Week Nine: Mystery: The Night My Sister Went Missing

The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plum-Ucci (cover image from Amazon.com)

Bibliography: Plum-Ucci, C. (2006). The night my sister went missing. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 978-0152047580

SUMMARY
Kurt and his sister, Casey, are having fun at a typical beach party in their tiny island community of Mystic. However, on this particular night, one of their friends brings a gun and the teens take turns passing it around while commenting how much it looks like a toy. Later that evening, the gun goes off, Casey falls off the edge of the pier and disappears. The police arrive and spend hours questioning the party-goers to determine who fired the gun, what was the motive and where Casey went. During their investigation, they uncover bitter rivalries and grudges between the families on the island, as well as a shocking conclusion of what really happened that evening.

MY IMPRESSIONS
This was an intense, mature book. In addition to crafting a taut mystery, Plum-Ucci weaves in a deft exploration of personalities within an insular community. She creates a believable cast of characters ranging from townies to outsiders, popular kids to scorned mothers. She also captures the ennui of senior year in high school, when Kurt and his friends stand on the cusp of the next phase of their life. He's grown weary of the judgment and emotional upheaval of high school, of the same-old-same-old drama and gossip from the same group of people he's hung out with for years. As the police force searches for Casey, Kurt inadvertently gets to listen in on the police chiefs questioning the attendees of the party. He learns more than he wanted to know about his friends and neighbors as they bend the truth, rehash old emotional wounds and make startling confessions on who they are and what they know.

Older teens, especially those who live in a smaller town or suburb, will enjoy this story. It is not a conventional mystery (especially since Casey doesn't die), but it is very interesting to "listen in" on the differing experiences of the same event through each of the character's eyes and to witness the shift in Kurt as he learns the truth about what happened before, during and after the gun went off on the pier. The Night My Sister Went Missing is not overly graphic and doesnt have foul language, but it does contain themes of incest, teen pregnancy and suicide. It is a potent novel that sticks with you long after you've finished the book and I highly recommend it.

ACTIVITIES
This book would be appropriate for a discussion with grades 9 to 12.
1. In what ways does the small community of Mystic deal with people who are perceived as outsiders?
2. Describe Kurt and how he changes from the beginning of the book to the end.
3. Have you ever felt guilty for something that happened to someone you knew, even if you weren't responsible? Why did you feel that way?
4. Give an example of when your opinion of someone else was proven to be false. What did you learn from that experience?
5. Is Stacy Kearney a sympathetic character? Why or why not? Were you surprised by the ending to the book?
6. Why do you think that Stacy was villainized by her friends and her community? Do you think they were justified?
7. Do you believe that the ghost of Kenny Fife played a part in Casey's survival? Why or why not?
8. Discuss the behavior of the Mystic Marvels at the funeral. Were they being honest in how they reacted?

In this book, there are different versions of the "truth" based on people's biases and histories. Write a short research paper on the reliability of witnesses and how memory isn't always correct.

Pair The Night My Sister Went Missing with The Body of Christopher Creed. Compare and contrast the victim, the narrator and the crime. What were the similarities between the two stories in terms of setting and community?

ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Finalist for Edgar Allan Poe Awards
Finalist for Mystery Writers of America

REVIEWS
"In classic crime-fiction style, Kurt pieces together the night, eavesdropping on statements, questioning key figures, and trying to make sense of Stacy's increasingly disturbing backstory--all the while questioning human nature, his friendships, and his post-high-school plans. Plum-Ucci struggles with pace early on, and her supporting characters are one-dimensional. While the mystery is engrossing and the dramatic ending satisfying, if overdone, it is Kurt's emotional growth that forms the heart of the story and has the most to offer readers. Fans of the author's novels or crime fiction in general will welcome this addition to the genre."
School Library Journal

"There's no doubt Plum-Ucci can tell a heck of a story. But there are chinks in the narrative's armor: characters tend to sound the same, and the one-way mirror in the station that enables Kurt to spy on the witnesses sticks out like the device that it is. Still, readers will be turning pages as new information is dispensed in each chapter, moving and changing the story in unexpected ways. They'll race to the ending and won't guess it until they get there."
Booklist, October 15, 2006, vol. 103(4), p. 41.

