Text Set: Literacy & Math

I'm in the odd situation of teaching writing and math this year to sixth graders. However, next year I am moving to teaching all math. In an effort to maintain a strong literacy aspect in my math class, I've decided to focus my text set on finding books and other literature that I can incorporate into my math class. Please see my complete text set below. I created it in a Word table format which didn't transfer, so to help you understand the mathematics standard that each book applies to comes below the standard. There are additional texts that follow what used to be the table.

Kristina Alvarez
READ591
Text Set

While mathematics and young adult literature at first do not seem to have much in common, when paired together, they can and do work together to the benefit of both subject areas. For the past five years I have taught language arts. This next year however, I am moving to teaching mathematics. With the perspectives and knowledge I have gained as a language arts teacher, I cannot simply ignore what I know to be best practices regardless of the content area I teach in. I know that being able to read different genres is crucial to students' understanding of the author's meaning. I know that approaching a subject matter from many different perspectives allows students to make personal connections with the subject matter, in this case math. I know that many of my students are visual learners and need the text and accompanying graphics that go with it to learn best. Finally, I know that in order to become lifelong learners, students must be able to read mathematically because long after schoolroom teachers are gone from their lives, they are still surrounded by all kinds of texts from mathematical biographies, to mathematical proofs, to the first mortgage contract they sign for their home. They need to be able to read these texts in order to become lifelong learners of mathematics.
In developing the mathematical text set, my goal was simple; for each of the three major mathematical standards the state of Oregon mandates for sixth graders, I wanted to find as many mathematical texts that would support those three major standards and their sub-standards. The challenges I anticipated were the overall lack of published mathematical texts, and of those available, the lack of texts appropriate for middle school age students. However, I was amazed at how many genres of quality mathematical texts existed. I was able to easily locate many different sources of literature within my own public library system that could be used in a young adult setting.
The Oregon Department of Education Sixth Grade Mathematics Standards (2010) states, "It is essential that these standards be addressed in contexts that promote problem solving, reasoning, communication, making connections, and designing and analyzing representations” (pg. 9C). The communication aspect of these standards is often overlooked because teachers either aren’t aware of the underlying mathematics concept that needs to communicate or doesn’t know how to approach teaching it. The use of literature aides the teacher in instructing students not only in the underlying concepts, but it assists the students in their understanding of the mathematical procedures and making a personal connection with the math via literature. Table 1 includes the Oregon State Sixth Grade Mathematics Standards and the literature that can be used to teach the standard.

Oregon State Sixth Grade Mathematics Standard
(Overall Standard in Bold, Sub-Standards in Italics) Annotated Bibliography
(NA = not applicable, no appropriate text was found)
6.1 Number and Operations: Develop an understanding of and fluency with multiplication and division of fractions and decimals.

6.1.1 Select and use appropriate strategies to estimate fraction and decimal products and quotients. NA

6.1.2 Use and analyze a variety of strategies, including models, for solving problems with multiplication and division of fractions. McKellar, D. (2007). Math doesn’t suck: How to survive middle school without losing your mind or breaking a nail. New York, NY: Penguin Group Publishers.

This is the first of two books by Danica McKellar that are geared towards adolescent girls. It takes a relaxed, pop-culture attitude towards math while still teaching sound mathematical concepts and showing how they are applicable to the life of a teenager. It covers every basic math and algebraic topic developmentally appropriate to 6th-12th grades. While I wouldn’t use this book for boys because it is so clearly geared towards girls, I would most definitely loan this out to any variety of female student from one that is struggling to understand concepts to the gifted student who needs to see that math does apply to her life now. However, this book may not be viewed as appropriate for younger adolescents due to its “sexy” approach to math. (Yes, this is Winnie Cooper from the Wonder Years.)
6.1.3 Use and analyze a variety of strategies, including models, for solving problems with multiplication and division of decimals. McKellar, D. (2008). Kiss my math: Showing algebra who’s boss. New York, NY: Penguin Group Publishers.

