THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 Instructions for Authors T ◆ H ◆ E ALAN ABOUT THE ALAN REVIEW. The ALAN Review is a peer-reviewed (refereed) journal published by the Assembly on REVIEW Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English. It is devoted solely to the field of literature for adolescents. It is published three times per academic year (fall, winter, and spring) and is sent to all members, individual Co-editors James Blasingame, Arizona State University and institutional, of ALAN (The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE). Members of ALAN need not be mem- Lori Atkins Goodson, bers of NCTE. Wamego Middle School, THE ALAN REVIEW publishes reviews of and articles on literature for adolescents and the teaching of that literature: Wamego, Kansas research studies, papers presented at professional meetings, surveys of the literature, critiques of the literature, articles [email protected] [email protected] about authors, comparative studies across genre and/or cultures, articles on ways to teach the literature to adolescents, YA Book Review Editor Lori Atkins Goodson and interviews of authors. Middle School Claudia Katz, National Louis AUDIENCE. Many of the individual members of ALAN are classroom teachers of English in middle, junior, and senior Connection Editor University high schools. Other readers include university faculty members in English and/or Education programs, researchers in High School Kay Smith, Utah the field of adolescent literature, librarians, authors, publishers, reading teachers and teachers of other related content Connection Editor Valley State College areas. ALAN has members in all 50 states and a number of foreign countries. Research Connection Jeffrey S. Kaplan, University PREFERRED STYLE. Manuscripts should usually be no longer than fifteen double-spaced, typed pages. A manuscript Editor of Central Florida submitted for consideration should deal specifically with literature for adolescents and/or the teaching of that literature. Publishers Connection M. Jerry Weiss, Jersey City It should have a clearly defined topic and be scholarly in content, as well as practical and useful to people working Editor State College, Emeritus with and/or studying adolescents and their literature. Research studies and papers should be treated as articles rather Professional Resource William Broz, than formal reports. Stereotyping on the basis of sex, race, age, etc., should be avoided, as should gender-specific Connection Editor University of Northern Iowa terms such as “chairman.” Library Connection Diane P. Tuccillo, Mesa Public MANUSCRIPT FORMAT. Manuscripts should be double-spaced throughout, including quotations and bibliographies. Editor Library, Mesa, Arizona A title page with author’s name, affiliation, address, and a short professional biographical sketch should be included. Non Print YAL Jean Brown, Rhode Island The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript pages; however, pages should be numbered. Short quotations, Connection Editor College as permitted under “fair use” in the copyright law, must be carefully documented within the manuscript and in the bibliography. Longer quotations and complete poems or short stories must be accompanied by written permission of Editorial Review Board the copyright owner. Lawrence Baines, University of Toledo Katherine Barr, San Francisco, California Author interviews should be accompanied by written permission of the interviewed author to publish the interview Kylene Beers, University of Houston in The ALAN Review. Interviewers should indicate to authors that publication is subject to review of an editorial board. Jean Borren, Northern Arizona University The title of The ALAN Review should not be used to gain an interview. Cynthia A. Bowman, Columbus, Ohio Linda Broughton, University of South Alabama Original short tables and figures should be double-spaced and placed on a separate sheet at the end of the Jean E. Brown, Warwick, Rhode Island manuscript. Notations should appear in the text for proper placement of tables and figures. John “Jack” Bushman, University of Kansas Michael Cart, Chico, California The ALAN Review prefers the use of the Publications Manual of the Modern Language Association (MLA). Melissa Comer, Cumberland College A 3 1/2-inch IBM compatible disk in a recent version of Word format must accompany all manuscripts. Disks must be Chris Crowe, Brigham Young University clearly labeled with author’s name, manuscript title, disk format, and file title. Pat Daniel, University of South Florida Kevin Dupree, University of Southern Mississippi SUBMITTING THE MANUSCRIPT. Send three clear copies and a disk of the manuscript to: Joan Elliot, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Dr. James Blasingame, Co-Editor, The ALAN Review, Department of English/English Education, college of Liberal Arts Bonnie Ericson, California State University at Northridge and Sciences, P.O. box 870302, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-0302. Ted Fabiano, Blue Valley Northwest High School Karen Ford, Ball State University Include a self-addressed stamped envelope to which return stamps are clipped. The manuscript cannot be returned if Nena Foster-Pritchard, North Olmsted High School, Ohio the envelope and stamps are not included. Articles submitted only by facsimile or e-mail cannot be considered, except Marshall George, Fordham University when sent from overseas. Wendy Glenn, University of Connecticut REVIEW PROCESS. Each manuscript will receive a blind review by the editor and at least two members of the Gail P. Gregg, Florida International University Robin Denise Groce, Mississippi State University editorial review board, unless the length, style, or content makes it inappropriate for publication. Usually, authors Kay Bushman Haas, Ottawa, Kansas should expect to hear the results within eight weeks. Manuscripts are judged for the contribution they make to the Kathy Headley, Clemson University field of adolescent literature, clarity and cohesiveness, timeliness, and freshness of approach. Selection also depends Sarah Herz, Westport, Connecticut on the manuscript’s contribution to the overall balance of the journal. Ted Hipple, University of Tennessee Rita Karr, Oklahoma Road Middle School, Maryland PUBLICATION OF ARTICLES. The ALAN Review assumes that accepted manuscripts have not been published previ- Joan Kaywell, University of South Florida ously in any other journals and/or books, nor will they be published subsequently without permission of The ALAN Review. Kathryn Kelly, Radford University Should the author submit the manuscript to more than one publication, he/she should notify The ALAN Review. If a Patricia P. Kelly, Virginia Tech submitted or accepted manuscript is accepted by another publication prior to publication in The ALAN Review, the Daphne Key, Papillon, Nebraska author should immediately withdraw the manuscript from publication in The ALAN Review. Teri S. Lesesne, Sam Houston State University Terry C. Ley, Auburn University, Emeritus Manuscripts that are accepted may be edited for clarity, accuracy, readability, and publication style. Rob Lockhart, Morehead State University Upon publication, the author will receive two copies of The ALAN Review in which the article appears. Publication usually Caroline McKinney, University of Colorado at Boulder occurs within 18 months of acceptance. Arlene Harris Mitchell, University of Cincinnati William R. Mollineaux, Sedgwick Middle School, Connecticut DEADLINES. Please observe these deadlines if you wish to have your article considered for a particular Elizabeth Poe, University of West Virginia issue of The ALAN Review. Suzanne Reid, Emory and Henry College FALL ISSUE Deadline: JULY 15 Gary Salvner, Youngstown State University WINTER ISSUE Deadline: OCTOBER 15 Barbara G. Samuels, University of Houston at Clear Lake John S. Simmons, Florida State University, Emeritus SPRING ISSUE Deadline: MARCH 15 Robert C. Small, Radford University Cover credits: The ALAN Review cover was designed by Holly Kelly. Credit lines for individual book jackets as follows: Elaine C. Stephens, Michigan Barbara Stover, Chatfield Senior High School FEED. Copyright © 2002 by M.T. Anderson. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Inc. Cambridge MA. FAERIE WARS Lois Stover, St. Mary’s College of Maryland by Herbie Brennan. Copyright 2003. Jacket Design by Lizzy Bromley. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Bloomsbury USA Alan Teasley, Durham, North Carolina Children’s Books. STRAVAGANZA: CITY OF STARS. by Mary Hoffman. Copyright © 2003. Jacket design by Ian Butterworth. Jacket illustration by Carol Lawson. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books. THE SHAKESPEARE STEALER by Gary Mary Ann Tighe, Troy State University Blackwood. Cover illustration copyright © 2000 by Greg Call. Used by permission of Puffin Books, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Ellis Vance, Fresno County Office of Education Group, A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014. All rights reserved. Jacket illustration copyright © Elizabeth Watts, Broward County, Florida 2002 by Christian Birmingham from The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funk. Published by Scholastic, Ind. by arrangement with The Chicken House, Ann Wilder, Durham, North Carolina UK. Used by permission. Jacket design copyright © 2003 by David Caplan from The Beast by Walter Dean Myers. Published by Scholastic Carole Williams, St. Louis, Missouri Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc. Used by permission. THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton. Cover illustration copyright © 1997 by Robert Hunt. Susan N. Wood, Florida State University Used by permission of Puffin Books, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group, A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 345 Hudson Geri Yaccino, St. Charles Middle School, Illinois Street, New York, NY 10014. All rights reserved. Jacket art copyright © 2000 by Joe Cepeda from Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Connie Zitlow, Ohio Wesleyan University Published by Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc. Used by permission. Jacket art copyright © by David Shannon from The Young Man and the Sea by Rodman Philbrick. Published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc. Used with permission.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 Lori Goodson & Jim Blasingame

From the Editors

or a 30th birthday party, it couldn’t have been a books, only to be swayed by the escapades that fill bigger or better celebration. In our first official Paulsen’s and Hobbs’ books. And, after our personal FALAN event as co-editors, we definitely struck it visits with them, we continue to be even more rich in San Francisco, as did hundreds of other fans of impressed. young adult literature, for the 30th annual ALAN In this issue we also visit Valerie Hobbs, whose workshop. And we hope that many of you were along books have recently dealt with meeting the challenge for the celebration, as well. of disability (Stefan’s Story), as well as the challenge But who says a celebration has to come to an of war (Sonny’s War). Valerie gave us a delightful end? We’ve decided to continue the festivities with interview. this issue of The ALAN Review. We’re especially proud Speaking of the challenging and delightful, Jack of the authors and experts you’ll find within these Gantos has agreed to provide “a school appropriate” pages—in a themed issue we’re calling “Meeting the version of his ALAN breakfast speech in our next Challenge.” And who better to lead the way in such issue. For those of you who missed that, please know an issue than two authors who continue to take us that we were laughing so hard the tears rolled down through exciting adventure after adventure. Again and our cheeks during Jack’s speech. The print version again, their characters meet their challenges and find will be almost as good but only if readers can picture their own lives renewed by their courageous efforts. Mr. Gantos in person delivering it. And we, the readers, are right beside them, absorbing But we can’t overlook some of the other wonder- a little of their courage along the way—courage that ful developments at the workshop. For example, there will help us meet our own challenges. was the announcement that Don Gallo, continually Gary Paulsen, complete with fresh stories of his one of young adult literature’s strongest allies, has own challenges that were truly Paulsen-esque— opened another avenue to introduce educators to hilarious one minute, terrifying the next, not only took young adult literature. He is now providing a $500 the stage at the workshop as a keynote speaker, but grant to help pay expenses for an educator to attend was kind enough to share more tales—of the out- his or her first NCTE conference and ALAN workshop doors, book-writing, sailing, and sled dogs (in no (specifics follow this column). This is a wonderful particular order) in an interview following his address. opportunity to kick-start someone’s interest in the Then there’s Will Hobbs, who, with his gracious genre and all it can accomplish in the classroom. wife, Jean, made a special effort to slip us into his As co-editors, we’re thrilled with being a part of busy conference schedule. We were able to share quite such a successful workshop—and to see the enthusi- some time with both of them—and be reminded, once asm of attendees toting their books and visiting with again, why he, like Paulsen, is considered one of the teachers, authors, librarians, and others about how to best storytellers around. As educators, we’ve seen make the most of young adult literature for the young adolescent readers pledge their disgust regarding people in their lives. All of that enthusiasm carries

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

b3-5_TAR_Mar04 3 5/12/04, 9:58 AM back to our classrooms and our libraries and moti- 750 words explaining their interest in Young Adult vates us to push ahead with young adult literature Literature, what they hope to gain by attending this because we know it’s a key ingredient to our success year’s ALAN Workshop, and how they hope to use the in encouraging young readers. experience in their classrooms in the future. A letter of Ye s, we truly struck it rich in San Francisco, and support must also come from the applicant’s school we’ve extended the celebration in this issue of the system. The deadline for submission is September 1. journal. Fortunately, with young adult literature, Applicants will be judged on their ability to articulate there’s really no end to the celebration—and the their understanding of the value of Young Adult wealth of intriguing stories we can fall into at any Literature as well as their explanation of how they time, just by grabbing a book off our shelves. Thank intend to use YA books and the information they you, Mr. Paulsen, Mr. Hobbs, and all the other talented gather at the Workshop in their own classrooms. individuals who made last fall’s workshop so success- For further information about this grant, contact ful and invigorating. ALAN may have gotten another ALAN Executive Secretary Gary Salvner at year older, but it’s certainly not showing its age. [email protected] or 330-941-3414. Information about the ALAN Workshop may be obtained from the ALAN Gallo Grants Website—www.alan-ya.org. Information about the NCTE Convention may be obtained on the NCTE The Gallo Grants were established in 2003 by Website—www.ncte.org—or by writing to NCTE Head- former ALAN Award and Hipple Award recipient Don quarters at 1111 West Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801. Gallo to encourage educators in their early years of teaching to attend the ALAN Workshop for the first 2004 Gloria Barron Prize time. The grants provide for Young Heroes funding—up to $500 Thank you, Mr. Paulsen, each—for two classroom Boulder, Colo.—The Gloria Barron Prize for Young teachers in middle school Heroes announces the launch of its 2004 awards. The Mr. Hobbs, and all the or high school each year to prize, founded by author T.A. Barron and named in other talented individuals attend the ALAN Work- honor of his mother, honors outstanding young shop. (The amount of a leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant who made last fall’s work- grant may be less than positive difference to people and our planet. Barron $500 if the applicant lives Prize winners each receive $2,000 to be applied to shop so successful and within commuting distance their higher education or to their service project. invigorating. ALAN may of the convention location Since 2001, thirty young heroes have been where airfare and housing selected as Barron Prize winners, representing great have gotten another year would not be necessary.) diversity from all across the country. Half of the The Workshop is held at winners have focused on helping their communities older, but it’s certainly not the annual convention of and fellow human beings; half have focused on showing its age. the National Council of protecting the health and sustainability of the environ- Teachers of English on the ment. Monday and Tuesday prior Examples are Kyle Alderson, nominated by his to Thanksgiving Day. Applicants must be teaching full- public librarian for creating Project READ, a reading time; must have been classroom teachers for less than mentorship program based in his town’s public five years prior to the year in which they are applying; library; Barbara Brown, who started the “Don’t Be and must not have attended an ALAN Workshop Crude” motor oil recycling program in her Texas previously. Membership in ALAN is not required for county; Ryan Hreljac, who created a non-profit group consideration, though applicants are expected to that has provided clean drinking water wells for over become ALAN members if they receive this grant. 70 African villages; and Joying Brescia, who has Each applicant must fill out the attached grant cleaned up South Carolina’s beaches with her “No application form and submit an essay of no more than Butts on the Beach” campaign.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

b3-5_TAR_Mar04 4 5/12/04, 9:58 AM Barron explains, “Nothing is more inspiring than Lori Fox stories about heroic people who have truly made a Account Supervisor difference to the world. And we need our heroes today Linhart McClain Finlon Public Relations more than ever. Not celebrities, but heroes—people 2340 Blake Street whose character can inspire us all. That is the purpose Denver, CO 80205 of the Gloria Barron Prize: to share positive examples (303) 383-4610 of heroism with as many young people as possible.” [email protected] To nominate a young hero, or to download a or “Bibliography of Heroes” or a Reader’s Guide to The Barbara Ann Richman Hero’s Trail, visit www.tabarron.com or Executive Director www.barronprize.org. or contact: Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes [email protected]

Call for Manuscripts

Please consider the following themes when preparing manuscripts for submission. Themes are meant to be flexible enough to allow for many possible approaches; however, submissions need not fit one of the themes to be considered for publication in The ALAN Review.

2004 Fall theme: Borders and Bridges (Deadline July 15) Submissions to this issue might include articles about young adult literature dealing with borders and bridges, both literal and/or figurative, between nations, cultures, ideologies or groups of any kind, between YA literature and canonical works, between disciplines. Border cultures could also serve as a topic or any creative approach to the theme.

2005 Winter theme: The Art of Young Adult Literature (October 15) Submissions for this issue will follow the theme of the 2004 ALAN Workshop in Indianapolis. More information on this theme will be forthcoming in the next issue of The ALAN Review.

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b3-5_TAR_Mar04 5 5/12/04, 9:58 AM Virginia Monseau

Mining the Riches of Story: Young Adult Literature and the Peaceable Classroom

Adapted from Dr. Monseau’s keynote address at the I ask myself, “What does a fourteen-year-old 2003 ALAN Workshop in San Francisco. know about infidels? What does a fifteen-year-old know of a god that supposedly rewards people for ow can we teachers help our young people killing others? And how can even an eighteen-year-old cope with the increased violence we are seeing rationalize the murder of classmates by an alienated Hin the world today? I find this question peer? What is our responsibility as adults to help?” haunting me more and more as I watch the television Reading the opening passages from two young news and read the daily newspaper. What must it feel adult novels may help us explore this last question. like to be growing up at a time when death and You may recognize the works from which they come: destruction have made their way from the somewhat I don’t know just why I’m telling you all this. Maybe you’ll more distant worlds of movies, TV, and video games think I’m being silly. But I’m not, really, because this is to the more immediate worlds of school, church, and important. You see, it was different! It wasn’t just because neighborhood? it was Jack and I either—it was something much more than In an attempt to answer these questions, as editor that. It wasn’t as it’s written in magazine stories or as in of the English Journal I devoted an entire issue to the morning radio serials where the boy’s family always tease him about liking a girl and he gets embarrassed and stut- subject back in May of 2000. The theme of the issue ters. And it wasn’t silly, like sometimes, when girls sit in was “A Curriculum of Peace.” I hoped that teachers school and write a fellow’s name all over the margin of would submit articles that would help all of us learn their papers. I never even wrote Jack’s name at all till I sent to teach for peace in our classrooms. This was shortly him a postcard that weekend I went up to Minaqua. And it after the Columbine incident, and in my editorial I wasn’t puppy love or infatuation or love at first sight or anything that people always talk about and laugh. (Daly 3) lamented what I saw as “a lack of respect and understanding among teenagers toward difference, their Then there’s this opening passage—a famous one that uncontrolled frustration when faced with disappoint- may sound familiar: ment or rejection, and the resulting violent acts we Sybil Davidson has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at were seeing in our schools” (15). This was more than least six different guys. She told me herself, the last time a year before the events of 9/11. Since that horrific she was visiting her cousin, Erica, who is my good friend. day when thousands of people lost their lives in the Erica says this is because of Sybil’s fat problem and her World Trade Center destruction, our young people need to feel loved—the getting laid part, that is. The genius have not only had to face the violence and death of I.Q. is just luck or genes or something. (Blume 9) others in their schools and neighborhoods, but they I’ve chosen these two particular stories because, have been forced to face the possibility of their own in my experience, they evoke such different reactions death at the hands of terrorists striking at random, in readers, especially female readers. You may have bent on destroying them and their way of life. recognized the first passage, which comes from

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

c6-11_TAR_Mar04 6 5/12/04, 10:00 AM Seventeenth Summer, written by Maureen Daly in 1942 I tell Kelly’s story because this experience when she was a college student. The story takes us changed my thinking as a teacher. I’ve always believed back to a time when girls waited patiently at home for that adolescents gravitate to books that reflect their boys to call for a date, when premarital sex was taboo lives and to characters that resemble them or people for young women, when smoking and drinking were they know. Interestingly enough, the opposite was something only “bad girls” did. The second passage true in Kelly’s case. But I hadn’t thought that much comes from Judy Blume’s 1975 novel Forever, which about a story’s power to fulfill an unrecognized treats premarital sex among teenagers matter-of-factly, emotional need. Being an admirer of Louise emphasizing the importance of protection rather than Rosenblatt’s work and an advocate of reader response abstinence, getting a progressive grandmother in on in the classroom, I always start class discussions with the procurement of birth control, and even adding a the students’ response to a story and work toward a bit of humor to the sexual experience by referring to a deeper examination of the work we’re reading, but my certain appendage as “Ralph.” experience with Kelly has prompted me to pay more Both of these books were on my classroom shelf attention to the “why” of student reaction. for an Independent Reading class I taught to eleventh Rosenblatt’s book, Literature As Exploration, has had a graders some years ago. They were magnets for the great influence on me as a teacher, yet I think I’ve females in the class once word got around about their focused too much on the “literature” and not enough content, and eventually just about every young on the “exploration.” woman in the class had read them. I always required I think back to all the family stories I heard the students to have a conference with me after they growing up, listening to adults reminisce around the finished a book, and I was quite surprised one day dinner table. At the time I felt bored at hearing the when Kelly, who happened to have a less than same stories over and over, but I did listen, maybe virtuous reputation around the school, began talking because those stories fulfilled my unconscious need to passionately about Seventeenth Summer. She loved know about the early lives of my parents and grand- the book, she said, because it made her see that not parents; and now, as an adult taking time to explore all boys “want something” from girls when they go my reactions to those stories, I realize just how out with them. She especially liked Jack because he valuable they are to me. I remember feeling angry and respected Angie and didn’t force her to go beyond sad when my father told of being attacked as a ten- kissing him as they sat together on a particularly year-old by a gang of boys who stole the small romantic date. “I wish things could be like that today,” chocolate cake my grandmother had allowed him to she said, adding, “Boys don’t respect girls anymore.” buy as a reward for going to the grocery store for her. In their book Literature for Today’s Young Adults, And I remember admiring my grandmother’s courage Ken Donelson and Alleen Nilsen classify Seventeenth in approaching the owner of a local department store Summer as a “wish fulfillment romance.” If my during the Depression when my grandfather was out experience with Kelly is any indication, they are of work to ask for credit so she could buy my father a exactly right. Though Angie’s experience in the book suit to wear to his high school graduation. When she is the polar opposite of Kelly’s real-life boy/girl told that story, she always emphasized that she paid experience, Kelly found the story engaging and off her debt in full as she had promised. As a child, I heartening because it fulfilled a need that she may was annoyed by her repeated emphasis, but as an never have realized in herself—the need to find love adult I realize that she was making a statement to us based on respect. about her character—a statement she felt the need to To my surprise, she didn’t care for Forever, saying repeat each time she told the story. that she would never let her thirteen-year-old sister So stories, whether fictional or true, can satisfy read it because she didn’t want her to start having sex the emotional needs of both the teller and the listener with boys. Though she avoided talking about her own or reader. In the case of young adults, however, those experience, she clearly felt protective of her sister and needs can be difficult to determine. I was a bit perhaps saw this book as hitting a little too close to surprised to learn, on doing a survey recently with home. ninth and eleventh graders in a suburban school, that

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c6-11_TAR_Mar04 7 5/12/04, 10:00 AM most of them were primarily concerned about immedi- of emotional problems who e-mailed me every day for weeks ate needs such as grades, parental expectations, and after Columbine asking for help. He routinely had his books stolen, got punched and kicked, was laughed at when he relationships with friends. Out of fifty students spoke in class and ignored by teachers . . . . He said he had surveyed, only three or four mentioned war or twice tried suicide. (154-55) terrorism as primary concerns. Somehow I had expected more students to share these concerns, given We all have students like these in our classes. But what’s been happening in the world. But then again, what, if anything, can we do to help them? And how maybe they do. Maybe it’s safer and easier to list the would we try? As Katz tells us, “Unhappy, alienated, usual concerns teens are expected to have. To go any isolated kids are legion in schools, and voiceless in deeper is risky—and not cool. So they keep their fears media, education, and politics. But theirs are the most to themselves. important voices of all in understanding what hap- But there are other young adults whose deep- pened and perhaps even how to keep it from happen- seated concerns manifest themselves in frightening ing again” (149). When I read that, I thought of one of ways, and some of them may have been sitting in the articles that appeared in the EJ peace issue that I those classes I surveyed. Jon Katz demonstrates this mentioned earlier. In developing a Hip-Hop-influenced disturbingly well in his book, Geeks: How Two Lost slam poetry unit that teaches for peace, Heather Bruce Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho. A roving journal- and Bryan Dexter Davis worked with their students to ist, Katz writes for a web site called Slashdot, which, help them express their emotions verbally rather than he says, “became the focal point for geek misery in acting on violent impulse. The teachers note, “This is America” after the Columbine killings. According to particularly crucial for male students, who are much Katz, the site collapsed repeatedly under the weight of more likely than females to act in violent and aggres- e-mailed stories from kids all over the country. One sive ways” (120). Bruce and Davis point out that, boy told of standing up in social studies class and while emotional development is usually supported for saying he could understand on some level the kind of girls, it is discouraged for boys, and research has hate and rage the Columbine killers felt after being shown “a high correlation between lack of facility with made fun of and excluded time and again by their verbal expression and aggression and delinquency” peers. As a result of his comments, he was called to (120). the principal’s office and forced to undergo five weeks An excellent article that I think is a must-read for of counseling or be expelled. A girl told of being any English teacher is G. Lynn Nelson’s “Warriors escorted by two security guards to the nurse’s office with Words: Toward a Post-Columbine Writing upon entering the school building wearing a trench Curriculum,” also in the May 2000 English Journal. coat, then being told by the nurse to undress in a His essay won the NCTE/English Journal Hopkins private room, while the guards outside went through Award the year it was published, and I must admit her coat. She was then grilled by the principal, who that when I first read it upon submission to the asked her if she was a member of a hate group (she Journal, I was filled with emotion. Nelson says that wasn’t) or if she played games like Doom or Quake we must have personal story at the center of our (she didn’t). Though she was determined to be brave curriculum. “Deny me my stories,” he says, “. . . and I and defiant, she told of falling apart during the will eventually turn to the language of violence” (43). questioning and crying uncontrollably. He adds: Katz tells of other stories he’s heard: We don’t seem to understand that our stories will get pub- From police in a Massachusetts town I heard of a fourteen- lished, one way or another. In a society where our own year-old boy sitting in his bedroom with his father’s shot- voices cannot be heard over the shouting of commercials gun in his mouth, a computer screen open to Slashdot. His and the blare of entertainment and within a curriculum that life was simply unbearable, for all the usual reasons, and values a heartless critical essay over personal story, our sto- the Columbine coverage persuaded him it would only get ries sit in us, waiting to be told, to be acknowledged. . . . In worse. It took the cops and other frightened adults three such a society and in our schools we are literally dying to hours to persuade him to put the gun down. It was an inci- tell our stories. The tragedy of Columbine High School, like dent I declined to share with Slashdot readers, nor did I tell all such violence, was a publishing of untold stories, un- them about a fifteen-year-old in the Midwest with a history heard needs, unhealed hearts. (43-44)

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

c6-11_TAR_Mar04 8 5/12/04, 10:00 AM Not content with just telling us about the impor- Senseless violence. Broken Arrows. Broken Hearts. tance of story in the English class, Nelson shows us, Earlier that night, I had waged a war with my brother. concluding his article with a poem written by a I formed a fist and hammered at his face with student in his Native American first-year composition clumsy rage. class at Arizona State University: For many nights before, I dreamed I was fist- fighting my way through life. Broken Arrows, Broken Hearts: Some of my opponents were my own people, my I Will Fight No More by Kyle Wilson brothers and sisters. We all fought for our lives. Communal efforts When I was twenty years old, I found myself away from didn’t exist in these cages. There were only Dinetah, bloody mouths and bruised hearts, clenched Away from my mother, away from my home. fists and clenched teeth. I found myself filled with rage, violence, and anger. Then my brother grabbed my shoulders and shook It led me to the back of a police car, caged like an animal. me from my dream to exorcise the demon that While the handcuffs cut into my wrists, my heart bled, possessed my body. My soul. and I I felt like taking my baptismal vows all over again. I thought back to when I was eight years old: was reborn. I played Cowboys and Indians. Heroic Cowboy turned Young Indian Warrior. Always the heroic Cowboy. This savage wanted to end this war. I was never Geronimo, I wanted to be a doctor, never dreamed of Crazy Horse . . . Travel back in time, While my father was fighting his own war against And cure Christopher Columbus of the disease himself, that ate his soul. 40 miles away in the arms of another lover, Exorcise the demon. I chased my brother, shooting silver bullets out of my I wanted to cook frybread and eat fried potatoes forefinger. with corn stew like Grandpa. When I was out of rounds, he fell and lay on the earth I wanted to kiss my mother on the cheek as she and bled. held me close. As he lay in the dirt, I asked, “Why didn’t the Indians I wanted to hug my brother and say, fight back?” “I love you.” Colen smiled, formed two fists, one behind the other, But most of all, I wanted to fight no more. We all drew back the bowstring and shot me with a magic have bled enough arrow. while fighting with Broken Arrows, Broken Hearts. (45- The cowboy died young. 46) At the precinct, Officer Carson took off the cuffs without noticing that I was bleeding. I formed two fists and shot him with Nelson adds that, for the logo on his portfolio, this Colen’s student had drawn a bow, stretched taut—but in place magic arrow. An Indian warrior was born. Officer Carson of the arrow he had drawn a pencil. laughed In some ways this young man was both the and told me those days were over; then he left to round speaker and the audience for his story. In telling it, he up more Indians. In the holding cell, I realized I was fighting a war with fulfilled a need to put his life in perspective and move Geronimo, forward positively. I can’t help but wonder: if Eric Crazy Horse, and my father. Harris and Dylan Klebold had been given the chance No, I was behind Basha’s in Pinon, Arizona, to tell their stories, would the Columbine massacre drinking Kool-Aid flavored hairspray. have ever happened? Or was I in the hospital in Fort Defiance, treating an old Navajo man because his grandchild Just how different are the needs and concerns of beat him up for ten dollars. Ten dollars. adolescents today from thirty or forty years ago? “Not Or I could have been burying my friend Rodney much,” we might say, if the students in my survey are Johnson who went AWOL—or was it MIA— any indication. “Very,” we might say, if the young and then DOA. people John Katz writes about are indicative, and An Indian murdered Rodney. The same killer stole probably Angie Morrow of Seventeenth Summer and the lives of Chris and Fernando. Indians fighting Indians. Sybil Davidson of Forever would agree.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

c6-11_TAR_Mar04 9 5/12/04, 10:00 AM As people who work with young adults, we have likely not going to get much in the way of storied to recognize that, although today’s students seem to response. Students are smart enough to know that any have many of the same concerns we had about grades, question a teacher asks must have a “right” answer friends, and social standing, these concerns take on a somewhere, which plays right into the competition different dimension when placed in the context of a model. On the other hand, if our students are asking world where young people have unfettered access to the questions, those questions are most likely based in adult information and where retaliation against their own curiosity about a story and, when explored bullying can take the form of shotgun blasts from more fully by others in the class, may result in easily acquired weapons. students learning more about the work and about each In her book The Peaceable Classroom Mary Rose other. And they’re exercising their critical thinking O’Reilley asks, “Is it possible to teach English so that skills, as well, one of the most essential skills students people stop killing each other?” (9). I want to answer, must have to pass any test. “Yes! Yes!” But, as we know too well, the challenge Now let’s think about accountability measures. lies in putting such a huge leap of faith into action. How do we make our students accountable for the I’ve always been troubled that we focus so much more reading they do in our classes? Do we give them an on competition than cooperation in our schools. objective test on, say, The Chocolate War, with perhaps Students compete for grades, they compete for awards, an essay question thrown in at the end? Do we ask they compete for a place on the team. Even in the arts them to write a paper on an approved topic of their or students compete for first chair in the orchestra, for our choosing? Would we ever consider letting students the meatiest part in the play, for first prize in the art take a partner or group test with classmates, where show. Yes, I know, we have to prepare them for what they would have time to discuss each question and they’ll encounter in the real world, and I suppose write their answers collaboratively? Would we con- some degree of competition does have its place, but sider asking our students to work cooperatively who says the real world must dictate what happens in writing questions for the test? Of course, the first thing our schools? Could it possibly be the other way we worry about is cheating—back to the competitive around? If we’re educating tomorrow’s leaders, why model again. But would it really be so bad if the can’t we make more of an effort to teach them how to student who hadn’t done the reading really learned understand and get along with others, both in their something from other students by answering questions immediate world and beyond? Perhaps we can lead by cooperatively or writing test questions collaboratively? example. After all, isn’t student learning our goal? Maybe we As I say this, some of you may be thinking, “I need to think more about how we try to achieve it. have state standards to meet, and I have to get my We have a long academic tradition of thinking students ready to pass the proficiency tests. I don’t that reason is king, criticism is all, and that feelings have time to listen to their stories and worry about and emotions have no place in the pursuit of knowl- whether they know how to get along with others.” But edge. The academy has always valued the “hard” in the midst of state standards and mandated testing, sciences like physics, chemistry, and biology over the isn’t it more important than ever to remember our “softer” disciplines of literature, music, and art. Yet it shared humanity as we teach? (And, as O’Reilley is these “softer” pursuits that allow us to explore what points out, isn’t it curious that the word rigor is it means to be human—not in the way our bodies are common to the vocabulary of both teachers and constructed or how their forces act on each other, but morticians?) A softer approach to teaching need not be in the way we respond to beauty, to love, to tragedy. I at odds with concerns about standards and assess- will never believe that it’s more important to compete ment, as the wise teacher will find ways to incorporate with other human beings than it is to understand relevant content into the pursuit of goals for a more them. cooperative classroom. Mining the riches of story in our classrooms will Think for a minute about our classroom discus- certainly take time and patience, whether we’re sions of young adult literature. Who’s asking the encouraging students to write about their lives, or questions? If we are doing the asking, then we’re most inviting them to speak their stories in response to the