Journal topic 9: stereotypical roles in mystery and fantasy

In the mystery and fantasy modules, there were books that both followed and disregarded gender roles.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer is the obvious candidate for patriarchal, classic gender roles. Bella is pretty, shy and clumsy. Her main expressions of affection toward her father are cooking dinner and cleaning the house while he watches endless sporting events on TV or goes fishing. Enter Edward Cullen, local hottie and eternally 17 year-old vampire. Bella falls in love, shuns her friends, focuses all of her attentions on Edward and is ready to give up everything in her life--her family, her humanity--to be with him forever. Edward, meanwhile, is controlling and jealous. He sneaks into her room and watches her sleep. He constantly warns her that he's a breath away from killing her because she's the tastiest human he's ever encountered. Bitch magazine has a great feminist article bashing the books. They call the Twilight series "abstinence porn" and particularly rage against the conversion of Bella into a 1950's housewife in the fourth installment, Breaking Dawn. On one hand, these books are harmless and appealing. What teenage girl (or stressed out, unappreciated mom) doesn't wish for some rich, gorgeous, devoted man to swoop in and take care of her? It's a simple love story for fans of Jane Austin or Shakespeare. On the other hand, it reinforces all sorts of horrible stereotypes about men and women. A man is the most important thing in a woman's life. Girls shouldn't have sex before marriage. The best option for a woman is to get married and have a baby. It's okay for a guy to act like a creepy stalker and threaten your life as long as he's like Edward Cullen. (And, in the second book, New Moon, is this choice lesson: If your boyfriend dumps you, it's okay to sink into a deep, spiraling depression, emotionally manipulate your best friend, drop him like a hot potato when the ex attempts suicide in Italy, instantly forgive said ex after he barely apologizes for deserting you in the first place and continue to put yourself in danger because you love him. YUCK.) It's a book that's easy to either love or hate (or both). I have mixed feelings about Twilight. I like it and am a dedicated member of the fan fiction fandom. At the same time, I continually ask myself why I enjoy these books so much when their message is so sexist. It's also really hard to explain the events of the plot without being utterly horrified. (Especially when Edward chews open Bella's womb during the birth of their hybrid baby, Renesmee, or when Jacob imprints on newborn Renesmee. Double yuck.) As a parent or teacher, I would want to discuss the gender stereotypes for women in the books and make sure that girls know they have options other than marriage and children. Especially with all of the hype around the movies, it's easy for girls to think that Bella is a good role model or that her relationship with Edward is the ideal. (She's not and it's not.)

As a polar opposite, Maximum Ride by James Patterson and Narae Lee has strong, unconventional female characters. Max and her brood are genetically altered avian/human hybrids who escaped from their school/prison to attempt to have a normal life. When Erasers, lupine/human hybrids, attack the group and kidnap Angel, a young doe-eyed girl, Max and her friends unsuccessfully attempt to rescue her. Max is beautiful, but independent and strong. She fights for her "family", doesn't cook and is a respected leader. She's not romantically involved with anyone and there are no gratuitously sexual representations of her or the other female characters in the graphic novel. It was refreshing to see a female lead in this story--especially since it's a graphic novel. It can be so limiting for readers to assume that women need to behave or think in a certain way or that men always need to be the dominant ones. Maximum Ride offers a story with a teenage girl as the hero rather than just a victim who needs to be saved.

The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plum-Ucci is incredibly realistic but does veer toward stereotypical roles with its female characters in particular. While part of the behavior is based on living in a small town, most of the teenage girls are flirtatious, catty and shallow, engaging in petty jealousies over boys or starting rumors about each other. Casey is bolder--unafraid to go skydiving or mountain climbing. On more than one occasion she is described as beautiful and ditzy. It's tricky because this book is a great portrayal of how teens act in high school. There is pressure from friends to behave in a certain way. You are judged by your clique. It's an ongoing battle to fit in and be cool. I think most readers would respond to this book and to Kurt, the narrator. But it doesn't offer up any good strong unconventional characters of either sex.

Skullduggery by Peter Hautman and Mary Logue is a mixed bag. Roni is smart and sassy. She names her Vespa scooter after Hillary Clinton. She's an investigative reporter for her school newspaper. She's an equal partner in the crime solving duo. At the same time, she spends most of her time in class drooling over cute Eric Bloodwater. She's on a diet. She doesn't always assert herself around her male peers. Boys aren't exempt from stereotypes in this story either. Eric is good looking but dumb while Brian is the unattractive nerd. There aren't any non-traditional male roles in this book, although it's nice that the smart, nerdy guy is the lead rather than the cute, popular jock. However, despite any tendencies toward cliches, Roni and Brian make a great team as friends and crime solvers. Intelligence is valued and they both can take control of the situation. This allows readers to see both females and males as leaders and heroes.

Week Eight: Fantasy and Science Fiction #2: Life As We Knew It

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (cover image from Amazon.com)

Bibliography: Pfeffer, S. B. (2006). Life as we knew it. Boston, MA: Harcourt Children's Books. ISBN: 978-0152058265

SUMMARY
Miranda, a high school sophomore, is a typical teen. In her journal, she writes about her friends, boys and the upcoming school dance, barely mentioning the news reports that a meteor is hurtling its way toward the moon. Much to the dismay of everyone on the planet, the meteor knocks the moon off of its orbit, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural disasters and wiping out hundreds of thousands of people. Miranda and her family scramble for supplies and attempt to stay safe and alive during the coming months. She continues to write in her journal, commenting on how her town copies with the disaster and her own growing frustration as they run out of food, water and compassion for the people around them, despite trying to live as "normally" as possible.