The second of two books by Danica McKellar this multi-chapter book again focuses on making mathematical concepts relevant to today’s teenage girls. The front cover is styled much like a teenage magazine cover with bright colors, a cover girl and headlines that hint of quizzes that reveal hidden truths about whoever takes them. It isn’t a book that I would use as a whole class, but would be a great addition to any mathematics teacher’s collection of books. This book empowers adolescent girls to view math as something they can not only do, but excel in. However, this book may not be viewed as appropriate for younger adolescents due to its “sexy” approach to math.

6.1.4 Develop fluency with efficient procedures for multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals and justify why the procedures work. NA

6.1.5 Apply the inverse relationship between multiplication and division to make sense of procedures for multiplying and dividing fractions and justify why they work. NA

6.1.6 Apply the properties of operations to simplify calculations. Isdell, W. (1993). A gebra named Al. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

This book is a staple in any teacher’s library who is teaching mathematics through literature. It is a short chapter book geared towards middle school students about Julie who travels through the Land of Order of Operations. While I think that reading an entire chapter book might be a bit much to learn such a simple concept as PEMDAS, this would be an enjoyable piece of enrichment. I would be more interested in the big if it delved deeper into the why there is this specific order rather than just how to do it.
6.1.7 Use the relationship between common decimals and fractions to solve problems including problems involving measurement.
6.2 Number and Operations and Probability: Connect ratio, rate, and percent to multiplication and division.
6.2.1 Develop, analyze, and apply the meaning of ratio, rate, and percent to solve problems. Anno, M. (1982). Anno’s math games. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

The first of a three part series, Anno’s Math Games teaches abstract mathematical concepts through visually pleasing, yet clear and concise, pictures and quasi-plot. This book would be most helpful in developing students’ sense of ratio as being a comparison of two numbers or two amounts to one another. It extends the idea of ratio to determining if ratios are equivalent through proportional reasoning. For so many students who understand how to cross multiply and divide to solve a proportion, but have no idea why they are doing it or what conceptually they are doing, this book helps develop those abstract ideas. While I may not use the book as a story time book, I will definitely use the ideas and illustrations to teach and as a model for students to write their own ratio and proportion problems.
6.2.2 Determine decimal and percent equivalents for common fractions, including approximations. NA
6.2.3 Understand the meaning of probability and represent probabilities as ratios, decimals, and percents. Einhorn, E. (2008). A very improbable story. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

This is another illustrated book from the Math Adventures series published by Charlesbridge. In this book the protagonist Ethan wakes up to find a very odd cat on his head. The cat poses a series of probability questions to Ethan and says that until Ethan can correctly respond, the cat will not leave and let Ethan go to his soccer game. Ethan learns his probability lesson and then realizes how those same lessons apply to his real life soccer game. This would be a great introduction to the idea of probability. The book could also be extended so that student could find out the differences between what should happen according to the numbers and then what does happen, or the difference between theoretical and experimental probability.
6.2.4 Determine simple probabilities, both experimental and theoretical. See Standard 6.2.3
6.2.5 Develop the concept of pi as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Neuschwander, C. (1999). Sir cumference and the first round table: A math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

The illustrated picture book follows Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter and their son Radius along with several mathematically named friends as they solve math problems in King Arthur’s court. It is well-illustrated but also goes into detail about the mathematical problems the characters try to solve. This would be a great resource to build mathematical vocabulary in a memorable way.

Neuschwander, C. (1999). Sir cumference and the dragon of pi: A math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Another one of the six of the Sir Cumference books, this tale leads the protagonist to defeat a dragon on a perfectly spherically shaped island. In order to defeat the dragon, Sir Cumference must discover the meaning of pi and how it is used to determine the circumference of a circle. This short picture book would be another text selection when teaching students the necessary vocabulary for geometry and could be used instead of Sir Cumference and the First Round Table or along with it.