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

c6-11_TAR_Mar04 10 5/12/04, 10:00 AM young adult literature they read. But in teaching this Lines formed at Ruby Pier—just as a line formed some- way, we are taking a step toward a more peaceable place else; five people, waiting, in five chosen memories, for a little girl named Amy or Annie to grow and to love and classroom. Young adult literature is the perfect vehicle to age and to die, and to finally have her questions an- for achieving this goal, for good YA literature helps swered—why she lived and what she lived for. And in that young people make sense of their lives. I’m not talking line now was a whiskered old man, with a linen cap and a about a touchy-feely encounter group approach or a crooked nose, who waited in a place called the Stardust hand-holding session. I’m talking about creating an Band Shell to share his part of the secret of heaven: that atmosphere of reciprocal respect and compassion, each affects the other and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one. (196) where students can discover that their stories are as significant as the fictional ones they read, and that Regardless of what our concept of heaven is, or they can learn from each other as well as from books. whether we even have one, stories make us human. If I’ve learned anything in my twenty-five years of They satisfy our need to connect. Why not fulfill this teaching, it’s that students want to tell their stories— need by making a place for story in our classrooms as and they want to listen to ours. The surest way to get we pursue the kind of knowledge that will surely the attention of a class is to tell them about something make our students richer in their understanding of one that happened in your life—whether it’s a revelation another—and the world? of an embarrassing moment, an amusing experience you had with your children, or just an admission of a Virginia Monseau is a professor of English and English shared fear or concern. All of a sudden you become Education at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, “human” to them. I can’t help but regret the many Ohio, where she has been teaching since 1986. She is the times over the years that I’ve felt uncomfortable in former editor of the English Journal and a past president of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the class discussion when a student began connecting his National Council of Teachers of English. Among her works or her story to the literature we were reading. Instead are Reading Their World: The Young Adult Novel in the of listening, I was mentally scrambling to find a way Classroom, 2nd ed. (Boynton/Cook-Heinemann, 2000), to redirect the conversation. “We have to stick to the ed. with Gary Salvner; Responding to Literature (Boynton/ text,” was my rationale. I was too goal-driven to Cook-Heinemann, 1996), Presenting Ouida Sebestyen realize that those students were creating their own text (Twayne Publishers, 1995), and Missing Chapters: Ten in response to a need. Pioneering Women in NCTE and English Education I’m not Pollyanna. I know that we have material (NCTE, 1991) ed. with Jeanne M. Gerlach. to cover and accountability to worry about. But there are lots of studies out there that show that how Works Cited students are taught affects learning more significantly Albom, Mitch. The Five People You Meet in Heaven. New York: than what they are taught. Giving more attention and Hyperion, 2003. Blume, Judy. Forever. New York: Pocket Books, 1975. credence to story in the classroom may result in Bruce, Heather E. and Bryan Dexter Davis. “Slam: Hip-hop unexpected gains—and may be a small step toward Meets Poetry—A Strategy for Violence Intervention.” English Mary Rose O’Reilley’s wish that we teach English so Journal 89.5 (2000): 119-127. people stop killing each other. Daly, Maureen. Seventeenth Summer. [1942] New York: Simon Mitch Albom, the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, & Schuster, 2002. Katz, Jon. Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of has written another book called The Five People You Idaho. New York: Broadway Books, 2001. Meet in Heaven. It’s about an old man named Eddie, Nelson, G. Lynn. “Warriors with Words: Toward a Post-Colum- who dies trying to save the life of a little girl when a bine Writing Curriculum.” English Journal 89.5 (2000): 42-46. ride at the amusement park where he works goes Nilsen, Alleen Pace and Kenneth L. Donelson. Literature for haywire. Eddie discovers that heaven is a place where Today’s Young Adults, 6th ed. New York, HarperCollins: 2000. you meet five people from your past who help you O’Reilley, Mary Rose. The Peaceable Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook-Heinemann, 1993. understand the meaning of your life on earth. At the Rosenblatt, Louise M. Literature As Exploration. New York: end of the book, Albom writes: Modern Language Association, 1995.

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c6-11_TAR_Mar04 11 5/12/04, 10:00 AM Jim Blasingame

Caring About the Topic: An Interview with Valerie Hobbs

ith Stefan’s Story barely off sity of California at Santa Barbara had the presses, Valerie Hobbs is caught fire from Berkeley, and, of already deeply into her next course, the infamous bank burning W 1 project, Letting Go of Bobby James: Or took place in Isla Vista. I was there How I Found My Self of Steam. Valerie with my brother, who had just come not only captures adolescence in fiction back from Viet Nam. We couldn’t but also teaches writing at the Univer- believe our eyes, of course. Nobody sity of California, Santa Barbara, and could. Then the riot police from LA perhaps even more challenging, she arrived, riding in dump trucks and makes school visits to help kids under- wearing riot gear and plastic masks. stand that reading is not about taking Our local sheriff flew passes over our tests but rather about developing “a heads, yelling through a megaphone to natural love of reading.” We know of no clear the streets. It was all very surreal better way for kids to develop this love and, of course, we ran for our lives, of reading than by reading one of the great works of choking on tear gas. I was involved in sit-ins, Valerie Hobbs. teach-ins, marches, consciousness raising stuff. But not as involved as I could have been, which may TAR: Your novel Sonny’s War (Frances Foster Books/ have given the book impetus, who knows? Hind- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002), a story of teenage sight gives us all these chances to be bigger than life in Viet Nam era California as told through the we were! eyes of 14-year-old Corin Davies, captures the spirit and specifics of the 1960’s perfectly, from a day in TAR: Your treatment of that time in our history seems the life of a typical teenager to a myriad of conflict- carefully, thoughtfully done, including the fact that ing opinions about the war in Viet Nam. You the ending was not a black and white, predictable, actually were a teenager during that time, one of melodramatic tearjerker. You seem to have a lot of the most eventful, colorful, violent and volatile in respect for your readers; do you consciously avoid our history. What can you tell us about your own beating the reader over the head with social and experiences with Viet Nam, the Peace Movement, political messages? the Civil Rights Movement, political activism in general, various social revolutions, and a new focus VH: I’m conscious only of the fact that I don’t like to on youth (don’t trust anyone over thirty)? be lectured to, told what to think. I don’t think any of us do, especially when we’re young and, often, VH: I was in college during the protests. The Univer- see more clearly than we do later. I do respect

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d12-15_TAR_Mar04 12 5/12/04, 10:02 AM young people, especially those who do attempt to course kids would rather ride broomsticks than think for themselves. The media is so much more wheelchairs, so maybe it’s a bigger problem than I overwhelming now than it was in the 60’s, which know. makes it even harder to do that. TAR: Also in Stefan’s Story, we meet Hank (Henry TAR: You first introduce us to fictitious Ojala, Califor- Macias), a goodhearted and honest Paul Bunyan, nia, in 1995 as the setting for How Far Would You who is on the opposite side of the controversy from Have Gotten if I Hadn’t Called You Back? and Stefan and Carolina over logging the Haskell’s Bay continue through Sonny’s War, also set in Ojala. old growth forest. It’s hard not to like Hank or How different and how similar is Ojala, to Ojai, wonder how he will support the family if he loses California, to where you, just like Bronwyn Lewis, his source of income. As you were writing, you moved from New Jersey as a young woman? Did might have chosen to let Mr. Farnsworth, rich and you experience the same culture shock? powerful owner of Coastal Lumber represent the logging industry by himself. He would have been VH: Ojai is pretty much as I found it in the late ’50s. It much easier to hate. Why did you choose to create was a great culture shock for me. I lived an inno- Hank? cent, almost idyllic life as a teenager in Scotch Plains, New Jersey (sock hops, chocolate cokes at VH: It’s the workers who get pinched in these things, the juke joint, Italian boys who looked like John people like Hank who are just trying to make a Travolta.) At least at school, I did. But Ojai was gun living. It’s hard to be magnanimous about trees if racks and pickup trucks, horses tied up in front of your family is going to go hungry. Most people the police station. And then all those teens cruising mean well (and do well if they can afford to—the mile-long Ojai Avenue from noon until after rain forests are rapidly disappearing in countries midnight, back and forth, back and forth, like where people have no other resources). Of course wind-up toys. But that’s hindsight. I thought it was there’s greed, there are the Farnsworths. But even all thrilling at the time. he might have a story, if I wanted to give him one, a penurious childhood or something. But I don’t TAR: Stefan, the protagonist in both Carolina Crow think he’s worth the trouble. Girl (Frances Foster Books/ Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002), and its sequel, Stefan’s Story TAR: Tender, the title and topic of your 2001 work (Frances Foster Books/ Farrar, Straus and Giroux, about Liv Trager who is forced to go and live with 2003), or Stefan Millington Crouch the Third, as the her father, an abalone diver, when her grandmother reporters refer to him when he blocks the path of dies, has multiple possibilities for meaning. A the logging trucks with his wheel chair, is physi- tender is the person who handles the breathing line cally challenged. How is Stefan the same or that keeps an undersea diver alive while working, different from any other teenage boy? Will readers but it also serves as a metaphor for the role that easily identify with Stefan? certain characters play for each other in the book. In addition, the adjective tender can mean “easily VH: Stefan was one of those “gifts” you hear writers broken” but can also mean “loving’ or “caring” talk about now and then. He came rolling out of (Merriam-Webster, 1210), which surely can apply to that mansion as Carolina (and I) watched. I don’t Liv, as well as to her father and his girlfriend, know how else to account for him and, no, he isn’t Samantha. Did the story come first or the title? How different from any other teenage boy whom I’ve did you arrive at deep sea diving as a vehicle for known. He does have different problems. When I the story? speak with kids about Stefan, they don’t talk about him as if he’s different, and they’re very matter-of- VH: My first husband was an abalone diver, so I spent fact about his disability. Mainstreaming children some time as a tender. Thirty years later, I’m with disabilities has made a difference, I think. Of driving south on 101, looking out at the ocean, and

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d12-15_TAR_Mar04 13 5/12/04, 10:02 AM almost watching this one come together. The title did studying great literature. I worked for many came with the job, so to speak, one of those years in a restaurant on the breakwater here in wonderfully fortuitous things. And it came early. So Santa Barbara, a wonderful setting overlooking the I don’t know how much it actually influenced the old fishing boats. The sun would set about the time creation of Liv, her father, and Samantha, who are I started work, turning the hills above the harbor all very human, I think, which is to say loving and the most beautiful golden-pink. I knew I was living caring, broken and patched, as you point out the a special time in my life then, though I never got word tender can also mean. over thinking the work was somehow beneath me. That restaurant, as well as some of the harbor TAR: You were a writing teacher at the University of characters, has turned up in several of my short California, Santa Barbara for 20 years or more. You stories published in literary and women’s maga- have read and responded to hundreds of thousands zines. I keep flirting with the idea of setting a novel of papers. What do you think the qualities of good there, and may do it one of these days. writing are? TAR: What advice do you have for aspiring young VH: Caring about the topic. Unfortunately, somewhere writers and for teachers of writing? after middle-school all that gets forgotten and kids begin writing to teacher assignments, often about VH: The late professor Douwe Stuurman, for whom I teacher-chosen books. Children love to write. Most was a reader at the University of California, Santa of my college students hate it. Something happens Barbara in the late 1970s, once asked the 500 in between that breaks my heart. students in a lecture hall how many of them wanted to be writers. About two-thirds held up TAR: Who are your favorite authors and books, young their hands. Then he asked how many were adult or otherwise, and what do you read for actually writing and most of those hands went enjoyment? down. “A writer is someone who writes,” he said. “The rest of you are just dreamers.” VH: I read almost nothing but fiction (I guess we can Until I began writing in earnest, I thought include newspapers in that category!). I try to read being a writer, a real writer, meant you had to sit a lot of middle-grade and YA novels. Not only do I down everyday and write, confront the blank page enjoy them, but I also learn from the masters like or screen and get something down. But a lot of my Paterson and Spinelli. I just finished Stoner & Spaz “writing” takes place in my head, while I’m (Candlewick Press, 2002 ) by Ron Koertge and walking or doing laundry. I think we all discover thought it was terrific, heartwarming and thought- our own writing process, if we’re serious enough provoking at the same time. Durable Goods (Ran- about it. I have a friend who writes exactly one dom House, 1993), Elizabeth Berg’s first novel, page a day and finishes one 300+ page novel a was, for me, such an eye-opening look at the way year. I suppose I’d finally say that if we’re com- the voice of an adolescent can capture you, the pelled to write, we write, whether we get published reader. I’ve read it several times. or not. The desire to be a writer doesn’t take us far, but the compulsion really does. I’m not sure if TAR: What did you learn about life when you worked we’re born with it or are infected with it. And as a waitress at the same time you were working on sometimes it feels more like a burden than a gift. your graduate degree? Do any of those experiences But you know when you’ve got it, that’s for sure. end up in your writing? This could cost me my job (I’m kidding), but I don’t believe, finally, that writing can be “taught.” VH: Well, I continually told myself that I wasn’t Beginning writers can learn from more experienced “really a waitress.” I was getting an advanced ones as apprentices learned from craftsmen or degree, after all. Certainly as far as my writing artists, perhaps by practicing technique, modeling, goes, I learned as much from waiting on people as I one-on-one guidance. Lessons out-of-context (that

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

d12-15_TAR_Mar04 14 5/12/04, 10:02 AM is, unless they directly apply to something a student TAR: What project are you working on now? has written and wants to revise) are just so much wasted breath. VH: It’s so brand-new that I’m afraid to talk about it. I don’t even know if I should be writing about the TAR: What is a typical day like for you? particular topic that has grabbed me, or if the book (a YA, I think) will be published when I’m finished. VH: I walk just about every day, for about an hour. Or It’s one of those things that feels bigger than I am, I work out at the gym. Then I’m either writing or something Katherine Paterson wouldn’t be afraid agonizing about the fact that I can’t think of of, but that I’m afraid of; which lets me know I anything worth writing about. In the afternoon I get need to do it. to play with my year-old grandson, Diego, or teach my class at the university. I also teach a private 1. The incident referred to here happened in the community class in writing for teens, which I enjoy tremen- of Isla Vista, an area adjacent to the University of dously. I haven’t yet told these students I’m not California Santa Barbara primarily composed of student housing. On February 25, 1970, during riots protesting the teaching them anything because they’re learning so war in Viet Nam, the Bank of America building was set much. on fire. (Isla Vista Resources, 1)

You are one of the brave authors who goes out to TAR: Works Cited schools and works with the very students who read Hobbs, Valerie. Charlie’s Run. New York: Frances Foster Books/ your books. What typically happens when you visit Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2000. a school? Any interesting stories? ———. Get It While It’s Hot, or Not. New York: Avon, 1998. ———. How Far Would You Have Gotten If I Hadn’t Called You Back?. London: Orchard Books, 1995. VH: I’m actually fairly terrified of school visits and ———. Sonny’s War. New York: Frances Foster Books/ Farrar, don’t do them often. I enjoy going to the Santa Straus & Giroux, 2002. Barbara Montessori School and the Marymount ———. Stefan’s Story. Frances Foster Books/ Farrar, Straus and School because the students there are great readers Giroux, 2003. and are generally full of questions about my books. ———. Tender. New York: Frances Foster Books/ Farrar, Straus & I avoid visiting schools that have adopted scripted Giroux, 2001. ———. Carolina Crow Girl. New York: Frances Foster Books/ reading programs or don’t encourage kids to read Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999. “real” (as opposed to text) books. I’m very con- Isla Vista Resources. Feb. 13, 2001. Department of Special cerned about this move away from literature toward Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library, University of publisher-generated reading programs and tests. It’s California, Santa Barbara. January 10, 2004. http:// the fastest way to kill a natural love of reading that www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/ivweb/iv1.html I know of. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, tenth edition. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2001.

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d12-15_TAR_Mar04 15 5/12/04, 10:02 AM Jeffrey S. Kaplan The Research Connection

Contrasting Points of View (And Then Some)

oes art reflect life or does happening in their daily existence. that reading literature can be an life reflect art? Should students read books about ethical as well as intellectual D This might seem like events that they have never experi- process, and as such it can assist one of those questions best re- enced—school violence, excessive adolescents in coping with their served for late night college dorm brutality, and sexual assault—or tumultuous lives. In light of recent “rap” sessions, but the question is should they read books that merely events—the rise in teenage bully- certainly a legitimate topic for any reflect popular culture and not ing, school violence, and global thoughtful discussion about what is what students know as their terrorism—Alsup writes that the role that art should play in a everyday reality? The questions are English and reading teachers, like democratic society. And certainly in intriguing, and the following teachers of every discipline, can light of recent events—with the expounds upon this ever-present help students find good books that threat of global terror and the dilemma in public school instruc- address these highly complicated impending presidential election of tion. and emotional issues. 2004—it is probably best to ask the Enjoy the read, along with a Reading and English teachers, question, what role should young few choice adolescent research Alsup asserts, understand the adult literature play in informing websites as well. power of literature. They know that teenagers about the current politi- literature can help young adults cal, social, and moral aspects of Politicizing Young Adult become more empathetic and American life? Should young adult critical thinkers, or, as she writes, Literature literature expose teenagers to “critical feelers.” This intangible exigencies of modern American life, An enlightening article and a quality is the ability to discern or should literature reflect the true must read is “Politicizing Young meaning from a literary work and lives that they are living everyday? Adult Literature: Reading expound upon its global under- At first, it might seem that I am Anderson’s Speak As A Critical standing of the human condition. asking the same question—should Text,” by Janet Alsup (Journal of Reading makes us more human literature reflect life as teenagers Adolescent and Adult Literacy, because we begin to see the world know it? Yet, on second glance, as October, 2003). In this critical work, through the eyes of another. Citing the following article reviews will English educator Alsup discusses the work of Rosenblatt (1938), reveal, two separate educators have the impact of critical literature on Bushman and Bushman (1993), very different ideas about what role the emotional and intellectual Nussbaum (1997), Donelson and young literature should play in growth of young adults, using Nilsen (1997), Yagleski (2000), and students’ lives. They discuss Laurie Halse Anderson’s acclaimed Carey-Webb (2001), Alsup under- passionately about how much novel Speak as the basis for her scores the special potential of literature really reflects what is analytical remarks. Her thesis is literature to reveal to its readers the

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

e16_22TAR_Mar04 16 5/12/04, 10:03 AM commonality of the human experi- Alsup’s thesis is that English unconventional style including ence. Creating world citizens, as and reading teachers must find short vignette-like chapters and life- Nussbaum writes, rests in literary these texts and use them in their like visual representatives of creations that enable individuals to respective classrooms to motivate Melinda’s report cards (her grades comprehend the motives and young people—especially older steadily fall throughout her fresh- choices of people different from adolescents—to talk about these man year). What makes the novel ourselves. By sharing stories from difficult, and often, explosive so powerful, however, Alsup all walks of life, Nussbaum con- issues. They must be read and argues, is that the reader does not cludes, readers develop a “narrative discussed in high school classes, learn about the rape until the very imagination” and become more Alsup pleads, because whether we end of the novel (although there is caring people. like it or not, these issues— much foreshadowing of it). We The problem, though, Alsup violence, drug use, and sexuality— simply know that Melinda is contends, is that there are too few are real in students’ lives. intensely unhappy, none of her books for high school or upper This is the reason Alsup finds former friends will talk to her, she adolescent audiences that address Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak is failing in school, and she cannot serious issues. Most young adult (1999) such an admirable and talk to anyone about it, not even authors, Alsup writes, focus on a desirable young adult text. She her parents. What keeps Melinda middle school aged audience argues that this fictionalized going is her own ironic, subtle because this age group is where account of the aftermath of the sense of humor that sustains her, publishing companies have identi- raping of a young high school girl is even in her darkest moments. And fied the greatest potential for sales. a perfect vehicle to help English although Melinda hardly speaks Agreeing with her, Donelson and teachers redefine and broaden the aloud, the reader senses her Nilsen (1997) have underlined use of young adult literature in a palpable pain with great sadness several reasons for this marketing high school classroom. For, unlike and vigor. strategy, ranging from demograph- most young adult novels, the Speak, Alsup writes, is a ics (e.g., there are currently fewer character is squarely a high school perfect vehicle for high school children of high school age in the student—not a prepubescent students because it ‘speaks’ to teen United States) to more negative middle schooler—but a full-fledged readers about dating violence, pronouncements about today’s young adult whose is victimized by divisive peer groups, powerful youth (e.g., older kids don’t read; an adult crime. And while some- cliques, feelings of isolation, and they play video games). Another times teachers are reluctant to use school alienation. And while, some reason might be, they assert, that such books for fear of possible conservative districts might have a more middle school teachers are resistance from administrators and problem with teenagers reading a implementing whole language or parents, controversial texts, Alsup book about violence, drugs, “immersion” approaches to reading argues, must be made available to alcohol, and sexuality, all teach- instruction, thus buying more trade students. These difficult yet ers—regardless of discipline— books for their classrooms. Regard- engaging works can be a valuable should make controversial books less, Alsup asserts, a mere glance at first step towards helping students available and thereby politicize bookstore shelves reveals an come to terms with the difficult their classrooms. Controversy is not apparent greater number of YA issues that they often face. to be avoided, Alsup argues; it is to books with middle school age Alsup chose Speak because it is be relished. protagonists that address the about girl named Melinda who is Moreover, self-censorship is to concerns of early adolescence. raped at a beer party the summer be avoided. Self-censorship is when Simply, topics like drugs, alcohol, before her first year of high school. teachers do not introduce books violence and sex are seldom As a result, she becomes depressed into their classrooms for fear of discussed in books aimed at older and alienated, retreating into what retribution might occur, not readers, and if so, they are few and silence throughout most of the what has already occurred. “While far between. novel. The book is written in an teaching or making available a

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e16_22TAR_Mar04 17 5/12/04, 10:03 AM book such as Speak might be a teachers, to expand upon the especially in young adult literature, risk,” writes Alsup (2003, 162), “we established literary canon of is pervasive, and the passages are can no longer draw a thick line traditional English literature texts even more descriptive and disturb- between what students are really and to reach out to more contempo- ing. doing after school hours and what rary and relevant young adult Isaacs is dismayed by this we can talk about in school.” authors. This politicization of the recent trend in the growing escala- Teachers can no longer waste the curriculum, she writes, is filled tion and depiction of violence in ethical possibilities that literature with risks, but the need to address young adult literature, a trend she provides in the face of increasing these issues is paramount if a new feels is being patterned after the teenage apathy, anger, and vio- cultural narrative is to become the continued display in graphic films lence. The stakes are too high. embodiment of the high school and video games. She arrives at this In the remainder of Alsup’s curriculum. Such moves are bold, conclusion after reading hundreds article, she describes specific she asserts, but essential to devel- of recommended titles for the strategies that teachers can use to oping a new generation of critical American Library Association engage their students in the novel and creative thinkers. Truly, Alsup booklist called Best Books for Speak. She also notes the handful has written a significant treatise on Young Adults from over the past of books, geared to older adoles- the power of literature to transform two years (2001-2003). Her careful cents, which address controversial curriculum. research and learned observations issues. They are Melvin Burgess’ leave her wondering where this Smack (Avon, 1996) about teenage Reality Check – Violence sensational description of violence heroin addicts; Stephen Chbosky’s is coming from and what effect it in Young Adult Literature The Perks of Being a Wallflower might have on teen readers. (Pocket Books, 1999) (drug addic- In “Reality Check” (School To defend her thesis, Isaacs tion); Chris Crutchers’ Whale Talk Library Journal, October 2003), cites some recent examples from (Greenwillow, 2001) (school middle school educator Kathleen well-regarded books for young violence); Alex Flinn’s Breathing Isaacs presents a slightly different adults. In Kevin Brooks’ Lucas Underwater (HaperCollins, 2001) point of view than Alsup’s need to (Scholastic, 2003), the protagonist (violence towards women); Walter confront serious issues head on in is nearly raped by her brother’s Dean Myers’ Monster young adult novels, and thus, is friends, and the title character (HarperCollins, 2001) (reality of life worth reading for its apparent seems ready to cut the rapist’s in the inner city); Leslea Newman’s contrast in content and tone. private parts with his knife. In the Fat Chance (Putnam, 1994) (bu- Isaacs discusses the growth of rarefied world of Nick McDonell’s limia); Todd Strasser’s Give A Boy A violence in books for young adults. Twelve: A Novel (Grove, 2000), the Gun (Simon Pulse, 2002) (school She mentions that, yes, sex and brother of a party-giver displays his gun violence); and Ellen violence have been staples of young love for guns and weaponry with a Wittlinger’s Hard Love (Aladdin, adult literature since its inception, horrendous and bizarre shoot-out. 1999) (lesbian relationships). Each but that most of the action and Isaacs remarks that even the book’s of these novels, as Alsup contends, victims have been offstage. And, cover appears to have been splat- is difficult in its own right, but they moreover, when graphic sex and tered with blood as if violence is an are must-reads for young people. violence first appeared onstage in everyday event in teenagers’ lives. They address controversial issues in single scenes, as in Robert In Dennis Foon’s Skud (Ground- an engaging manner, heightening Cormier’s The Chocolate War wood, 2003), readers are shown their significance and dilemma in a (Pantheon, 1974), and Judy four different techniques for fictionalized account for older Blume’s Forever (Bradbury, 1975), managing anger and violent adolescents. they caused an uproar that was felt impulses through the lives of four When Alsup writes of politiciz- throughout the young adult literary unique male icons. They are a ing the curriculum, she is asking community. But now, 30 years later, brutal hockey player, a seemingly teachers, especially high school Isaacs contends, the violence, perfect air force cadet, a hardened

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e16_22TAR_Mar04 18 5/12/04, 10:03 AM criminal, and a young boy who Macy was tied to a swing in the lives than violence. Teenagers, she aspires to play the role of a punk. rain? writes, take sexual content in stride As Isaacs asks: is this how young Naturally, Issacs notes, stories because sex is something they have boys’ lives are now defined in of school shootings have recently been hearing about all their lives contemporary America? And do appeared in young adult novel and they are eagerly looking readers need to know all the gory form. Yet, their language and forward to growing up and being details? descriptions have been vivid in sexual beings themselves; however, Isaacs continues her lament by detail and likeness, and perhaps, their reaction to violence, she noting that such violence as child too disturbing. One only need turn argues, could not be more different. abuse was once only carefully to Ron Koertge’s The Brimstone Violence, Isaacs contends, is alluded to in stories of hostile, Journals (Candlewick, 2001), pretty much absent from the lives angry teenagers. Now, stories of David Klass’s Home of the Braves of teenagers. Yes, young adults are child abuse are front and center in (Farrar, 2002), and Alex Flinn’s aware that some teenagers do live young adult novels. In such recent Breaking Point (HarperCollins, in violent worlds, but the majority, works as E.R. Frank’s America 2002) as vivid examples of young she contends (at least the major- (Atheneum, 2002), Teresa Toten’s adult novels capitalizing on the ity she sees) do not. They have The Game (Red Deer, 2001), and spate of school violence. What never witnessed corporal punish- JeanneWillis’ The Truth or Some- Isaacs questions are their excessive ment in school and many have thing: A Novel (Holt, 2002), the detail and appearance as ordinary parents who do not believe in painstakingly hidden memories of occurrences that students should spanking. In fact, Issacs says, when sexual abuse are revealed in justifiably fear. It is a trend in they read books in her middle graphic detail. Moreover, she young adult novel writing that she school class where a parent or writes, in Adam Rapp’s 33 Snowfish finds disturbing at best. teacher slaps, spanks or beats a (Candlewick, 2003) and Paul Similarly, Isaccs remarks, child, they are surprised and Fleischman’s Breakout (Cricket fantasy stories have heightened the appalled by such behavior. Indeed, Books, 2003), the sexual abuse is gore as well. In Steve Niles’ Thirty such scenes, Isaacs writes, spark part of daily living and a regular Days of Night (IDW, 2003), a rather spirited classroom discussions. occurrence in the book. traditional vampire story is matter- Moreover, Isaacs continues, actual Not stopping there, many of-factly illustrated with page after physical fighting is a rare occur- young adult novels, Issacs notes, page of bloodspots. Is the gore rence in her students’ sheltered, depict violence in other aspects of necessary? Does it heighten the supervised lives. From birth, she human endeavor. The brutalities of reader’s sense of intrigue and asserts, most of the children Isaacs detention centers are vividly mystery gratuitously? More to the teaches have lived lives of idyllic exposed in books like Jack Gantos’ point, Isaacs continues, a recent splendor. During primary years, Hole in My Life (Farrar, 2002) and adventure story as Melvin Burgess’s they did not walk to school on their Rebecca Fjelland Davis’s Jake Riley: Bloodtide (Tor, 2001), a legend own, and many have had relatively Irreparably Damaged (Harper based on Icelandic mythology, little unstructured play experience. Tempest, 2003). Issacs questions places readers right there as the They were not free to roam their whether we need to see the character’s legs are amputated. neighborhoods, whether their protagonist of Irreparably Damaged, How real do we need to get? neighborhoods were city streets or Jake Riley, abusing young calves or Isaacs’ point is that the suburban backyards and woods. In read with vivid certainty about the preponderance of young adult fact, Isaacs contends their under- creation of a killer in John novels with vivid descriptions of standing of violence comes not Halliday’s gruesome Shooting violence runs counter to the lives of from life, but from art. The silver Monarchs (McElderry, 2003). How most teenagers. True violence, she screen and the printed page are important is it, asks Isaacs plain- counters, is relatively absent in their first-hand experience with tively, to know that in Shooting their daily occurrences. Indeed, she violence; an event they only know Monarchs, young three-year-old argues, sex is more relevant to their for its possibilities and not its

