LS 5623 Module 5: A HOLE IN MY LIFE by Jack Gantos

Gantos, Jack. 2004. A HOLE IN MY LIFE. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374430896

“[I] began to write more stories about my childhood, like the ones I has started writing down in prison-stories which at one time I did not think were important, but suddenly had become to me the most important stories of all. They contained the hidden days of my innocence and happiness.” (p. 199).

Bored with life and not wanting to accompany the rest of his family to the Virgin Islands, teenage Jack Gantos stays behind in the United States where he works a few odd jobs and lives in a few even odder places. Determined to become a writer, Jack decides to take a road trip; but when a friend takes off with all his savings, he is forced to finally cross the Caribbean and work with his father packing crates for white families fleeing the racial tension running rampant through the Virgin Islands. Desperate to get back home to the States, Jack accepts a job from a drug smuggler and knowingly helps a sail a boat full of drugs into New York. Upon arriving in New York, Gantos is arrested and sentenced to several years in a minimum security prison.

In A HOLE IN MY LIFE author Jack Gantos relays the personal triumphs and failures of his youth in this autobiography. His “character”, a younger version of himself, is a very realistic portrayal of a teenager trying to find himself in the world; a feeling that young and old alike can relate to. “Knowing that the narrator is destined to land in jail keeps the suspense at a high pitch, but this book’s remarkable achievement is the multiple points of view that emerge, as experiences force a fledgling writer to continually revise his perspective of himself and the world around him.” Heppermann, 2002). Anyone who reads this book will walk away reminiscing about the little things in life that make it worthwhile.

Young adult readers will easily understand that laid-back tone and ordinary vocabulary used throughout A HOLE IN MY LIFE. The theme of the story, self-discovery, is one that resonates with the teenage audience, as most young adults are in the midst of the same quest. Gantos takes on life in a no-holds-barred style of writing, while leaving the quality of the work intact, and readers will relate to his style. “He uses the same bold honesty found in his fiction to offer a riveting autobiographical account of his teen years- and the events may well penetrate the comfrt zone of even the most complacent young adults.” (Heppermann, 2002). The wild adventures and immature antics leading up to his arrest will entertain readers and draw them in so that they are ready when hit with the brutal facts of prison life.

While the material in A HOLE IN MY LIFE is well organized, Gantos does have a tendency to ramble in places. There are times when the reader must hang in through many pages of personal reflection before gettingback to the heart of the story. The use of minimal visuals also plays a key role in the book. The cover uses Gantos’ own mug shot from his arrest and the photograph is shown on the introductory pages. This addition to the story does not go unnoticed by readers, as they try to connect the now mature and sensitive writer to his criminal past.

References:
Heppermann, Christine M. 2002. "Hole in My Life." Horn Book Magazine 78, no. 3: 345. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 21, 2011).

LS 5623 Module 5: IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE : MY JOURNEY BACK TO LIFE by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins

Armstrong, Lance.2001. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE. New York: Berkley Trade. ISBN 0425179613

“Things take place, there is a confluence of events and circumstances, and we can’t always know their purpose, or even if there is one. But we can take responsibility for ourselves and be brave.” ( p. 265)

Tour de France winner and celebrity cyclist Lance Armstrong recounts the days of his youth and describes, in great detail, his uphill battle with testicular cancer. Starting with a brief history of his childhood, Armstrong outlines how he found an interest in sports, became a prize winning tri-athlete before he graduated high school and finally fell in love with cycling. More importantly, the majority of the book focuses on Armstrong’s diagnosis, treatments and eventual survival against heartbreaking odds; a survival that leads him into a love-hate relationship with cycling, a family and a Tour de France win.

With the help of veteran author Sally Jenkins, Armstrong has organized his biography into simple-to-understand chunks of his life. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE is told simply, although the cycling terms and medical vocabulary may require some studying. Because the subject of the book, Lance Armstrong, is so well known by students across the United States, the book may not be too hard of a sell. The reading level is right on target with high school students and the quality of storytelling is good- interesting and well written, but realistic and full of personality.

One warning to readers is that IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE “isn’t a book for the squeamish as it spares few medical details but it isn’t just about cancer. It’s a story of the athlete as a young boy, his relationship with his single mother, his success as a world-class cyclist and his financial backers who supported him emotionally as well as monetarily.” (Fitch, 2001). Anyone who picks up this book learns more than just cycling and sickness. They learn about bravery, overcoming obstacles and the wonders of the human spirit.