MY IMPRESSIONS
I'm a big fan of dystopian stories, so I liked Life As We Knew It. Pfeffer creates a believable narrator in Miranda, who is initially more concerned about school homework than a potential cataclysmic disaster. Like a young adult with limited perspective and experience, when it finally occurs, Miranda focuses on her annoyance at the inconveniences of food, lack of electricity and unreliable telephone communication instead of on the rising death toll and potential risk for her and her family. While sometimes frustrated at her lack of big-picture vision, Miranda's take is more realistic of how life would be should a catastrophic event happen on the planet (which, by the way, makes me think of this.) It would be nearly impossible to find out for sure what was happening across the world or get in touch with relatives outside the city. Daily life would shrink down to here and now. The small pleasures, like pancakes or the chance to swim with a friend, would seem like great rewards in the face of rationing, uncertainty and lack. Pfeffer captures the anxiety, panic and passivity of Miranda's family as they try to cope with their new reality. It's fascinating and heart breaking to read the story as Miranda is forced to grow up quickly and make decisions that can save (or endanger) her family, like when the kitchen stove gets wet and starts spewing out smoke while her family is sick with the flu.

While this book is serious and deals with life or death matters, it offers a chance for readers to reflect on how they would react in a similar situation. The ending is slightly unresolved, which is fitting given the plot of the story. Miranda and her family overcome numerous obstacles and change dramatically by the end of the book. Overall, a very engaging and enjoyable read.

ACTIVITIES
This book would be appropriate for a discussion with grades 7 to 12, mostly due to the adult themes.
1. In what ways did Miranda's mother improve their ability to survive the aftereffects of the meteor strike?
2. How would you have reacted if you heard that a meteor was going to strike the moon? Why do you think Miranda reacted the way that she did?
3. If a major disaster struck the Earth, where would you go to escape and why? Who would you bring with you?
4. Name the five most important things you'd want to have with you to stay alive and stay sane if you were Miranda.
5. How did Miranda's friendship with Megan change after the disaster?
6. What did you think of the ending of the book? What do you think will happen to Miranda and her family?

2007 Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book
2007 YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
Booklist Editor's Choice for 2006: Older Readers Category
2006 Junior Library Guild Premier Selection
Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice
Rhode Island Teen Book Award

REVIEWS
"Pfeffer tones down the terror, but otherwise crafts a frighteningly plausible account of the local effects of a near-future worldwide catastrophe. The prospect of an asteroid hitting the Moon is just a mildly interesting news item to Pennsylvania teenager Miranda, for whom a date for the prom and the personality changes in her born-again friend, Megan, are more immediate concerns. Her priorities undergo a radical change, however, when that collision shifts the Moon into a closer orbit, causing violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, millions of deaths, and an upsurge in volcanism. Thanks to frantic preparations by her quick-thinking mother, Miranda's family is in better shape than many as utilities and public services break down in stages, wild storms bring extremes of temperature, and outbreaks of disease turn the hospital into a dead zone. In Miranda's day-by-day journal entries, however, Pfeffer keeps nearly all of the death and explicit violence offstage, focusing instead on the stresses of spending months huddled in increasingly confined quarters, watching supplies dwindle, and wondering whether there will be any future to make the effort worthwhile. The author provides a glimmer of hope at the end, but readers will still be left stunned and thoughtful."–John Peters, New York Public Library from School Library Journal

"...Miranda's world is literally ripped apart when an asteroid hits the moon, shifts it from its orbit and throws the earth into chaos. The story, told through a series of entries in Miranda's journal, chronicles the heroine's and her family's efforts to survive in a world where staying warm and having enough to eat and drink becomes the day-to-day priority. [Pfeffer] skillfully captures Miranda's adolescent angst with all its emotional highs and lows."
Publishers Weekly, December 11, 2006

Week Eight: Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson, Mary E. (Cover image from Amazon.com)

Bibliography: Pearson, M. E. (2008). The adoration of Jenna Fox. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 978-085076684

SUMMARY
After being in a year-long coma, seventeen year old Jenna Fox wakes up with no memory of herself, her parents or her friends. She slowly regains the memories of who she was before the terrible car accident that killed her two best friends and nearly ended her own life. However, she also learns the truth about her miraculous recovery and the lengths her parents went to in order to save her. Jenna struggles to reconcile her past and current selves and she must also decide what (and how much) truly makes a person human.

MY IMPRESSIONS
This book was highly addictive and extremely well-written. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is an unconventional fantasy, and the plot would appeal to those who claim to dislike this genre. The boundaries of science--cloning, face transplants, genetic engineering--are realities in today's world, and this book asks some of the hard questions about this technology. What makes a human? Is it the brain? The heart? The soul? Is it a percentage of viable tissue? Or is it something else entirely? Pearson uses Jenna's amnesia to ensnare readers into the story and we find out together what happened that fateful evening when the car crashed and burned, before Jenna became more synthetic material than flesh and bone.

