FEATURE

Creating a

by Cathy Belben [email protected] TrueCollection Cri

A woman disappears on an aft ernoon jog. A body is found washed ashore. Hikers discover a skeleton in a remote cave. Mysteries surround us, and we seem programmed to seek answers to unexplained events–our curiosity, possibly, is as instinctual as hunger and thirst. Writers, television producers, and movie- makers have long capitalized on this drive, and stories and movies about disappearances, kidnappings, and murders abound, all targeted to arouse a combination of fear, excitement, and adrenalin that people crave. It seems that whenever a high- accounts of violent crimes, and if profi le murder occurs, the so, what is the educational value of Teens, especially, gravitate towards grocery store racks are fi lled such a collection? tales of the unexplained, sucked with true crime accounts almost in by the novelty of strange immediately—Laci Peterson’s Why a True Crime behavior, unusual death, and disappearance and murder resulted Collection is Valuable bizarre circumstances. Growing in a book within weeks, the capture up in Washington State, I was of the Green River Killer was One of the most popular television fascinated by the case of the Green detailed almost a week aft erward, shows in recent years is CBS’s River Killer, who murdered as and numerous other stories of weekly police thriller, CSI: Crime many as forty women in Seattle; horror and death fi ll the shelves. Scene Investigation, in which a group by the history of Ted Bundy, who How does a high school library of forensics experts tackle evidence also preyed on women in the state; media specialist decide which and identify suspects through a and by Hillside Strangler Kenneth true crime books to purchase—or combination of science, intuition, Bianchi, who killed two college whether to purchase any at all? technology, and logic. Each show students in my home town. Can a collection for teens include opens with the discovery of a

18 Knowledge Quest | Snagging Teen Readers: Authors to Zines rime

body or crime scene, and the a collection of books about Even more importantly, these books characters methodically work their true crimes, historical and oft en make such topics as human way through the physical evidence contemporary, is a sure-fi re way psychology and science more to generate theories: who did it? to get students into your library accessible to readers by fr aming Where? When? Why? The program media center, encourage their them within narratives or breaking is gripping—there are always interest in stories, and get them them down into more manageable several possible explanations reading. Additionally, well-written, pieces—a book such as Colin Evans’ for the mystery at hand, and analytical true crime stories touch The Casebook of Forensic Detection: How viewers are drawn into the drama on many areas of the curriculum, Science Solved 100 of the World’s Most fr om the opening scene to the including psychology, history, Baffl ing Crimes, for example, off ers fi nal confr ontation with the medicine, and many fi elds of fascinating stories in small chunks. accused perpetrator. science. Students who are sucked in by the drama and intrigue of Creating and promoting a true True crime is a natural attention- true crime are likely to seek more crime library can encourage students grabber; teens are fascinated with information on the subjects they to read more nonfi ction, a skill unsolved mysteries. Building learn about in true crime books. they’ll need more as they transition