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e16_22TAR_Mar04 19 5/12/04, 10:03 AM actual pain and suffering. And bought into to promote their wares. educators, editors and publishers, hence, Isaacs contends, the vivid- To buffet her argument, Isaacs should ask themselves if these ness of the tortured character cites how since 1993, serious crime books are really necessary or are portrayals and lengthy descriptions rates in the United States have they just contributing to the of violent acts is something they declined steadily. Violent crime, sensational hype of the popular deliberately shy away from, reports Isaacs using Bureau of media and prevailing culture? preferring, instead, the cartoonish Justice Statistics (1973-1993), has Isaacs closes her piece with a “bounce back from the near death decreased resulting in fewer survey conducted by Neal Howe experiences” that they know so robberies, homicides, and rapes. and William Strauss of a large well from television and movies. More importantly, similar statistics number of high school students. In Indeed, reading about violence reveal that the number of violent their research, Millennials Risings, in graphic detail in these young crimes committed by juveniles has Howe and Strauss offer a hopeful adult novels is something, Isaacs declined, citing her own Washing- and positive image of today’s young writes, that her students prefer to ton, D.C., as an example. There, adults. They write that they are, for avoid. They would rather, she where she teaches middle school, the most part, “optimistic, hopeful, contends, “fill in the holes” them- the total number of juvenile arrests high achieving, and very sheltered” selves, allowing their imaginations fell from 5,151 in 1998 to 2,102 in young people who do not all to replace gory, uncomfortable and 2002. And two-thirds of those resemble the vulgar, violent, seemingly gratuitous descriptions arrests were for what are called acts sexually charged young people that and details. For Isaac contends that against property or acts against are too often seen in the popular when young people read about acts public order, rather than acts media. Maybe, stories about of cruelty that are beyond the reach against people. Isaacs’ contention is everyday reality—normal people of their imagination and experi- that violent crime is not as preva- doing normal things in a normal ences, they are done a disservice lent as the media would have us way—are what these young people because they are forced to deal with believe and the result is the really need. True, she says, violence issues that they are not prepared to reporting of a steady diet of is a fact of life for some people, but understand or discuss. She men- unnecessary fear. a steady diet may prove equally tions that when her fifth-graders She writes that a number of unrealistic and corrosive. read Jean Craighhead George’s Julie social indicators have been steadily To be sure, Washington, D.C. of the Wolves (HarperCollins, 1972), on the decline, and this should give middle school teacher Kathleen they universally protected them- comfort to us all. Namely, child Isaacs gives us something to think selves by completely missing the abuse is on the decline. Corporal about. rape. Similarly, she finds more punishment has been banned in advanced novels depicting graphic schools. School shootings are on Children’s Choices violence—as those previously the wane. Student-reported crime is for 2003 mentioned—beyond the scope and down. And an overwhelming comprehension of most teenage number of young people have not Now, here’s a novel idea. readers. been victims of violent crimes. And Each year, 10,000 school Isaacs’ conclusion is that young yet, the majority of American children from different regions of people are often presented books people believe our schools are the United States read and vote on depicting violence that they will riddled with violent crime, unruly the newly published children’s and never experience, cannot compre- students, and unsafe conditions. young adult trade books that they hend, and are, for the most part, Nothing, according to Isaacs, could like best. After the results are unrealistic in content and style. She be further from the truth. tabulated, the Children’s Choices does not believe that these gritty Thus, educator Isaacs says that for 2003 list is published in The books represent reality, but are just before young people are urged to Reading Teacher, a journal of the representations that authors, read graphic and violent teenage International Reading Association editors, and book buyers have problem-driven novels, authors and (IRA) and is meant to be read and

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e16_22TAR_Mar04 20 5/12/04, 10:03 AM used by professionals and book cluded their work by providing an yearly selection, this is a good list lovers alike. Children’s Choices is a annotation for each title on the list. for all educators and researchers to project of a joint committee The Children’s Choices for use to pursue their own scholarly supported by IRA and the 2003 is a smart list of what’s good studies about what young people Children’s Book Council (CBC). IRA in children’s literature and worth are reading. is, of course, the professional exploring for an informative look at educators’ organization devoted to what young children find enjoyable Interview with Richie scholarly research and dissemina- in literature aimed at their age Partington tion about the instruction of level. More importantly, the books reading worldwide and CBC is the for the advanced readers provide Finally, a quick nod and heads nonprofit professional association young adult teachers and research- up must be devoted to a web site of U.S. publishers and packagers of ers with a bird’s eye glimpse of that has proven to be one of the books for young people. Since what advanced readers (ages 10-13) best young adult literature re- 1969, IRA and CBC have worked enjoy. The advanced readers sources available. The site is together to produce this eye- children’s choices include the richiespicks.com, a place where catching list about what is exciting following young adult novels—Avi’s you can find comprehensive lists of young people in the world of Crispin: The Cross of Lead the best in children’s and young children’s and young adult books. (Hyperion, 2002), a fourteenth- adult books published in recent The process of selection of the century feudal England adventure years. There, avid book lover Richie Children’s Choices for 2003 is an story about missing parents; Partington has developed a web site involved procedure that involves Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Among based on his extensive knowledge young people monitored by pub- the Betrayed (Simon & Schuster, and experience with books for lishers and professional educators. 2002), a science fiction adventure children and teenagers. It is worth a Initially selected by publishers, story about kidnapping and mind look and a favorite setting on your close to 700 books printed in 2002 control; Terence Blacker’s The computer for its lists and accompa- for young people—ranging from Angel Factory (Simon & Schuster, nying reviews are a treasure trove beginning (ages 5-6) to advanced 2002), about a child selected to for researchers, teachers, and readers (10-13)—were sent to five save the earth from evil; Cynthia readers who are interested in review teams located in different Voigt’s Bad Girls in Love (Ath- learning about the latest and regions of the United States. Each eneum, 2002), a true to life story greatest in books for kids. team consisted of a children’s about teenage rebellion; Marsha This site came to my attention literature specialist plus one or Qualey’s One Night (Dial Books, in our own ALAN Review editor’s more classroom teachers who in 2002), the story of a recovering James Blasingame’s article “An turn worked with other classroom heroin addict; Deborah Ellis’ Interview with Richie Partington” in teachers, school librarians, and Parvana’s Journey (Groundwood the October 2003 issue of the more than 2,000 children. Through- Books, 2002), about living in war- Journal of Adolescent and Adult out the school year (2002-03), the torn Afghanistan; Jan Cheripko’s Literacy. There, Jim conducts a two- books were in classrooms, being Rat (Boyds Mills Press, 2003), a page one-on-one interview with this read to or by children. moving tale about a handicapped’s inveterate book lover, discussing After the books were read, boy love for basketball; and Phyllis how he came to create such a teachers and librarians asked young Reynolds Naylor’s Simply Alice delightful website, his reasons for students to list their favorite books (Atheneum, 2002), a gentle book in selecting the works he does, his for the academic year. The a continuing series about a young insatiable love for reading books children’s votes were then tabu- girl coming into her own as a high aloud to young children, and his lated in March 2003, and the top school freshman. immediate plans to expand and 103 titles were announced by the Complete with tips for parents expound his informative web site International Reading Association and teachers about reading, instruc- for book lovers everywhere. Both in May. The review teams con- tion, and becoming involved in the the interview and the web site are

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e16_22TAR_Mar04 21 5/12/04, 10:03 AM definitely worth a look. Until then, National Center for Education Statisics. Fleischman, Paul. Breakout. Chicago: happy reading. Cricket Books, 2003. National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse Flinn, Alex. Breathing Underwater. New and Neglect Information. York: HarperCollins, 2001. Jeffrey S. Kaplan is Associate Flinn, Alex. Breaking Point. New York: Professor of Educational Studies in the Nussbaum, Martha C. Cultivating HarperCollins, 2001. College of Education, University of Humanity: A Classical Defense of Foon, Dennis. Skud. Toronto, ON: Central Florida, Orlando and Daytona Reform in Liberal Education. Cam- Groundwood Books, 2003. Beach campuses. His most recent bridge, MA: Harvard University Press, Frank, E. R. America. New York: works include serving as editor of a 1997. Antheneum, 2002. six-volume series of books entitled Off Balance: Youth, Race, and Crime in Gantos, Jack. Hole in My Life. New York: Teen Life Around the World (Green- the News. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2002. wood Publishing, 2003), a non-fiction www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/media/ George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the account of the life of a typical media.html Wolves. New York: HarperCollins, 1972. Rosenblatt, Louise M. Literature as Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the teenager in a foreign country, and Exploration. New York: Modern Betrayed. New York: Simon & Schuster, Using Literature to Help Troubled Language Association. New York: 2002. Teenagers Cope with Identity Issues Modern Language Association, 1938. Halliday, John. Shooting Monarchs New (Greenwood Publishing, 1999). Write Yagelski, Robert. Literacy Matters: Writing York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, or email Dr. Kaplan in the Depart- and Reading the Social Self. New York: 2003. ment of Educational Studies, College Teachers College Press, 2000. Klass, David. Home of the Braves. New of Education, University of Central York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2002. Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, Young Adult Books Koertge, Ron. The Brimstone Journals. [email protected]. Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1999. 2001. McDonell, Nick. Twelve: A Novel. New References Avi. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. New York: York: Grove Press, 2000. Blasingame, James. “An Interview with Hyperion, 2002. Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. New York: Richie Partington.” Journal of Adoles- Blacker, Terence. The Angel Factory. New HarperCollins, 1999. cent & Adult Literacy 47.2 (2003):186- York: Simon & Schuster, 2002. Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Simply Alice. New 187. Blume, Judy. Forever. New York: Bradbury, York: Atheneum, 2002. Bureau of Justice Statistics. 1973. Newman, Leslea. Fat Chance. New York: www.ojp.usdoj.gove/bjs. Brooks, Kevin. Lucas. New York: Scholas- Paperstar/Putnam and Grosset Group, Bushman, John. & Bushman, Kay Parks. tic, 2003. 1994. Using Young Adult Literature in the Burgess, Melvin. Smack. New York: Avon, Niles, Steve. Thirty Days of Night. ill. Ben English Classroom. New York: Merrill, 1993. Templesmith. San Diego, CA: Idea and 1993. Burgess, Melvin. Bloodtide. New York: Tor. Design Works, 2003. Carey-Webb, Allen. Literature and Lives: A 2001. Qualey, Marsha. One Night. New York: Response-based, Cultural Studies Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Dial Books, 2002. Approach to Teaching English. Urbana, Wallflower. New York: Pocket Books, Rapp, Adam. Snowfish. Candlewick, 2003. IL: National Council Teachers of English, 1999. Strasser, Todd. Give a Boy a Gun. New 2001. Cherpiko, Jan. Rat. Honesdale, PA: Boyds York: Simon Pulse, 2002. Center for the Prevention of School Mills Press, 2002. Toten, Teresa. The Game. Calgary, AB: Red Violence, 2001. www.juvjus.state.nc.us/ Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. New Deer College Press, 2001. cpsv.library/statistics.htm York: Pantheon, 1974. Voigt, Cynthia. Bad Girls in Love. New “Children’s Choices.” Reading Teacher Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. New York: York: Atheneum, 2002. 57.2 (2003): 163-179. Greenwillow, 2001. Willis, Jeanne. The Truth or Something: A Donelson, Kenneth. I. & Nilsen, Alleen. P. Davis, Rebecca Fjelland. Jake Riley: Novel. New York: Holt, 2002. (1997). Literature for Today’s Young Irreparably Damaged. New York: Wittlinger, Ellen. Hard Love. New York: Adults (5th ed.). New York: Longman, HarperTempest, 2003. Aladdin, 1999. 1997. Ellis, Deborah. Parvana’s Journey. Ill. Isaacs, Kathleen T. (2003). Reality check. Pascal Milleli. Toronto, ON: Ground- School Library Journal. 49.10 (2003): wood Books, 2002. 50-51.

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e16_22TAR_Mar04 22 5/12/04, 10:03 AM Diane Tuccillo The Library Connection

Teens Meeting the Challenge: Young Adults Gain a Voice Deciding What’s Hot to Read

any teens love to partici- Middle School in Wexford, and completed the project. The groups pate, and they love to be North Hills Junior High, Carson received galley copies or newly Masked for their opinions. Middle School, and Northland published YA books, and group What better way to focus on these Public Library in Pittsburgh. Each members completed evaluation two elements than through books? group read books chosen for that forms. The forms were once again The Young Adult Library Services year’s Best Books for Young Adults sent to the publishers to give them Association (YALSA) of the Ameri- List from YALSA. In time for Teen teen feedback. can Library Association, with Voice Read Week 1999, both groups At this point, teens also used of Youth Advocates (VOYA) maga- submitted their final votes, which the forms for a second purpose—to zine as a co-sponsor, experimented were combined into one “winners” nominate titles for the 2001 Teens’ with this idea through a pilot list. The list of titles chosen was Top Ten. If a book received at least project using teenagers who published in the December 1999 two nominations, it was added to belonged to library teen book issue of VOYA. the contender list. Nominations groups throughout the country. The In 2000, the second phase from all participating groups were ultimate goal was to develop a began. This time, it concentrated on tallied and compiled into one permanent program through which the YA Galley part of the project. master list. Each group kept teens could vote on their top ten Participating publishers sent hot- reading, and from October 14-20, favorites among the most current off-the-press copies of books and which was Teen Read Week, each YA books. Instead of teachers and/ galley editions to six teen groups group conducted a final vote for the or librarians making the award throughout the country. Each teen 2001 Teens’ Top Ten pilot. This list choices, teens themselves would group read the books and com- of winning titles was published in have a voice. pleted evaluation forms. The the December 2001 issue of VOYA. The first phase of the Teens’ completed teen evaluation forms The six teen library groups that Top Ten/YA Galley pilot project were returned to the publishers by completed the project also devel- began in 1999, focusing primarily the librarian advisors, so the oped criteria for teens to evaluate on the Teens’ Top Ten element. Two publishers could receive feedback books in the future. groups were targeted to participate on the books from the teens. At the conclusion of the 2001 in the project, our Young Adult Phase three took place during project year, the YALSA Task Force Advisory Council (YAAC) at the 2001. The segments of the project members assigned to develop City of Mesa Public Library in from the first two years were Teens’ Top Ten/YA Galley as a Arizona and a junior high library combined into one Teens’ Top Ten/ possible permanent YALSA project advisory board in Pennsylvania that YA Galley Project. Six teen library wrote a final report. At the Ameri- met at four different sites: Marshall advisory groups participated and can Library Association’s Midwinter

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f23_26TAR_Mar04 23 5/12/04, 10:08 AM Conference in 2002, the report was evaluators without submitting For the 2003 Teens’ Top Ten submitted to YALSA, and Teens’ nominations. As our YAAC contin- list, teens could select any young Top Ten was officially approved as ued in this capacity, it was interest- adult or adult book published in the an ongoing project. So, 2003 would ing to see how members’ opinions United States in 2002 or 2003 not be the first full year of the project agreed or conflicted with those of previously nominated. Each title with real votes that count. the five nominating groups. Since had to be nominated and seconded Five teen school and public they read so much, the teens in by members of the official Teens’ library advisory groups nationwide YA AC and the other participating Top Ten nominating groups. have been and will be serving as groups were well prepared to do the Readers made their selections the actual 2003-2004 Teens’ Top Ten according to criteria that the teens nominating and voting groups. themselves developed; you can find These groups include the MLHS School and public librar- a link to the criteria on the previ- Booktalkers at Medical Lake High ously mentioned web page. School in Medical Lake, Washing- ians can promote the During Teen Read Week, ton; the Teen Advisory Board at project among students October 19-25, 2003, any interested Allen County Public Library in Fort teens nationwide, ages 12-18, who Wayne, Indiana; the Teen Advisory who use their libraries via had read the books and had access Board: Readers R’ Us at Wilson to the Internet could vote online for Middle School in Plano, Texas; the bulletin boards, a school their favorites from the posted Teen Advisory Council at B. B. nomination list. More than 1,700 or library web page link, Comer Memorial Library in teens did so, a good turnout for the Sylacauga, Alabama; and the Teen special PA and written first “official” year of the project. Review Board at East Lansing After the five nominating groups Public Library in East Lansing, announcements, by voted and a tally was reached, and Michigan. after the national teen online votes During 2003, the teen members mentioning the program were completed, the results were of these groups read, fast and during booktalk posted in November on the Teens’ furiously, the galley and new books Top Ten web site. that the ever-increasing list of presentations, distributing School and public libraries had participating publishers offered. In been encouraged to publicize the addition, for the first time, nominat- bookmarks or flyers Teens’ Top Ten voting as part of ing teens could also select books listing nominated titles, Teen Read Week activities. At our from publishers outside the YA library, we made flyers and put up Galley Project. Readers evaluated sponsoring a voting party, a bulletin board to promote the each title and nominated or voting, and we included Teens’ Top seconded the ones they felt were or perhaps by having teen Ten in all our Teen Read Week outstanding. The list of nominated library group or book club publicity. We also posted informa- titles was posted on a new web tion and a link on the “Teens” page, developed just for this members promote Teens’ section of our library’s web page, purpose. To view the results, you www.mesalibrary.org. can do a keyword search under Top Ten in creative ways Next year, YALSA hopes more “Teens Top Ten,” or use the schools and libraries will help to their fellow students. following URL: http://www.ala. promote the Teens’ Top Ten project org/Content/NavigationMenu/ by encouraging teens to read the YALSA/Special_Projects/Teens_ final national online voting at the nominated books and to vote. How Top_Ten.htm same time the nominating groups can you get your teens involved? Ten additional teen advisory were conducting their paper ballot If you are a YALSA member groups participated as readers and votes. and have a teen library group or a

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

f23_26TAR_Mar04 24 5/12/04, 10:08 AM book club at your school or public might also include promotion of Teens’ Top Ten Books 2001 (in library, you can apply by June 2004 Teens’ Top Ten as part of your rank order): to have them considered for one of library’s teen summer reading 1. Nicholson, William. The Wind the 2005-2006 Teens’ Top Ten five program or your school’s reading Singer (Wind on Fire #1). New nominating/voting groups. You can list. Be sure to order the nominated York: Hyperion, 2000. also apply for them to become one titles and add them to your library 2. Ewing, Lynn. Goddess of the of the ten participating YA Galley collection, so teens have access to Night (Daughters of the Moon reading and evaluating groups. If them. #1). New York: Hyperion, 2000. you qualify and are interested, For the last four years, teenag- 3. Ewing, Lynn. Into the Cold Fire contact the Teens’ Top Ten/YA ers have met the challenge of (Daughters of the Moon #2). Galley committee chair Diane producing a book award list that is New York: Hyperion, 2000. Monnier at [email protected] theirs, from nominations to final 4. Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl. New for an application. votes. Now it is up to teachers, York: Talk Miramax/Hyperion, Another way your teens can school and public librarians who 2001. participate is for you to keep tabs work with teens to make sure that 5. Korman, Gordon. No More on and share information about the all the rest know about the project Dead Dogs. New York: books the nominating groups are and get involved as well. Hyperion, 2000. selecting as they are posted on the 6. Goobie, Beth. Before Wings. web page. Nominations began in Victoria, BC: Orca, 2000. 7. Weaver, Will. Memory Boy. January and close by May 31, so in Teens’ Top Ten Books 1999 (in New York: HarperCollins, 2001. June 2004, the final title list will be rank order): ready for reading and gearing up 1. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and 8. Lester, Julius. When Dad Killed for the 2004 Teen Read Week voting the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Mom. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, in October. Teachers might choose Scholastic, 1998. 2001. participation (reading the books 2. Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: 9. Klass, David. You Don’t Know from the nomination list and doing Farrar, 1998. Me. New York: Farrar Straus the final voting) as an extra credit 3. Ferris, Jean. Love Among the Giroux, 2001. or regular class assignment, Walnuts. San Diego, CA: 10. Nicholson, William. Slaves of depending on the class. Another Harcourt, 1998. the Mastery (Wind on Fire #2). idea might be to use the nominated 4. Werlin, Nancy. The Killer’s Hyperion, 2001. books for some other kind of class, Cousin. New York: Delacorte, summer or independent reading 1998. Teens’ Top Ten Books 2003 assignment or activity. 5. Quarles, Heather. A Door Near (Teens’ Top Ten Voting Groups) School and public librarians Here. New York: Delacorte, (in rank order): can promote the project among 1998. 1. Brennan, Herbie. Faerie Wars. students who use their libraries via 6. Yolen, Jane and Bruce Coville. New York: Bloomsbury, 2003. bulletin boards, a school or library Armageddon Summer. San 2. Plum-Ucci, Carol. What web page link, special PA and Diego: Harcourt, 1998. Happened to Lani Garver? San written announcements, by men- 7. Wilson, Diana Lee. I Rode a Diego: Harcourt, 2002. tioning the program during Horse of Milk White Jade. New 3. * Nix, Garth. Abhorsen. New booktalk presentations, distributing York: Orchard, 1998. York: HarperCollins, 2003. bookmarks or flyers listing nomi- 8. Mikaelson, Ben. Petey. New 4. Johnson, Angela. The First Part nated titles, sponsoring a voting York: Hyperion, 1998. Last. New York: Simon & party, or perhaps by having teen 9. Paulsen, Gary. Soldier’s Heart. Schuster, 2003. library group or book club members New York: Delacorte, 1998. 5. * Black, Holly. Tithe: A Modern promote Teens’ Top Ten in creative 10.Peck, Richard. A Long Way from Fairy Tale. New York: Simon & ways to their fellow students. You Chicago. New York: Dial, 1998. Schuster, 2002.

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f23_26TAR_Mar04 25 5/12/04, 10:08 AM 6. * Brashares, Ann. Second 5. Fredericks, Mariah. The True Macrae, Cathi Dunn. “Testing . . . The Summer of the Sisterhood. New Meaning of Cleavage. New Teens’ Top Ten Best Books 1999.” Voice York: Delacorte/Random York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Dec. 1999: 303. House, 2003. 6. * Nix, Garth. Abhorsen. New Macrae, Cathi Dunn. “YA Galley and 7. Prose, Francine. After. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Teens’ Top Ten Books: Teen-Selected York: HarperCollins, 2003. 7. Rumstuckle, Cornelius. The ‘Best’ Booklist to Debut for Teen Read 8. Bowler, Tim. Storm Catchers. Book of Wizardry: Apprentice’s Week 2003.” Voice of Youth Advocates New York: McElderry/Simon & Guide to the Secrets of the (VOYA) Dec. 2002: 334. Schuster, 2003. Wizard’s Guild. St. Paul, MN: Diane Tuccillo, a former English 9. Ferris, Jean. Once Upon a Mari- Llewellyn, 2003. teacher, has been Young Adult gold. San Diego: Harcourt, 2002. 8. Giles, Gail. Dead Girls Don’t Coordinator at the City of Mesa 10.* Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Write Letters. Brookfield, CT: Library in Arizona since 1980. Diane Lord. New York: Chicken Roaring Brook, 2003. served on the ALAN Executive Board House/Scholastic, 2002. 9. Brooks, Martha. True Confes- from 1999-2002, has been a frequent sions of a Heartless Girl. New presenter at ALAN Workshops and Teens’ Top Ten Books 2003 York: Melanie Kroupa Books/ other professional conferences, and is (National Online Teen Vote), 2003 Farrar Straus Giroux, 2003. active in the Arizona Library Associa- 1. Duane, Diane. A Wizard Alone 10.Frank, E.R. America. New tion and YALSA. She has written (Young Wizards #6). San York: Atheneum/Simon & articles for The ALAN Review, VOYA, Diego: Harcourt, 2002. Schuster, 2002. Kliatt and other publications, serves 2. * Brashares, Ann. Second as a book reviewer for School Library Journal and VOYA, and is a member Summer of the Sisterhood. New * Title appears on both 2003 Teens’ of VOYA’s editorial board. Diane has York: Delacorte/Random Top Ten lists. House, 2003. been elected to the 2005 Printz Award 3. * Black, Holly. Tithe: A Modern Committee. Her forthcoming book for Further reading: Scarecrow Press is Library Teen Fairy Tale. New York: Simon & Macrae, Cathi Dunn. “How Can Librarians Advisory Groups: A VOYA Guide. Schuster, 2003. and Teachers Involve Teens in Teens’ 4. * Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Top Ten Online Voting?” Voice of Youth Lord. New York: Chicken Advocates (VOYA) Oct. 2003: 269+. House/Scholastic, 2002.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

f23_26TAR_Mar04 26 5/12/04, 10:08 AM Wendy Glenn

Form Follows Function: The Relationship Between Structure and Content in Three of Karen Hesse’s Novels

ouis Sullivan, mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, form. Walter Dean Myers, Monster; Ellen Wittlinger, once noted that, in architecture, form should Hard Love, and Liz Rosenberg, 17; for example, have Lfollow function; a building should be designed chosen to share, with great success, one of their to suit its purpose. When designing a home for a narratives through a non-narrative form. Karen Hesse, family, for example, it makes sense to create open however, has experimented with form in almost every spaces for gathering and to provide ample storage. novel she has written; it has helped to define her as an These choices encourage family interaction and author. She is a risk-taker who recognizes this pattern maintain some semblance of order in the midst and in her writing, as well as her pleasure in it, as evi- bustle of life. Similarly, a museum that houses large- denced by her claim, “It seems that the projects I scale paintings requires a much different setting than choose demand a different way of telling than the one geared toward the display of portraiture; with regular prose narrative, but they are very satisfying each, presentation space must be used to meet the when you get them right” (Hendershot and Peck 858). demands of the art. Perhaps, more importantly, the Although several of Hesse’s novels serve as models of resulting ambiance and sense of scale affect the the power that results when form and function collide viewer’s impressions. Standing in the vast, open in literature, three—Letters from Rifka, The Music of corridor of the Louvre and viewing David’s larger- Dolphins, and Out of the Dust—represent the unique than-life portrayal of the coronation of Napoleon feels personal forms in which Hesse has chosen to ground different from sitting on a warm couch in a small, her stories. By employing personal forms—letters, salon-style room and seeing Rembrandt’s intimate self- diary, poetry—in these novels, Hesse celebrates portrait. To place the one painting in the setting of the introspection and reaches adolescent readers, in other would detract from the power of the piece. particular, who find relevance in such personal This same premise holds true in literature. exploration given their reflective nature. Hesse Authors make form-related decisions that affect both recognizes the needs of her audience and selects the structural and thematic integrity of their work. forms that will best help them find their way—and Understanding content may be of the utmost impor- themselves—in her stories. tance in making meaning of a literary text; form, however, should not be ignored. A work without Letters from Rifka structure is no work at all, as form is driven by The Plot content. In fact, an author’s choice of form in the Believable characterization and well-developed creation of a novel may reveal as much or more than themes make Hesse’s novel, Letters From Rifka (1992), the content itself. a welcome contribution to the world of adolescent Several young adult authors have written works literature. The critics agree. The novel’s acclaim is that demonstrate this connection between content and evidenced by its selection as a School Library Journal

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g27-32_TAR_Mar04 27 5/12/04, 10:09 AM Best Book of the Year, Horn Book Book of the Year, and persecution” she and her family face (Rochman, recipient of the National Jewish Book Award. As Hesse 1931). Because she leaves Russia with only a few notes in the novel’s foreword, the work is historical possessions, Rifka records her correspondence in the and draws largely on the memories of Lucy Avrutin, margins of a collection of poetry by Alexander Hesse’s great-aunt. In a Pushkin. As a result, the letters are not sent as they collection of letters to her are completed; Rifka, instead, hopes to be reunited Russian cousin, Tovah, with her cousin, at which point she plans to share her By employing personal Rifka describes her family’s experiences. forms—letters, diary, migration from Russia to Due to Rifka’s resulting isolation, the letter form is the United States from 1919 completely appropriate. Writing letters helps Rifka poetry—in these novels, to 1920. We follow her on maintain a sense of connection with her family. Her her tumultuous journey, written “conversations” with Tovah provide something Hesse celebrates witnessing the inhumane familiar amidst her new surroundings. When she introspection and reaches treatment Russian Jews learns, for example, that she will be detained at Ellis such as Rifka suffer at the Island, she writes, “Dear Tovah, I don’t know how to adolescent readers, in hands of their countrymen, tell about what has happened. I feel numb and I can’t the illness that plagues the believe. I thought if I could tell you, maybe it would particular, who find family members on their make some sense, maybe it would help” (92). Writing relevance in such trek, the isolation that letters also helps her to cope by giving her some sense Rifka experiences when of power over her condition. Although she is physi- personal exploration forced by disease to stay cally unable to leave Ellis Island, for instance, the behind, and, eventually, details she chooses to provide Tovah about her given their reflective the reunion that grants experiences there are determined by her alone. Her Rifka her dream of free- notes provide a means through which she can shape nature. Hesse recognizes dom. Letters from Rifka is a her experience. Finally, writing letters gives her hope. the needs of her audience powerful work of historical As a form of communication, the use of letters implies fiction. It is unique in form an intended audience. This, in turn, suggests that the and selects forms that will without being inaccessible, letters will someday be read and responded to. Rifka and emotional without believes that eventually what she has to say will be best help them find their being melodramatic. The seen by her cousin. This dream of success inspires her way—and themselves—in characterization is com- to persevere. plex, and the themes are her stories. cogent and richly realized. The Music of Dolphins Lucy Avrutin lived a life far The Plot removed from that of many The Music of Dolphins (1996) revolves around readers, but Hesse has succeeded in conveying her Mila, a young girl who is raised by dolphins from the story in a way that is comprehensible, although time she is four years of age when she alone survives amazing to imagine. a plane crash near the Florida coast. Still a teenager, Mila is found and “rescued” by the Coast Guard and Correspondence (and Hope) through placed in the hands of Doctor Beck, a research Letters scientist interested in language development in “wild” children such as Mila. Although Mila is a willing In Letters from Rifka, Hesse adopts the use of participant and thrives at first, she yearns for her letters as the structural means through which to tell ocean home and marine family, eventually accepting her story. Rifka writes these letters to her sixteen-year- her inability to live in human society. In the end, she old cousin, Tovah, who remains in Berdichev. The is returned to her home in the sea but is forever epistolary form allows Rifka to reflect on “memories of changed by her experience on land. A Publishers what she has left behind, including the fierce racist Weekly Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal

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g27-32_TAR_Mar04 28 5/12/04, 10:09 AM Best Book of the Year, ALA Best Book for Young As Mila’s ability develops, however, the letters them- Adults, and Book Links Best Book of the Year, The selves begin to shrink in size, while her strings of words Music of Dolphins has earned well-deserved respect as lengthen. Her word choice reveals a more advanced a unique and engaging story sure to conjure questions vocabulary, and her depth of explanation suggests with no easy answers. The Music of Dolphins is increasing proficiency with the language. She writes, memorable primarily due to the accuracy of Mila’s Everyone is sleeping. I stand at the window. The light of observations about the human condition and our the moon touches the river. I put my ear to the cold glass subsequent wonderings about what it means to be and I listen to the music of the water. members of this race. The story is unusual in its I am alone. construction but not so much that we cannot relate to I am alone like the baby in the lullaby with the birds and the characters and their dreams and dilemmas. the butterflies around him.