Jenna is a strong, interesting and captivating character. She also serves as an adept narrator as the reader slowly pieces together Jenna's situation and the high stakes of her new life. Pearson also creates a heart-breakingly realistic relationship between Jenna and her parents. I could feel their suffocating love and attention toward Jenna as they endlessly videotaped her entire childhood. I empathized with Jenna as she crumbled under the pressure to perform, to achieve, to be worthy of their almost painful devotion. I also loved the initial distance between her and her grandmother, Lily, and how they forged a new relationship in the aftermath of her parent's medical and scientific intervention. This new Jenna is stronger and more fearful, smarter and yet more innocent than the old Jenna. This lush, poetic novel is an excellent read, with a host of believable characters and a tense, dramatic ending.

ACTIVITIES
This book would be appropriate for a discussion with grades 8 to 12.
1. What do you think of Jenna's parent's decision to save Jenna's life? Can you understand why they made that choice? How did you feel when Allys's parents showed up at the end of the book? Were you surprised at the ending?
2. Do you think there should be limits to science? If so, where do you draw the line? Genetic engineering? Organ transplants? Who should make those decisions of how far science can go to save human lives?
3. What did you think of the grey pages interspersed throughout the book? How were they different than the normal chapters?
4. When do you think this story takes place? Do you think that Jenna's situation could become a reality given the advances in technology?
5. Why do you think Jenna tells Ethan the truth about the accident?
6. What is the significance of the title of this book?
7. How has Jenna and Lily's relationship changed after the accident?
8. Who do you think vandalized Mr. Bender's garage? Why?
9. Why did Jenna destroy the backups of herself, Kara and Locke? Would you have made the same decision? Why or why not?

2008 School Library Journal Best Books
2008 Lone Star Reading List
2008 Texas Tayshas High School Reading List
Locus Magazine 2008 Recommended Read
Never Jam Today Best of 2008
2009 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
VOYA Top Shelf Fiction 2008
Booklist 2009 Amazing Audiobooks
Kirkus Best Young Adult Books of 2008
Cynsational Books of 2008
Not Your Mother's Faves 2008
IndieBound "Top Ten" Summer 2008 Pick
2009 South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Master List
2009 Andre Norton Award Finalist
2009 Capitol Choices for Teens
2008 Golden Kite Honor Award
Librarians' Choices 2008
Rhode Island Teen Book Award Master List
Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award Master List
2010 Maine Student Book Award Master List
2010 Kentucky Book Award Master List

REVIEWS
"Jenna can remember nothing of her past as she emerges from a long coma, but pieces of her memory begin to return as she recuperates, leading her to question her family's sudden move, the strained relationship between her parents and her grandmother, and their incomplete, evasive answers about her accident. Jenna's memory loss is a cleverly effective way for Pearson to generate suspense and dispense information, and as it becomes apparent that the novel is set in a future with advanced biomedical technology, nearly every character must wrestle with the attendant ethical implications. Recalling Peter Dickinson's Eva and Monica Hughes's Keeper of the Isis Light, this provocative exploration of bioethics is heightened by the portrait of a family under enormous stress and the subtle thematic threads of faith and science woven through the story, making this a thriller with uncharacteristic literary merit."
The Horn Book Magazine, May-June 2008 v84 i3 p325(1)

"Pearson has constructed a gripping, believable vision of a future dystopia. She explores issues surrounding scientific ethics, the power of science, and the nature of the soul with grace, poetry, and an apt sense of drama and suspense. Some of the supporting characters are a bit underdeveloped, but Jenna herself is complex, interesting, and very real. This is a beautiful blend of science fiction, medical thriller, and teen-relationship novel that melds into a seamless whole that will please fans of all three genres."
School Library Journal, May 2008 v54 i5 p136(1)

Week Seven: Realistic Fiction for Young Adults: The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things

THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS by Carolyn Mackler (Cover image from LibraryThing)

Bibliography: Mackler, C. (2003). The Earth, my butt, and other round things. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick. ISBN: 978-0763619589

SUMMARY
Virginia, a fifteen year old "average" girl, struggles with body image, fitting in, coping with the move of her best friend and wanting a boyfriend. Her parents try to encourage her, but in ways that make her feel worse about herself or that their love is based on how she looks rather than who she is. When she finds out that her seemingly perfect older brother has date raped a girl from college and is suspended from school, she finally gains the courage to become her own person, rather than the person everyone else wants her to be.