Neuschwander, C. (2006). Sir Cumference and the isle of immeter: A math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishers.

The latest adventure of Sir Cumference this short children’s book is much the same as its predecessors. The plot is driven by mathematical problems solving including circumference, pi, diameter, and in this one using straight lines to measure rounded circles. Can be used with the other books or instead of the other books.
6.3 Algebra: Write, interpret, and use mathematical expressions and equations.
6.3.1 Use order of operations to simplify expressions that may include exponents and grouping symbols. Isdell, W. (1993). A gebra named Al. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

This book is a staple in any teacher’s library who is teaching mathematics through literature. It is a short chapter book geared towards middle school students about Julie who travels through the Land of Order of Operations. While I think that reading an entire chapter book might be a bit much to learn such a simple concept as PEMDAS, this would be an enjoyable piece of enrichment. I would be more interested in the big if it delved deeper into the why there is this specific order rather than just how to do it.
6.3.2 Develop the meanings and uses of variables. Anno, M. (1982). Anno’s math games II. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

While this book was incredibly simplistic, written for preschool or elementary school students. Its easy math games explore the mathematical concepts to basic but so abstract that teachers either don’t teach them or don’t know how to teach them. Specifically, this book includes a section exploring what numbers mean. I would use this to develop the number sense of my students. They need to understand that a number is just a symbol used to represent a certain amount of whatever. It could be 5 flowers, five dollars, 5 groups of 1,000,000 dots. It is still five and the arbitrary symbol can be translated in endless ways as long as the amount that indicates one (1) stays consistent. This number sense is crucial for students’ understanding of what a variable is.
6.3.3 Write, evaluate, and use expressions and formulas to solve problems. Anno, M. (1995). Anno’s magic seed. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

This book while written for children has mathematical concepts that would challenge even adults. It would be a good motivator when introducing students to the need for equations that quickly and efficiently solve numerical puzzles such as the growing number of seeds Jack eventually was able to plant and harvest. I would return to this book again after teaching how to write simple equations to solve problems and use it as an assessment tool to see if the students could come up with the multiple variants on the basic equation created at the beginning of the book.
6.3.4 Identify and represent equivalent expressions (e.g., different ways to see a pattern). Kroll, L. (2005). Equal, shmequal. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishers.

This illustrated children’s book would be a good start for a discussion of what equal means. Since sixth grade students struggle with how two terms that appear different, such as the fraction ½ and the decimal .5, can be equal this book would in simple terms show them how two different numbers can equal the same amount.
6.3.5 Represent, analyze, and determine relationships and patterns using tables, graphs, words and when possible, symbols. NA
6.3.6 Recognize that the solutions of an equation are the values of the variables that make the equation true. See Standard 6.3.4
6.3.7 Solve one-step equations by using number sense, properties of operations, and the idea of maintaining equality on both sides of an equation. Anno, M. (1995). Anno’s magic seed. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

This book while written for children has mathematical concepts that would challenge even adults. It would be a good motivator when introducing students to the need for equations that quickly and efficiently solve numerical puzzles such as the growing number of seeds Jack eventually was able to plant and harvest. I would return to this book again after teaching how to write simple equations to solve problems and use it as an assessment tool to see if the students could come up with the multiple variants on the basic equation created at the beginning of the book.
Adopted December 2007
Mathematical Texts Found that Applied to Multiple Sixth Grade Standards and Other Mathematical Concepts

McKellar, D. (2007). Math doesn’t suck: How to survive middle school without losing your mind or breaking a nail. New York, NY: Penguin Group Publishers.

This is the first of two books by Danica McKellar that are geared towards adolescent girls. It takes a relaxed, pop-culture attitude towards math while still teaching sound mathematical concepts and showing how they are applicable to the life of a teenager. It covers every basic math and algebraic topic developmentally appropriate to 6th-12th grades. While I wouldn’t use this book for boys because it is so clearly geared towards girls, I would most definitely loan this out to any variety of female student from one that is struggling to understand concepts to the gifted student who needs to see that math does apply to her life now.