The wind makes the trees to sing. The wind makes the Reflection (and Change) Through Diary Entries river to sing. Hesse innovatively employs the diary form in The I sing too. I sing a gray song. A little, little Mila song. Not Music of Dolphins. Although the novel appears big, not many voices. Only one voice. A song of alone. (67) “deceptively easy in format,” it is “complex and With her regression, this process is reversed, so that demanding” (McClelland 120). Selecting this form, by the end of the novel, we see once again simple however, resulted only after a struggle. Hesse tells us, words and large font. Visually, Mila’s progress and It was tricky to pull off because I tend to write in the first decline are evident. person, and I had a child who was pre-lingual. It was the What is particularly interesting about the use of toughest challenge because if you’re telling the story through the diary here deals with the issue of audience. a first-person narration, and the person telling the story has no language with which to tell the story, how, in fact, do Typically, the diary is a place wherein we record our you tell the story? (Bryant, 39) deepest, most personal feelings, knowing that only our eyes will read them. In this case, however, Mila’s Hesse solved her dilemma by first recording Mila’s words do not remain hidden from view. Because the thoughts in italics. She begins the story in Mila’s own doctors treat her as a research subject, a powerless “perfectly sustained voice: the clear and simple, but pawn in the quest for scientific knowledge, she loses profound and poetic language of a ‘foreigner’ with a all privacy. Her very self—physically, emotionally, and keen mind and resonant spirit but limited vocabulary” mentally—is in the hands of the authorities who (McClelland 120). control her. As Mila begins to acquire human language, however, she is asked by the scientists to keep a diary. Out of the Dust This diary form records not only Mila’s impressions The Plot but her changing developmental level as well. Hesse One of Hesse’s best known novels, Out of the Dust achieves this through a creative use of font size and (1997) has been well received. Winner of the Newbery language structure. When Mila begins to record her Medal and Scott O’Dell Award and recognized as an words, the letters run in large font across the page, ALA Notable Children’s Book, ALA Best Book for and her sentences are short and simple. Her early Young Adults, School Library Journal Best Book of the entries appear as such: Year, and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, the novel is often touted as her signature work. In it, The helper is Sandy. Sandy says, I have a Hesse tells the story of fourteen-year-old Billie Jo, who present for you, Mila. Sandy says, This lives with her mother and father in the heart of the present is to eat. This present is good fish. Oklahoma Dust Bowl during the 1930s. When her Do you want to eat this good fish, Mila? mother dies in a tragic accident, Billie Jo is injured I say, No. The fish is not good. The fish is and subsequently unable to continue playing the dead. piano, her life’s passion. Over the course of the novel, Billie Jo must come to terms with her guilt over her Sandy is not happy. I like Sandy happy. (9) involvement in the accident, her strained relationship

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

g27-32_TAR_Mar04 29 5/12/04, 10:09 AM with her father, and her own sense of loss due to her I am so filled with bitterness, disfigurement, all the while living in a natural world it comes from the dust, it comes from the silence of my father, it comes that is destructive and unforgiving. Written in free from the absence of Ma. verse poetry, the novel is unique in form but universal in appeal. Although the novel is particularly situated I could’ve loved her better. in terms of plot and setting, Hesse captures and She could’ve loved me, too. presents a tale that relates to the human condition in But she’s rock and dust and wind now, general. Not all readers experience death and dust in she’s carved stone, the world they inhabit, but they can relate to the she’s holding my stone brother. (195) larger issues of family, freedom, and, ultimately, In these unadorned passages, we see her almost as if forgiveness. she is nude, caught in such stark reality that it is sometimes embarrassing to look. The form distills the Introspection (and Insight) Through Poems experiences “into brief, acutely observed phrases” that Hesse has received great praise for her unique use reveal a depth of pain that cannot be disguised with of form in Out of the Dust. Here, the story is told meaningless words (Lempke, 330). through the first person, free verse reflections of Billie Jo. Hesse reveals her rationale for this form: Form, Function, and the Adolescent I never attempted to write this book any other way than in Audience free verse. The frugality of the life, the hypnotically hard work of farming, the grimness of conditions during the dust Adolescents, in their search for understanding, bowl demanded an economy of words. Daddy and Ma and naturally look within. These young readers are Billie Jo’s rawboned life translated into poetry. (Hesse, struggling to make sense of themselves and their place “Newbery Medal Acceptance” 426) in the adult world they will soon enter. They are Despite the unusual form, the “language, imagery, and dealing with issues of identity formation, dependence rhythms are so immediate that after only a few pages versus independence, and self-acceptance and valida- it will seem natural to have the story related in verse” tion. Hesse’s novels, through their inward-looking (Schadle, 217). Although “she creates no flowery forms, both reinforce and extend this process. Readers description of this hard-bitten place,” Hesse’s words can access the personal feelings and thoughts of are “artistic in their starkness,” almost as we would characters willing to record their frustrations, fears, expect in a “painting or photograph” (Blasingame 12- heartbreaks, and joys on the written page. Inner selves 13). Hesse’s editor agrees, noting, are revealed, giving us a glimpse into worlds we could access in no other way. Each of these forms—the A profound and visceral sense of place is one of the quali- letter, the diary, and the poem—embodies a sense of ties that is most memorable about Karen Hesse’s writing intimacy that provides an immediacy of emotion for . . . . I do remember reading Out of the Dust for the first the reader. Hindered not by excess or unnecessary time. And I know where I was. I may have appeared to be sitting at my desk at Scholastic Press, turning the pages of a ornamentation, they provide an honesty of expression typewritten manuscript, tuning out the office noise. But I that creates a sense of trust between speaker and was in Oklahoma in 1934. I was tasting the grit in my mouth. reader. I was burying the dead. I was hopping a train and running Given this unique insider view, adolescent readers away (to Hollywood, in that first draft!), out of the dust can more easily see others like them struggling with Billie Jo. (Bowen, 432) through conflicts similar to their own and experience a This stark form “enables Hesse to cut quickly to greater sense of normalcy in the recognition that they the heart of Billie Jo’s life and personality” are not alone. Despite the differing experiences of (Blasingame 3) and allows the reader to feel “the Rifka, Mila, and Billie Jo, each protagonist is trying to intensity of Billie Jo’s life” (Stover 97). When, for determine where she fits in—am I American or example, she feels she can no longer continue to exist foreigner, am I human or dolphin, am I daughter or amidst the memories of sadness, Billie Jo claims, outcast? When Rifka writes about her fear of being

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

g27-32_TAR_Mar04 30 5/12/04, 10:09 AM alone and Mila records her confusions and frustrations her family, to maintain some semblance of communi- at being human and Billie Jo expresses the heartbreak cation, to rekindle the connection she has lost while she feels as a result of her distanced relationship with traveling on her own. Through what means could one her father, each girl presents a truth regarding the more clearly witness the progression and regression of adolescent condition in the most candid of forms. a character than through a personal diary that allows Witnessing literary characters, especially those similar readers to experience this pattern in a way that telling to themselves in age, successfully (but not without alone could not provide? What better way to capture struggle) navigate this coming of age journey can the bleak landscape and accompanying emotional encourage younger readers to persevere in the search desolation of the Dust Bowl era than through for self. Authors, like Karen Hesse, who allow their barebones poetry in which every word carries weight characters to tell engaging, personal stories that and significance? Beethoven scored the last movement readers find relevant to their own lives can inspire, or of his Ninth Symphony, “Ode to Joy,” on a massive in the very least, encourage readers to realize, “It’s OK scale in hopes of most effectively capturing his vision to be me.” of unadulterated, collective human joy. That same, As young readers wonder about the kinds of simple melody played by a single trumpet might be people they are and will become, they can also safely beautiful, but the message conveyed and resulting imagine themselves into other worlds, peering into the impact on the audience is not the same. In literature, revealed and revealing lives of the girls they meet on in art, in music, in life, the medium matters. the page. Here they can witness, examine, and, ideally, empathize with characters that can provide alterna- Wendy Glenn is in her second year as an assistant tives not provided in their everyday lives. Through professor in the Neag School of Education at the University reading Rifka’s portrayal of her experiences, young of Connecticut, where she teaches courses in adolescent women in traditional homes may come to value her literature and methods of teaching English. Her article spunk, audacity, and desire to be an educated, free “Consider the Source: Feminism and Point of View in Karen Hesse’s Stowaway and Witness” appeared in The human being. Mila may inspire young readers to ALAN Review in the Winter 2003 issue. question what they have come to take for granted as members of the human community. Are we indeed as Works Cited wise and important as we sometimes think? As Billie Blasingame, James. Karen Hesse. Ottawa, KS: The Writing Jo faces her physical deformity and resulting dashed Conference, Inc., 1998. dreams, those who have never struggled with such Bowen, Brenda. “Karen Hesse.” The Horn Book Magazine 74 seeming limitations may develop a greater respect for (1998): 428-32. those who have. Entering into the minds of each Bryant, Ellen Huntington. “Honoring the Complexities of Our Lives: An Interview with Karen Hesse.” Voices from the Middle character, as these personal forms allow, enables 4.2 (1997): 38-49. readers to experience the world in a new way, a way Hendershot, Judy, and Jackie Peck. “Newbery Medal Winner, that may encourage alternative thinking and engender Karen Hesse, Brings Billie Jo’s Voice Out of the Dust.” The compassion and concern. Reading Teacher 52 (1999): 856-58. Hesse, Karen. Letters from Rifka. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1992. In the End, the Medium Matters ———. The Music of Dolphins. New York: Scholastic, 1996. ———. “Newbery Medal Acceptance.” The Horn Book Magazine What impresses me most about Hesse’s approach 74 (1998): 422-27. to fiction is her willingness to experiment, to explore ———. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic, 1997. innovative forms that yield more powerful content. Lempke, Susan Dove. Rev. of Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse. Hesse’s novels would not be as effective if written in Booklist 94 (1997): 330. other forms. The forms (informal and personal) fit the McClelland, Kate. Rev. of The Music of Dolphins, by Karen function (helping readers interact meaningfully with Hesse. School Library Diary 42.11 (1996): 120. Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. New York: HarperTempest, 1999. texts). How appropriate to use the letter form when Rochman, Hazel. Rev. of Letters from Rifka, by Karen Hesse. describing the experiences of a young girl who hopes Booklist 88 (1992): 1931. for nothing more than to be successfully reunited with Rosenberg, Liz. 17. Chicago: Cricket Books, 2002.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

g27-32_TAR_Mar04 31 5/12/04, 10:09 AM Schadle, Carrie. Rev. of Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse. School Stover, Lois T. “Karen Hesse.” Writers for Young Adults. Ed. Ted Library Diary 43.9 (1997): 217. Hipple. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2000. 93-101. Wittlinger, Ellen. Hard Love. New York: Simon Pulse, 1999.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

g27-32_TAR_Mar04 32 5/12/04, 10:09 AM T ◆ H ◆ E

s in ALAN

, that

sonal

ailing

eams, REVIEW

er and

other are

Amy Fiske Amy

ersity, tells a ersity,

Phoenix, AZ

Glendale, AZ Glendale,

erything, does

es the reader on es the reader

ough hard times. ough hard

Amanda C. Hudson

acter is trapped in his acter is trapped

ISBN: 156512393X

xpresses her fears, re- her fears, xpresses

ISBN: 0-7636-1854-3

ed mothers to cover her to cover ed mothers

om and hanging out with

el; it is also the pr

, her father and br

alls’ young daughter, Aggie. daughter, alls’ young

, this story reveals the power , this story reveals

om cancer and her per

ell written is this memoir

. In addition to discussing the

Mothers and Daughters/Cancer Mothers

al, and the redemptive power of love. power al, and the redemptive

oung son, Toby. Hired by the Duvall by Hired oung son, Toby.

efreshing because it tak efreshing

ong, a new life seems possible ong, a new

eat of once again losing e

been like for Stone, as a high school senior for Stone, been like

xpress to her mother what she wishes she had xpress

oby vanishes, and the Duvalls slowly implode. Shocked implode. slowly and the Duvalls vanishes, oby

current of confinement. Each char current

atching her mother die fr

orld in layers, switching between flashback, da switching between orld in layers,

s kitchen servants and the Duv s kitchen servants

old with passion and honesty

eaking, the story is r

acters together. First we meet Arthur Henning, wido we First together. acters

. Aggie is dispatched to a home for un . Aggie

alls, yet afraid of losing his comfortable position, Arthur suffer afraid yet alls,

eryday issues many teenage girls face issues many eryday

s and daughters and pain and healing. In the form of poetry and diary s and daughters

, gardener, and handyman, Arthur finds peace in the cottage on their , gardener,

enching thoughts of a teenage girl. So w

by Miriam R. Stone by

, 2004, 368 pp., $24.95 , 2004,

. Although heartbr

eate a future.

enity in her writing and uses it to e

by Carrie Brown by II War Survival/World

the heartlessness of the Duv

xperiences of being a high school student, such as attending the pr

friends, Stone also reveals her feelings on the importance of family in getting thr Stone also reveals friends, Although the relationship she had with her mother is the primary focus Although the relationship also an integral part of her life also an integral powerful story about mother powerful Miriam finds ser entries, Stone shares the difficulty of w Stone shares entries, struggle to cope with the e At the End of Words e Candlewick Press, 2003, 55 pp., $14.00 2003, Press, Candlewick

In her memoir, Miriam Stone, currently an undergraduate student at Columbia Univ an undergraduate currently Miriam Stone, In her memoir,

said before her mother passed a said before

to lose her mother a journey through pain and suffering that ends with the author healing and finding peace through a journey This narrative is a must-read for all young women, as Stone beautifully e women, for all young is a must-read This narrative

of words and the heart-wr of words the reader has a genuine feeling of what it must ha the reader

grets, pain, and eventual peace and happiness pain, and eventual grets,

Confinement Algonquin Books

Confinement is not only the title of this thoughtful and haunting no

theme, the glue that holds the char theme,

survivor of Nazi Europe, who flees to America with his y of Nazi Europe, survivor family to be their chauffeur estate. Here, Arthur and Toby slowly recover from their trauma, surrounded by idyllic countryside by surrounded their trauma, from recover slowly Arthur and Toby Here, estate. and the companionship of the mansion’

parents’ shame and to dispose of the child. T parents’ by quiet, powerless misery. Only when faced with the thr misery. quiet, powerless As Arthur watches Toby and Aggie grow up safe and str grow and Aggie Toby As Arthur watches Arthur begin to cr However, the idyllic setting hides an under However, haunted, inner w Arthur’s reveals Brown or her own individual way. As a teen, Aggie finds herself pregnant. The events brought on by the on by brought The events pregnant. finds herself As a teen, Aggie individual way. or her own It is a tale of fear and guilt, emotional surviv and the present. pregnancy tear apart both families pregnancy

and

d the

YA Book Reviews YA

Mesa, AZ

e than to be

. Her brothers

Kim Morgan

Chandler, AZ Chandler,

Brittany Scovel Brittany

en, and a conflict

y of life and death

eenten and her best

ISBN: 0-15-204774-3

, the girls are sure that sure , the girls are

wn society. She is deter- wn society.

wly acquainted afterlife

others died fighting. others

Self-discovery/Friendship/Magic

, his sudden death brings about

Clip & File

est near their house

eentens, with her best friend, K eentens,

, which takes a look at events surrounding a look at events , which takes

the reader will still remember the importance of will still remember the reader

eenten. Kay and Alia are assigned to guar and Alia are eenten. Kay

e up her dream of being a k e up her dream

arriors, and Alia wants nothing mor and Alia wants arriors,

Alia is slowly realizing that she has a special gift— realizing Alia is slowly

ough life.

, a creative and original journe , a creative

s enemy, the Beechians, and Kate wants to fight to end wants and Kate the Beechians, s enemy,

w of his cousin.

en hiding in the for

Buried Onions

, falling in love, and relationships. , falling in love,

, Chuy narrates his short life and ne , Chuy narrates

The Afterlife

ery to help us thr

ongs even if she must giv ongs even

xperiences, feelings, and what he learns as a ghost. feelings, xperiences,

oman warrior sisterhood, the k oman warrior

ar against her society’

Gary Soto Violence/Dealing with Death

by Laura Williams McCaffr Laura by

erage in looks and in life erage

om the first page, young readers will be captured by the excitement and the suspense of the the excitement by will be captured readers young page, om the first

eaders will enjoy Soto’s Soto’s will enjoy eaders

The Afterlife Harcourt Children’s Books, 2003, 168 pp., $16.00 2003, Books, Children’s Harcourt Chuy is a 17-year-old boy, born in Mexico and raised in Fresno, Calif.Although he is in Fresno, and raised born in Mexico boy, Chuy is a 17-year-old tragically murdered in the bathroom of a night club in the bathroom murdered tragically many revelations about life revelations many Av as he details his e The prequel to Soto’s popular to Soto’s The prequel Chuy’s death from the point of vie death from Chuy’s R as seen through the eyes of Chuy. the eyes as seen through

died fighting the w the war. The keentens are highly selective when choosing girls to join the sisterhood, but when K highly selective are The keentens Alia discover two Beechian childr two Alia discover their capture will lead to an invitation to be a k their capture prisoners until their fate is decided. Ho prisoners trees in the forest speak to her. in the forest trees Through her newly discovered gift, her relationship with the Beechian childr gift, her relationship discovered her newly Through Alia Waking something terrible has been happening in her o Alia discovers with Kay, Clarion Books, 2003, 214 pp., $15.00 214 2003, Clarion Books, ISBN: 0-618-19461-4 mined to right the wr

Not all girls have the privilege of becoming w Not all girls have accepted into the w compassion and self-disco

friend to uncover the truth and bring the justice for which her br friend to uncover Fr book. Long after the last page is turned, ho 33

h33-40_TAR_Mar04 33 5/12/04, 10:09 AM T ◆ H ◆ E

The Divide Dark Waters h hce os,20,38p. 1.5ISBN: 0-439-45696-7 The Chicken House, 2003, 318 pp., $15.95 Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, 2003, 176 pp., $15.95 Alone in the world, separated from true friends, and isolated by his parents, Felix Col McCann—kno struggles with a heart condition that thr him and his family and older brother—struggles with the decision of being the local to F ing his family name and becoming a nuisance to the society After he learns of Mungo’ parents’ wishes, he escapes briefly to vie ingly an accomplice to—Col struggles with the decision of being lo Col has just helped his br P doing the right thing and corr him an alibi for some unkno

from drowning when the ice cr good graces, Col must deal with his br

before. out, the loch, Col risks his o In a mythical world where legends live and humans don’t e magical and amazing cr is led on an adventure beyond his dreams as he and his ne a cure. Lost in the challenge of a m discover something greater than his cur future.

elix and his parents set out to Costa Rica in sear ALAN acific oceans split) only to disco REVIEW

b lzbt a Fantasy/Adventure by Elizabeth Kay

by Catherine MacPhail

wn by the entire town because of the vicious actions of his father

eatures fascinated by science but living in a w

s crimes against his o

other, Mungo, escape tr

wn life attempting to sa

wn crime he committed. While visiting his fa

ecting the wrongs that have been done.

acks underneath him. No

er himself in a world unlike any he has ever known

ythical world, Felix is faced with the chance to

other’s dislike for the attention it has br

eatens his life. Torn between life and death,

w the Great Divide (wher

and he begins to see the hope to a brighter

wn friends—crimes he w

Clip & File

ouble with the police b

ch of a chance for life

a young boy named Dominique

w friends search to find him

w in Dominique’

xist, Felix discovers many

amily Loyalty/Honesty

ISBN: 1-58234-846-4

wn hero or follow-

e the Atlantic and

Rickey Kishbaugh

al to his family or

orld of magic. He

. Against his

Phoenix, AZ

as unknow-

y providing

Amy Young

orite hang-

s family’s

Mesa, AZ

ought to

YA Reviews Book

Finding My Hat

addressing many difficult issues including the tr parents speak a differ Y different, act different, and eat differ we junior high school wher Orchard Books, 2003, 185 pp., $16.95 Jin-Han’s story is that of a y Have you ever felt like your family is differ life seems to throw at him. Y

Henry Holt & Compan

Fault Line

At best friend, Abby, Becky performs stand-up at a local comedy club in San F connect with her audience After one of her performances two connect through their shared talent. The relationship takes an intense turn, and Becky begins to isolate her

cations, two jobs, and her future in comedy, Becky attempts to balance her life with her feelings for Kip, becoming dependent upon him in the pr emotionally and ph from Kip. The novel grants readers a glimpse into the thought pr

family. Though Becky’ abuse in teenage r

and the abused, as w

oung adult readers will be quick to engage in Jin-Han’

oung Jin-Han is a fir

17, Becky Martin is a high school senior with aspir

follow Jin-Han through his battles in kinder

JntTsja Comedians/Dating/Abused W Janet Tashjian

elationships remains serious and important for all y

self from friends and family

sically abusive, Becky is forced to rely on her own instincts to turn a

Jh o Coming of Age John Son

ell as the resounding effects of such r

s pursuit of a career in comedy frames the subject matter

st generation Korean American immigr

ent language at home than he speaks in public

e he quite humor

2003, 246 pp., $16.95

, perfect her act, and mak

, Becky meets Kip Costello, a fello

oung boy dealing with the man

Finding My Hat

ent foods than everyone else. In

ously discovers girls.

ent than everyone else’s? Jin-Han Park has.

. Facing the demands of school, college appli-

is told with grace and style, while still

garten all the way through his years in

agic death of his mother

ations of becoming a comedian. With her

e it big on the comedy scene

ocesses of Kip and Becky

ocess. When the relationship turns

s story.

elationships upon friends and

w amateur comedian, and the

ant. Not only do Jin-Han’

y hardships and triumphs

oung adults.

ISBN: 0-439-43538-2

ISBN: 0-8050-7200-4

Amanda Humphr

ancisco, striving to

Finding My Hat,

, but they look

Stephanie Rips

, the topic of

, the abuser

empe, AZ

omen

way

ey 34 s

h33-40_TAR_Mar04 34 5/12/04, 10:09 AM T ◆ H ◆ E

e. ge ALAN

three

wn to REVIEW

stand.

ant; and

. They are . They

Evita Wiatr Chicago, IL

eady knows

ears Meggie ears

. She has no

Phoenix, AZ

y readers, while y readers,

er been until the

Susan Mullarkey

. A dog appears on the . A dog appears

ISBN: 0-439-53164-0

ISBN: 0-374-32779-3

Animals/Coming of A

es her to far away places, but places, es her to far away

and not meant to come aliv

apped in a book.

eep Jeff in line, and how many and how eep Jeff in line,

, her mother vanished from the from , her mother vanished

, Mo. She even calls him Mo and , Mo. She even

e the hearts of man

emember is how one night when she emember is how

not

e than his share of troubles, and Suzanne’s of troubles, e than his share

s mysterious and exciting trips around the trips around and exciting s mysterious

eads aloud. As her mother disappear

eading aloud. After Mo chases them out of his

oung readers as they come to know Suzanne as a come to know as they oung readers

and she needs a dog. In fact, she alr

for Jeff will strik

ade promises to be a lonely one for Suzanne ade promises

, and Suzanne is happier than she has e

ears it is just the two of them, and for nine y it is just the two ears

ous characters; Basta, his cruel and heartless serv ous characters;

as reading aloud to Meggie as reading

ents’ misgivings, Suzanne convinces them to let Jeff sta ents’ misgivings,

e better left under their co

e on a farm. How can Suzanne k e on a farm. How

rue Story

eshadow a decision that will be difficult for Suzanne to under eshadow

, ups and downs, this fantasy will leave you moved, especially at the moved, you will leave this fantasy , ups and downs,

emember. One thing she does emember.

, the book Mo had been r

e and that she will name him “Jeff.”

and caring girl. Her lo

aphical novel will enchant y aphical novel

for all creatures and a lively imagination that tak and a lively for all creatures

ving her father, hasn’t realized her mother is tr hasn’t realized ving her father,

een fourth and fifth gr

ery bed she had been sitting in. Mo has a special gift (which he passes do

Inkheart

by Cornelia Funke by Coming of Age/Italy

Suzanne Fisher Staples

ances Foster Books, 2003, 128 pp., $16.00 2003, Books, ances Foster

as just 3 years old, while her father w as just 3 years

orld. Meggi, belie

eal friends near her home on Chapman Lak

oom, out of the v

eunion of three people separated for many years. Most likely in the end you will feel as Meggie in the end you Most likely years. for many people separated eunion of three

The Green Dog: A Mostly T by Fr

porch one day, and, in spite of her par one day, porch The summer betw The girl and the dog become fast friends mischief begins. Jeff is a free-spirited dog who causes mor Jeff is a free-spirited mischief begins. what the dog looks lik to send Jeff to liv father threatens Suzanne has a lo chances will he get? her yearning for a canine companion is taking all her thoughts this summer her yearning This semi-autobiogr

bright, imaginativ

the dog’s repeated antics for repeated the dog’s

Inkheart The Chicken House, 2003, 554 pp., $19.95 2003, House, The Chicken Meggie is a rather mature 12-year-old who lives with her father who lives 12-year-old mature Meggie is a rather has for as long as she can r w r Meggie) of reading characters out of books when he r characters Meggie) of reading

men, Capricorn, one of the most danger Dustfinger, a man who plays with fire, stand across the room from Mo and Meggie from the room stand across with fire, a man who plays Dustfinger, characters from from characters house, he is left with Meggie; for nine y house, listens intently when Mo tells stories of her mother’

and her Aunt Elinor did, that books ar and her Aunt

Filled with twists and turns r

elf.

ows

14-6

ents.

ole of

YA Book Reviews YA

e often,

ogresses,

empe, AZ empe,

wing your

e sense of not

Kim Haugen

Amanda Fiegel

Philadelphia, PA

osalind strangely

, even those one , even

ISBN: 0385730969

wn sexuality. Shortly wn sexuality.

ation, Robert seeks a ation, Robert

ISBN: 1-58234-8

vin, has been struggling

. Through experimenting . Through

orld more clearly, after her clearly, orld more

orld is not as perfect as the

espearean play, Robert realizes the realizes Robert play, espearean

ant parents from Scotland. Her from ant parents

obert to accept Kevin for who he is obert to accept Kevin

dinary life. However, when forced to when forced However, dinary life.

xuality from himself, as well as every- himself, as well xuality from

Clip & File

y this sense of liber

oles in the play. Coincidentally, Robert finds Robert Coincidentally, oles in the play.

oach of showing the importance of kno oach of showing

, the confused Robert begins to question the r , the confused Robert

oung girl learning that people

s self.

obert has had an or

, Sarah, ends up living with Clem and her par , Sarah,

, too, has reservations about her o , too, has reservations

ound her changes

s interested in adventure and exploration, as well as as well and exploration, in adventure s interested

ou Like It

, young readers will enjoy this novel, for it presents issues relative in issues relative for it presents this novel, will enjoy readers , young

by Nora Martin Nora by Family Dysfunctional Adventure/

en’s Books, 2003, 146 pp., $14.95 2003, Books, en’s

many faces. With Sarah’s arrival, Clem’s uncle visits mor Clem’s arrival, With Sarah’s faces. many

onder why he is so interested in her. As the book pr in her. he is so interested onder why

wn in England, R

an invest in a large island—Granger Island—to farm. Clem gr island—Granger in a large an invest

y within himself. Quick to den

ear-old boy who, like many other teenagers, is trying to mak other teenagers, many who, like ear-old boy

Andrew Matthews Andrew Identity/Friendship Sexual

andom House Childr

old with honesty and humor

obert Hunt is a 15-y

elief and reassurance in Milena, for she elief and reassurance

able and inspiring under the lighthearted appr

makes him feel happ makes confidant, Milena, who has also switched gender r

after Milena’s confession, Robert receives news that his best friend, K news receives confession, Robert after Milena’s with the same dilemma, for he has been hiding his homose one else. This reoccurring issue of gender in society causes R This reoccurring one else. gender. The inexplicable and extraordinary feeling that arises when he pla and extraordinary The inexplicable gender. T the lives of many teenagers. Robert’s search for himself and dedication to his friendships is admi- search Robert’s teenagers. of many the lives r r R

Flight of the Fisherbird importance of being comfortable with one’ Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, 2003, 146 pp., $16.25 2003, Books, Children’s Bloomsbury USA The Flip Side Growing up in a small to Growing Clementine, better know as Clem, was born to immigr as Clem, was better know Clementine, in the pla star as Rosalind father and Uncle Dor R up on the island. When she is 13, she starts to see the w only society’s views on sexuality, but also his own role as a teenage male role but also his own on sexuality, views only society’s uncle’s partner dies and his daughter uncle’s with the female gender in addition to finding himself in a Shak This book explores the struggle of a y This book explores depends on, can ha and Clem starts to w

This is a great book for teenager This is a great learning about becoming an adult and noticing that the w

Clem’s perspective of the people ar perspective Clem’s thought it was. 35

h33-40_TAR_Mar04 35 5/12/04, 10:10 AM T ◆ H ◆ E

The Last Mall Rat K Houghton Mifflin Compan Henry Holt and Compan Mitch Grant is 15 years old and looking to mak K because of his tr legally, he accepts mone harassment or allow his friend to tak ers by harassing them in the parking lot. Mitch’ The story takes the reader on a journe his services become highly demanded b leads to an uncontr closest friends to help him with his business c the small community about the teen’ to the mall and puts pr police place full blame for the teen’ its subject matter

herself and her family paths of Isabel and her family to r P they each descend into their grief. Her father thr pelling exploration of the effects of depr children. Brother Frank’s anger eventually leads to self-mutilation, and her y sister, Olivia, suffers from nightmares. Kimberly Willis Holt skillfully w series of very short chapter

esponsibility for her father

onsequences of his actions and doing the right thing ar

erhaps best suited for middle-gr

eeper of the Night ALAN eeper of the Night REVIEW

oubled past. Mitch must find the cour

. The book opens with the suicide of Isabel’

by Erik E. Esckilsen

is set in Guam, and the beauty of this setting stands in contr

ollable disaster. Mitch, along with the r

by Kimberly Willis Holt

essure on the police to tak

y from salespeople at the mall to get r

20,38p. 1.5ISBN 0-8050-6361-7 2003, 308 pp., $16.95

, her brother, and her sister, and she watches helplessly as

2003, 182 pp., $15.00

eaves local legends and folklor

ade readers,

clearly see her frustr

s real and imagined activities on Mitch’

s activities, the community becomes terrified to go

e the fall alone.

y with Mitch as he mak

ecovery. As the oldest daughter

y the salespeople

ession on one family

. As exaggerated rumors begin to fly thr

eeper of the Night

e some money. Too young to get a job

s world quickly spins out of contr

s himself into his w

Clip & File

e action against the teenager

Suicide/Depression/Self-mutilation

age to confess his r

e import

ation with her inability to help

, and Mitch recruits his three

eader, learns that facing the

es one faulty decision that

Coming of Age/Courage

s mother and traces the

e into Isabel’s story. In a

ant parts of growing up.

enge on rude custom-

is a gentle and com-

ISBN 0-618-23417-9

ork, ignoring his

, Isabel assumes

Todd Goodson

Manhattan, KS

ole in the mall

s best friend,

acy McHugh

Gilbert, AZ

ast with

ounger

s. s.