MY IMPRESSIONS
I really, really enjoyed this book. As a longtime fan of fiction where the protagonist is an overweight girl struggling with self esteem and finding love, this one fits in with the likes of Paula Danziger's The Cat Ate My Gymsuit or There's a Bat in Bunk Five. Virginia is a believable, well-written character and it's hard not to root for her. It's hard to feel like an outsider in your own family because you're not thin enough or smart enough or popular enough. While it's sometimes awkward and painful to read about the sexual fumblings between Virginia and Froggy, it's a frank and realistic portrayal of the weirdly competitive pressure to have sex in high school. Mackler also does a great job of creating a dysfunctional family--a child psychologist who lectures on understanding teens but who barely even knows her own kids, a father who breeds body issues by constantly praising rail thin women, a feminist daughter fed up with her mother who moves off to Europe, a golden boy brother whose life crashes after he rapes a classmate and Virginia--insecure, mercurial, emotional and frustrating. Both the absence of her best friend and her brother's date rape serve as catalysts for Virginia's own personal growth. She finally sees her own self worth and how much she's hidden herself under who she's supposed to be rather than her true self.

While the tidy happy ending was nice, I found it slightly disappointing and unrealistic. I also wish the date rape could have been dealt with in more detail (I was surprised at how friendly and chatty the victim was when Virginia showed up at her dorm room unexpectedly) and that Mackler would have explored the darker parts of body loathing in more depth. It's not something you suddenly snap out of after years of viewing your body as the enemy just because you get a boyfriend or stand up to your parents. Still, it's a highly enjoyable read.

ACTIVITIES
This book would be appropriate for a discussion with grades 8 to 12, especially due to the sexual content, language and adult themes.

Pair The Earth, My Butt and Other Round Things with K. L. Going's Fat Kid Rules the World. Both live in New York, both deal with parents who unsuccessfully try to "help" them, both struggle with making friends and finding a place in high school. Do people judge males differently than females in terms of size and appearance? How are body image and size similar and different for Virginia and Troy? How do each of them deal with these issues? Compare the endings of both books--what do you think happens next for Virginia and Troy?

Both self-mutilation and date rape are dealt with in this book. Discuss other YA novels like Patricia McCormicks' Cut or Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. Compare and contrast the characters from these books with those in The Earth, My Butt and Other Round Things.

Michael L. Printz Honor Book
An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
A YALSA Teens' Top Ten Book
Publishers Weekly Cuffie Award winner for Best Book Title
A Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Honor Book
An International Reading Association's Young Adults' Choice
2006 Volunteer State Book Award
An Amelia Bloomer Project Selection
A Pennsylvania School Librarians Association YA Top Forty Fiction Titles

REVIEWS
"Fifteen-year-old Viriginia Shreves is the blond, round, average daughter in a family of dark-haired, thin superstars. Her best friend has moved away, and she's on the fringes at her private Manhattan school. She wants a boyfriend, but she settles for Froggy Welsh, who comes over on Mondays to grope her. The story follows Virginia as she tries to lose weight, struggles with her 'imperfections,' and deals with the knowledge that her idealized older brother has committed date rape. There's a lot going on here, and some important elements, such as Virginia's flirtation with self-mutilation, are passed over too quickly. But Mackler writes with such insight and humor (sometimes using strong language to make her point) that many readers will immediately identify with Virginia's longings as well as her fear and loathing. Her gradually evolving ability to stand up to her family is hard won and not always believable, but it provides a hopeful ending for those trying stand on their own two feet."
Ilene Cooper, American Library Association, from Booklist

"Feeling like she does not fit in with the other members of her family, who are all thin, brilliant and good-looking, fifteen-year-old Virginia tries to deal with her self-image, her first physical relationship and her disillusionment with some of the people closest to her."
S. Ruth Lubka from Book Review Digest via FirstSearch

Week Seven: Realistic fiction for young adults: Stargirl

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
(cover image from Amazon.com)

Bibliography: Spinelli, J. (2000). Stargirl. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 978-0375822339

SUMMARY
Leo is shocked by and curious about a new student at Mica High School: Stargirl Caraway. She seems immune to the judgment and scorn of her classmates when she shows up in outrageous costumes, sings "Happy Birthday" to her peers while playing the ukelele, or bringing her pet rat to class. As Leo wrestles between wanting to fit in with his peers and falling in love with Stargirl, he watches the changing tide of Stargirl's popularity. She shifts from alien species to most popular girl and cheerleader. However, after a disastrous appearance on The Hot Seat, the student-run TV show, and the school's defeat at the basketball championship, Stargirl becomes a shunned pariah. When Leo realizes that he shouldn't ask Stargirl to stifle her personality just to please him and her classmates, it's too late. She disappears after the school dance, never to be seen again. The book is a lesson about self-discovery and the fickleness of popularity.

MY IMPRESSIONS
I ADORED Stargirl and inhaled it in a few hours. I wanted to go back in time and BE Stargirl. It captured everything about high school and beyond perfectly--the powerful urge to conform, the difficult struggle to be yourself at all costs, the lasting effects of someone who challenged your view of the world, and the sweet and poignant moments of teenage friendship and romance. Spinelli's vivid, evocative language set the mood of the book and help portray the depth of emotion that Leo feels toward Stargirl. He also includes foreshadowing and symbolism to alert readers that Stargirl's popularity will be short lived. So on one hand, it's no surprise that Stargirl is extremely popular. It's a standard teen book about the trials and tribulations of high school. Spinelli uses a universal theme--conformity--and credible characters to show the reality of rocking the status quo. Readers will empathize with both Leo and Stargirl. However, they will also understand that while ignoring public opinion may be important and empowering, there's usually a high price to pay for being different.