Because IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE is autobiographical, the reader can be certain that events and information are accurate (at least to the best of Armstrong’s memory). While Armstrong has become quite the expert in both cycling and cancer, he understands that the audience may not, and does his best to provide details and definitions to help make medical and sports jargon more user friendly. “His clear, detailed look at his disease and its cure will educate and inspire any reader.” (Pearl, 2003). Additionally, a sixteen-page photograph leaflet is included in the middle of the book, helping the reader to visually see the differences in physical demeanor before and after Armstrong’s cancer diagnosis and provide background into his childhood and home life.

References:
Fitch, Katherine. 2001. "It's Not about the Bike (Book review)." School Library Journal 47, no. 1: 161. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 21, 2011).

Pearl, Nancy. 2003. "IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE (Book)." Library Journal 128, no. 7: 156. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 21, 2011).

LS 5623 Module 5: THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak

Zusak, Markus. 2007. THE BOOK THIEF. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375842209

Told from the perspective of Death, THE BOOK THIEF examines the life of nine year-old Liesel Meminger. Death first meets Liesel as he carries away the soul of her dead brother and lingers to watch her steal her first book. Intrigued by the book thief, Death looks in on Liesel as she grows up in her foster parents’ house in Molching, Germany during Hitler’s reign. As Liesel learns the power of the words in the books she steals, Death draws nearer, collecting the souls of the Jews in concentration camps and the Germans who became casualties of war.

Themed around the power of words and the evil of prejudice, THE BOOK THIEF tells a story of life in a small town outside of Munich, Germany. The characters in the story are fictional, with the exception of German leader, Adolf Hitler. Although the characters are a work of fiction, the events and circumstances are very much a page out of history. “With its interwoven storylines, the novel clearly depicts the tragic effects of war and the salvation of words, and this makes it timeless.” (Beach, 2007).Author Markus Zusak seems to have done his homework in regards to the era of Hitler and the Nazi party. While the reader is not hit over the head with history, enough of it is laced throughout the pages of Liesel’s life to create a deep understanding the destruction and unfairness of war and persecution. Factual details are carefully researched and intricately woven into the lives of fictional characters.

A strong difference in this story, as compared to most others, is the lack of mystery in regards to the ending. The desire to keep reading isn’t found in the need to get to the last page, but to learn the importance of what happens on the pages in along the way. “It is a testament to Zusak’s skill at humanizing his characters that even though we know they are doomed, we are still devastated when Death finally reaches them.” (Beach, 2007).

Although the book uses a smattering of German, the terms are almost always explained to the reader. The quality of writing is extremely high- a very sophisticated and well written book. “Zusak’s sweeping, ultimately heartbreaking novel is told (appropriately, by Death itself) in gorgeous language that contrasts markedly with the stark events—just as main character Liesel’s rich life contrasts with the bleakness of her circumstances.” (Parravano, 2007). The one drawback is that the reading level seems a little high but would work nicely some high school students, especially those in Advanced Placement courses. Students learning about the Nazi party and the persecution of the Jewish people could not do better than THE BOOK THIEF.

References:
Parravano, Martha V. 2007. "The Book Thief." Horn Book Magazine 83, no. 1: 91. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 21, 2011).

Beach, Cynthia, Beverly Chearno, and John Waller. 2007. "The Book Thief." Ohio Journal Of English Language Arts 47, no. 2: 91. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 21, 2011)

LS 5623 Module 4: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Collins, Suzanne. 2010. MOCKINGJAY. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023513

The third and final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy finds our heroine, Katniss Everdeen, recovering from her Quarter Quell rescue in the District 13. Katniss learns that she has long since been a pawn in a greater game, a revolution against the Capitol, forged by the thought-to-be- destroyed District 13 and its supporters throughout the other districts. Disheartened by the destruction of district twelve and the capture of her fiancé and fellow victor Peeta, Katniss agrees to become the Mockingjay- the face of the rebellion.

Armed with a state-of-the-art costume, her trademark bow and arrows, and a deep desire to thwart President Snow’s plans for Peeta and the rest of Panem, Katniss morphs into her role as the catalyst for a revolution. With help from her family, Gale and the other rebels, she works to overthrow the current government and secure a future for all of Panem; but freedom comes at a dangerous price.