YA Reviews Book

ough

ol as

The

Midnight Blue L losuy 03 5 p,$69 ISBN: 1582348294 Bloomsbury. 2003, 250 pp., $16.95 HarperCollins Childr

A young girl named Bonnie sto Born in a floathouse on the back ba escape her wicked grandmother. She comes to gr needs to earn mone universe complete with a mirr knows. Although this world is similar in man different. Here Bonnie finds the family she alw

adult Bonnie needs and the absentee father has been r magical world and proves to be everything Bonnie has wished for wrong. There is an evil that Bonnie must confr deck hand on a fishing boat. After finding no opportunities The Storm Petrel sky.” Bonnie soon r the fish in season. Then a lull sets in, and R Bonnie does not w searching for plaques buried b help of her friend, “the shado tended to claim parts of Alask goes home. When she arriv come into possession of R plaques are valuable, and by finding and selling them, T effect on her original w fishing lull, Tor becomes obsessed with the sear may not go back to port. In the end, an intense change in the w

Stylistically, Hobbs wastes no words, and the intensity cr me that fishing for King Salmon could be the highlight of an the results of the meticulous

y storm push the story in r

narrative flow. Robbie as a responsible young adult decision-mak

oung adults. This is a fine book in the Hobbs tr

eaving Protection

. At first, they are highly successful at catching King Salmon, the most lucr

ant to leave, but she knows she must or those she lo

ealizes she has br

PuieFs Fantasy Pauline Fisk

He hops a ride to the fishing village of Cr

en’s Books, 2004, 192 pp., $15.99

orld, as well.

oller-coaster fashion to the e

Wl ob Fiction/Alaska Fishing Adventure Will Hobbs

ezanov’s journal, which details wher

es, she realizes her selfless actions in the par

, historical research that he always does and, as a r

a for Russia. When not fishing, T

w boy,” Bonnie again boar

or image of herself as well as alternate versions of everyone she

y Nikolai Rezanov of the Russian-American Compan

y of Port Protection, Alaska, 16-year-old Robbie McDaniel

ought this darkness to the m

y respects to the world she left behind, it is also someho

on a neighbor’

obbie finds out that, in addition to fishing, T

ont. There is a darkness in the “land be

s dreamed of. Her mother has become the matur

ch for the plaques

adition.

ound in the “land be

citing conclusion.

s mystical hot air balloon in an attempt to

eated by the tight word choice convinces

eplaced with the caring Michael. It is a

or can secure his retirement. During the

ds the hot air balloon, but this time she

, he finds a job with T

one’s life. As usual, Hobbs integr

or is an antique dealer

aig in hopes of finding w

, yet there is also something v

e the plaques were buried. The

er is an excellent role model for

eather and the accompan

, and Robbie worries that Tor

stical land.

allel world have had some

ond the sky,” a parallel

es will perish. With the

ISBN: 0-688-17475-2

Edgar H. Thompson

Abingdon, Virginia

esult, enhances the

Simon Baumkratz

or Torgensen on

, and he has

Custer, S.D

y who in-

or is also

ork as a

ond the

ative of

ying

ates

ery

e 36 .

h33-40_TAR_Mar04 36 5/12/04, 10:10 AM T ◆ H ◆ E ALAN

ery-

e the

oung v REVIEW

e itself

ella, IA

, includ-

age young

endy Street

ark City, UT ark City,

es it and ap-

e living with

son that nobody

as, and her mother as,

ages independence

the town its name. the town

Jennifer Greenband

ISBN 0-374-35485-5

y his romantic inter- y his romantic

e going to change

s to include nearly e

ent customs. Since it is set in ent customs.

, which can encour

e are numerous plays on words, plays numerous e are

acters, including police Chief Eagle acters,

emarkable small town of Mt. Mole, small town emarkable

oughout the book, and each challenge

e the mystery of missing middle school e the mystery

eryone was already used to calling him already was eryone

ears old and is a very wise and intelligent old and is a very ears

. Soon Andy is joined b

ound people. Maya and her mom ar Maya ound people.

ami India Coming-of-Age/

om Mt. Mole? Ther

y challenges thr

elentlessly ordinary, the affable Andy lo elentlessly ordinary,

ent language. The book also encour ent language.

e her closest relatives are. When Maya first arrives in India, arrives first When Maya are. e her closest relatives

gia Wayne; and yet another mystery crops up: What ar crops another mystery and yet gia Wayne;

arley, who turns out to be the missing per arley,

wkward. She realizes some things ar She realizes wkward.

y a variety of eccentric char y a variety

e its offbeat protagonist.

by Richard W. Jennings W. Richard by Mystery/Humor

e real groaners, but that just adds to the fun. Although the plot is groaners, e real

003. $15.00003. ISBN: 0618284788

s list of suspects almost immediately gr

esting feature is the geographical oddity that ga is the geographical esting feature

by Uma Krishnasw by

will be enjoyed by many young adults. It is a great opportunity for a y It is a great adults. young many by will be enjoyed

oman. Maya is faced with man oman. Maya

alon (who isn’t a policeman at all, but e

arrar, Straus & Giroux, 2004, 192 pp., $16.00 2004, & Giroux, Straus arrar,

decides to go to India, wher and its differ on the world perspective adult to get a greater Mystery in Mt. Mole Naming Maya she feels out of place and a the story used throughout are words Tamil India, many Houghton Mifflin, 2 F and acts ar she dresses ing the way to learn a differ adults to want Mami, Maya’s grandma. Mami is about 80 y grandma. Mami, Maya’s with responsibility. Thirteen-year-old Andy Forrest sets out to solv Andy Forrest Thirteen-year-old w assistant principal Jacob F for Jersey New leaves unusual circumstances girl, who by young is an adventurous Maya she overcomes with ease. She is always the heroine who comes up with solutions the heroine She is always with ease. she overcomes misses at all. Andy’ India. one he interviews. The story takes place in the unr The story takes one he interviews. Her father has left for T a divorce. just undergone have Her parents Naming Maya and some of them ar whose sole inter somewhat predictable, this is a thoroughly enjoyable book because it doesn’t tak enjoyable this is a thoroughly predictable, somewhat Mt. Mole is populated b too seriously—just lik T Chief). While Mt. Mole seems r preciates the charm of its odd inhabitants preciates est, blond cheerleader Geor strange rumbling noises coming fr strange

ous

gani-

oung

YA Book Reviews YA

empe, AZ empe,

es by em- es by

Emily Pauly

St. George, KS St. George,

, and his misfit

oduction to the

y encounter and

Steve Rasmussen Steve

, he gets swept up , he gets swept

He and his friends

ISBN 0-375-81374-8

en him by his adopted en him by

ISBN: 0-618-17672-1

is both subtly humor

arsaw, Poland. Adopted by Adopted Poland. arsaw,

ail humanity, their joy and their joy ail humanity,

eaders. Although the or eaders.

ent series of events, but also ent series of events,

acters narrates different sections different narrates acters

,” to a certain extent, that they each that they ,” to a certain extent,

s of the Mad Science Club in Jeanne

Mind Games

s eyes and has no way to process what to process and has no way s eyes

Clip & File

es in the process.

, the characters also learn the importance of , the characters

, and small size to surviv

eaders, eaders,

oup is comprised of an eclectic mix of students—

ents take on a boy, his adopted family on a boy, ents take

ell ESP/Clubs/Individuality

orld with a child’

es these people in all their fr

om Russia. Each of the char om Russia.

making it a novel I “sense” many adolescents will enjo I “sense” many making it a novel

2003, 133 pp., $15.00 2003,

are not quite sure if they do, so they develop an experiment to test an experiment develop do, so they if they not quite sure are

equired group entry in the school science fair group equired

oung adults. When the Jews begin to be subjected to terrible things When the Jews oung adults.

eep alive, and through this, they create hope for themselv create they this, and through eep alive,

agedies.

essors. Naturally searching for identity and acceptance searching Naturally essors.

oughout the novel, which is written in the form of the completed science oughout the novel,

stand. He sees the w

wn by many names throughout his life, names both giv his life, names throughout many wn by

om Misha’s naive point of view, making the story a perfect intr point of view, naive om Misha’s

Mind Games

by Jeanne Marie Grun by

by Jerry Spinelli by Historical Fiction/Holocaust

is heartbreaking, not only for its honest look at an abhorr is heartbreaking,

ents of the Holocaust for y

anging from a star basketball player still hurting from the sudden death of his mother to a y still hurting from player a star basketball anging from

Houghton Mifflin Compan

in humanity’s greatest atrocity. Misha is an uneducated orphan in W atrocity. greatest in humanity’s Milkweed Mind Games smugglers and Jews, he learns to use his speed, wits and Jews, smugglers Alfred A. Knopf, 2003, 224 pp., $15.95 A. Knopf, 2003, Alfred that unique circumstances but by choice, not by together, brought of the club are The members steal from the fortunate to k steal from learns of thr the reader bracing adventure, challenge, and charity. challenge, adventure, bracing turns in. The gr collectively the group fair project Little Misha is kno The story is told fr The six member perception? in extra-sensory believe Do you r people and his cruel oppr Marie Grunwell’s the existence of ESP as their r the existence

ev to America fr moved girl who recently Misha doesn’t under win the lottery and “pr they how that explain of the project is happening to him. Milkweed for its realistic portrayal of the toll these e portrayal for its realistic challenges the but the personal seventh-graders, are in the novel The characters the realizations they make will also appeal to an older audience of r make they the realizations follies, their triumphs and tr follies, some less patient r frustrate may zation of the novel

possess an “extra” sense. Through their inquiry of ESP Through sense. possess an “extra” understanding others and discover more about themselv more and discover others understanding

friends. The book successfully captur friends. and perceptive of human natur and perceptive 37

h33-40_TAR_Mar04 37 5/12/04, 10:10 AM T ◆ H ◆ E

the Tower to prove his courage—where no bullies will mak is a reality. Germany’s horrible dictator

outer walls of the Tower of London. The Ravenmaster’s Secret The Night Spies Scholastic Press, 2003, 240 pp., $15.95 time being Jewish meant living in concentr Second Story Pr In the beginning of the story in most cases, death. This family finds a w others—a priest, a family friend, and a gr “Chores, chores and more chores,” Forrest complained (p.1), a v How would you like to live in a space the size of y different worlds. His daily chores include taking car newfound friend Ev y they dive head first into a new kind on danger the k cold barn where they live among animals the son to one of the T When they find an anti-Nazi gr Gabi and Max ar

F from leaving; it is believed that when the r should he obey the law and allow his innocent friend to be e enemy’s hands. The position requires a responsible, patient, steadfastness who can gain their trust and under does not mean the in their hiding place? Will the

London’s most feared prison do not satisfy his hunger for adv Scottish 11-year-old rebel imprisoned in the to

F his best friend, R once the war is over? Like most adventures, this thrilling story is written with suspense; it has its ups and do r

ous journey. This wonderful story is based on r

eader is left guessing what will happen each time Max, Gabi, and Ev

orrest is confused about his destin

orrest seems to be the perfect candidate for the job

oung and not-so-y ALAN eep your eyes glued on each page to find out what happens to 1 REVIEW

e two determined adolescents caught in the middle of W

at, just seems to be getting further and further a

ess, 2003, 197 pp., $5.95

y cannot make a difference. But will the Nazi’

b ah ae.Eie ySrhSlesenSat Holocaust by Kathy Kacer. Edited by Sarah Silberstein Swartz

oung people.

a become curious about the w

er’s guards (Yeoman Warders), who lives in a small cottage tuck

, Forrest complains about nearly e

y starve to death? Or will the

oup hiding in the for

The Ravenmaster’s Secret

Evr odufBullying/Adventure Elvira Woodruff

stand their ways.

Should he commit tr

, Adolph Hitler, forces them into hiding in a dark, damp,

acious farmer. As any teens would, Gabi, Max, and their

ation camps, hard labor, unbearable conditions, and,

to stay alive in hiding through the good gr

ens leave the Tower, the Tower will fall into the

eal events and real characters.

ar; they want to help. Sneaking out in the night,

our closet? For Max, Gabi, and her mother

After learning about the unfairness of his king,

y never knew before—the Nazi soldier

. But the curiosity for e

e of ravens kept in the Tower to prevent them

est, they realize just because the

Clip & File

y see the possibility of a brighter futur

is one truly inter

eason by helping Maddy escape? Or

ecuted?

e fun of him and he can e

erything. He wants to go outside

s catch them? Will the

enture until he meets Maddy

ery typical phrase we hear from

1-year old Forrest Harper. He is

a go out for another danger-

His great adventures in

orld War II. During this

xploring the world with

, and keen-eyed person

ISBN 0-439-28133-4

esting story that will

atricia Villanueva

Tiffany Thornton

Phoenix, AZ

y are young

y be found

Dallas, TX

wns. The

ed in the

aces of

xplore

YA Reviews Book

, this

, a

Shipwreck The She coatc 01 2 p 49 ISBN: 0439164567 The children live in close conditions and become the cr Scholastic, 2001, 129 pp, $4.99 Harcourt Books, 2003, 280 pp., $17.00 lessons, and the mate guides them thr After his parents were killed at sea, 9-y acters has his or her o Fo aw not want to be on this ship headed out to sea. ments and frustr escape painful memories Throughout the story Will, Lyssa, Charla, and Ian earned this trip b mate abandon them on a sinking ship with no food and no hope enough and did not kno numerous; they are forced to swallow their grudges and w The boat trip is guided b This novel is an enjoyable look into what can happen to six childr sent on a journey to reshape their lives. Little did they know they would end up ship Drug Enforcement Agency investigation. When e an island with nothing but a glimmer of hope his parents is threatened and nobody but an emotionally unstable girl and a m Vietnam veteran believe him, Evan is forced to decide once and for all if he will be able to confront The She and accept the truth about his par high school, but he is for This story touches on the alienation man confront memories of her o r drawn back to West Hook where his theory, that his parents were swallowed by a throughout the novel. m

eaders will be captivated by the vibrant characters, realistic relationships, and mystery

ythical sea witch kno

ced to live and work together, six children fight through daily chores, arguments, disappoint-

from their seaside home in W

b ao lmUc Mystery by Carol Plum-Ucci

Gro omnAdventure Gordon Korman

ations as they try to survive on this long, str

, the children face life or death decisions

wn unique problems and abilities

y two men, the captain, James Cascadden, and the fir

w what else to do. This trip’

wn as The She, is challenged by his brother’s research and a

. Now 17, Evan is a popular pr

ced to revisit the past when he is ask

wn boating accident. In helping his classmate

oughout their daily chor

est Hook to live with their Aunt Mel in the city and

ear-old Evan Barrett and his older br

y teens feel from their parents and peers, and

y being mischievous or unruly; their par

s purpose is to giv

, but they all agree on one thing: The

erything he thought he kne

ork together.

of the ship. The captain teaches them

ange, terrifying adventure. Luke, J.J,

ents.

es and activities. Each of the char-

ankster at his priv

. Both their captain and the fir

en who need dir

. The lessons the

ed to help a classmate

Ashley Marrinan-Levy

e them a second chance

ISBN: 0-15-216819-2

st mate, Mr. Radford.

ection and are

Nicole August

ate Catholic

other move

wrecked on

y learn are

empe, AZ

, Evan is

empe, AZ

w about

sterious

ents had

y do

38 .

h33-40_TAR_Mar04 38 5/12/04, 10:10 AM T ◆ H ◆ E

as en ALAN

e of

otes- REVIEW

er leave

Erin Murphy

Phoenix, AZ

ough another

one, not even one,

y and hopefully

Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis,

wing up homeless

stealing to eat, and

Jessica Doehrman

ISBN:0-439-49035-9

e those young people, e those young

ISBN: 1-55143-263-3

for three months and for three

emember. When both emember.

eland and resume his eland and resume

ait to find out if he w

w York City when young w York

Coming of Age/Canada

es.

e it the three months. This is months. e it the three

eryday luxuries of having a family luxuries of having eryday

eets.

w to live with him in Canada. Declan has w to live

, threatening people, and blowing up cars. and blowing people, , threatening

, Declan joins a gang against the British and

. But perhaps it will mak

cumstances of their liv

ength in one another to help get thr

es for years that they cannot trust an that they es for years

eality of having to beg for mone eality of having

e time; I honestly could not w

eedom of the str

as actually going to mak

y Declan’s way back to Ireland. way y Declan’s

as moving in a downward spiral and, when he is giv spiral in a downward as moving

he really grows up a lot and realizes what is important. up a lot and realizes grows he really

ould do anything to get back to Ir ould do anything

, the Irish are fighting against the British and the Pr , the Irish are

wn by her fellow street kids as Chen, is gr street her fellow wn by

es, more aware of their surroundings each da of their surroundings aware more es,

e she will sleep each night.

ery sad situations

ery teenager when he or she finally starts to see a bigger pictur

2003, 256 pp., $6.95 2003,

., 2003, 248 pp., $6.99 ., 2003,

y or go or if he w

by Brian James by Life Street Coming of Age/Urban

. After teaching themselv

by James Heneghan by

omorrow, Maybe omorrow, orn Away

ather scary and sometimes v

on the streets of New York. She faces the r York. of New on the streets having an uncertainty of wher having T her head held high and looks for the best She keeps world. in Chen’s is depressing Not everything T PUSH, Scholastic Inc situation. Although she sometimes misses the e drab in every Book Publisher Orca

Gretchen, 15, most commonly kno Gretchen, this book starts where In Ireland,

a chance to see the whole pictur and a home, she finds her place in the fr and a home, There comes a time for e There Chen’s life takes a significant turn on a typically cold winter night in Ne life takes Chen’s goes to school, then his uncle will pa the world. tants. Declan Doyle has lived with the fighting for as long as he can r has lived Declan Doyle tants. his parents and sister die because of the battle his parents me entertained the entir kept This novel Protestants. He is a natural rebel, making bombs rebel, He is a natural Protestants. going to decide to sta But soon his is yanked away by his Uncle Matthe by away But soon his is yanked about a teenager who w novel a great no desire to stay in Canada, he w to stay no desire battles. He then makes an agreement with his uncle that if he sta an agreement He then makes battles. Elizabeth, 11, enters the picture. Chen vows she will always take care of Elizabeth and ne care take she will always Chen vows the picture. enters Elizabeth, 11, her side. The two are like sisters. They beg together, they share the money made, and they watch and they made, the money share they beg together, They sisters. like are The two her side. out for one another their own fathers, they find the trust and str they fathers, their own night. Invoking many emotions, this novel will take young readers through turns and twists that ar through readers young will take this novel emotions, many Invoking r uncertain of this time in their liv provide a little light on the sometimes dark cir provide

vy.

aphy

YA Book Reviews YA

wig find

ernment

om home

wig, pack

empe, AZ empe,

age through

uth Prescott

st road trip of st road

Lindsay Heyen Lindsay

om Columbia,

Manhattan, KS

. She is downright

ISBN: 1582349487

esearch papers. esearch

olunteer “Rough Riders” olunteer “Rough

sonality helped negotiate

d as high school and that adults

all over New York. And, best of York. New all over

American History/Biogr

orld, away from all the suffering from orld, away

a and her best friend, T

Coming of Age/Death/Escape

ce and strengthen the U.S. Na ce and strengthen

wn, leaving their new, exciting life exciting their new, wn, leaving

rip

Clip & File

wing up.

oach. Kraft has written a book that will oach. Kraft

orld, and head off—for the fir

is an exhilarating, angst-ridden v is an exhilarating,

otect America’s natural resources. natural otect America’s

interest in Laura. But when a call comes fr in Laura. interest

orked hard to eliminate corruption in go hard orked

, her anguish over her oversized chest, and her scar her oversized , her anguish over

He also was an avid reader. As an adult, he w reader. an avid He also was

Laura Crapper is less than stable Crapper Laura

oosevelt put together a v oosevelt

oetry Slam.

s of slam poetry sho

oad Trip

w Roosevelt’s adventures. This would be a good choice This would adventures. w Roosevelt’s

s storytelling appr

anama Canal. His charismatic per

w car crashes. Then, like a glittery dream, Sister Slam and T a glittery dream, Then, like w car crashes.

. The girls take on the world, rapping their way through a speeding through their way rapping on the world, . The girls take

Betsy Harvey Kraft Harvey Betsy ISBN: 0-618-14264-9

ed a good fight, R

eady to escape into the big, uncharted w

oetic Motormouth R

ords of high schooler ords

en’s Books, 2004, 200 pp., $16.95 200 2004, Books, en’s

Linda Oatman High

eaders will appreciate the author’ will appreciate eaders

oosevelt was a problem-solver; he backed Panama in gaining independence fr Panama he backed a problem-solver; was oosevelt

heodore Roosevelt: Champion of

eep readers turning the pages to follo eep readers

that tragedy has struck, the girls rush back to their hometo that tragedy

the world of slam poetry and the trials and thrills of gr the world themselves living the high life as the star themselves all, a sweet, hot, guitar-strumming guy sho all, a sweet, their lives—to participate in the Tin-Can P their lives—to behind. But, on the way, the rhymin’ sisters learn that real life is just as har learn that real sisters the rhymin’ But, on the way, Sister Slam and the P can be just as cruel as kids ticket, a smashed pig, and a fe ticket,

up the Firebird, say goodbye to their cruel childhood w goodbye say up the Firebird,

Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road T with life and r frustrated by So taking on the name “Sister Slam,” Laur life. of her small-town

Bloomsbury Childr With her sorrow over the death of her mother over With her sorrow from the mocking w from

T R the American Spirit k Clarion Books, 2003, 163 pp., $19.00 2003, Clarion Books, and break up corporate monopolies in U.S. business up corporate and break but it lacks the depth to use for r life, of Roosevelt’s for an overview Theodore Roosevelt was born into a wealthy New York family. As a child, he spent much time family. York New born into a wealthy was Roosevelt Theodore R outside keeping detailed notes on natur outside keeping to enable the building of the P peace between warring nations, industry, and their labor for industry, nations, warring peace between

unit to fight the Spanish in Cuba. He also w

successful in establishing national parks to pr An honest man who lo 39

h33-40_TAR_Mar04 39 5/12/04, 10:10 AM T ◆ H ◆ E

slowly begin to mak

King Arthur. Hoping to get home after a thrilling trip into A.D. 75 Britain, the tw Dan and Ursula, find themselv W W beside are ancient history Bloomsbury Childr Fr

known Arthurian legend. Betw N.M. Browne’s sequel to Do you ever think about death? R struggling with changes within themselv and Ursula has become the w ter, the two suddenly realize their affection for one another runs deeper than a simple friendship, but neither is prepared to face those feelings

Even picking this story up without ha She learns about losses and loneliness guage is mature without being o sadness. She learns all the things that matter military terms with her battle scenes smile and how to not just look backw is simplifying the story for a y R The 14-year-old was 7 when her br chance when she finds his journal. F grows alongside her br

continue to wish for the impossible With her novel, Kate Banks reminds readers that they are not alone. She gives them reassurance the legends of King Arthur when others may not. You are normal, she tells them, and y She has suffered, but she will heal. She has a gr who are just as capable of making mistak breathing, changing, and starting o

achel has lost a br

ances Foster Books, 2003, 160 pp., $16.00 ALAN arriors of Camlann alk Softly, Rachel REVIEW

other and a best friend; she is about to lose another best friend and a home

e connections betw

en’s Books, 2003, 399 pp., $16.95

other.

b aeBnsRealistic/Death/Family/Coming of A by Kate Banks

b ..Bon Friendship/King Arthur by N.M. Browne

, and their previous exploits in battle ar

, but it is also a good start to spark inter

arriors of Alavna

ar hero. On top of conflicting envy and jealous

oung adult audience

es now only a little bit further in time; the people the

een the confusion and the br

achel does.

erwhelming. Browne doesn’t shy away from great detail and

other, Jake, died. She never really knew him, but she gets the

, and there isn’t a single moment in the no

or three weeks, the time it takes her to read the journal, she

ard, but forward, as well.

ving read the prequel, it is instantly engr

, failure and frustration, pain and pr

een those around them and the char

es. Once a great battle hero, Dan is now unable to fight,

es as she. So life is not about running a

achel will let go and sa

is a wonderfully inventive twist to the classic story of

. But what is mor

andmother full of advice and a mother and father

. This is a great read for anyone familiar with

Clip & File

ou do not have to walk softly.

wing battle, the characters are also

e all cultural legend. The tw

est in the legend for other

achel learns what is behind a

y goodbye, but she will also

o lead characters, 16-year-old

ISBN: 1-58234-817-0

ISBN 0-374-3823

y within each char

essure, shame and

acters of the well-

el that seems she

Kristian Winston

ossing. The lan-

Megan Kearney

y had fought

Phoenix, AZ

it is about

Mesa, AZ

YA Reviews Book

0-1

ac-

Her grandfather, the chief of the village little granddaughter possessed. The author takes us to a little village in Ne The Whale Rider together in keeping the tribe’ Harcourt, Inc., 2003, 152 pp., $17.00

teenaged uncle, who watches her unfold into the r K fact that she was born a girl, she is challenged to pr her land. She is gifted with the ability to speak to whales

generations. In addition to the description of this Ne of ancestry, as well as Kahu’s ability to speak to sea dw right away. Her innocence and determination carry the r First published in 1987 in Ne

ahu is a vibrant, young girl destined to be the chief of her people

om the day she was born, little Kahu was overlooked by most because she w

Publishers who wish to submit a book for possible r of the book to:

To contact Lori Goodson at [email protected]

submit a review for possible publication or to become a r

Lori Goodson 409 Chery Circle Manhattan, KS 66503

b iiIiar Coming of Age by Witi Ihimaera

s strength. The story is told fr

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h33-40_TAR_Mar04 40 5/12/04, 10:10 AM Bill Broz The Professional Resource Connection

with Richard F. Abrahamson, Terry C. Ley, Alleen Pace Nilsen, Ken Donelson, Ben F. Nelms

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents Loses a Pioneer

This column is a tribute to a person Bob’s scholarly work in the whose life and career have been reading interests of young adults foundational professional resources and adolescent literature form the in the field of Adolescent Literature underpinnings for much of today’s and English Education, Dr. G. thinking on reading stages, reading Robert Carlsen. Because I enrolled in interests, individual response to the University of Iowa in 1968 and literature, and the important role graduated for a third time in 1996, books for young adults can play in and am now a column editor for the creation of lifetime readers. this journal, I was, so to speak, in Books and the Teen-age Reader the right places at the right times to (Harper, 1967) melded Carlsen’s help organize this memorial theories with his real-world column. I took an M.A. seminar experiences teaching young adults. from Dr. Carlsen in 1975. The The result was a very popular book Dr. G. Robert Carlsen editors of The ALAN Review asked read by parents, teachers, and Richard F. Abrahamson to write the An Educator Who librarians. Books and the Teen-age anchor piece and invited several of Reader went into three editions and Changed Lives Dr. Carlsen’s other doctoral students cemented Carlsen’s stature in the to contribute additional comments. by Richard F. Abrahamson field of English education. My thanks to my fellow Iowa alums University of Houston In his role as English depart- who contribute below. Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1977 ment chair at the University of Iowa high school, Carlsen pioneered one Bill Broz Dr. G. Robert Carlsen died on of the first English elective pro- University of Northern Iowa December 13, 2003. Born in grams. His successful implementa- Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1996 Bozeman, Montana, in 1917, Bob tion of free reading classes at the received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. school caused such individualized ***** ***** ***** from the University of Minnesota reading programs to pop up where he did his doctoral work throughout Iowa and across the with legendary English educator United States. Dora V. Smith. In 1982 Carlsen Carlsen served as president of retired after twenty-five years as the National Council of Teachers of professor of English and education English from 1961 to 1962 and was at the University of Iowa. an early supporter in the creation of

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

i41_45TAR_Mar04 41 5/12/04, 10:11 AM the Assembly on Literature for I was told to teach to sophomores College of William and Mary and Adolescents. For his work in the was Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. my M.A. in English from the profession, Bob won the NCTE Imagine my sense of panic when I University of Maine hadn’t taught Distinguished Service Award and went to the local pharmacy (there me anything about teaching English the ALAN Award for outstanding was no bookstore) to try to buy a to adolescents. I just needed to contributions to the field of adoles- copy of the Monarch or Cliff’s know more. After a couple of cent literature. But Bob Carlsen did Notes for Conrad’s book and found telephone calls to Iowa, I was so much more. He changed lives. out they didn’t sell them. For enrolled in Bob Carlsen’s corre- I made the trek from the woods several weeks I stumbled through spondence course on adolescent of Maine to Iowa City and the teaching that book. The students literature. I was hooked from the University of Iowa because of Bob didn’t like it, and neither did I. I first assignment of writing my Carlsen’s Books and the Teen-age was too new a teacher to know that reading autobiography to submit- this was the wrong book for the ting the fifty book cards. Toward wrong students at the wrong time. I the end of the course Bob wrote One weekend I stopped at muddled through with more con- something on one of my papers fidence than my students because asking if I’d ever thought about a the University of Maine left for me in the file drawer of my doctorate. Three months later my bookstore and happened desk was the one-hundred-item wife and I rolled into Iowa City in multiple-choice test on Conrad’s our Volkswagen Beetle packed with to pick up a copy of Books novel published by a company in everything we owned. It is fair to Iowa. Those first few weeks of say, I went to Iowa because of Bob, and the Teen-age Reader. teaching I bluffed my students, and Books and the Teen-age Reader, and I read it with the they bluffed me. adolescent literature. Bob Carlsen One weekend I stopped at the did for me what Dora V. Smith did excitement of a desperate University of Maine bookstore and for him: He was my mentor and my happened to pick up a copy of inspiration. He changed my life. English teacher who Books and the Teen-age Reader. I In the end, it seems only right read it with the excitement of a that I should give Bob the last feared he had chosen the desperate English teacher who word. In the final professional wrong profession. In that feared he had chosen the wrong article he wrote, Bob summed up profession. In that book someone his fifty years of teaching this way. book someone spoke to spoke to me for the first time about adolescents as real people with I have been fairly consistent in my me for the first time about specific reading interests. These point of view throughout my fifty years in teaching. I always favored the teen- students weren’t just empty vessels adolescents as real age book over the literary canon, to be filled. Here was information speech over writing, expression over people with specific for me about Havighurst and grammar, intensive exploration over developmental tasks, subliterature, close reading, process over product, reading interests. and adolescent literature. I ordered and what literature does over how it is constructed. One summer, it must some young adult novels from one have been about 1950, while I was Reader. A native New Englander, I of the teen book clubs, put Conrad teaching a course at the University of started teaching high school in the and his friends on the shelf, and Colorado, a New England teacher in northern woods of Maine armed started teaching with books the my class said, ‘You just can’t be right with an M.A. in English, a thesis on class agreed on. It was exciting. or we would have heard about it in Steinbeck, and the certain knowl- Students perked up, read more, and Massachusetts.’ Still, I have held the faith in my beliefs about teaching En- edge that high school seniors would discussed more; I knew I had glish although sometimes, just some- sign up in droves for my senior chosen the right profession. times, I speculate whether New En- seminar on Chaucer. The first book My B.A. in English from the glanders have yet heard the message.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

i41_45TAR_Mar04 42 5/12/04, 10:11 AM (“Conclusions from Fifty Years of my desire to become a teacher At the end of his account, Teaching English,” in Literature Is :Col- educator, specifically, an English Albom wrote, “Have you ever really lected Essays by G. Robert Carlsen, teacher educator. On campus, had a teacher? One who saw you as edited by Anne Sherrill and Terry C. Ley, Sabre Printers, Johnson City, TN, watching Carlsen function as a a raw but precious thing, a jewel 1994, p. 272) professor, researcher, advisor, and that, with wisdom, could be national leader in our field helped polished to a proud shine? If you ***** ***** ***** me to shape my perception of what are lucky enough to find your way I might do as a professor of English to such teachers, you will always The Teaching Goes On education. find your way back. The teaching by Terry C. Ley When I began my graduate goes on.” Effective mentors also Auburn University, Emeritus work with him, Dr. Carlsen helped inspire their protégées to move Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1974 me to assess my academic and beyond their mentors’ circles and, professional strengths and to fill in doing so, to affect the future in I recently bought a copy of gaps of knowledge and practice that profound ways. Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with I wanted to fill. The relationship Through his students and, now, Morrie to give to Josh, a college- between doctoral student and major their students as well, Bob aged friend, for Christmas. At professor generally becomes a very Carlsen’s teaching will continue. home, I reread portions of the book close one, especially throughout the ***** ***** ***** before wrapping it. Reflecting on dissertation process. Doctoral how Morrie Schwartz, Mitch’s students pray that their major The Extra Mile college philosophy professor twenty professors will be helpful and years earlier, affected Mitch’s adult benevolent. Surely I did, and Dr. by Alleen Pace Nilsen perspective on life through the Carlsen was the ideal person to Arizona State University series of meetings that they had just help me deal with my initial Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1973 before Morrie’s death, I thought reservations about myself as about my own mentors. Those who researcher. We explored research Lucky stars were shining on me have shaped my life by detecting topics together, settling on one that in 1971 when I applied for graduate my potential as a teacher and intrigued both of us; after I gath- admission to the University of challenging me to become the best ered my data, we solved problems Iowa. My husband had finished his teacher I could become are a group about data analysis together; he Ph.D. at the University of Michigan very dear to me! Prominent among read and responded kindly to and had taken his first “real” job at those mentors is Bob Carlsen. several drafts of each chapter. With UNI in Cedar Falls. We always said Dr. Carlsen was my advisor and his help, I gained confidence in it would be “my turn,” when Don major professor for my master’s myself as a researcher, a profes- finished, but now we were going to and doctoral work in English sional role that I knew I must play a school located more than ninety Education at the University of Iowa. if I wished to pursue a career in miles from the nearest doctoral While working under his guidance teacher education. Products of Dr. program, plus we had three young to redesign English language arts Carlsen’s scholarship were both children (one a diabetic) to worry curricula for Cedar Rapids (Iowa) abundant and influential. Concepts about. The whole thing looked secondary schools, where I taught, that he taught me, especially about impossible, but I decided to apply I admired his leadership style, how integrative language arts curricula, anyway. I knew nothing about Bob, he led diverse and sometimes young adult literature, and directed nor about adolescent literature, recalcitrant teachers through individualized reading (a precursor although I had been teaching negotiations that resulted in to Sustained Silent Reading and children’s literature as a faculty innovative curricula of which we Nancie Atwell’s reading workshops) associate at Eastern Michigan in could be proud. Watching him became keystones of my own Ypsilanti. When I was deciding operate successfully on my home teaching and scholarship, ideas whether or not to apply, I remem- turf, with teachers I knew, kindled upon which I built my own career. ber thinking that if I were one of