On the other hand, it's a heart-breaking novel for adults, a memoir of life lessons and lost chances by a narrator looking back at how monumentally Stargirl changed his life. Stargirl's innocence is exaggerated to the point of allegory, making her an even bigger target for ridicule. Many times she's written as impossibly idealized and selfless. It is also implausible that a junior in high school would ever write such romantic, overwrought prose for a girl. I often thought the book was written for adults like me, who wished for a do-over in high school, rather than a young adult, especially since the story was filtered through a grown up Leo, remembering his teenage years with Stargirl with wistful nostalgia and bittersweet regret.

After my first rushed devouring, I read it a second time aloud to my husband. (Note: my husband is a man continually haunted by things he said in high school, even though he's 36 years old.) As we moved through the story, he cringed and groaned, finally hissing, "I hate Leo." "Why?" I asked. "Because that was me in high school. He's going to do something bad to Stargirl." Clearly, the book well-written enough to conjure a visceral reaction from readers (young and old!) who are either angry at Leo's desperate attempts to fit in or understanding of them. Likewise, I suspect most readers wish they had more Stargirl in themselves and could ignore the opinion of others more easily. While I truly enjoyed this book, Stargirl is not a great audio experience. The sentences are choppy and don't always flow when reading aloud.

2000 Best Book of the Year (Publisher's Weekly)
2000 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner
2000 ALA Top Ten Best Books Award
New York Times Bestseller
2001 Best Books for Young Adults (Booklist)

ACTIVITIES
This book would be a great selection for a book discussion in grades 5-8. Questions could include:
1. How do you feel about Leo's desire to conform in high school? Is being popular important? Do you think it was fair for Leo to ask Stargirl to change and act more "normal"? Why or why not?
2. Do you believe that Stargirl is a believable character? Have you ever met anyone like her? If you were a student at Mica High School, how would you react to Stargirl? Would you avoid her? Be friends with her? Make fun of her?
3. Was Leo a good boyfriend? Which version of Stargirl do you think he liked the best: Stargirl or Susan?
4. Why do you think everyone turned against Stargirl after the basketball tournament? Do you think Stargirl was wrong to cheer for the opposing team?
5. Was it fair for Leo to invite Stargirl on the Hot Seat? Why do you think her classmates acted the way that they did toward her?
6. What do you think Leo learned from Stargirl? From Archie?
7. Why do you think Hillari Kimble reacted so strongly to Stargirl?
8. Have you ever wanted to reinvent yourself? Think of some celebrities who have tried to create a new persona. Were they successful? Did your opinion of them change?
9. Do you think that a person's name can define who they are as a person? If you could choose, would you use a different name? If so, would you act differently because of it?
10. Were you surprised that Stargirl went to the school dance? How do you feel about her classmates reactions to her? Why do you think they acted the way that they did?
11. Why do you think Stargirl left without saying goodbye to Leo? Do you think her experiences at Mica High School would change her behavior at her next school? Why or why not?

REVIEWS
"Sixteen-year-old Leo recounts Stargirl’s sojourn at Mica High in an allegorical story that is engagingly written but overreaches. Everyone notices Stargirl when she comes to school. She wears a granny gown, strums a ukulele, and sings 'Happy Birthday' to kids in the cafeteria. She also carries around a pet rat. Her classmates veer between ignoring her and being discreetly fascinated by her weirdness--dancing when there’s no music, speaking in class of trolls and stars. Slowly, Stargirl attracts a following, especially after she gives a spellbinding speech in an oratorical contest and singlehandly stirs up school spirit. But her intense popularity is short-lived as, predictably, the teens turn on her. Leo is attracted by Stargirl and her penchant for good works. But just about the time they get together, the rest of the school is shunning her, and to his confusion and despair, Leo eventually turns his back on Stargirl, too. Spinelli firmly captures the high-school milieu, here heightened by the physical and spiritual barrenness of an Arizona location, a new town where people come to work for technology companies and the school team is called the Electrons. Dialogue, plot, and supporting cast are strong: the problem here is Stargirl herself. She may have been homeschooled, may not have seen much TV, but despite her name, she has lived on planet earth for 15 years, and her naivete is overplayed and annoying. That she has not noticed she is being shunned is unbelievable, and, at times, readers may feel more sympathy for the bourgeois teens than the earnest, kind, magical Stargirl."
Ilene Cooper from Booklist Online (Reviewed June 1 & 15, 2000)

"Unconventional behavior is one way of getting attention, that's for sure. But Stargirl Caraway is not acting–she really does have a pet rat, loves her ukulele, and wears weird clothes. Mica High is a place where being normal is cherished, and being different is cause for alarm. Her wish for happiness is almost contagious, until peer pressure causes her conformist friends to abandon her. Spinelli presents an inspiring free spirit who will encourage many a misfit to endure the gauntlet of adolescence."
School Library Journal

Journal topic 6: Problems and resolutions in three books

Look at the "problem" the protagonists had to face in each of the three novels that you read for this module. What were they? Were they the type of problems that children or young adults might have to face? How was the problem handled? Was it handled realistically--even if the problem was rather improbable? What can be the value of "problem novels" for young readers?

In Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos, Joey faced a multitude of problems. His father deserted him as a baby and his mother took off to find his dad, leaving Joey in the care of his ill-equipped grandmother. Because of her own mental issues, she verbally and emotionally abused him. Their house was a disaster area, filled with broken furniture, piles of messes and not enough healthy foods. When his mother returned, she tried hard to make a better life for them, but Joey's ADHD was such a challenge that it was difficult to rein him in. She could only afford the cheaper drugs, so midway through the day Joey's behavioral problems would disrupt the class. Teachers spent more time punishing him than teaching him. After an accident with another classmate, Joey was sent to a rehab/special ed school for six weeks. There he learned ways to deal with his feelings. His meds were regulated. The teachers understood his ADHD and empowered him to change his outlook and behavior. They also tried to intervene with his mother and encourage her to make changes in her life, which in turn would improve Joey's situation.
The book was incredibly realistic. As Joey narrated the story, readers could experience the frenetic, distracting and exhausting experience of having ADHD. We sympathized with Joey's sad family life and with his mother, who was doing the best she could being with her limited resources. None of the characters were perfect. Like real life, they were all flawed and complicated. The value of novels like this is that readers who might have ADHD or dysfunctional home can see representations of their own messy lives. They can read about someone who overcomes overwhelming obstacles and still tries, even when he makes mistakes. They can learn that although life is hard, there are people out there who can help. Parents and teachers who might not understand ADHD can gain a better understanding of what the kid is going through--and perhaps have a little more patience with him/her.

Alvin, in Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Distasters by Lenore Look, is a scaredy cat. He's afraid of everything and it limits his life and experiences. Other kids tease him. He feels physically sick when fear overtakes him. His father wants to go camping with him, but the notion gives him a panic attack. Alvin finally joins his dad and sister on a camping trip. Although they get into trouble--Alvin and his sister sneak his dad's credit card to buy a bunch of special camping supplies, the dad forgets the food and accidentally steps into Alvin's trap, it rains--Alvin meets another kid like him, who is also afraid of camping. He survives the evening and actually has fun, while learning that he can conquer his fears.

While the problem was exaggerated to extremes and was handled humorously rather than realistically, kids would still enjoy this book. Some children are meek and terrified of unfamiliar experiences and people. By reading about Alvin and his adventures, they can perhaps be more willing to try something new. It's also great to have a fun and engaging Asian character in young adult books. Asian kids can then see themselves as protagonists or as normal characters in books, rather than as the token minority.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen tells a story that few readers will experience in real life. Brian is already reeling from his parents' divorce (caused by his mother's infidelity), when the pilot of his plane dies of a heart attack. Brian must fly the plane, figure out how to land it without crashing, and survive in the wilderness with just a hatchet after living in the city his entire life. He faces immense obstacles--ignorance of the environment, swarms of mosquitoes, starvation, lack of shelter, lack of supplies, fear and self-pity, extreme weather and tornadoes, moose attacks, injury. Paulsen writes Brian as a very believable character, who makes mistakes and learns lessons as he goes. It's an incredible story of maturity and manhood that will appeal to male and female readers of all ages.

While readers will not have to fight for survival like Brian does, he does impart lessons that apply to "normal" life. He gives a message of self-reliance and tough hope--that even when forced into an extreme situation with almost no resources--there are still ways to survive. It's also possible to find humor and joy in the most heart-breaking situations. Life is fragile. People can live with the bare necessities--food, shelter, water and feel satisfied. Our modern existence is far removed from that of the animals, plants and rhythms of nature. Sometimes bad things happen for no reason. Finally, it also asks readers to contemplate if they would have enough tenacity and knowledge to handle a situation like Brian's.

Week Six: Realistic Fiction for younger readers: Hatchet

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (cover image from Amazon.com)

Bibliography: Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN: 978-1416936473

SUMMARY
After his parents' divorce, Brian Robeson is headed toward the Canadian wilderness to visit his father. When the pilot suffers a heart attack and dies, Brian crash lands the single engine plane. Stranded in the woods with nothing but the clothes on his back and a hatchet from his mother, he struggles to survive. He must find food and shelter, defend himself from animals and bugs, learn to make fire, and maintain his determination and courage to stay alive for fifty-four days, even when the chances of rescue grow slimmer as time passes.