Volume 35, No. 1 | September/October 2006 19 fr om high school to other schooling Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me, or work. Brain research done by “Teens are intrigued by the least but for those who’ve gone beyond Robert Sylwester also shows that sensationalism to more scientifi c exposure to a variety of information understood, most mysterious criminal analyses—or those who are in an assortment of modes increases particularly intrigued by the science the connections between neurons aspects of life and human behavior.” behind fi ngerprint analysis—it’s and strengthens existing links. As a good historical account of an important as imaginative fi ction is, important crime-solving technique. nonfi ction stretches the brain in policy, aff ected legal change, Other high-interest titles include diff erent directions. or settled permanently in our those that trace the development collective memories as defi nitive of criminal investigations and There is a wealth of good writing events of a particular era. As time highlight that documentation with in true crime—classic crime stories, passes, writers are able to explore information fr om actual cases. such as Truman Capote’s In Cold cases fr om a variety of angles and Particularly useful and appealing to Blood, and newer works, such as can write more thorough, balanced teens are Bodies of Evidence: The Fascinating Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil accounts of what happened—and World of Forensic Science and How It Helped by John Berendt. While our fi rst they have more time to concentrate Solve More Than 100 True Crimes; Hidden task as library media specialists on the quality of their writing. Evidence: Forty True Crimes and How Forensic should be to encourage students Science Helped Solve Them, and The Casebook to read, it’s an important subtask One great advantage of true of Forensic Detection: How Science Solved 100 to nudge them towards exemplars crime—or criminology—material of the World’s Most Baffl ing Crimes. of English language usage—writing is its instructiveness. Accounts that is complex without being of crimes can reveal growth in How to Use and confusing, beautiful without being scientifi c knowledge and trace the Promote True Crime fl owery, and challenging enough history of criminal investigation Promoting a true crime collection to make them think about ideas in and discovery. In reading former can be tricky—graphic accounts new ways. Quality true crime does FBI agent and profi ler John of crimes and murders might be this—Midnight in the Garden of Good and Douglas’s books, for example, objectionable to some parents, Evil paints an amazing, indelible readers can watch as he shows how teachers, and students. But, portrait of Savannah, Georgia, profi ling developed and grew with handled carefully, a collection of for example, and Susan Orlean’s each case he describes, and how his books about crimes and the tactics The Orchid Thief is an intriguing, hypotheses were strengthened as used to solve them can be tied in sensuous portrait of an unusual they were applied again and again eff ectively to several curricular areas criminal—with a healthy dose of to solve crimes. In her book Corpse, while inspiring teens to read more. horticultural science thrown in. Jessica Sachs shows, in fascinating detail, how the science of forensic For example, the most obvious match Making Selections for Your entomology has developed over the of this genre with the curriculum True Crime Library years to become the most eff ective occurs in science. Beth Crissy, who Much true crime writing is method for determining time of teaches a forensic biology class at published in the heat of the death, a key component to the Bellingham (Wash.) High School, moment to cash in on the solution of unexplained deaths. requires that her students read temporary excitement of the William Maples’ book, Dead Men Do Tell latest tawdry celebrity slaying. A variety of books trace the Tales, in addition to their textbook. There’s likely to be a demand development of specifi c forensic “I had trouble slowing the kids for these stories, but students techniques and appeal to students down; most of them fi nished the are better served if you wait to who are ready for sophisticated, book immediately,” she says of the select thoughtfully written, well- specialized information. Colin book’s appeal. She also requires each developed books about individual Beaven’s Fingerprints, for example, student to read and analyze one true crimes. You’ll have a better idea of might not appeal to students whose crime book or one current crime which events have shaped public true crime reading is limited to fi ction book during the semester, and

20 Knowledge Quest | Snagging Teen Readers: Authors to Zines as a class, they read all the evidence treat criminals, and prevent future of, violent crime on victims available on the Jack the Ripper crimes. Older students are drawn and perpetrators. case. “They had to decide who they to the work of former FBI profi ler believed Jack the Ripper was,” Crissy John Douglas, who has written Teens are intrigued by the least said, “Then we read Portrait of a Killer: numerous accounts of violent cases understood, most mysterious Jack the Ripper—Case Closed by Patricia and how they were solved using a aspects of life and human behavior. Cornwell.” As Crissy discovered, psychological profi ling strategy. As educators, we can address their the best true crime books focus on curiosity about and fascination the steps used in solving the crimes, Further, true accounts of crime with the world by providing them and are an excellent way to teach can make an interesting companion with a wide range of quality fi ction the scientifi c method and problem to other fi ction that students read. and nonfi ction about topics that solving in general. To Kill a Mockingbird, for example, interest them. There’s no question can be coupled with nonfi ction that there are myriad amusements Another type of crime novel accounts of the Scottsboro case. and activities that engage teens, focuses on the psychological Of Mice and Men can be paired with and it’s not necessary to replace aspects of crime and its victims, cases that examine “mercy” killings, television, music, movies, and and can be used eff ectively in acts of vigilantism, and cases of other media with books. But we can psychology, sociology, and health developmentally disabled people tap into the interests those media courses to illustrate the causes and who commit crimes. Dostoevsky’s generate, and supplement them consequences of crime, as well as Crime and Punishment could be used with written material that informs, to show how social scientists use in conjunction with authors such educates, and engages our students. clues to analyze criminal behavior as John Douglas who explore the And much true crime can do in order to catch wrong-doers, reasons behind, and consequences exactly that.

Volume 35, No. 1 | September/October 2006 21 Cathy Belben is the Library Media Specialist at Burlington-Edison High School in Burlington, Wash., and is returning to write for the television show Veronica Mars. Belben’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including English Journal, School Library Journal, The Book Report, Bookmarks, Knowledge Quest, Cicada, and The Bicycle Paper. A lifelong mystery fan, she recently wrote an article for BUST magazine about her decision to donate her body to The Body Farm.