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

i41_45TAR_Mar04 43 5/12/04, 10:11 AM Richard Nixon’s “White House” to us English teachers at Thomas University of Florida daughters, someone would figure Jefferson High School in Cedar Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1966 out how I could do this. That Rapids and to help us improve our someone turned out to be Bob teaching. Since the English faculty When I first presented myself Carlsen. He let me work as a grad was deservedly proud of our to Bob Carlsen, I had taught assistant while still living in Cedar reputation, locally and otherwise, Algebra II and English IV. As a Falls, and before I ever took a “live” and since Thoreau had taught me college instructor, I had taught class at the University of Iowa, I to doubt anyone who deliberately freshman composition and the took adolescent literature from Bob came to do me good, Bob faced a British Literature survey, creative via correspondence. This was when cynical and slightly hostile audi- writing, and remedial writing (a la I learned how hard people in Iowa ence of me—and several of my Ken Macrorie). I thought I was an work and that I, too, could write friends. experienced and competent teacher. more than a page a day. But no My second encounter took I didn’t know from nothin’. Four matter how fast or how much I place a few months later. My school years at University High in Iowa wrote, Bob would get it back to me required that all its teachers pile up City remade me as a teacher and within a couple of days. Sometimes a set number of university hours changed me as a person. he wrote more than I did, and for after we had taught five years, and Bob took me under his profes- years I cherished the lesson on it was my turn. Since Bob was sional guardianship early on, before which he had casually noted, teaching an adolescent literature he had any clear idea who I was. I “Someday I think you will write a course, I bet my closest friend on had been accepted into a doctoral book on adolescent literature.” our faculty that I could get an “A” program at Iowa as well as four or Whenever I find myself frustrated in his course. I got the grades, but I five other universities. But Iowa by the expectations of my own got much more. He challenged me, was the only one where I had doctoral students or the need for I learned, and I became a better received no financial award more work on their dissertations, I teacher, all to my amazement. (because, I was later to learn, they think back to Bob and Ruth and By the end of the second week had misfiled my GRE scores under remember how they picked me up that summer, I had become a Helms instead of Nelms.) at the airport and let me stay at Carlsen convert. Equally surprising, So I had accepted an appoint- their house when I flew in from we planned when I was taking time ment elsewhere. But somehow it Arizona to defend my dissertation. off for my doctoral work, we just didn’t seem right. I couldn’t get This kindness was only one more decided what courses I would take, Iowa and G. Robert Carlsen out of indication of their unselfishness we worked out what my disserta- my mind. The English Journal in and their willingness to go the extra tion was going to be, and we February of 1963 led off with his mile for those of us fortunate deviated little from all these grand presidential address, “The Way of enough to have been his students. plans in the years that followed. the Spirit and the Way of the How Bob managed all this still Mind.” It had spoken to my spirit, ***** ***** ***** puzzles me, but he brought me into to my mind, and to my heart. I a life that, for 37 years, has given could not forget it. Finally, early me professional satisfaction and one Saturday morning, while I was Opening Career Doors personal joy, and for that I am driving somewhere in Abilene, by Ken Donelson eternally grateful to Bob Carlsen. Texas, I decided I just couldn’t give Arizona State University, Emeritus up that easily. It was pouring down Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1963 ***** ***** ***** rain, but I stopped the car and jumped into a telephone booth, My first encounter with Bob Memories of G. Robert getting Carlsen’s home phone number from information in Iowa Carlsen was hardly auspicious. He Carlsen had been invited by someone City. He answered and was gra- important—so I gathered—to talk by Ben F. Nelms cious, to someone he had never

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

i41_45TAR_Mar04 44 5/12/04, 10:11 AM heard of, even early on a Saturday would have looked ludicrous on her He fostered and encouraged my morning. I can’t imagine that I had mother or her little sister. He interest in poetry for adolescents, such chutzpa, and I still am in concluded, “For everything there is which has never waned. He let me wonder that he responded with a season, and a time for everything review books for him and help with such grace. I explained my situation under heaven.” The same is true, booklists for the first edition of and told him a little bit about he concluded, of teenagers’ read- Books and the Teen-age Reader. For myself. “Well, yes,” he said, “I ing: neither children’s books nor the next twenty years or so, he kept think we will be able to find you a sophisticated adult fare would suit springing new books and authors place as a part-time teacher in the them. on me every time we talked. I still University School.” He made the The analogy eventually made have the letter he wrote me on offer on the phone; I accepted on its way into a speech to the Ameri- March 4, 1995, comparing his the phone. What a risk he was can Library Association, later experience upon leaving the taking. I hung up, and the rain published as a widely read and presidency of NCTE with my stopped. cited article in Top of the News lethargy upon giving up the EJ How well I remember the first (“For Everything There Is a Sea- editorship: “You are everything, and day in his adolescent literature son,” Jan. 1965, 41.2: 103-110). then nothing. No longer do you class. We met in the library of Bob’s first assignment in that have mail arriving in batches every University High. We checked out adolescent literature class was for day. It is almost like having the books all summer from that library, us to write our own reading catalogues quitting the week after from the Curriculum Library in East autobiography. Regrettably, I did Christmas.” Once again Bob was Hall, and from the Iowa City public not keep a copy of my response. there with an apt analogy. After all, library. I began my collection of When he and Anne Sherrill pub- for everything there is a season, adolescent novels, mostly Bantam lished their scholarly analysis of and a time for everything. Christ- books to share with my students, as years and years worth of those mas has come and gone again. I remember. autobiographies in Voices of Readers How much I will miss him. Bob’s first “lecture,” if you (NCTE, 1988), I kept scanning the could ever call one of his talks a book to see if I might recognize ***** ***** ***** lecture, began with one of those apt anything I had said. I found analogies that characterized his quotations in every chapter, on G. Robert Carlsen, 1917-2003 professional thinking. He was almost every page, that could have NCTE president, a university been me. He knew me before he Bill Broz is Assistant Professor of professor, and a frequent contribu- knew me, before I knew myself, English in the Department of English tor to EJ, but he began by saying, which was the point, of course. The Language and Literature at the growth of readers through adoles- When my daughter was about fifteen, University of Northern Iowa. His she came home one evening and pre- cence tends to follow a pattern. recent publications include Teaching cipitated a family crisis. She had been What a guide and mentor Bob Writing Teachers of High School and asked to her first formal dance. After Carlsen became for me. Within two First-Year Composition, edited with the excitement of the invitation had or three years, he had me teaching Robert Tremmel, Heinemann, 2002, worn off, we got to the crux of the that same adolescent literature class and articles on grammar and matter: “I haven’t got a thing to wear.” one summer in that same Univer- censorship in Voices from the Middle Her little-girlish Sunday school sity High library. He had me and the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. He was the 2002 dresses, of course, would not do. making speeches at NCTE and recipient of NCTE’s Edwin M. Neither would one of her mother’s writing my first EJ article about my Hopkins Award for his 2001 English formals. He told the story with eighth-grade readers. Shy as I was, Journal article, “Hope and Irony: gusto, humor, and detail. Finally, at my first NCTE convention he Annie on My Mind.” He can be they had given in and bought her made sure I talked with Dora V. reached most at [email protected] or “yards and yards of pink nylon net Smith, Wilbur Hatfield, and Lou 102 Baker Hall, University of Northern gathered at the waist,” a frock that LaBrant, his professional Big Three. Iowa, Cedar Falls IA, 50614-0502.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

i41_45TAR_Mar04 45 5/12/04, 10:11 AM Michael Cart

What a Wonderful World: Notes on the Evolution of GLBTQ Literature for Young Adults

n his Notes Towards the Definition of Culture, T. S. World War II had brought together “the largest Eliot offered three “permanent” reasons for reading: concentration of gay men ever found inside a single I(1) the acquisition of wisdom, (2) the enjoyment of American institution. Volunteer women who joined art, and (3) the pleasure of entertainment. the WAC and the WAVES experienced an even more When the reading in question is that of young prevalent lesbian culture” (78). adult literature—the quintessential literature of the It did not take long for art to catch up to what outsider—I would suggest there is a fourth reason: the Martin Duberman calls this “critical mass of con- lifesaving necessity of seeing one’s own face reflected sciousness” (76). Only three years after the end of the in the pages of a good book and the corollary comfort war, two important adult novels with gay themes that derives from the knowledge that one is not alone. appeared: Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman And yet one group of teenage outsiders—GLBTQ Capote and The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal. youth (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and They are significant for two reasons. First, they were questioning)—continues to be too nearly invisible. works of serious fiction by writers who would become Since the 1969 publication of John Donovan’s I’ll Get vital forces in American literature. Second, they were There. It Better Be Worth the Trip (Harper & Row), the issued by mainstream publishers—Random House and first young adult novel to deal with the issue of E. P. Dutton, respectively. Previously, as Joseph Cady homosexuality, no more than 150 other titles1 have argues, while there was “frank and affirmative gay followed, a woefully inadequate average of four to five male American writing from the century’s start” (most per year to give faces to millions of teens (the precise of it now forgotten except by literary historians), it number of GLBTQ teens at any given time is, of was either published abroad or issued in this country course, unknown). by marginal publishers” (30). The same can arguably As we will see, this situation is gradually begin- be said of lesbian literature; indeed, such writers as H. ning to change for the better, but to look first at the D. (Hilda Doolittle), Gertrude Stein, Djuna Barnes, and context of literary history, the homosexual as a Natalie Barney were not only published abroad, but character in American fiction (for both young adults they also lived abroad as expatriates. AND adults) has been a largely absent figure. The new homosexual consciousness that appeared Why? In part, because homosexuality was during and after World War II coincided with the first traditionally regarded, in Lord Alfred Douglas’s words, stirrings of what has come to be called young adult as “the Love that dare not speak its name.” And so, as (YA) literature. Two of its best-known early practitio- cultural historian Charles Kaiser has noted, homosexu- ners, Maureen Daly and Madeleine L’Engle, published ality did not become a public issue in American life their first novels in the 1940s. Daly’s Seventeenth until 1948 when the Kinsey Report on human sexual- Summer appeared in 1942, while L’Engle’s The Small ity was published. Earlier in that decade, however, Rain was published in 1945. Both titles were pub-

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

j46-52_TAR_Mar04 46 5/12/04, 10:11 AM lished as adult novels, and as Christine Jenkins notes Baldwin titles, this novel was aimed at an adult in her illuminating article “From Queer to Gay and readership but quickly become a YA classic. Though Back Again” (Library Quarterly 68 [July 1998] 298- the book did not overtly deal with homosexuality, to 334), both also featured incidental treatments of sophisticated readers it clearly had a gay subtext. And homosexuality. in a 1972 interview Knowles acknowledged that his In The Small Rain a gay bar is used as a setting, main characters, Finny and Gene, “were in love” while in Seventeenth Summer, the protagonist, Angie, (Cady 37) and her boyfriend, Jack, go to a club to hear a musi- It would be another nine years, however, before cian who is portrayed as stereotypically gay: “With his the first young adult novel to deal with homosexuality eyes still closed, the colored man leaned back on the would be published: as previously noted, it would be bench, way back, one hand limp at his side . . . ‘Look, I’ll Get There, It Better Be Worth the Trip by John Jack,’ I remember saying, ‘He has red nail polish on! Donovan. There is no cause-and-effect relationship Isn’t that funny–for a man?’” (193–195) between the publication of this book and the historic Jenkins further notes that in J. D. Salinger’s 1951 Stonewall Riots happening in the same watershed novel Catcher in the Rye, another brief homosexual year, but it is possible that both were products of the encounter is reported. Like Seventeenth Summer and same social/cultural climate. The 1960s, after all, were The Small Rain, this book was also published for years of turbulent change, of political unrest, and of adults but was claimed by succeeding generations of sexual revolution. young adults as their own. In this title the protagonist, The media—always the first to observe changes in Holden Caulfield, has a—to him—disturbing encoun- popular culture—took note, and according to Martin ter with a favorite teacher when he stays overnight at Duberman, “the years 1962 to 1965 saw a sharp the man’s apartment: increase in the amount of public discussion and representation of homosexuality” (97). What he (the teacher) was doing was, he was sitting on the There was a similar increase in the publication, floor right next to the couch, in the dark and all, and he was sort of petting me or patting me on the goddam head. for adult readers, of gay and lesbian novels, including Boy, I’ll bet I jumped about a thousand feet. “What the James Baldwin’s Another Country (1962), Mary hellya doing?” I said. “Nothing! I’m simply sitting here ad- McCarthy’s The Group (1963), John Rechy’s City of miring”—“What’re ya doing, anyway?’ I said over again. I Night (1963) and Numbers (1967), Christopher didn’t know what the hell to say—I mean I was embar- Isherwood’s A Single Man (1964) Sanford Friedman’s rassed as hell. “How ‘bout keeping your voice down? I’m Totempole (1965), and Gore Vidal’s Myra Breckenridge simply sitting here—” (1968). “I have to go, anyway,” I said—boy, was I nervous! I know Meanwhile, in the field of young adult literature more damn perverts at schools and all, than anybody you the decade of the ’60s saw the emergence of hetero- ever met, and they’re always being perverty when I’m around.” (192) sexual sex as a theme for the first time (with the anomalous exception of Henry Gregor Felsen’s Tw o These are small moments having little lasting and the Town, which, published in 1952, had dealt impact on the evolution of gay and lesbian literature with an unmarried teen’s pregnancy). In 1966, for published specifically for young adults; nevertheless, example, Jeannette Eyerly’s A Girl Like Me was for their many YA readers the incidents/settings of published; in it an unwed teenage friend of the these three novels may well have been their first protagonist becomes pregnant; in 1967 it is the exposure to homosexuality in literature. protagonist herself, the eponymous heroine of Zoa A more important treatment of this theme, in the Sherburne’s Too Bad about the Haines Girl, who context of a coming-of-age novel, was James becomes pregnant. The same year saw the publication Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain. Published in of Ann Head’s adult novel, Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones, 1953, it dealt authentically with its fourteen-year-old in which two teenagers, July and Bo Jo, are swept away protagonist’s attraction to a seventeen-year-old boy. by passion; July becomes pregnant, and they elope. Then, in 1960, John Knowles’s A Separate Peace was This novel appeared in paperback the following year published. Like the Daly, L’Engle, Salinger, and and became a best-seller through teenage book clubs.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

j46-52_TAR_Mar04 47 5/12/04, 10:11 AM Despite the increasing treatment of teenage his protagonist Davy’s beloved dog is killed by a car, sexuality in fiction and the increasingly open discus- an act the boy views as a kind of cosmic punishment sion of homosexuality in American culture, Harper & for his having kissed and “fooled around with” Row viewed the impending publication of I’ll Get another boy. There with considerable trepidation. The late William Donovan was not alone in conveying these C. Morris, a Harper vice president, recalled, “Everyone attitudes, however. For what Joseph Cady writes of the was very frightened. In fact, we went to such great emerging literature of homosexuality published for lengths to make it ‘accept- adults between the end of World War II and 1969 can able’ to the general public be equally well applied to the literature for young Another continuing area that the book got more adults that appeared through the decade of the 1970s: attention for the fuss we “In their association of homosexuality with violence, of deficiency in the GLBTQ made than for anything suicide, murder or other kinds of pathetic death or at that was in it” (Ford 24). best with lives of freakishness or isolation, many novel is its nearly One of the “lengths” works in the post-World War II outpouring of pub- was the solicitation of a lished gay male writing seem to confirm Mart universal absence of art. statement for the dust Crowley’s famous line in The Boys in the Band, ‘Show Perhaps this is because jacket from the acclaimed me a happy homosexual and I’ll show you a gay Dr. Frances Ilg, director of corpse’” (38-39). homosexuality has been the Gesell Institute of Child Indeed, in the eight young adult novels that Development. would appear in the next decade, death figures in treated, in young adult In a letter dated three (The Man Without a Face, Trying Hard To Hear literature, as a problem August 8, 1968, Ursula You, and Sticks and Stones) and a violent rape, in a Nordstrom, director of fourth (Happy Endings Are All Alike). In the others that needs resolution and, Harper’s Department of homosexuality is presented as a passing phase, and Books for Boys and Girls, the affected characters are vastly relieved to realize, at as a result, the novels that wrote, “If you like the book’s end, that they are “normal” and just like have been written have book as a whole, we would everyone else. Only one novel—I’ll Love You When be so glad if you could give You’re More Like Me (Harper & Row, 1977)—by the taken on the form of the us a quote we could use. It pioneering M. E. Kerr dared to feature a happy, well- seems strange that a adjusted gay character, Charlie Gilhooley. Though he “problem novel,” the curtain has been drawn is not the protagonist (that would be his best friend, ripped-from-the-headlines over this entire subject in the heterosexual Wally), Charlie is the more memo- fiction for young readers” rable character. Even more importantly, the tone of work of fiction. (Marcus, 261-262). Kerr’s novel is also innovative. It was the first to invest Dr. Ilg complied with homosexuality with humor. All of the novels before words of praise, the book it—and too many after—were unrelievedly turgid and was published, and despite Harper’s pre-publication lugubrious. anxiety, it received almost universal praise. Indeed, Two other important “firsts” of the 1970s need to both the New York Times and School Library Journal be mentioned: in 1976 Rosa Guy’s Ruby (Viking) named it to their respective annual best books lists. became the first novel to include both an arguably If that is the proverbial good news, the bad news lesbian character (she would choose to be hetero- is that, in this book, Donovan established a less than sexual by the novel’s end) and also the first to feature salutary model for the homosexual novel that would black characters. Incredibly, fifteen years would pass be faithfully replicated for the next dozen years: before other African Americans would appear—in homosexuality is presented as both a rite of passage Jacqueline Woodson’s The Dear One (Delacorte 1991). experience with no long-term consequences and as a And not until 1995 would a Latino character appear, in matter of choice. Worse, though, is the equation R. J. Hamilton’s Who Framed Lorenzo Garcia? Donovan makes between homosexuality and death: (Alyson). In fact, the continuing lack of diversity

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

j46-52_TAR_Mar04 48 5/12/04, 10:11 AM remains one of the most significant deficiencies in because it was the first to recognize that homosexual- GLBTQ fiction. ity embraces not only sex but also love. Even more Another continuing area of deficiency in the significantly, the teenage lovers, Liza and Annie, GLBTQ novel is its nearly universal absence of art. remain together at the novel’s end, despite the myriad Perhaps this is because homosexuality has been difficulties society places in the way of their relation- treated, in young adult literature, as a problem that ship. needs resolution and, as a result, the novels that have Two other “firsts” that would become conventions been written have taken on the form of the “problem of the GLBTQ novel also appeared in the 1980s. In the novel,” the ripped-from-the-headlines work of fic- first year of the decade, Norma Klein’s Breaking Up tion—first appearing in the 1970s—in which the (Random House 1980) became the first title to feature central problem becomes the tail that wags the dog of a gay parent, and a year later, Gary Bargar’s novel the novel. More literary considerations, such as form, What Happened to Mr. Forster? (Clarion 1981) became structure, and setting, receive scant attention, and the first to feature a gay (and typically self-sacrificing) characters remain one-dimensional because they are teacher. defined solely by their sexuality. In 1986 M. E. Kerr’s Night Kites (Harper & Row) In this context the British writer Aidan became the first young adult novel to tackle the Chambers’s novel Dance on My Grave, published in troubling issue of AIDS—five years after the plague this country in 1982, becomes enormously important made its first appearance. Though this disease would as the first literary novel to explore the lives of spark a major subgenre in adult publishing, only a multidimensional gay characters who are presented handful of YA titles dealing with the subject would subtly and in the framework of a structurally experi- appear and only two of these—Ron Koertge’s droll The mental work of fiction. Arizona Kid (Joy Street/Little, Brown 1988) and Chambers was the first English writer, who dealt Theresa Nelson’s heartfelt Earthshine (Orchard Books, with homosexuality, to be published in the United 1994)—were of lasting literary significance. Since the States. But another English writer, David Rees, had mid-’90s the subject has all but vanished from young dealt with the subject in his 1979 novel In the Tent adult literature though the disease, sadly, continues to (Dobson); however, this book did not appear in an have a major impact on adolescent lives. American edition until 1985 (Alyson). The decade of the ’80s concluded with the A third English writer to deal with homosexuality, publication of two other novels of enduring signifi- Jean Ure, made her first American appearance in her cance. A. M. Homes’ Jack (Macmillan 1989) remains novel You Win Some. You Lose Some (Dell 1984). one of the best treatments of a teenager’s confronting The value of these books from abroad resides, in and dealing with a parent’s homosexuality, while part, in their dramatic demonstration that the chal- Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat (HarperCollins) is lenges confronting homosexual teenagers is startlingly not only a classic of gay fiction but also one of the similar the world over, a point that has since been most memorable of all young adult novels. In its large- reinforced in books from Australia (Kate Walker, Sue hearted embrace of every aspect of the workings of the Hines) New Zealand (Paula Boock, William Taylor), human heart, it demonstrates, with art and innova- and Canada (Diana Wieler). tion, that love is love, regardless of what society Interestingly, though, only one book—Damned chooses to label it. Block has also dealt with homo- Strong Love by Lutz Van Dijk (Holt 1995)—has sexuality in a number of her later novels, perhaps appeared in the United States in translation. The book most memorably in Baby Bebop, the 1995 prequel to was first published in Germany in 1991 and is the true Weetzie Bat (HarperCollins). story of a Dutch boy who fell in love with a German The pace of GLBTQ publishing quickened in the soldier during World War II. 1980s when a total of forty-one titles were published In that same watershed year of 1982 another (compared with eight in the 1970s). In terms of annual tremendously important novel appeared: Nancy production, the numbers ranged from a low of one in Garden’s Annie on My Mind (Farrar Straus & Giroux), 1985 to a high of six in 1981, 1986, and 1989. a novel that has assumed the stature of a classic The decade of the ’90s was even more productive

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j46-52_TAR_Mar04 49 5/12/04, 10:12 AM in terms of titles published (sixty-eight), peaking (HarperCollins), she became the first to deal with the in 1997 when a total of twelve titles appeared. It complex issue of bisexuality. should be remembered, however, that many of these Two years later, in 1999, Catherine Atkins’s When novels dealt with homosexuality only tangentially Jeff Comes Home (Harcourt) became arguably the first (e.g., homosexuals are minor characters as in GLBTQ novel to address the issue of sexual abuse, a Francesca Lia Block’s Missing Angel Juan subject that would be revisited in Kathleen Jeffrie [HarperCollins 1993], Gary Paulsen’s The Car Johnson’s Target (Roaring Brook 2003). Unfortu- [Harcourt Brace 1994], Chris Crutcher’s Ironman nately—and surely, inadvertently—both of these [Greenwillow 1995], Adele Griffin’s Split Just Right books, in their too muddled treatment of the subject, [Hyperion, 1997], etc.) or failed to break new ground seem to reinforce the allegations of homophobes that in terms of theme, offering, instead, endless variations adult gays are, by definition, sexual predators. on questioning one’s sexual identity and the agonies On a more salutary note, the decade of the ’90s of coming out. concluded with the publication of two of the most Several titles stand out, however: in 1994 the first significant titles in all the GLBTQ canon: Stephen collection of original short stories dealing with GLBTQ Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (MTV/ issues, Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence Pocket 1999) and Ellen Wittlinger’s Hard Love (Simon (HarperCollins), edited by Marion Dane Bauer, & Schuster 1999). appeared. Three years earlier Chris Crutcher created a The latter received a Printz Honor Award as one classic character in one of the stories in his collection of the most distinguished young adult novels of the Athletic Shorts (Greenwillow 1991). The eponymous year (“distinguished” being evaluated solely in literary Angus Bethune in “A Brief Moment in the Life of terms). Like Aidan Chambers’s Dance on My Grave, Angus Bethune” is not only a brilliantly memorable this title is distinguished by its experimental form (it is character but also is the first teen in GLBTQ literature told using a variety of different narrative devices, to have not one but two gay parents! Other collections including poetry, letters, articles, and excerpts from featuring GLBTQ stories included Francesca Lia zines) and by its emotionally sensitive story of an Block’s Girl Goddess #9 (HarperCollins 1996) and, in alienated straight teenage boy named John who falls the next decade, my own anthologies Love and Sex in love with Marisol, a self-proclaimed “Puerto Rican (Simon & Schuster 2001) and Necessary Noise (Cotler/ Cuban Yankee Lesbian.” HarperCollins 2003). Perks might also have been honored by the Printz Other significant titles from the ’90s are M. E. committee were it not for the fact that it was techni- Kerr’s Deliver Us from Evie (HarperCollins 1994), a cally published as an adult novel, even though it is a lesbian love story that addresses gay stereotypes with quintessential YA title, a kind of Catcher in the Rye for wit and insight; Jacqueline Woodson’s From the contemporary teenagers. An epistolary novel, it is the Notebooks of Melanin Sun (Scholastic 1995), the haunting story of an emotionally damaged ninth-grade affecting story of an African American boy’s attempts boy named Charlie who discovers that his best friend, to come to terms with his mother’s homosexuality and Patrick, is gay and is no more bothered by that her love affair with a white woman; Emma discovery than was Weetzie Bat when she learned the Donoghue’s Kissing the Witch (Cotler/HarperCollins affectional truth about her friend, Dirk. This casual air 1997), a collection of brilliantly reimagined fairy tales of acceptance remains all too rare in GLBTQ fiction, told in a lesbian context; and Nancy Garden’s The Year where considerations of sexual identity still seem to They Burned the Books (Farrar Straus & Giroux 1999), trigger convulsions of weeping, wailing, and noisy which not only examines censorship issues but also gnashing of teeth. And, even in the first decade of the explores the issue of community and friendship twenty-first century, the terrors and heartbreaks of between gay and lesbian characters, something that coming out remain major subjects in GLBTQ fiction. has been too absent from GLBTQ fiction. Another, related point might be made here: Earlier, in 1997, M. E. Kerr once again introduced publishers, in an effort to expand the market for a new topic into the field when, in “Hello,” I Lied young adult titles, began in the late 1990s to issue and

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

j46-52_TAR_Mar04 50 5/12/04, 10:12 AM market as adult books an increasingly large number of Meanwhile, a gratifyingly large number of what are clearly YA titles. Aside from Perks, other brilliantly gifted young writers have begun to publish, examples include Brian Malloy’s The Year of Ice (St. writers like Garret Freymann-Weyr (mentioned above), Martin’s Press, 2002) and Bart Yates’s Leave Myself Sara Ryan (Empress of the World, Viking, 2001), Alex Behind (Kensington 2003). Sanchez (Rainbow Boys, Simon & Schuster, 2001, and It is still too early to say what other trends will Rainbow High, Simon & Schuster, 2003), Brent enrich and inform—or challenge—the field of GLBTQ Hartinger (Geography Club, HarperCollins, 2003), Julie fiction in the new century, though the sheer number Anne Peters (Keeping You a Secret, Little Brown, 2003), of books that are being published is slightly greater Lauren Myracle (Kissing Kate, Dutton, 2003), and Tea than in the past. Following a slow start—only five Benduhn (Gravel Queen, Simon & Schuster, 2003), titles appeared in 2000—the pace quickened, with eight among others. titles appearing in 2001 and twelve in 2003 (on the One of the most gifted of the new generation of other hand, 2002 was a slow year with only four titles). writers is David Levithan, whose novel Boy Meets Boy More significantly 2003 has seen the first novel to (Knopf, 2003) is—as I noted in my starred Booklist feature a transgender character: Luna by Julie Anne review—“arguably the most important gay novel since Peters (Little, Brown), though some might argue that Annie on My Mind.” (Cart, 2003, 1980). It is the first the titular character Lani Garver in Carol Plum-Ucci’s “feel good” gay novel for young adults (in the same melodramatic What Happened to Lani Garver way that Stephen McCauley’s adult novels might be (Harcourt 2002) might be perceived as transgender. called “feel good” fiction). By that I do not mean to The point should be made here—as Peters does in diminish the emotional integrity—or the literary Luna—that transgendered persons are not necessarily quality—of these novels. But what is revolutionary homosexual, but given the enormous confusion about them—especially Levithan’s—is their blithe surrounding their sexuality, they have arbitrarily been acceptance of the condition of being gay. By turns placed in the same category as gay, lesbians, bisexu- wacky and charming, Boy Meets Boy is always original als, and questioning teens. and its characters are fresh, authentic, and deeply Of greatest significance, however, is the increasing engaging—all right, lovable. Aspects of the novel are literary quality of GLBTQ fiction as evidenced by the purposely fantastic—Paul, the protagonist has known fact that in 2003 a Printz Honor Award went to Garret he was gay since kindergarten; the prom queen at his Freymann-Weyr’s novel of love and sexual identity, My high school is the cross-dressing quarterback of the Heartbeat (Houghton Mifflin 2002), and the Printz football team; two boys walk through town holding Award itself went to Aidan Chambers’s Postcards from hands “and if anybody notices, nobody cares”—but No Man’s Land (Dutton 2002), which features the the world it posits is a near revolution in social bisexuality of its protagonist as a major subplot. attitudes, and the book is an amazing step forward in And further evidencing the increasing acceptance the publishing of GLBTQ fiction. It is the only novel of GLBTQ literature is Nancy Garden’s having received since the genre began in 1969 that has no hint of self- the 2003 Margaret A. Edwards Award, presented hatred and can believably conclude with a gay annually by ALA’s Young Adult Library Services protagonist’s looking about himself and thinking, Association for lifetime achievement in young adult “What a wonderful world” (185). literature. Those who believe that young adult fiction should As young Americans have become increasingly give faces to all teens of all sexual identities and sophisticated in their knowledge of the world around persuasions can find hope in the thread of acceptance them in this still new century, a few courageous that runs through GLBTQ novels from Annie on My authors have begun writing books about GLBTQ Mind through Weetzie Bat and Hard Love to Boy Meets issues for readers in upper elementary school. Two Boy and in the recent expansion of the GLBTQ field to examples are Nancy Garden’s Holly’s Secret (Farrar embrace new forms. For example, Levithan, who is an Straus & Giroux 2000) and James Howe’s The Misfits editor as well as an author, recently published a gay (Atheneum 2001). memoir in verse: Billy Merrell’s Talking in the Dark: A

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j46-52_TAR_Mar04 51 5/12/04, 10:12 AM Poetry Memoir (Push/Scholastic 2003) and for the last 1 This number comes from annual lists maintained by Prof. several years, homosexuality as a theme has begun to Christine Jenkins, author Nancy Garden, and myself. appear in the creative form now known as “the graphic novel.” Examples include Judd Winick’s Pedro Works Cited and Me (Holt 2000), Howard Cruse’s Stuck Rubber Cady, Joseph. “American Literature: Gay Male, 1900-1969.” The Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage. Ed. Claude J. Summers. Baby (Paradox Press 1995), and Ron Zimmerman’s New York: Holt, 1995. 30-39. Rawhide Kid (Marvel 2003). Cart, Michael. Rev. of Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. Booklist These increasing numbers and varieties of 99 (2003): 1980. opportunities, now being given to teens of every Daly, Maureen. Seventeenth Summer. New York: Pocket Books, sexual identity, to see their faces in the pages of good 1968. fiction and, in the process, to find the comfort and Duberman, Martin. Stonewall. New York: Dutton, 1993. Ford, Michael Thomas. “Gay Books for Young Readers.” reassurance of knowing they are not alone suggests Publishers Weekl. 21 February 1994: 24 that the day may be coming when the words “what a Kaiser, Charles. “Life Before Stonewall.” Newsweek 4 July 1994: wonderful world” will no longer carry any hint of irony. 78. What a wonderful thought. Marcus, Leonard S., ed. Dear Genius. The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1951.