McKellar, D. (2008). Kiss my math: Showing algebra who’s boss. New York, NY: Penguin Group Publishers.

The second of two books by Danica McKellar this multi-chapter book again focuses on making mathematical concepts relevant to today’s teenage girls. The front cover is styled much like a teenage magazine cover with bright colors, a cover girl and headlines that hint of quizzes that reveal hidden truths about whoever takes them. It isn’t a book that I would use as a whole class, but would be a great addition to any mathematics teacher’s collection of books. This book empowers adolescent girls to view math as something they can not only do, but excel in.

Other Mathematical Picture Books Found that Didn’t Apply to 6th Grade Standards:

Axelrod. A. (1994). Pigs will be pigs. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

This book used the story of a family pigs who were very hungry but out of food in the refrigerator. They decided to hunt for money in various places in their home to see if they could find enough to go out to eat. As they search the house the reader is encouraged to keep track of how much money to pigs have and when they go out to eat, the reader is asked to see how much money they have left. Through this fun story, younger elementary students could learn about the different values of money, and how to add a subtract money as well as budget how much can be spent on a family dinner at a restaurant.

Neuschwander, C. (2003). Sir Cumference and the sword in the cone: A math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

This is another of book of the Sir Cumference math series. This narrative focuses on the mathematically a named characters as they work through the math problem-driven plot which in this case is three-dimensional shapes.

Schwartz. D.M. (1985). How much is a million?. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

This children’s book uses pictures and comparative numbers to help students understand the proportional differences between a million, billion and trillion. It would be useful in developing students’ number sense.

Full Length Chapter Books (Fiction & Nonfiction) Used as Enrichment to Math

I would use these books not as part of my daily classroom instruction but as individual extra credit or enrichment for my students. My reasons for this are time, student choice, and adherence to the curriculum. Reading an entire chapter book with the class would take too much time in the school year and the mathematics concepts found within these books come secondary to the value of them as a good read. Therefore, I would offer them as enrichment of extra credit to my students providing them with guided reading questions to help them pull out and use the mathematical concepts within the novel.

Babbitt, N. (1975). Tuck everlasting. New York, NY: Holtzbrinck Publishers.

This book is the well-known young adult novel about a sheltered young girl who meets the boy Jesse when she willfully disobeys her parents and leaves the safe confines of their home. She notices many strange things about Jesse and eventually discovers that he is much older than he seems because he will eternally be a teenager after drinking the water whose source is the tree of life. The mathematical concept that can be pulled from this book is exponential growth. You could extend a student’s thinking and have them consider what would happen to the world population if everyone drank from the tree of life.

Gow, M. (2005). Archimedes: Mathematical genius of the ancient world. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc.

This book is a biography of one of the earliest mathematicians, Archimedes. The book covers ten short chapters including parts of Archimedes life such as his schooling under his mathematician father, Phidias, his law of the lever, and his various inventions. This would be useful in teaching students about who discovered the underlying concepts of so much of the math they do on a daily basis. The study of Archimedes could be combined with reading about other mathematicians such as Pascal, Fibonacci, Pythagoras, and others.

Lambert, S.E. & Decotis, R.J. (2006). Great jobs for math majors. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

This book goes through the general process all job applicants must go through to secure a job—resumes, cover letters, researching companies, networking and interviewing. However, it goes into specifics for students who are searching for a mathematics related career. The second part of the book goes into detail about the different math jobs there are out there and how the knowledge, degrees or experience a person would need to acquire to be hired for one of those specific jobs. This book, while written at an upper high school level would be a wonderful resource for a written report on how we could use math in our careers. This could be one of the options for a writing piece within the math classroom. Also, it is just a good source for students who like math but don’t see how it will ever land them a job in their future.