Reference List literature for breaking the boundary Solve Them. Willowdale: Firefl y Books. between reporting and literature. Short but complete studies of true Baden, Michael, and Marion Roach. 2001. Cornwell, Patricia. 2002. Portrait of a Killer: crimes about how forensic science Dead reckoning: The New Science of Catching Jack the Ripper, Case Closed. Berkley Books. was used to solve them and how those Killers. New York: Simon and Schuster. Cornwell applies modern forensic crimes themselves advanced the science This book traces recent advances in technology to the case of Jack the Ripper of crime solution. Pictures, diagrams, forensic investigation using case studies and identifi es the person she thinks was and insider details make this especially of real mysterious deaths. most likely responsible for the crimes. appealing to teen readers. Bass, Bill, and Jon Jeff erson. 2003. Death’s Douglas, John, and Mark Olshaker. 1999. Ramsland, Katherine M. 2001. The Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab The Body Anatomy of a Motive: The FBI’s Legendary Forensic Science of C.S.I. New York: Farm Where The Dead Do Tell Tales. New York: Mindhunter Explores the Key to Understanding and Berkley Boulevard. This dictionary of Putnam. The founder of the University Catching Violent Criminals. New York: Pocket terminology and procedure such as that of Tennessee’s Anthropological Research Books. Douglas, a former FBI profi ler, used in the popular television series Facility (the “body farm”) describes the uses a series of true crime cases to off ers simple explanations for those inception of the facility and how it is explain how determination of a killer’s new to forensic science. References to used to train forensic researchers. motive can be used to solve crimes. episodes of the program will appeal to fans of the show, but familiarity with Beavan, Colin. 2001. Fingerprints: The Evans, C. 1996. The Casebook of Forensic Origins of Crime Detection and the Murder Case the program is not necessary to fi nd the Detection: How Science Solved 100 of the book informative. That Launched Forensic Science. New York: World’s Most Baffl ing Crimes. New York: Hyperion. Beaven examines the history Wiley. Fascinating look at one hundred Roach, Mary. 2003. Stiff : The Curious Lives of fi ngerprint analysis. diff erent crimes and how they were of Human Cadavers. New York: W. W. Berendt, John. 1994. Midnight in the Garden solved using fi ft een forensic techniques. Norton. Roach investigates the various of Good and Evil. New York: Vintage. An uses and aft er-death journeys of human account of a 1981 murder in Savannah, Ferllini Timms, Roxana. 2002. Silent cadavers in this fascinating, humorous, Georgia, that manages to be both Witness. Buff alo, N.Y.: Firefl y Books. and unusual book. Explanations of how forensic an intriguing suspense story and a Rule, Ann. 1981. The Stranger Beside Me. New fascinating character study. anthropologists solve crimes using skeletal and dental remains. York: Signet. Rule’s account of the Bernall, Misty. 1999. She Said Yes: The Unlikely murders committed by serial killer Ted Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall. New York: Lee, Harper. 1960. To Kill a Mockingbird. New Bundy. Pocket. The true story of Cassie Bernall, York: HarperCollins. A young girl is Sachs, Jessica. 2001. Corpse. Cambridge: who was murdered at Columbine High witness to racism and crime in her small Perseus Books. Sachs recounts School with twelve classmates. Her southern town when her father agrees to developments in the establishment of mother recalls the last years of Cassie’s defend a black man accused of raping a time-of-death, a key factor in solving life, in which she struggled to escape local white girl. homicides. fr om harmful infl uences. Maples, William R., and Michael Steinbeck, John. 1939. Of Mice and Men. Two Bugliosi, Vincent. 1974. Helter Skelter: The Browning. 1994. Dead Men Do Tell men drift fr om farm to farm seeking Story of the Manson Murders. New York: W. Tales. New York: Doubleday. Forensic work in California, traveling together as W. Norton. The best-selling true crime anthropologist Maples explains how fr iends until one commits a crime and book of all time, Helter Skelter recounts skeletal remains and teeth are used to the other must prevent vigilantes fr om the seven murders committed by assist in the solution of crimes using seeking revenge. numerous case studies. followers of Charles Manson in 1969. Sylwester, Robert. 1995. A Celebration Capote, Truman. 1965. In Cold Blood: A True Orlean, Susan. 1998. The Orchid Thief. New of Neurons: An Educator’s Guide the Human Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences. York: Ballantine Books. Orlean presents Brain. Alexandria, Va.: Association New York: Vintage. Capote recreates the unusual story of orchid dealer for Supervision and Curriculum the scene of the murder of the Clutter John Laroche, who collaborated with Development. Sylwester explains the family, who were brutally killed in their Seminole Indians to steal rare orchids basic functions of the brain for teachers, Kansas home in November 1959 by fr om a Florida swamp. and off ers strategies for using knowledge two recently released prisoners. In Cold Owen, David. 2000. Hidden Evidence: Forty of neuroscience to improve teaching Blood is considered a classic of modern True Crimes and How Forensic Science Helped and learning.

22 Knowledge Quest | Snagging Teen Readers: Authors to Zines