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j46-52_TAR_Mar04 52 5/12/04, 10:12 AM Lori Atkins Goodson

Singlehanding: An Interview with Gary Paulsen

opular young adult author TAR: You have said, “If I can get to Gary Paulsen, on hand as a the woods, I’m OK. I can make it.” Pkeynote speaker for the 2003 And by that, I think you mean you ALAN Workshop in San Francisco, can survive on your skills as a spent an extended period of time woodsman. But I think you mean with the co-editors of The ALAN more than that, too. Do the woods Review to visit about his dogs, his mean something more to you than boat, his writing, and his own just a place where you can find many adventures—not necessarily food and shelter? in that order. A master storyteller who lures every reader into his web, GP: It’s away from the complica- from the reluctant to the sophisti- tions of humans. Humans are the cated, Paulsen conducts an inter- big thing that cause damage in view in much the same way as he life—in war, or whatever—and if I writes his books. We were spell- can get away from that and into a bound as we listened to a true giant wilderness situation, I’m OK. You in young adult literature share his can more or less live on your own tales of wonder. merit.

TAR: How Angel Peterson Got His Name really brought TAR: In your keynote address, right after you de- back a lot of memories. What is this fascination scribed the demise of your wife’s cat, you had an that teenage boys have with army surplus stores? image in there—you talked about the thin ice and when you went down, and when you talked about GP: I don’t know. At that time, it was the only place that, I was thinking about my students, but a lot of we could find half the gear that we needed to kill them—they’re on thin ice, too, in terms of wanting ourselves. And a lot of it was left over from the to turn to any kind of literature whatsoever. second World War, so you could buy, like, an airplane for three dollars or whatever. I mean, it GP: Well, the concept of survival—they love Hatchet was just crazy. I literally had a canteen cup that and books like it because so many of them are had bullet holes through it. Some poor guy got trying to survive in almost impossible situations— whacked. I had lots of stuff like that. You could get the inner city, for example. It’s very difficult to get it for a dime. through those kinds of things. And as readers they

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

k53-59_TAR_Mar04 53 5/12/04, 10:12 AM relate to the concept of Brian surviving, or a dog get the house payments done, and they’re just saving you suddenly from drowning. doing their thing. I think nature is elegant in that sense—it shows you how things can be right, TAR: A lot of my kids—especially reluctant readers— and the human species shows you how to do it become very snobbish and they say, “I only read wrong. Gary Paulsen books.” Then they say, “I want some more Gary Paulsen books, or I’m not reading.” So TAR: Jack London went to the north woods and to the in writing about the survival issue, you’ve helped a sea to find the edge of life. You’ve run the Iditarod lot of kids hang on and find some stories out there. twice and seen Fiji from the sea. How do those two extreme opposites—sailing and the Iditarod— GP: Well, I was in the same position. My folks were compare for you? drunks, and I had a rough childhood—really rough—in fact, rougher than I thought about. At GP: The maximum expression of running dogs is the one time, I was under the kitchen table, and my Iditarod. You enter a state of primitive exaltation, mother was trying to kill me with a butcher knife. and you never return. You’re never normal again. And there was no machinery then to help—no In fact, I just bought twenty-three dogs last week, foster home, no welfare, there was no attempt to and I’m going to go run it again. I’ve just picked up help kids in troubled homes. I would go to the a new team. You become a cave man. You go back woods, and I would hide. And I would trap or fish. thirty thousand years. You can get some of that by Or I would go to uncles’ farms. All over northern having pets, dogs or whatever, but it’s not the same Minnesota were people I was related to, and they as when that dance comes, when they’re out in were glad to have me. It was free labor, and I would front of you. live on their farms. And a lot of that I write about London didn’t know anything about dogs—not now, too, of course, involves working on a farm as a clue. He never ran dogs. He was drunk all the a teen. But I am lucky I survived. time. He talked to a lot of dog mushers on the Yukon. I stayed in his cabin once when I took a TAR: Along those lines, Clabbered Dirt may be the best Harley to Alaska and back. I stayed in his cabin and book out there expressing the relationship between wrote a forward—a new forward for his book, Call people who work the land and the beauty and spirit of the Wild. But, anyway, he was very tough and of the land. Is that relationship between people and very into it and did go to Alaska but was not part of the earth important? And why? that dance. He was just a prospector, a drunk, a very rich writer—he made a lot of money writing. GP: It’s all we have. Man is a mess—I mean the And when he sailed, he was drunk the whole time. species. As a species, we’re not succeeding; we’re He sailed to the South Pacific, or really, he got as failing. Two examples: If you have dandelions in far as Hawaii. your yard and you mow your yard one time, they In sailing, I single-hand, and I want to do the never come up over the mower blade again. They’ll Horn. The Horn is the maximum expression of be this high, but you cut them, and they go, sailing, the way the Iditarod is the maximum “Whoa.” We haven’t learned that yet. Humans get expression of running dogs. It’s not to write about in that mower blade over and over and over again. it; it’s to experience the maximum thing. It’s like The other thing is we think we’re very successful, when I write. I don’t just write; I write! Jeez, it’s and in a one-acre area of suburbia, there are about too hard—five books in one year I mean, I’m 150 people living there. There are sixty thousand insane. I write the same way I run Iditarods— spiders in the same acre, and we think we’re the eighteen hours a day, I just work all the time and one, you know. Why? They’re raising families, do research all the time. And when I’m sailing, I having children, they’re feeding them, they’re write. I wrote eight pages of Hatchet during the retiring or whatever—they’re doing fine, the second Iditarod—during the race. I sat and wrote spiders that are there. We’re struggling just to longhand at night while the dogs were sleeping. I

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

k53-59_TAR_Mar04 54 5/12/04, 10:12 AM couldn’t really read it. I was exhausted, but I did the horror of that, but I like the concept of man write. I write that way. I try to do the maximum proposes, nature disposes. We all die to a predator, expression of writing, the way I do the Iditarod or whether it’s a virus or [something else]. Very few try to sail the Horn. I haven’t sailed the Horn yet, people just literally die because their body wears but I’m working on it. The boat is in Hawaii now. I out. They die because their immune system goes just took it to Hawaii in April, so it’ll be ready to down, and a predator gets them. Boom. You slow go. down a little going to the water hole, and boom, you’re gone. You limp a little, boom. You eat too TAR: Boys out in the country, they’ll still pee on that much lard (I have heart disease), boom. There’s electric wire? always a predator waiting.

GP: Yeah, I get letters: “You know, when I peed on it,” TAR: In your book The Rifle you establish a different they say. God love ’em. Why do they do it? I don’t tone than in many of your other books. Can you know! Maybe they think it’s funny! I had a boy talk a little bit about that? once tell me about the time he lit his hair on fire just to see what the hell it was like. And he wasn’t GP: It’s interesting, the mail I get on that. The gun a troubled child; he didn’t have any emotional nuts who read it like it at first, and then don’t like difficulty. He was just curious; he took the lighter it because of what happens at the end. And the fluid and went poof! And he said it hurt. people who are anti-gun read it and don’t like the I have a scar here [pointing at his leg]. When I first part, but then kind of like it because I show was a kid, I had a hunting knife, and somebody what happens. It’s kind of true. The early part of it gave me a walnut. I put the walnut here [on his is a true story about the rifle, and I had a friend leg], I swear to God, and I went like that [stabbing whose son was killed by an accidental shooting— at his leg]. It went through and stuck in the bone. not with the same rifle. And this kid sitting next to me said, “You’ve got a I wanted to show that at one time rifles and knife stuck in your leg.” I’m standing there, it hurt weapons were extremely important to what we like hell; it was in the bone! I said, “Yeah,” he said, are—to the country, and that has become warped— “Why did you do that?” I said, “I had to open the insanely warped, and now they’re like a disease. walnut.” Weapons are just an epidemic—kids shooting But boys do that. Boys still pee on fences. people. I have weapons, and I’m sitting here They’re always going to. God love ’em. because I’ve been able to use a weapon to protect myself, killing moose and bear when they attack TAR: You place people in challenging situations, often me. But I never had to shoot a person. I was in the in nature, and then you let them struggle. Why army, but I didn’t get into a war situation. I’ve choose nature? Is nature fair or kind or heartless? never had to actually use a weapon to defend myself against a person, but I have with bear and GP: All of those things. Man proposes; nature dis- moose, and I’m really glad I had a weapon. But poses. Sharks never got the memo about how we’re they’re horrible. People do not understand that superior. They just don’t know. And if we’re there, firearms are not toys; they’re weapons—they are for they eat us. The bear’s the same way. Most bears killing. will kill you, I mean, if they get a chance, they’ll Also, hunting is a very powerful experience for kill you. Actually, they don’t kill you; they eat you young boys. I always say that no man should hunt alive. Only snakes and cats kill before they eat, and after he’s about sixteen, seventeen, eighteen— bears and wolves eat alive. … it’s a horrible death, somewhere in there it should become boring. The but nature doesn’t see the horror of it; that’s just men who still hunt when they’re older stopped the way nature is. Sharks are the same thing—they their education about fourteen, and they never just hit, you know. They’re not trying to be hu- grew out of that. They still think like a fourteen- mane; they’re trying to fill their guts. I don’t like year-old, and they like hunting. I’ll kill a deer if

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

k53-59_TAR_Mar04 55 5/12/04, 10:12 AM I’m hungry, but it’s not an achievement. [Exple- tomorrow to see the twenty-three dogs I bought last tive], you take a high-powered rifle that will stop a week. I’m going to start training them for the Volkswagen, and you knock forty pounds of meat Iditarod. I can’t not run dogs, the [same] way I off its feet, that’s not manhood; that’s a thing that can’t not write. It’s just so elegant and beautiful. kids do—boys, especially—mostly boys, but you Sailing can be the same, except during some should grow out of it. storms when it can get pretty scary. I’m not out there to die, you know, and I’m not running dogs to TAR: A student teacher we observed in a tough, inner- prove anything except to see that dance again. Last city school in the Kansas City area started class January, I went up to Spokane—this is how it all every day reading just a little bit of Soldier’s Heart. started again—I got knocked off because of my And some of these kids—who were members of heart, and my heart kind of came back around with gangs—wouldn’t miss the start of the class because diet stuff. But last January I went up to Spokane, they wanted to get the next installment. But this is and the Shriners’ Hospital there has a thing called the Civil War. A north woodsman from Minnesota the Ikidarod; mushers from the whole country writes a Civil War story, and gang members in a bring their dogs and give rides to the kids in the tough urban school won’t miss this class. Why is hospital. I was like a celebrity, and I would help that? each kid into the sled and sometimes tie them down—a lot of them were quadriplegics. Then they GP: I think because it’s true. It’s a true story. Charley would go three or four miles through the woods Goddard. That was really his name. He was really with volunteers every fifty feet to help. It’s just a fifteen. In fact, yesterday [during the ALAN wonderful thing, and I’m going again this year. workshop last fall] a woman came to the booth But, anyway, when it was all over, after three where I was signing and said she’d found his grave. days, we all cried and cried—you know how you He died of stress disorders when he was only do, and this guy who had Alaskan dogs came up to twenty or twenty-two. And all of those things in me and said, “Do you want to take a run?” So I Soldier’s Heart actually happened to him. And I took his team and I just left. I was gone. I went think that, again, that crosses to where young thirty or forty miles. people understand, especially if they’re in a place A couple of months ago I started to put a sled where they’re in a firefight themselves. Some of team together. When the word got out it was me, these kids today are literally in combat zones, and all the dogs that should have been $400 were they have to deal with the potential of being shot suddenly $3,000. I just couldn’t afford it. I offered by gang-bangers. They relate to that aspect of it. to lease a team from a guy, and he started out at Charley’s mother wrote every month and told him $18,000, and when he heard it was me, it went to to desert—leave the army. She was terrified. $50,000 for one year. And I said, oh, come on! So I quit trying. What happened next was that a friend TAR: In Dog Team, this beautifully simple picture book, of mine began buying dogs as if they were for her. you run the dogs at night, and the sounds and the She knew all these dog mushers who tried to help sights and the feel are hard to describe. You obvi- her because she’s young—but they’re really mine; ously love it. Most people would be digging deep I’m buying all these dogs. under the quilts on a night like that. But not you. TAR: That’s that survival mentality. GP: Well, it’s not about accomplishing something against the weather; it’s about doing this beautiful GP: That’s it. I went under the radar. I got twenty- thing. If the weather gets in your way, you try to three dogs, though. work around it, but it isn’t about braving the elements. It’s about that damn dance. That’s why TAR: Seeing the dogs become one as they move I’m going back. I’m going up to Idaho day after through the countryside must be incredible.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

k53-59_TAR_Mar04 56 5/12/04, 10:13 AM GP: They’re amazing. They’re absolutely amazing. me have half the money. We’d use ammo from the police department to shoot them. TAR: You were telling some good stories yesterday, His name was Nuts Meyers, and he lived up to including favorite dog stories, such as the one it. For two years, he kept me out of trouble. He beat about a lead dog named Cookie, who kept you from the hell out of me a few times. I tried to break into drowning? a garage once and steal some skis, and he caught me and just nailed me. We became friends. Later, GP: Cookie—she was a dear friend and saved my life another kid shot him and killed him. I did a book literally. I talked about it yesterday, I think, about about it—Winterkill. going through the ice. That happened twice. I’ve Then in the army a drill sergeant kind of took got her photo in my wallet. She could read ice, and me in. I mean, he really, physically, straightened I trusted my life to her. If her tail went up in a me out. It took him three or four days, something question mark, it meant she wasn’t sure, and she like that. was trying to get light, and she would look for a crack. As soon as her tail went down, she was TAR: Sounds like you were a hard case to straighten positive and she’d go. You’d just watch that tail. out. You can see ice move; sea ice, especially, is flexy. It can be three or four feet thick, but it’ll crack and GP: Yeah, I was hard, but he was harder. You get move and there’s just [open] sea water. The dogs those old infantry sergeants and they operate are across, and all of a sudden you’ve got five foot almost like doctors. It’s not about proving macho of water wide, and you’ve got to slide over it. She stuff. It’s just clinically I’m going to beat the tar out knew how to find her way around those leads of you, and when you get up, you’re going to be a [cracks]. new man. And then we’re going to have a beer or talk and have coffee, and we’re not going to be TAR: And in the Iditarod, you’ve got to cut across angry. And if you try it again, OK, kawhoomp! quite a bit of water, don’t you? Down you go again. That’s what they do. These guys are just tough. He clinically GP: Seventy five miles of open ice—sea ice; every- brought me down. He said, “Are you done?” And thing in you puckers up. You suddenly wish you I’d say, “Nope.” He’d help me up and, boom, down weighed eight pounds. The dogs are spread out, I’d go again. [Many recruits were] worried about and you’ve got eighty feet of dogs out there, and the kick of a rifle. At that time it was an M1, which you’re watching the front end to see if it moves has a lot of kick. He would hold a rifle up to his with them. If it gets really bad, you lay down in the mouth and fire eight rounds like this and use his back of the sled and get your weight distributed. mouth as a recoil, and not a mark on him. I mean, number one, the rifle is ten pounds, and he’s TAR: A lot of people with your start in life would be holding it like a pistol. broken down, in prison, or dead by now. But you seem to be just finding your stride and accelerating. TAR: Has Thief River Falls in northern Minnesota What saved your life and sent you down the road changed much over the years, and do you have any you took? hopes or fears for northern Minnesota?

GP: I had enormous luck. A big, dumb red-necked cop GP: It hasn’t changed much—a lot more farms. A lot took me in for two years. I couldn’t stay in his of the woods have been cleared. I don’t have any house, and every night at eight o’clock he’d run more fear for them than I do for species in general. watch. I’d move in the back of the patrol car, and We’re just making mistakes as a species. For I’d sleep from eight to four in the morning while he example, I’ve been sailing the Pacific for nine years. drove around, and then we’d go hunting. We’d China is building five hundred fleet-sized factory shine spotlights—jackrabbits and fox—and he’d let boats; they’re going to sweep the Pacific. It’ll be a

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

k53-59_TAR_Mar04 57 5/12/04, 10:13 AM dead sea in five years. They’re killing everything— couldn’t understand why he couldn’t fly. I thought, dolphins, whales, the whole works. They’re taking God! Hemingway said that! Man, he could write! it all. Nobody can stop that, unless you want a war, Describing Fitzgerald’s talent like that is just and that’s just not going to happen. So they will beautiful. wipe it out. And that’s wrong—not just morally I learned a lot from studying things like that— wrong, but it’s stupid, because then it’s gone, and just the way people have written. I mean, at one it’ll take centuries to come back, if it comes back. point, I was reading three books a day for about six And the food, meantime, is gone, so it’s just dumb. years—and some books, many times. Patrick We’re doing dumb stuff like that, too. O’Brien, for example, I read all of his stuff at least four times. I study those books again and again— TAR: “Meeting the Challenge” is the theme for our the nuances and the use of the language—the upcoming issue, and this workshop’s theme has mastery of the language. He’s incredible—an been “Striking It Rich.” These seem to fit you so incredible writer. obviously. What do you see as the greatest challenge that you’ve met? TAR: Dog Team is one that a lot of teachers read out loud just for the fluency of it—they’ll read it even at GP: There are two ways to be rich—one is to make the high school level. more, and the other is to desire less. And I lost everything to crooked publishers early on and GP: Well, if it works, it works. If an idea will make a wound up flat broke and with judgments against good sentence, it will also make a good paragraph, me and had no way to make it, [but I] was richer a good short story, a good novel, a good film, then than I am now in the sense that I went back to whatever. The same idea will work for all those the woods. I set up a trap line, I had four gardens, I things. It doesn’t have to be a big, sweeping made my own ketchup—everything. I had goats. Lawrence of Arabia type of thing. It can be just a And I had more quality in my life than I have now. simple, clean thing. Probably the best writing ever Literally. done was by Hemingway and several other writ- I’m very successful now, as far as selling books ers—I think it was in North Africa. During a goes, but I don’t think of myself as wealthy at all. I drunken discussion, somebody said that they mean, there are people around me that are spend- should write the best and shortest story they could ing a lot of money [that I have made]. I don’t see write. They all had stories. that as success. If a book’s done, it’s done. What’s Hemingway came up with six words: “For sale: the next book? What’s the next idea that I’m Baby shoes. Never used.” Jesus. I mean, come on. working on? Right now, I’m working on one called Isn’t that great? That’s all there is. Six words. The Amazing Life of Birds: Or the Puberty Journal There’s a book, there’s a movie, there’s a short of Howard Leach. It’s humor, as you’ve probably story, there’s a poem—anything you want to do guessed, and dirty, so we’ll have to see what with those six words, you can do it. It’s just happens. amazing what you can do with your words. And if it doesn’t work, you can beat it to death with a TAR: One middle-school student wanted to know your club, and it won’t work. I mean, I’ve written books technique for describing everything so well. that I just hated—books on home repair.

GP: I study really hard—writing. I still study writing. TAR: Teachers often use your novels in the classroom. Hemingway was writing A Movable Feast, which From the author’s point of view, how would you was about his early days—about writing, actually. like to see them used? He’s talking about F. Scott Fitzgerald, and he says that when Fitzgerald lost it, his talent had been like GP: The only thing that kind of [bothers] me is the the dust on a butterfly’s wings. And when the dust way they’re used as mandatory for study. A lot of was gone, he kept beating his wings, and he schools are using Hatchet that way now. They have

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

k53-59_TAR_Mar04 58 5/12/04, 10:13 AM a mandatory reading of Hatchet and mandatory A boy discovers life, love, joy, sadness, and sex– discussion groups and they grade the readers of the all at once–as his loving but bumbling father tries to book. And I think that’s probably a mistake help him though puberty. sometimes because it takes away the joy the child 2. The Sky Child might have just discovering the book itself. A Native boy living in an abusive, molested And I’m not talking about just my books. I situation in a Northern village moves his spirit out of mean, all books are like that. The worst I’ve ever the village into the sky when he learns that the seen was in Winnipeg, Canada. Years ago, I went Northern Lights, which he calls SKYFIRE, are really up there to talk at a school. And, before I got up, the souls/spirits of abused and troubled and/or the principal of the school came up to me. He said, stillborn children. “We teach the children that committees write the 3. Jojo the Dog-faced Girl book.” And I said, “Well, they don’t.” He said, Lonely girl who thinks she’s ugly is befriended by “Yeah, but we teach them that, and we want you to a stray dog that starts by following her and then later teach them that, too. We want you to tell them that begins to lead her into a new way of seeing beauty in the committees sit around a table, four or five the world and herself. editors and you write the books together.” And I 4. The Kennel said, “Well, I don’t.” And he said, “Well, you tell Come with me, now, this last time, this final time, them that.” I said, “Okay.” And I got up and fired back into the world of sled dogs. I have learned...have the mike up, and I said, “These people want me to learned that there is so much I do not know yet and lie to you and tell you that committees write books. wish to know now, a book, a dance of discovery with That’s all BS.” I said, “I write my own books, and Elmira and Tippy and Ghost and Buckshot and sometimes they’re published and sometimes they’re Norman and thirty other, new, close, dear not.” And the guy came around and pulled the friends...once more into the diamond. plug, as I kept saying, “They’re lying to you! 5. The Day They Hang the Children They’re lying to you!” They never paid me. But it’s A classic mystery about a street boy in Victorian/ true, and it’s wrong to do that. Dickensonian London who must solve a mystery about who stole a silk handkerchief–which was a An update from the desk of Gary Paulsen’s agent, hanging offense–before he is executed for the crime. Jennifer Flannery: (Title comes from the fact that they had to hang Gary has just relocated his kennel of two dozen children on a special day because of the need to dogs from Idaho to Minnesota, his old stomping readjust the gallows for the smaller bodies...) ground where he knows the sled trails and where to get 6. The Business (or) How I Started Mowing Lawns And fresh beef hearts for the dogs. Not only is he preparing Earned A Million Dollars to run the 2005 Iditarod, but he’s currently working on Boy starts a lawn care business that gets wonder- six new books: fully out of hand to the point where he has two 1. The Amazing Life of Birds (or) The Puberty Journal hundred adult employees, offices with an accountant of Duane Homer Leech and tax problems. Then he runs into the Mob.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

k53-59_TAR_Mar04 59 5/12/04, 10:13 AM Will Hobbs

On the Trail with Jack London: My Journey to Jason’s Gold and Down the Yukon

was delighted to return to climbing straight up the icy the ALAN workshop in the Chilkoot Pass on the Alaska/ I fall of ’03. It was in my Canada border. The Chilkoot favorite city, San Francisco, a was unbelievably steep, and gold rush town as alluded to in the stampeders were stagger- the workshop’s theme: ing under huge burdens. I “Striking it Rich with Young eyeballed the clothes they Adult Lit.” were wearing. “Hey, wait a What better time to minute,” I thought. “That’s chronicle the writing of my not Gor-tex.” gold rush books? Nearby, I visited the cabin Jason’s Gold and Down the of a world famous author Yukon grew out of an extended who’d spent a year of his life, trip that my wife, Jean, and I at the age of 21, trying to made to Canada’s Yukon strike it rich in the Klondike. A Territory. We had just gotten former teenage oyster pirate off the Takhini River, a from Oakland, California by tributary of the Yukon River the name of . . . . Jack near Whitehorse, and headed London. north to Dawson City, where I was struck by how little we were about to start up a I’d ever known about the 500-mile gravel road that Klondike gold rush. Almost would take us to within 40 miles of the Arctic Ocean. nothing. Even though, as a kid, I’d read The Call of the I was aware that Dawson City, where the Yukon is Wild, White Fang, and “To Build a Fire,” I had never met by the clear-running Klondike, was the destina- figured out from reading them what the gold rush was tion of the Klondike gold rush of the late 1890s. all about. Those stories don’t give you the “big Having no idea what a gift this day would turn out to picture” of the rush. be, I wandered into Dawson’s town museum. I was What if, I began to think, right there, right then. . . intranced by the photographs; the Klondike gold rush, What if I were to go home and learn as much as I I discovered, was extremely well photographed. could about the Klondike . . . Maybe I could write a One image above all others caught my attention: a story that would give young readers the big picture of photograph of an unbroken line of gold seekers, single the rush. Maybe I could learn all about what Jack file and ant-like—hundreds upon hundreds of them— London did in the rush, and include him as one of the

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 characters. I could have a fictional kid meet Jack made it all the way to Dawson City. Jason is going to London. leave Seattle three days after his brothers, and it’s That’s how Jason’s Gold got started. Back home, I going to take him almost a year to meet up with them mined a mountain of research. Real-life incidents in Dawson City. A year was what it took most people suggested possibilities left and right. As I started to get there. writing, exactly one hundred years after the events I Jason is going to meet lots of actual, historical was describing, I was flooded with memories from my figures in their actual, historical context. One of these childhood in Alaska: larger than life mountains and is Soapy Smith, the infamous con-man from Colorado rivers and bears, glaciers and salmon runs and moose, mining camps who became the “boss of Skagway.” the winter darkness and the northern lights and Another, of course, is Jack London. Here’s some more rusting gold dredges. It all came together, the land- of what I learned about Jack London’s experiences in scape and the history and me and Jason: I felt like I the North. All of this and much more found its way was there. into Jason’s Gold: Here’s the opening line of Jason’s Gold : “When Jack London was in the first wave. He left San the story broke on the streets of New York, it took off Francisco only one week after the prospectors from like a wildfire on a windy day.” the North arrived on the West Coast. Jack’s partner was I wanted this story to imitate the momentum of his 60-year-old brother-in-law. Enroute, they joined up the gold rush, which was a sort of human wildfire. It with three other men. Like most people, Jack and his began on July 17, 1897, when a ship named the partners chose the Chilkoot Pass as their route to the Portland docked in Seattle. Dozens of prospectors lakes at the headwaters of the Yukon River. disembarked, their suitcases and satchels bulging with The Chilkoot was straight up at the last, too steep gold—all together, two tons of gold. for horses. At the top of the pass, it was Canada, and In an instant, the telegraph wires were humming the Mounties were weighing supplies. They required what the prospectors were shouting: “The Klondike is that each person bring in 1500 pounds, a year’s the richest goldfield in the world!” outfit—they didn’t want anyone starving to death. In the 1890s, the country was in the throes of a It was 23 miles to Lake Lindeman, where Jack terrible depression. This was an era of robber barons London and his partners would take down trees and and child labor, hobos riding the rods. At the news of whipsaw lumber and build a skiff capable of with- a new gold rush, tens of thousands of people across standing 500 miles of the Yukon River, including the the continent started making immediate plans. notorious Miles Canyon and the White Horse Rapids. The geography of the North was poorly under- Jack London knew that most of the stampeders stood. At first, most people didn’t even know where weren’t going to beat winter. He did the math. London they were going—Canada, not Alaska. Some were carried 150 pounds at a time on his back. He weighed planning, believe it or not, to go by balloon, some by 165. Every day, four times, he moved 150 pounds bicycle. A newspaper in Memphis, Tennessee, reported three miles forward. that the Klondike goldfields were “not far northwest of Jack London and his partners were among only Chicago.” That turned out to be . . . incorrect. hundreds who made it through that October of 1897, The protagonist of Jason’s Gold is named Jason and at the last, they beat the ice by running Miles Hawthorn. A kid from Seattle, he’s on the streets of Canyon and the White Horse Rapids instead of New York City selling newspapers when the news of portaging. the rush breaks. Instantly, he comes down with a bad Guess what? The former oyster pirate from San case of Klondike fever, also called klondic-itis. With Francisco Bay was the man at the stern with the ten dollars to his name, Jason hobos his way back to crucial sweep oar. Seattle, then stows away on a steamer bound for the Jack London suffered a bad case of scurvy that North. winter, lost some teeth. When break-up came at the It’s going to be rough, just as it was for a hundred end of May, he floated out the 1500 miles to the thousand people who tried it back in 1897 and ’98. Of Pacific on a scow, and worked his way home stoking those 100,000 who set out, around 40,000 actually coal on a steamship.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 Did he return with Klondike gold? Yes, he did— that. I hope your readers will be astounded to find out four dollars and fifty cents’ worth. And plenty of grist what ordinary people not so different from themselves for fiction. did a century ago. I hope readers come away with a Back to Jason. Instead of the Chilkoot, Jason tries sense that history can be incredibly exciting, and that the White Pass, theoretically negotiable by horses. life in any era is filled with adventure, heroism, He’s there as it turns into a quagmire. Three thousand courage, and love. horses died there that fall of ’97; it became known as Well, here I was, all done with Jason’s Gold. At the Dead Horse Trail. Jason rescues a husky from a that point, I had to face the perennial question, madman who is drowning his dogs in the creek—an What’s next? incident from real life, as I explain in the Author’s I had other projects simmering, but my heart Note. wasn’t in them. I was so identified with Jason, I was Jason repairs with the husky to Skagway in order in limbo wondering if Jamie really was going to come to try the Chilkoot. He gets deathly sick there. Jason back, as she promised she would. wakes up feverish in a strange room where a girl There was only one way to find out. Write the named Jamie and her father, Homer, are taking care of sequel, you fool, and do it right away! It would be a him. They’re Canadians planning to canoe the Yukon, chance to make hay with the amazing events that which sounds risky in the extreme to Jason. They came after the summer of ’98, when Jason’s Gold know what they’re doing, Jamie says, and indeed they ends. I could include the Great Fire of April, 1899, in do. “My father,” Jamie says proudly, “is a bush poet. I which Dawson’s business district burned to the grew up in the North, in the bush.” ground at 40 degrees below zero. I could portray the Jamie is inspired by a 14-year-old Canadian girl I exodus from Dawson City down the Yukon when met who was captaining a canoe on the Nahanni River breakup came at the end of May. Most exciting of all, I in Canada’s subarctic, the setting of my story, Far could dramatize the fact that thousands of disap- North. Like Jack London, Jamie and her father will pointed Klondikers did not head home immediately. reappear throughout the story. Amazingly, another rush was on. On their way home, Who is Jamie’s father inspired by? You guessed thousands were going to have one last fling at Lady it—Robert W. Service, the author of “The Cremation of Luck. Sam McGee,” a narrative poem of the rush that I’ve During the winter, news had reached Dawson of a been performing around wilderness campfires since I new strike 1700 miles away on the beaches of the was fourteen years old. Bering Sea. At a place called Nome, 200 miles across Jack London and his party are going to beat the Norton Sound from the old Russian port of St. winter, and so are Jamie and her father. Jason, Michael, gold had been discovered in the beach sand! though, is not going to beat winter. Winter is where As you’ve noticed, I love a story with amazing the heart of this story lies, so . . . of course . . . I’m not geography. The rush from Dawson to Nome, down the going to tell you about it, other than to say that he Yukon and all the way across Alaska, then 200 more and his husky, King, are going to be stuck in a miles across the Norton Sound, was too wonderful to precarious and dangerous situation out in the Great pass up. Alone, about halfway down the Yukon to Dawson City. Jamie would indeed return to Dawson, as she I hope this part of the story gives your readers a good promised she would. She and Jason could join the case of virtual frostbite. new rush to Nome. This one would be a summer When the ice breaks, and Jason makes it to story, and to further differentiate it from Jason’s Gold, Dawson City, he’s going to find that Jamie has become I would make it a first-person story, with Jason being famous performing her father’s poetry on the stage of the narrator. It would have to stand alone, in case the the Palace Grand theater. But she’s leaving. It feels like reader hadn’t read the previous book. a mortal blow to Jason, who was smitten the day he Jamie and Jason will enter a 1700-mile race, with met her. a $20,000 prize, from the warehouse of the Alaska With Jason’s Gold, I set out to write a story Commercial Company in Dawson to its warehouse in worthy of the rush itself, and I hope I’ve accomplished Nome—a fictional device, as I explain in the Author’s

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 Note. They’re going to face everything the river and a an Alaskan salmon boat, I gather that it’s for the pair of bad guys can throw at them, and it will be experience itself, but then is it afterward that you quite a ride. I don’t mind telling you that Jason and begin to wonder if there might be a story there? Jamie are going to paddle into the sunset together. If you like a story with a happy ending, this is the one WH: Yes, that’s the way it’s always been. I would be for you. doing these same things even if I weren’t a writer. Both novels include an Author’s Note in which I This past summer I took an eleven-day trip down a sort fact from fiction. For more about these books, remote river on the north slope of Canada’s Yukon visit my website, www.WillHobbsAuthor.com. The Territory. The last night, under the midnight sun, I website contains an interview and photos from my pitched my tent thirty feet from the Arctic Ocean. I novels, plus many other features. was wishing I could find a way one day to take my In between sessions of the 2003 ALAN Workshop readers there, but I don’t know if I ever will. More Will and Jean Hobbs were gracious enough to share often than not, a story doesn’t follow. After our sea some insights from adventures around the planet and kayaking trips, two or three years went by before I the stories that come out of those experiences. thought of the idea for Wild Man Island.