MY IMPRESSIONS
Hatchet was phenomenal! I'd never heard of the book, but once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. Initially, it seemed like it was geared toward older readers. Although Brian is only thirteen, he's dealing with the emotionally difficult divorce of his parents. He discovered his mother's affair and knew that she was secretly seeing this other man once a week prior to the divorce. There are also hints that Brian learned that his father is not actually his birth father ("Dad, he thought. Not 'my father.' My Dad.") Brian also seems amazingly mature for a thirteen year old in the face of danger. But much of that maturity could come from the terrifying, heart-wrenching experiences of witnessing someone die in front of him, flying the plane and somehow surviving the crash, and depending on only himself to stay alive.

This book would be perfect for young boys (and girls as well). The action starts immediately--by page two, readers know that in addition to the divorce, something else is going on between Brian and his parents. By page ten, the pilot is having the heart attack. From there, the tension and drama doesn't stop until the last page of the book. It's not all heart-thumping excitement--there are quiet, sad, tender moments when Brian battles fear, loneliness, exhaustion and self-pity. These are even more powerful, to me, then the mosquitoes, the tornado or the moose attack because the battle is inside of Brian's head. He's got to find the will to keep fighting, to figure out solutions with limited resources, to understand his environment and himself well enough to survive. Paulsen creates a believable, compelling character in Brian and sets up a harrowing scenario for his rite of passage to manhood. The text is complex thematically yet simple at the same time. It is ripe with lessons for readers about our place in nature, the fragility of life, the power of hope, and self-reliance. Even though Brian's life isn't something that readers would ever experience, they can still utilize his lessons. He's a memorable character with an inspiring story. (And in the off chance that a reader does survive a plane crash in the woods, they'll know some helpful hints from Brian's mistakes and successes. Hopefully they'll have a hatchet, too.)

1988 Newbery Honor Book
1987 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
1987 ALA Notable Children's Book
1988 Booklist Editors' Choice
1989 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
1991 Georgia Children's Book Awards
1990 Iowa Children's Choice Award and Iowa Teen Award
1990 William Allen White Children's Book Award
1001 Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award
1990 Flicker Tale Children's Book Award
1991 Ohio Buckeye Children's Book Awards
1990 Sequoyah Children and YA Book Awards
1990 Virginia Young Readers Program
1989 Golden Archer Little Archer Award
A Notable Children's Book in the Field of Social Sciences

ACTIVITIES
This book would be a great selection for a discussion in grades 5-8. Questions could include:
1. Were you surprised by any of Brian's decisions or actions after the crash? Would you have thought of similar ways to make a fire, find food or make a shelter?
2. Discuss examples of how Brian was saved by the Hatchet. Did you feel that the hatchet became a character in the book? Do you think that Brian would have survived if he hadn't recovered the hatchet from the bottom of the lake? Why or why not?
3. What were the differences between the Old Brian and the New Brian? How did he change from the beginning of the book to the ending?
4. How long do you think Brian could have survived in the woods if he hadn't found the emergency transmitter?
5. How do you think Brian will handle being back to his "normal" life? Do you think he will treat his mother differently? His father?
6. If you were Brian and lost in the woods, make a list of the five items you would want to have with you to survive.
7. How would you have reacted to the situation in the airplane? Would you have behaved differently than Brian did? If so, how?

View an episode of "Man vs. Wild" TV show or Cast Away with Tom Hanks. Compare and contrast these characters with Brian.

Partner with a local boy scout or girl scout troupe. Discuss safety procedures and strategies for surviving in the woods. Camp at a nearby campsite or national forest.

Present non-fiction materials on plants and animals from the Canadian wilderness. Discuss their eating and hunting habits, life span or characteristics.

Present information on aeronautics. Discuss the history of flight, the development of safety regulations and differences between single engine planes and commercial airlines.

Draw a comic version of this story. Find artistic and dramatic ways to present the plot and characters. For those who don't like to draw, write a brief scene from the viewpoint of another character in the story (Brian's mother or father, the pilot, the moose, the hatchet, etc.).

REVIEWS
From his white-knuckle cockpit experience, he plunges into the intense reality of trying to survive. Fingering the hatchet, he realizes, 'Right now I’m all I’ve got. I have to do something.' What follows is a riveting account of his 54 days in the wilderness; dirty, starving, lonely, weeping self-pitying tears, he finally learns the most important rule of survival—feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t work: 'When he sat alone in the darkness and cried and was done, was all done with it, nothing had changed.' Readers may wince as Paulsen’s drama unfolds: as night blends into gray false dawn, the grip of the pacing never falters. Brian learns that while smiling at the humor of a funny mistake, he could find himself looking at death; learns that the driving influence in nature is to eat; learns to be full of tough hope. After a tornado ravages his campsite—destroying every fragment of his microcosm of civilization—he’s back to square one, with nothing left but the hatchet and what he learned about himself. Classic action-adventure fiction."
From BooklistOnline

"Since it was first published in 1987, the story of thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson's survival following a plane crash has become a modern classic."
Bowker's Books in Print