In this thrilling finale to the trilogy, author Suzanne Collins does it again, managing to evoke both the most pure and the most sinister emotions through the thoughts and actions of our heroine, Katniss Everdeen. Mockingjay finds her at the end of her journey- scarred physically, mentally and emotionally by the chain of events set in motion by the Capitol. Out of her desperation to find Peeta and her hatred for President Snow, Katniss’s metamorphosis is inevitable from the first pages of this third and final novel in the series. Finally understanding her role in a world torn apart by war and a struggle for power, she embraces who she has become while shedding the worries of her past. By the end of Mockingjay, Katniss has finally finished her quest for freedom and finds peace in the small comforts of her past.

The backdrop for this story is war and as such the themes of destruction, propaganda, strategy, and loss come into play for the reading audience. The setting and theme described in Mockingjay may warrant a rich and controversial discussion amongst students and offers up many opportunities to compare and contrast wars of the past and present and the toll they take on human life and physical space. Readers will also come to terms with Katniss’s final decision of the heart- will it be Gale or Peeta and will the ends justify the means when it comes to love…

Reviews:
From School Library Journal-
“Following her subversive second victory in the Games, this one composed of winners from past years, Katniss has been adopted by rebel factions as their symbol for freedom and becomes the rallying point for the districts in a desperate bid to take down the Capitol and remove President Snow from power. But being the Mockingjay comes with a price as Katniss must come to terms with how much of her own humanity and sanity she can willingly sacrifice for the cause, her friends, and her family. Collins is absolutely ruthless in her depictions of war in all its cruelty, violence, and loss, leaving readers, in turn, repulsed, shocked, grieving and, finally, hopeful for the characters they've grown to empathize with and love.”

From Booklist-
“Collins does several things brilliantly, not the least of which is to provide heart-stopping chapter endings that turn events on their heads and then twist them once more. But more ambitious is the way she brings readers to questions and conclusions about war throughout the story. There’s nothing didactic here, and the rush of the narrative sometimes obscures what message there is. Yet readers will instinctively understand what Katniss knows in her soul, that war mixes all the slogans and justifications, the deceptions and plans, the causes and ideals into an unsavory stew whose taste brings madness. That there is still a human spirit yearning for good is the book’s primrose of hope.”

Praise for Mockingjay:
#1 New York Times Bestseller
#1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2010
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
A 2010 Booklist Editors' Choice
A 2010 Kirkus Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010
#1 USA Today Bestseller
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller

LS 5623 Module 4: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Collins, Suzanne. 2009. CATCHING FIRE. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023491

In the much anticipated sequel to The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta are the newest victors in the Hunger Games and have received homes in the Victors Village in District Twelve. Before leaving on their victory tour of Panem, Katniss is approached by the evil President Snow who threatens the lives of her family as a result of the romantic antics between Katniss and her fellow tribute. As the two “lovebirds” travel from district to district, Katniss tries her best to prove to the television audience and to President Snow himself, that her love for Peeta is indeed real. But as the duo tour each district there is more in the air than a budding romance. There are subtle hints and the beginning of a rebellion; a rebellion President Snow believes is a direct result of Katniss defiance in the Hunger Games.

To exercise control over Katniss and indirectly the rest of the districts, the Capitol announces the theme for the 75th annual Hunger Games- the Quarter Quell- and Katniss is horrified to learn that she will once again compete in the games as Battle of the Victors is planned to remind the districts of Panem that “ even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the capitol”. Being the only female tribute from District Twelve means that Katniss will once again play in the Hunger Games with Peeta, this time playing against other victors and knowing there will only be one winner. With her mind made up to save Peeta at all costs, Katniss is determined to see to it that he is named victor but is surprised to find unlikely alliances with tributes from other districts. Together the form a plan to save their entire group from a gruesome fate as once again Katniss sets out to defy the Capitol.

Catching Fire does a fantastic job of picking up where The Hunger Games left off. The reader is introduced to life after the games, a life much different than what Katniss left behind. Author Suzanne Collins expertly depicts the emotional turmoil of a young girl whose heart belongs to two people. As a character, Katniss evolves into more intelligent, outspoken and caring person than in the previous novel; however, her darker side has more depth as well. As she begins to understand the rules of the Capitol, the struggle for power and the importance of freedom, Katniss slowly transforms from a simple victor of the Hunger Games to a symbol of hope for the people of Panem.