Miller, M.R & Miller, R. (2005). Carpenters and builder’s math, plans and specifications: All new 7th edition. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc.

This book covers a wide range of topics related to carpentry. While most of the sections would be beyond the scope of a middle or high school math class, chapter 5, “Mathematics for Carpenters and Builders” would be useful for students interested in seeing how math would relate to a very common career in Southern Oregon where I teach and in all regions for that matter. It goes into detail of how fractions, decimals, rations and other mathematical concepts are used in construction.

Mitas, P.J. (2009). Basic math: Quick reference handbook. Lavergne, TN: Quick Reference Handbooks.

This reference book was written by an experienced math teacher and would be a great reference for students or teachers who are unfamiliar with the specific steps required in math. It covers a wide range of basic math subjects with very short and clear explanations accompanied by example problems. The website QrefHandbooks.com for more practice problems. This book would be a wonderful example of how to clearly explain mathematical thinking using simple written prose and numbers and symbols. It is very well-written and easy to understand. However, it a little short on explanations on the underlying mathematical concepts, but I believe that was intentional in the focus on the procedural element of math.

Pasles, P.C. (2008). Benjamin Franklin’s numbers: An unsung mathematical odyssey. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

This is a biography of Benjamin Franklin viewed through the lens of Franklin as a mathematician. It includes the math behind his Poor Richard’s Almanac and even has math problems that Franklin himself would have solved to see if the reader can solve the same problems. This book, while not classified as young adult literature, is for readers of all ages since it calls for nothing more than basic arithmetic skills. This book would be appropriate as a text selection as an enrichment activity in a mathematics classroom.

Stewart, I. (2006). Letters to a young mathematician. New York, NY: Basic Books.

This book is a blend of fiction and nonfiction. It explores the beauty of mathematical thought in the form of letters to young aspiring mathematician named Meg. The author, a mathematician himself, wishes he had been told all these things when he had been a student and a young man. This amazing book really hits the idea home how mathematics can a living breathing part of our lives, not just something to do in school or when balancing your budget. This is a must read for any mathematics teacher and would be an interesting read for any student that has an interest in mathematics.


 
References

Oregon Department of Education. (2010). Oregon standards newspaper: Sixth grade mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/newspaper/

Visualizing Via Fantasy & Fiction

I didn't use to be a big visualizer. As a student I was much too practical and then probably too cool to do this. However, as a teacher I have found it to help me so much when I am modeling writing for my students. In fact, whenever I'm writing fiction it is a necessity. I lack much easy flowing imagination so I need to do this step to "see" what I am planning to write about before I write it. Otherwise, it is impossible to write the detail that I need to make the story realistic.

When I read, I am lucky that I grew up in a home where cable TV didn't exist and books aplenty did. So as a reader, visualising comes naturally. It almost bothers me when an author goes into so much detail that it limits what I can see in my head or disagrees with what I see in my head. That is why I didn't want to read Freedom Writers. I had already seen the movie and it is no fun to read a book when the movie limits what you can see in your head. Plus I wasn't really impressed by the movie, so that also sets the book up in a bad light for me.

As a teacher, it is painfully obvious which students have theability to imagine and those that don't. I do an activity within my writing class when I let them write fiction, specifically fantasy and sci-fi where they have to visualize a fictitious creature and all it's workable parts. They get to draw a picture of it but also have to write expositorally about how each of its "adaptations" allow it to live in the setting it does. Then of course we begin developing the setting of the students' stories.

How do we wake up the sleeping imagination of students? That is a wonderful question that I don't know the right answer to. I know what with art and writing and reading we have to make using our imaginations fun. But for something to be fun for someone they generally have to be good at it or see themselves getting better at it. So many students have not have their imaginations developed at all when they were little so they are not good at it and then start to hate it when their teachers give them to opportunity to use their imagination.

That is why I like fantasy obsession in YA right now. What a great way for our students to have to look outside the box. Let's just hope they read the book before seeing the movie!

