bernard Beckett Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner Then by Morris Gleitzman Rowan the Strange by Julie Hearn Exposure by Mal Peet Nation by Terry Pratchett Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
I'm heading to the U.K. in a week, and I hope to read as many of these as possible, but I can promise you that I will definitely read and review the Dowd, Gardner, Hearn, Peet, and Sedgwick.
Have you read any of the list? Recommendations?
9 Comments on Guardian Children's Fiction Prize: Longlist, last added: 6/19/2009
If you get a chance - I recommend adding Morris' Gleitzman's Then to your reading list. It's not often an Australian makes the Guardian list and it's great book - Sandy in Oz www.samuraikids.com.au
I loved Nation by Terry Pratchett and ended up using it as a read along with 10-12 year old high level readers (those reading at a ninth grade or above level). I thought it was a fantastic book and the kids really enjoyed it. I thought it led itself really well to discussion and the kids loved the action and the humor of the writing.
I love Gail's concluding remarks, which pertain, in a way, to the mission of this blog: "If I stay away from romance, will Mary Sue characters stay away from me? If I don't write about anyone over the age of thirteen will I be safe? What if I use male main characters? Will that work?"
Liz asks a very important question: "So my question is, how do you identify a Mary Sue in an original book, when he or she is not in a fanfic context?" Liz discusses the wikipedia article in this context--one I'd never read before.
Interesting stuff, and don't miss the comments.
0 Comments on In Case You've Missed It...Mary Sues as of 5/26/2009 10:13:00 PM
Hey, great discussion on Twilight and its crazy crossover domination yesterday.
Most of the talk, however, took place over on Facebook, so I'm going to summarize here.
David Elzey (The Excelsior File) wrote, "the romance, the heroic boy and the damsel in distress, the simplicity. it isn't the vampires, it isn't the quality of writing, it's all very basic and LCD. never underestimate the popularity and power of the simple in all its forms."
So then I wanted to know--what about all those crazy adults?
David tied the phenomenon to economic uncertainty and distress: "okay, simplicity and escape for adults. when things get rough with the economy, when wars overseas continue without end, when people find so much distressing and depressing financial news around them they turn to escape, either fantasy or comedy."
Obviously a good point, but then I noted that Twilight came out (and readers began going nuts) before the economy tanked. I asked, "Maybe readers feel the onset of bad times?"
David answered:
"Twilight is a very post 9/11 book, if you ask me. perhaps history and perspective will better support that notion. harry potter's popularity with adults in this country didn't click until the third book, which was in 1999 at the cusp of the internet bust.
readers may, indeed, be ahead of zeitgeist in terms of defining popular culture.
n.b. ... Read Morevampires in popular American culture: 1930s, 1970's, now – all periods of economic distress. rats and plague ships and blood-suckers. must be a connection in there somewhere...
Kimberly Hirsh (lectitans) moves on to the character of our damsel in distress--Bella Swann, writing, "she is so calculatedly nondescript. (When I read Twilight, I was like, "Hey! My boyfriend says nice things to me too! WHEE!" I ate it up. Afterwards, I was like... Wait. That wasn't, y'know, good, actually.)"
[Ed: Kimberly's last comment made me laugh.]
Sarah Stevenson (Finding Wonderland) adds two more possibilities for Twilight: 1) Always going to be readers who like vampire books; 2) protagonists are upper-YA, nearly adult
And Eisha Prather (7-Imp) concludes with a very important point: "All flaws aside, I think Meyer is great at capturing teenage sexual tension, particularly the kind that comes from not quite being ready to go all the way, but wanting to very badly. That had a lot of nostalgic appeal for me, as an adult reader - such vivid recall of a time when even holding hands was thrillingly erotic."
Okay, now from comments to the actual blog (which you can read in full on the previous post):
Michele Thornton agrees, in part, with Eisha: "My opinion is that it's lots of lust and longing, but no actual sex, which makes it safe AND titillating. To Teens? Perhaps it's the brooding and inwardly focused Bella. To adults? No clue. I did read the first book, and confess that while I often rolled my eyes at Meyer's less than "beautiful" prose, I did keep turning those pages until the end. Why? She made me want to know what happened next, which is really the first job any writer should accomplish."
SAM agrees with Michele and adds, "The reason why the parents are [reading], in my opinion, is because it is something that they can share with their kids who want to grow up so fast in this day and age. It is for some one of the last few things parents can do together with their children.
Kelly Fineman recommends the Twilight books as diet aids (for real!) and gives us new insight into the Bella character: "What makes them work is the very Mary Sue main character, Bella Swan, who is the reader's proxy in the books. She's clumsy and awkward and whiny, yet still manages to charm all the boys, including Edward Cullen. And once she vamps out midway through Book 4, she vampires better than anyone else. She's living the dream - ordinary girl who attracts extraordinary things, and ends up being the Very Best Vampire Ever with Extra-Special Powers. "
Liz B. (A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy) and Monica Edinger (Educating Alice) talk about the younger kids Lee Wind mentioned reading the books too early. Monica says, "For most I think it is about reading something they know is "important" and about older folks and the page turning quality."
Finally, writer P.J. Hoover says nostalgia played a big role in her reading of the first book: "Twilight had that power that made me want to be 17 again. "
Anyway, a good discussion with many interesting ideas. I'll leave you with Sarah Haskins' theory (the bad boy) in Target Women.
3 Comments on Twilight Discussion, last added: 5/24/2009
A note to say that I absolutely love the idea of this blog. It is, for me, all about crossover, which is to say embrace. About never writing down, and never writing to. Thanks for doing this!
Oh, hooray! Thanks for summarizing the discussion--it was fascinating to see what others had to say on the topic. I'm really looking forward to watching your new blog take shape!
I had to cruise back by to tell you that last night I was at a dinner where I mentioned I was a YA writer, and the first thing I got asked was "so what do you think about that whole Harry Potter-Twilight thing?" ...Of course, I had to first jump in to make sure they knew these were two VERY different phenomena... :D But anyway, I immediately thought back to this discussion, which is very timely!
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I totally agree re: Freedom, Kelly. All of the women served as plot devices to show how desirable or good the male characters were. The worst was Walter's girlfriend, who existed only to love him and then ... well, no spoilers here. I loved reading the book, the act of reading it was pleasurable, I like Franzen's writing in a way, the sentences are well-constructed, but god, it's sort of insufferable at the same time.
Thanks for your comment, Beth. I had forgotten completely about Walter's girlfriend and what Franzen does to her in the name of plot.
I agree about Franzen's sentences, though, and so will read him again, I'm sure.