TAR: In your face-to-face encounters with the wilder- TAR: At ALAN in San Francisco, you said you like to ness you have rowed your raft through some of the write novels that are “adventure plus.” We see you most extreme whitewater in North America, adding a tremendous amount of research to your camped and explored in grizzly country in the personal experience in order to write books like Far North, faced squalls at sea and the possibility of a North, Ghost Canoe, Jason’s Gold, Down the Yukon, humpback whale breaching from under your kayak. Wild Man Island, and now Leaving Protection. Have you ever thought, “Well, maybe I’ve written These are exciting books, yet kids learn a whole lot my last book!” Any close calls? turning the pages.

WH: For a moment once, on a backpacking hike in WH: I like to write a multi-layered story, to get a our San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, number of balls up in the air—it makes it interest- I thought a mountain was crashing down on me. ing for me and the reader both. I’ve always thought Three of us had threaded the needle between two that novels are a great way for kids to learn peaks and descended the rockslides in order to fish content. Novels engage the emotions, and the brain a lake perched under the summit of Mount Oso. remembers what the heart cares about. Before we’d even assembled our fishing rods, we witnessed the event that orphaned the grizzly bear TAR: “Meeting the Challenge” seems to fit you and cubs in Beardance, written a few years later. By your work perfectly. What challenges, faced by fool’s luck, we weren’t standing where the mother young people, are you trying to illustrate in your grizzly in my story was when it happened. That books? was a rare exception to my general feeling that I’m a lot safer in wild places than on the highway. WH: That’s a tough one . . . a novelist writes subcon- We’re pretty cautious in our approach to running sciously, through characters in situations. But rivers, or when we’re in bear country. looking back, I would say that personal integrity is big in my stories, family and friendship, adapting to TAR: Many authors research their topics in libraries, change, sorting out what’s of value from what is on the Internet, or even by visiting the actual not. I think kids’ biggest challenge today is finding setting of their novels and talking with people. Your a way to believe in hope and possibility, to stay novels seem to come out of your own personal positive and idealistic. experience. You and Jean are true adventurers—ten times through the Grand Canyon in your own raft! TAR: The 2003 ALAN workshop was entitled, “Striking When you sea kayak the Alaskan coast, or crew on It Rich with Young Adult Literature.” That phrase,

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 “striking it rich,” can mean many different things. would gaff them and bring them aboard; I did the How do you feel that you have struck it rich in your cleaning and icing. I’ve done a lot of physical labor life? in my life, but I hadn’t worked that hard since I picked fruit for six weeks with migrants from WH: First of all, I struck it rich with my parents, my Mexico when I first got out of college. three brothers, and my sister. Then my wife, Jean, then all our nieces and nephews: so many shared TAR: I take it your skipper wasn’t anything like the memories, so many great adventures over the years. menacing Tor Torsen in the novel. Seventeen years of teaching, that was another adventure. The young adult literature in my WH: Not at all, but I did borrow my skipper’s know- classroom was my best ally and also my motivation how and some of his quirks. For example, when he to try it myself. I’ve been writing full-time for lay down to sleep, George would be snoring within thirteen years now, and it continues to be a dream a minute. He would wake precisely at 4:00 A.M. come true. To hear from kids that your stories have without an alarm clock. touched them is extremely gratifying. ALAN in San Francisco was a real high point. We treasure our TAR: Your book explains how it’s possible to be a friends who care so much about YA lit, and have highliner—one of the very best fishermen—and to done so much to bring it to young readers. still be a vanishing breed, due to the effects of dams, logging, and especially salmon farming. For TAR: In the Author’s Note at the end of your new the uninformed, what does the fine print mean novel, Leaving Protection, you talk about your first when we’re looking at a restaurant menu or at the visit to Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska, grocery store labels for salmon? how the teacher at the middle school in Craig invited you to work on the family salmon troller WH: “Wild” is the key word, as opposed to farmed. If and to write a novel about commercial fishing in it says Alaskan salmon, you know it’s wild salmon, Alaska, a challenge you ended up meeting. How far since salmon farming is illegal in Alaska. Troll- back does your fascination with those boats and caught is the highest quality wild salmon; it’s salmon fishing go? cleaned and iced soon after being caught. If the menu says Atlantic salmon, in all WH: All the way back to my childhood in Alaska, and likelihood it is farmed. The health and environmen- more recently, to a number of trips through the tal hazards of farmed salmon are getting quite a bit Inside Passage in southeast Alaska. Those trollers of publicity lately. The huge numbers of lower- are so picturesque, and I’d always wanted to step priced farmed salmon flooding the market have aboard one. To have the chance to live on a troller forced many fishermen out of their livelihood. To and to do the work of those fishermen was a give you an idea, George sold his king salmon for lifelong dream. half of what he had been able to get, per pound, the previous year. One other note: don’t be con- TAR: During a week of king salmon season, no less! If cerned that by buying wild salmon you are deplet- Robbie Daniels’ experience as a deck hand in your ing the ocean of wild fish. The catch is monitored novel is any indication, this was incredibly hard so closely to prevent overfishing that some seasons work. last only a matter of days.

WH: Oh man, fifteen hours a day’s worth. It turned TAR: Did you take notes, with a story in mind, during out to be the best king salmon season in many the seven days you worked on the boat? years; sometimes we worked four or five hours before breakfast. A salmon troller, unlike a seiner or WH: Tons of notes, after George was snoring. Every- a gillnetter, doesn’t use nets. The salmon are all thing I was learning was new, and I knew I had to caught individually, on lures. Julie and her dad write it down or I would forget it. I was able to

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 follow it up later with telephone interviews with the old Russian capital of Alaska. It was a facsimile George and Julie and other fishermen I had met, as of the only possession plaque ever found, one of well as quite a bit of book research. I brought home twenty that the Russians are known to have buried a bunch of non-fiction books about the trolling life, up and down the coast to lay claim to Alaska. It and they made for good grist to add to the knowl- came to me in a flash. What if Tor Torsen, the edge I had gained first hand. What fueled the book embittered fisherman, knows where the other emotionally was the wealth of impressions I came nineteen are, and is something of a pirate? Robbie home with that will stick with me forever: the would be in grave danger if he accidentally came whales and the birds, the light, the beauty of those across one on Tor’s boat. The plaques were the key outermost islands we were looking at, the roll of to dramatic tension across the entire length of the the swells out there on the open ocean. It was novel. They would also be a way for me to further glorious. my longtime interest in the Russians in Alaska, and to pass some of that amazing, little-known history TAR: Did your story idea—interweaving the Russian along to my readers. history with the fishing adventure—come as you were cleaning fish or doing that stoop work in the TAR: One more question. Do you still like eating hold? salmon?

WH: No, it came by trial and error, as usual, back in WH: Can’t get enough, as long as it’s wild. I’m going my study. Something vital was lacking in my first on two trips to Alaska next summer, one with Jean few approaches to the opening chapters: dramatic and the other with one of my brothers. I hope to tension. Then I got to remembering a metal plate I return to Colorado each time with a box of fillets had seen at the National Historical Park in Sitka, for our freezer. You’re invited to dinner!

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 Bonnie Kunzel

An Invitation to the Writing Game Monica Hughes (1925-2003)

he Keeper of the Isis Light and sequels, The ‘50s and ‘60s, she knew that was what she wanted to Guardian of Isis and The Isis Pedlar, as well as become—a writer for young people. TInvitation to the Game and The Crystal Drop are What came next? With the youngest of her four just a few of the stellar works written by Monica children in school, she could get serious about her Hughes. One of Canada’s premiere authors for young writing, so she set a schedule for herself – four hours people, she died suddenly of a stroke at the age of 77. a day for an entire year at the kitchen table, first with Fans of science fiction will miss her gentle voice, clear, a black BIC pen and a stack of loose-leaf paper, then a straight-forward style, and explora- typewriter and, finally, a word tion of themes of import today processor. Fortunately for young presented in futuristic settings. In these and other works, science fiction fans, the third book Monica Hughes was born in she tried, set under the ocean, was 1925 in Liverpool, England, but the gentleness and accepted by an international became a naturalized Canadian publisher and appeared as Crisis kindness of the author citizen in 1957, with stops in Cairo, on Conshelf Ten in 1975. Like so Egypt, and Edinburgh, Scotland, shone through as she many other authors, perseverance along the way. She also spent time paid off for her. After this break- in London, first for schooling at a invited her readers to through, she published over thirty girls’ school and then later for a works for young people and stint in the Women’s Royal Naval explore the future she received numerous awards, Service during World War II, after depicted for them. Above including the Vicky Metcalf Award which came a two-year stay in of the Canadian Authors Associa- Zimbabwe. all, it was important to tion for her body of work. As a child she learned to read Monica Hughes wrote novels before she started school, told her to write the truth for in various genres, but she was best stories to her younger sister, and her young readers, no known for her science fiction. Her dreamed of becoming a writer. A Isis Trilogy in particular is a superb flood of rejection slips greeted her matter how difficult it example of this genre, with its initial submissions of adult stories strong characters, fascinating other and essays. Adding novels to her might be to accept, but at world setting, and scientific output made no difference, until the same time to include background that is accessible and she discovered works written understandable. She was deeply specifically for young people. After an element of hope. concerned about environmental devouring a number of these in the issues and wrote about the

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

m66-67_TAR_Mar04 66 5/12/04, 10:13 AM importance of living in harmony with the earth, no We will miss her wonderful worlds and the matter how dystopian the future she depicted. Isis, marvelous characters she created to inhabit them. To with its theme of survival, the integration of cultures, explore her contribution to literature for young people, and what it truly means to be human, is one of her visit her website at http://www.ecn.ab.ca/mhughes/ most acclaimed works. and find out more about her life and her literary Other works developed important themes, as well. output, as well as where she got her ideas. Various Invitation to the Game was written in response to the teachers’ guides are also available at this site. reality of severe unemployment in Britain. The Crystal Drop explored the reaction of two young children left Bonnie Kunzel is the Youth Services Consultant for the alone and struggling to survive in a world that has New Jersey State Library. She is well known for her work suffered years of drought. In these and other works, with teens and is a former president of the national Young the gentleness and kindness of the author shone Adult Library Services Association. Among her published through as she invited her readers to explore the works are Strictly Science Fiction: A Guide to Reading Interests (with Diana Tixier Herald) and First Contact: A future she depicted for them. Above all, it was Reader’s Selection of Science Fiction and Fantasy (with important to her to write the truth for her young Suzanne Manczuk). readers, no matter how difficult it might be to accept, but at the same time to include an element of hope.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

m66-67_TAR_Mar04 67 5/12/04, 10:13 AM Kay Smith The High School Connection

The High School Connection No More Just Making Do with What We Have Done

elcome to “The High eager to do good jobs, were three student teachers were School Connection”! It is working well with their cooperating teaching from a canon of literature W very exciting to once teachers. They had reviewed the that has been around, and often again offer a column for those who classroom teachers’ policies and boring adolescents, for forty years. teach older adolescents. Many of us unit plans. They had also looked I was interested in the selected have occasionally experienced through numerous files to find texts, and after asking the usual frustration as we design the right teaching helps and possible lesson “who, what, where, when, and lessons for high school students. designs. In some cases, but never why” questions, I received these We often search high and low for often enough for a diehard supervi- answers: The class novels were tips, helps, and strategies that are sor like me, the students had even taken from the terrific but tedious not designed for the very young or revisited the state core to determine titles we all know and love: Hamlet, for those in the middle. With the what objectives needed to be taught. Julius Caesar, To Kill a Mockingbird, topics covered in this column, we Although it is now passé and A Tale of Two Cities, The Scarlet can say goodbye to making do with I’m a structuralist at heart, I often Letter, All Quiet on the Western strategies and philosophies that yearn to see more explicit lessons Front, The Great Gatsby, The only partially fit the needs of older in writing, vocabulary develop- Crucible, Ethan Frome, The Grapes students. This column will be ment, editing, and critical thinking of Wrath, The Old Man and the Sea, uniquely ours and will put us back skills. But despite these preferences, and The Red Badge of Courage. in our own spotlight. Most impor- I was very pleased with the stu- Please understand that I mean no tantly, it will empower us to “meet dents’ teaching. However, as the disrespect when I call these novels the challenge” (this issue’s theme) days passed and I more frequently tedious. It’s just that these novels of teaching thoughtful lessons while observed the students in action, I have been around since I was in preparing students for state and began to see a practice that con- high school, and if you’ll permit me national assessments, for college, cerned me. What I observed in each to exaggerate the tedium, let’s just and for life. With your feedback and class were well-crafted explorations say my high school reading took suggestions, we can collectively of literature, and to varying de- place in the decade when students create . . . a high school connection! grees, the high school students and Mick Jagger were yearning for Speaking of assessments and were engaged. Thoughtful lessons satisfaction. challenges, I was recently reminded and quasi-engaged students could As a current devotee and of the educational needs of older be good enough by some standards, professor of young adult literature, I teens while I supervised several but I was saddened by the regret- wondered why a few contemporary student teachers. The student table practice that had disinterested and non-tedious titles had not been teachers, all in their twenties and so many adolescents. Each of the even a small part of any teacher’s

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 literature program. My student ossified educational system that adolescents will become “profi- teachers gave me the answer to that does not promise strong learning cient” readers, no matter what question, too—an answer that I outcomes. tradition might dictate and regard- thought we had long ago reasoned But before we become too less of what national assessments against. Classic novels, the student confident with our professional may seemingly call for. teachers had been told, were commitment and the classes we Creating a new high school timeless, whatever that means. As teach today, please consider this literacy must begin simply. It must an added bonus, their literary merit sad announcement. On a national begin with new teacher behaviors: best prepared young students for level, NAEP recently reported that thinking outside the box, swimming national assessments, college, and American children (at least in their against the current, and coloring life. Studying the classics, the representative sample) have not outside the lines. Action begins premise continued, would greatly shown any significant improvement with the initial conviction that reinforce reading skills. These skills in reading skills compared to grade selections other than the time- would build an aptitude that would level in the last eleven years of honored classics offer philosophical help create a “proficient” school— school. If, for example, we cur- and rhetorical challenges. Further- even a “No Child Left Behind” rently teach eleventh grade English, more, a new literacy begins with proficient school. this may mean that our students the recognition that students After twenty years of watching have made no significant gains welcome diverse representations of the wheels of public education go towards or beyond grade level at literature, and that any number of round and round, I thought I had comprehension or synthesizing texts can engender authentic and heard everything, but this response texts since the first grade. Obvi- instructive literary conversations. stopped me in my tracks. Aligning ously, this critical information must By capitalizing on the interests and our practice with national concerns reform our philosophy and practice. skill levels of their students, and current student aptitudes is If we continue teaching what and teachers must trust themselves to inherent in our job descriptions. how we taught ten, twenty, thirty, choose literature that can bring High school English teachers know and even forty years ago, it is time maximum and “proficient” results. we can only monitor student to illuminate our pedagogy. Be- It is a tough challenge, but a progress and make adjustments in cause it appears our adolescents challenge that we are cut out for. instruction when we know the have not made great strides in their After all, we’re English teachers; we educational goal before us. The reading abilities and because we can do anything! discussion surrounding the goal, continue to compete with their fast- and particularly the pedagogy we paced culture, we face the never- After earning an English and music use to accomplish it, becomes the ending challenge to entertain. It is education degree from Utah State crucial discussion. plausible that many young adult University in Logan, Utah, (Dr.) Kay With national interest in novels and other contemporary Smith enjoyed seven years of teaching student progress, it smacks of “classics” would provide entertain- high school English. In 1993 and 2000 respectively, she earned an M.Ed. and ingratitude that many of us are ment and authentic interest to Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from troubled by the sweeping federal greater numbers of young readers. Brigham Young University. After legislation that was signed into law If the corollary holds true, that working ten action-packed years as a in 2001. After all, dedicated English interest and literary appeal ensure secondary principal, she left what she educators are encouraged by all greater student engagement and loved and decided to do what she efforts that help meet the challenge that engagement leads to compre- really loved: teach English education of improving reading and writing. hension, then it seems reasonable on the college level. She currently Preparing students to be thinkers, to assume sound deconstructions of teaches Young Adult Literature and readers, and writers is hard work, text will occur. Logic, and not Methods of Literacy at Utah Valley and we welcome all help. Impor- instinct, suggests that reading All State College. She is married to tantly, our commitment would Quiet on the Western Front is not a Michael D. Smith, and they are the never allow us to casually ignore an selection that best guarantees all proud parents of seven children and proud grandparents of six. She can be reached at [email protected]. 69

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004 M. Jerry Weiss The Publisher’s Connection

Leave No Child Be . . .

ave you been reading about Fantasy Stuff Feed (Candlewick Press, 2002), the different states that have Darren Shan’s Cirque Du Freak: A Hfound teachers cheating? With the popularity of Harry Living Nightmare (Little, Brown, Ye s, getting that federal money is Potter, I wonder why teachers 2001), David Lubar’s Flip (Tor, important, and the word is out, aren’t using such books more as a 2003), Neal Shusterman’s “GET THOSE SCORES UP!” The part of their curriculum. Many Downsiders (Simon and Schuster, consequences of this are ironic. At students out there will find total 1999), William Sleator’s The Boxes a recent meeting I attended with an enchantment in Donna Jo Napoli’s (Puffin, 2000), John Christopher’s assistant to the superintendent of Beast (Simon & Schuster, 2002), When the Tripods Came (Simon schools, I was told, “Yes, we have a Ellen Schreiber’s Vampire Kisses Pulse, 2003), and New Magics: An library budget for schools. It’s (Harper Collins, 2003), Jane Yolen’s Anthology of Today’s Fantasy, marked Library Materials and Sword of the Rightful King edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden Supplies.” But supplies also include (Harcourt, 2003), Nancy Springer’s (Tor, 2004). toilet paper and janitorial items, I Am Mordred (Puffin, 2002), I do admit that I have checked leaving some school librarians a Isobelle Carmody’s The Farseekers on a number of colleges and grand total of $500 per year to (Tor/Starscape, 2003), Cornelia universities and found out that very update their collections, which Funke’s Inkheart (The Chicken few offer elective courses in fantasy include technology as well as House/Scholastic, 2003), Christo- and science fiction. What a tragedy! reference materials, magazines, pher Paolini’s Eragon (Knopf, The traditional course of study over newspapers, and, pardon the 2003), Alison Goodmian’s Singing the four years is pretty much the expression, books. the Dogstar Blues (Viking, 2002). same as it was in 1944 when I was Some school districts are Herbie Brennan’s Faerie Wars an undergraduate student. Some coping with budget crunches by (Bloomsbury, 2003), Science Fiction English chairs admitted that they laying off librarians in great Stories, edited by Edward Blishen didn’t have anyone on their faculty numbers. How are students and (Kingfisher, 2003), Eoin Colfer’s who felt qualified to teach such teachers going to find those newer Artemis Fowl (Hyperion, 2002), genres. So when a school finds out books among the test papers? Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game the interests of students, what then? Publishers are complaining because (Starscape/Tor, 2002), Charles De public and school library budgets Lint’s The Riddle of the Wren How Would You Like . . . ? are shrinking. They are. And (Firebird, 2002), Libba Bray’s A shrinking along with them are staffs Great and Terrible Beauty Recently, a school district of a number of publishing houses. (Delacorte, 2003), M. T. Anderson’s encouraged middle school teachers

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

o70_72TAR_Mar04 70 5/12/04, 10:14 AM to update their curricula. One teachers should become familiar (Harcourt, 2000); Words That Built teacher, who attends all of the state with: Witch Hunt: Mysteries of the a Nation: A Young Person’s Collec- English Council meetings, admitted Salem Witch Trials, by Marc tion of Historic Documents, by she was familiar with many young Aronson (Atheneum, 2003); Marilyn Miller (Scholastic, 1999); adult authors, but never used their Kennedy Assassinated! The World Words West: Voices of Young books. She did maintain a class Mourns: A Reporter’s Story, by Pioneers, by Ginger Wadsworth library and encouraged her students Wilborn Hampton (Candlewick (Clarion, 2003). I know I have to read these books on their own Press, 1997); Witness To Our Times, omitted some of the excellent for which they could write book by Flip Schulke (Cricket Books, nonfiction books available, but I’m reports. Yes, she gave some credit 2003); The Beginning: Voyages just interested in pointing out that for these writings, but they weren’t Through Time, by Peter Ackroyd these are books that might appeal as important as the required books. (DK, 2003); A Day that Changed to some students and teachers who In addition, teachers admitted that, America: The Alamo, by Shelley might be inspired to explore the among the currently required Tanaka with paintings by David genre further. authors, there were a few whom Craig (Hyperion, 2003); Surviving they didn’t like to teach. They did Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Important Issues not admit, however, that they were Camps, by Andrea Warren (Harper Reflected In Literature passing their dislikes on to the kids. Trophy, 2002); Voyages Through So the new principal and curricu- Time: Escape from Earth, by Peter For many years I have worked lum coordinator asked, “What Akroyd (DK, 2003); An American with and/or supported those groups books would you like to teach? Plague: The True and Terrifying that have fought censorship. The Some of these books could be Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of notion that certain words might purchased out of the new budget.” 1793, by Jim Murphy (Clarion, appear in school texts is enough to No suggestions came in. No books 2003); The Life and Death of drive many teachers up the wall, were ordered by these teachers. A Adolph Hitler, by James Cross even though kids will write the consultant was brought in to make Giblin (Clarion, 2002); Linda same words, without batting an suggestions based on the interests Brown, You Are Not Alone: The eye, on school walls, school the teachers had expressed. Sample Brown V. Board of Education bathrooms, and even in their own books were purchased for the Decision, edited by Joyce Carol notebooks when they’re bored. teachers to read based on their Thomas (Jump at the Sky/ Why the big deal if one of these preferences. None were read or Hyperion, 2003); Wonders of the words is in a novel used for class? reported on. The students deserve African World, by Henry Louis The usual answer is the fear better! Gates, Jr., (Knopf, 1999); Eleanor’s that, if a parent picks up the book, Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s starts reading it, and sees the word, Germany, by Eleanor Ramrath he or she will start screaming, In The Real World Garner (Peachtree Press, 2003); The “This is the kind of language you In visiting school media Hero’s Trail: A Guide for a Heroic are teaching my kid?” These same centers, I find that the media Life, by T. A. Barron (Philomel, parents often won’t admit that the specialists often do buy some 2002); Tapestry of Hope: Holocaust students hear these words night nonfiction books; however, very Writing for Young People, compiled after night on television or in their few are checked out. Is it because by Lillian Boraks-Nemetz and Irene own homes. A stronger case has to the students are getting their N. Watts (Tundra, 2003); We Were be built by English teachers to information from the Internet? I am There, Too! Young People in U.S. justify the teaching of significant not talking just about reference History, by Phillip Hoose (Farrar books that deal with issues that books, but about well-done and Strauss Giroux, 2001); Lives of confront our students today in the interesting nonfiction. Extraordinary Women: Rulers, language that is realistic to them. It Here are some newer nonfic- Rebels (And What the Neighbors is a harsh and painful world, as we tion books I think students and Thought), by Kathleen Krull all learned from Columbine.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

o70_72TAR_Mar04 71 5/12/04, 10:14 AM Teenage angst can come from more After Effects than just growing up, and many Too many have suffered, I am still smarting from the cruel events take place in schools: comments of a couple of English name-calling, teasing, bullying, often holding thoughts teachers who attended a workshop rejection, etc. Well-written books I conducted and said, “You want exist that will help young people within themselves, even our students to read such books deal with these issues; for example, driven to dire acts and instead of the classics?” In reply, books dealing with homosexuality, there are several interesting showing the pain and suffering of consequences. These definitions of the word “classic” in gay and lesbian students taunted by Webster’s Universal College Dictio- peers who don’t recognize their books can help young nary. One is “an artist or artistic humanity and disregard the laws people face life. production considered a standard.” about discrimination based on race, Another is “Something noteworthy creed, color, gender, or sexual of its kind and worth remember- preferences. Abuse, mental illness, High, by Alex Sanchez (Simon & ing.” How “classic” is daily life? violence, rape, homelessness, and Schuster, 2003); “Hello, I Lied,” by The morals and values we live by other problems face our youth on a M. E. Kerr (Harper Trophy, 1998); and discuss, as well as teach, can daily basis. Here are a few books I Slap Your Sides, by M. E., Kerr and should be done in the context think are extremely important in (Harper Trophy, 2003); Don’t Mean of the issues of today. That doesn’t dealing with a variety of issues Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam, mean we can’t use the past, and adolescents face: America, by E. R. by Susan O’Neill (Ballantine, 2001); the literature of the past, as well. Frank (Atheneum, 2002); Things The Pepperland Diary, by Mark But we can reach many students by Change, by Patrick Jones (Walker, Delaney (Peachtree, 2004); The New starting with the present and 2004); Someone Like You, by Sarah Rules of High School, by Blake building upon their experiences to Dessen (Puffin, 2000); The Misfits, Nelson (Viking, 2003); Dirty understand issues and ways of by James Howe (Aladdin, 2003); Laundry: Stories About Family expression of previous generations. Dancing on the Edge, by Han Nolan Secrets, edited by Lisa Rowe In conclusion, I am not (Puffin, 1999); Kissing the Rain, by Fraustino (Viking, 1998); Prep, by overlooking the many excellent Kevin Brooks (The Chicken House/ Jake Cobum (Dutton, 2003); and If writers honored by ALAN for their Scholastic, 2004); Rainbow Boys, by You Come Softly, by Jacqueline bodies of works. S. E. Hinton, Paul Alex Sanchez (Simon Pulse, 2003); Woodson (Puffin, 2000). Zindel, through Norma Fox Mazer Love and Sex: Ten Stories of Truth, Different people will certainly and Harry Mazer represent the edited by Michael Cart (Simon react in different ways to these highest standards and have been Pulse, 2003); Girl Interrupted, by books, but our students live in innovative in producing literature Susanna Kaysen (Vintage, 1994); these worlds. Too many have for our times. Yes, there is Hamlet. Our Guys, by Bernard Lefkowitz suffered, often holding thoughts But there is also Wendy (Vintage, 1998); Geography Club, by within themselves, even driven to Wasserstein, and many others, who Brent Hartinger (Harper Tempest, dire acts and consequences. These help us grasp new problems, 2003); 10th Grade: A Novel, by books can help young people face concepts, and ideas. Joseph Weissberg (Random House, life. The greatest question I ever Keep reading. 2002); Boy Meets Boy, by David heard regarding proof that compre- Levithan (Knopf, 2003); Places I hension in reading is taking place M. Jerry Weiss is Professor Emeritus Never Meant to Be, edited by Judy is: “What impact is reading making at Jersey City State College in Jersey Blume (Aladdin, 1999); On the upon the reader?” How does the City, New Jersey, and recipient of the Fringe, edited by Donald R. Gallo teacher find out? With good 2003 Tedd Hipple Service Award. (Dial, 2001); Toxic Love, by Linda discussions and writing assign- Holeman (Tundra, 2003); Rainbow ments.

THE ALAN REVIEW Winter 2004

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