Nonfiction Book Group Y: ESCAPE!

Group Y: for the sake of convenience I am placing my posts about our book club books on Orchid's blog. That we we don't have to go to four different blogs to talk to one another.

Kristina

Historical Fiction YAY!

Historical fiction is what I would probably consider my favorite genre, even though a good book is simply a good book no matter what genre it is in. I loved the chapter in the text because Ann Rinaldi is one of my top authors along with Karen Hesse and Richard Peck who both write historical fiction.

I took this week to revisit some old favorites and find one new one. Wolf by the Ears was the first Rinaldi book I read. I was captured first by the cover picture of the girl in the southern dress. While I read this book when I was probably in 7th or 8th grade, the subject matter of miscegenation, or when white slave owners fathered a family with a slave mistress, stuck with me into college where I chose to write my honor's history 25 plus page paper on the Thomas Jefferson account. I truly think my interest in that subject that made read book after book of nonfiction started with Rinaldi's Wolf. I have read many other Rinaldi books and have yet to read one where I haven't been completely entertained and felt as if I learned a lot. Since she is so thourough with her research, I can feel comfortable believing what I learn through these fictional novels. I'm happy to see the cover of Wolf hasn't changed this that was something that really drew me in almost 15 years ago.

I also reread A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way From Chicago. It may not ring as true to students out here in the Pacific Northwest, but if you ever end up in the Mid-west, I highly recommend these books since they tell a lot of local history of Illinois and Missouri.

The new book I read was the historical fiction graphic novel mix that won the Scott O'Dell award this year called The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan. While it was a pretty good book overall, it it fell short close in my opinion to the historical depth that other traditional historical fiction books explore. This book was unique in that it is a graphic novel. As far as graphic novels go, and my opinion of them is pretty low right now, this on was pretty good.

Picture Book for YA's

I read an enchanting book (I don't use that word often and feel slightly foolish using it now, but it really was enchanting...yikes I used it again!) called Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. It is a Newbery Medal book, and it's originality is amazing and while I don't think it would fall completely into the picture book genre since there is a lot of prose too, the illustrations and corresponding vignettes are great. Any social studies teacher going into a unit on medieval times must use this book to make history come alive. Also, as a reading teaching if you are going to read a novel set in medieval times, this would be a great, quick read to intro the novel with. I suppose this book is worthy of being the focus of a novel unit itself albeit a shorter one.

Again, I highly recommend this book. You will have spent your time wisely reading this one.

SMALL GROUP SOS

Kim Daniels,Lauren Hall, Sarah Lehman, Rebecca Kuluris:

Kim & Sarah, I am followers of your blogs, but do you know the web addresses of Lauren Hall's and Rebecca's. If you do, can you please comment on this post and leave me the web address?

Lauren & Rebecca, If I have somehow looked over your blogs on Dauer's blog, I apologize and please also leave a comment so I can find your post.

Thanks,

Kristina Alvarez

Picture Book

When I get the chance to pick a picture book for YA's I immediately think of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. It is a huge book, but the illustrations are beautiful and move the plot along seamlessly.

For kicks, I also checked out City of Light, City of Dark by Avi. This is a graphic novel. My first one unless Diary of a Wimpy Kid counts as one and I was incredibly disappointed. The story line was horrible and completely unrealistic. One of the characteristics of good young adult novels was not too many coincidences and this book was chock full of them. I also now know why my students write in fragments. This book was full of them and I didn't see the point of them. I know authors use them purposely but this was every other page and just made me think a lot less of Avi. I will never pick up another so-called graphic novel. talk about dumbing down our kids. If anyone has a suggestion for a good graphic novel (which I think Hugo qualifies as one, but there is no comparison) I would love to hear of it. Why did Avi waste his time?

I also have Good Master! Sweet Ladies! checked out but haven't had a chance to read it yet. It is a straight-forward picture book with more prose than word bubbles.