This second book also serves as a great resource to begin discussions on the themes carried over from The Hunger Games: power, freedom, defiance and morality. From the design of the Quarter Quell arena that brings out a new fear with each hour to the moral implications of lying to protect those you love, students will be hard pressed to not offer up opinions on any matter discussed within these chapters.

Reviews:
From Booklist-
“In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing them to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her with a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets with her alone is both palpable and justified. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of a secret district, and a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as a character. Though initially bewildered by the attention paid to her, she comes almost to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader.”

Praise for Catching Fire

#1 New York Times Bestseller
#1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A Time Magazine Top 10 Fiction Book of 2009
A People Magazine (Top 10) Best Book of 2009
A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice
A Los Angeles Times Best Children's Book of 2009
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2009
A Booklist Editors' Choice 2009
A Kirkus Best Book of 2009
#1 USA Today Bestseller
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller

LS 5623 Module 4: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Collins, Suzanne. 2010. THE HUNGER GAMES. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023521

In a society where reality television is viewed in almost every home, author Suzanne Collins has found a way to draw readers in to what must be considered the most dramatic televised experience ever. In The Hunger Games, the United States has ceased to exist and in its place it Panem- a country made up of 12 districts (13 if you count the one destroyed by the Capitol during the uprising). To prove the Capitol’s power, each district must send two tributes, one boy and one girl, to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games.

Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen becomes District Twelve’s female tribute after bravely offering to take her younger sister’s place. Katniss is paired with Peeta the baker’s son, and together the two travel to the Capitol where they are primped, polished and paraded around as competitors before being sent into the Arena where they will have to fight to the death in order to make it back home. Katniss is the perfect mixture of defiance and humanity as she attempts to help Peeta and another tribute escape death. Knowing that every move she makes is televised, she is able to win over the hearts of Panem and her fellow tribute. When Katniss and Peeta use their fledgling romance to defy the game’s rules in order to both make it home, their elation is soon curbed by the Capitol’s disapproval of their antics.

Collins has created the perfectly imperfect heroine in Katniss Everdeen; this character is dynamic and charismatic, always teetering on the line between good and evil. Readers can empathsize as she bravely takes her sisters place a District Twelve tribute, can sense her need for survival and raw nerves as she embraces the rules of the Hunger Games, and can watch as she cements herself into a relationship with Peeta, knowing he is the key to her survival but risking her life to save him. The characterization of Peeta as a mild mannered baker’s son, and of Haymitch as the drunken former victor and disagreeable mentor don’t go unnoticed either.

While the setting for The Hunger Games is set sometime in the future, a timeframe is not provided, nor is it necessary to understand the overarching themes present in this first installment of the trilogy. The use of a deteriorated United States serves to warn young readers of the perils of war, as much of the country was destroyed by nuclear missiles. In fact, readers will have many topics to dissect and discuss throughout the pages of this novel: war, power, defiance, love, the value of entertainment, and poverty are all laced throughout Katniss’s journey from District Twelve to the Arena and back.

Reviews:

From Publishers Weekly-
Starred Review. Reviewed by Megan Whalen Turner
“hers is a gripping story set in a postapocalyptic world where a replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its territories: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death. Katniss, from what was once Appalachia, offers to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, but after this ultimate sacrifice, she is entirely focused on survival at any cost. It is her teammate, Peeta, who recognizes the importance of holding on to one's humanity in such inhuman circumstances. It's a credit to Collins's skill at characterization that Katniss, like a new Theseus, is cold, calculating and still likable. She has the attributes to be a winner, where Peeta has the grace to be a good loser. It's no accident that these games are presented as pop culture. Every generation projects its fear: runaway science, communism, overpopulation, nuclear wars and, now, reality TV…... It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch. Katniss struggles to win not only the Games but the inherent contest for audience approval. Because this is the first book in a series, not everything is resolved, and what is left unanswered is the central question. Has she sacrificed too much? We know what she has given up to survive, but not whether the price was too high. Readers will wait eagerly to learn more.”

Praise for The Hunger Games

#1 New York Times Bestseller
A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A Horn Book Fanfare
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2008
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2008
A Booklist Editors' Choice
A New York Times Notable Book of 2008
A Kirkus Best Book of 2008
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
USA Today Bestseller