Reader-Response Questions/chapter 4 Reflection

I currently don't teach a reading class so I passed these out to my homeroom students. Our homeroom is a combination silent reading and homework help period. I offered students extra credit in homeroom to complete it, but as HR is an easy "A" already, I haven't received any in return.

However after viewing all the lists provided in this chapter, I know that this will be one textbook that I won't sell on Ebay or to Powell's. I want to keep it so that when my own kids are old enough to be reading YA books, I will have it as a resource. I don't know what pitfalls my own children will come across in their adolescence, but I know that sometimes, books have more of an impact that a talk with a parent. Being able to have the appropriate book in my home at the time when they could come across it, may be the best way for me to continue to help shape their worldview when they are trying to create one separate of me and their dad. This text is a quick easy reference to what books I plan on buying as they enter adolescence.

Best Young Adult Books of All Time

While I agree with most of the books on the lists I have a few problems with it. First, I feel that The Catcher in the Rye is only on there because it was the first so-called young adult problem-novel. When I read it I really didn't like the main character (his name slips my mind) and couldn't identify with him much at all. He is a entitled brat in my opinion and was when I read it when I was a teenager. Then again, I was a very practical teen, but at the same time I don't think many adolescents can feel much empathy with a private school brat. One of my favorite books of all time is on there, Out of the Dust was a beautiful book and it didn't come out until I was in college for my bachelor's degree. I wonder if Holes made it up so far because that is about the time the book came out as the movie. I don't feel that that book should have received so many votes.

Chris Crutcher was on there a few more times than I would have put him on there. Yes, he really appeals to young adults, but as far as good writing goes, I don't know if he is up there with the likes of Cormier, Hesse and Lowry. I just read Ironman and it really doesn't strike a chord with me. Yes, the subjects are sensitive, but his character development is pretty generic in my opinion. Good read, but forgettable.

I am hugely disappointed that my favorite overall YA author, Richard Peck, didn't make the list anywhere. His books make me laugh and cry. However, I grew up in the exact places in Illinois that he sets his books. If youare interested A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder are wonderful. A must read if you are from the mid-west.

Seeing lists like this make me create a "To Read" list so here it is. (My ultimate goal before I die is to read the 100 Greatest American Novels of which Catcher in the Rye is the only YA book on there, but I need several interruptions to this reading goal.)

-reread Speak (I think I've read it, but can't remember it enough to feel as if I truly appreciated it.)
-Do I have to read Hatchet? That is so not my genre, but as one of my boys told me the other day, "Mrs. Alvarez, you have a lot of girl books." The child speaks the truth.
-Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
-The Pigman
-Weetzie Bat (I've never even heard of this one.)
-Stargirl (I see this in my kid's hands all the time.)

Off to the library to find these reads!

Student Surveys

Well, I feel as I had a pretty good idea of who my students were before and after the survey. Their choices were for the most part what I thought they would be. Avitar showed up a lot. It was pretty sad though in my opinion some of the movies that some of these students had seen and said were their favorite. Superbad and The Hangover aren't appropriate for 11 and 12 year olds. I need to read some Anthony Horowitz. He showed up on a few of my boys' surveys as their favorite author, and I was informed the other day by one of them that I didn't have enough boy books on my classroom shelves. Also, I want to look up Heather Brewer and Mayra Lazara Dole. They were the only two authors I didn't recognize among such names as Tolkien, Paulsen, Rawls, etc. I actually learned thought, that Lemony Snicket is a real person. I don't know why, but even though I've read the books, I thought he was a pen name. What an amazing name! Finally, the survey was pretty telling in an unexpected way. The students who had the more mature content on their surveys had more discipline problems. Now, I didn't do a statistical analysis of this, but as a teacher, I'm pretty sure my connections are accurate. Interesting. There is something to be said for age appropriate material. As a teacher, I will walk carefully if I feel that there may be censorship issues because I can understand as a parent, what I want my own children exposed to. Now that may sound old-fashioned and conservative in the public education circle, but it is my stance out of respect for my students and thier parents.

Censorship In My District

I haven't had experience with what would be considered normal censorship, I have had in interesting experience with one of my example essays I used for when I taught my "How To" writing unit. I have a wonderful student example titled "Botheration." It is a hilarious and well-written how-to on bothering people. I had a set of grandparents who were in tough situation and actually thought I was teaching their grandchild how to bully other students. I need to get online at school and post a copy of this essay. It is brilliant work in my opinion, but then again, the censors are EVERYWHERE! (Mostly, I putting this post up to remind myself to post the essay.)

The 8th grade teachers in my school get parental permission for a few of thier high-risk students to read Fighting Rueben Wolfe It is out of print, so if you want to get your hands on it, you will need to look a little bit. It is easy to find on the internet, but my library system in southern Oregon doesn't have it.

Censorship Post 2

I also decided to pick up Robert Cormier's I Am the Cheese becuase I've seen it on censorship lists along with his The Chocolate War. Now, having read the latter book, I can understand why it ends up on the lists. However, I can't really get a handle on why this book would be on the lists. There is not foul language and no tricky subject matter except (and this is a huge stretch) the main character ends up being completely insane at the end. Who knows maybe The Dairy Farmers of America were upset that the title of the book is misleading. =)

Censored Books

In honor of the censored books week, I decided to read some of the man who chimed in censorship in the textbook, Chris Crutcher. I've read a few of his books, but it has been a few years, so I chose to read, Ironman. Now this book, covers the gamut of issues and it was printed prior to what I consider the mainstreaming of many of these issues. For example, while gay rights a common topic in the news today, when IM was published in 1995 it wasn't as well, mainstream. This book also covers problems such as bullying, molestation, child abuse, etc.

The basic premise of the book is our protagonist, Bo Brewster is training for a modified Ironman when he is sentenced to an anger management class. Within this class he finds not only his support group for his Ironman, but he find his support group for life.

While, I would probably get pretty upset if my middle schooler came home with any of Crutcher's books (and I can say that from the perspective of a parent who has read several) I think these are excellent books for students of high school age. Yes, Crutcher approaches some very tough and sensitive subjects. And yes, he does not gloss over them in any way. But, yes, he handles these real situation in a mature, sensitive nature. I am an admirer of Crutcher because he presents the topics but doesn't glamorize them or use crudeness to tell his story. I think that while there are age-appropriate materials, I also think that Crutcher doesn't market or pander to preteens.

The Adolescent Mind in Movies!

For this assignment I decided to go for an old classic rather than a newer movie. (My second choice was New Moon.) So, I enjoyed watching The Breakfast Club which came out in 1985. At the time when it came out, the reviewers who weren't fans of the breakfast club, said that all of the parental figures in the movie were abusive or antagonistic. Also, the groups that the different groups fit into were a little if over-simplistic, but I think that was the point. So many adolescents however, can identify with this because they think the world has pushed them into these roles, but no one really really knows them. Also, the idea these teens can present a unified front against the adult world may be satisfying to a teenager who feels as if their parents don't understand them.

This movie would also appeal to adolescents because it doesn't sugar coat much. "The criminal" or Bender, has cigar burns from his dad; "The princess" is used by her parents as a tool against one another; "The jock" is being forced into a future that he doesn't want; "The brain's" parents don't show any compassion; "The nut case's" parents sexually abuse her, or that is what is implied. There is sex, drugs, and cussing.

I think this movie would still appeal to adolescents today. The movie's music and the characters' outfits are outdated, but I think a 15 year old would still get into this movie.

At times, from the point of view of a parent or teacher, I didn't like this movie. (I'm not sure if I would have liked it as a teen. I was pretty straight and narrow, and didn't like to hear about other kids being hurt even if it was a movie.) However, there were also scenes in the movie such as when Emilio Estevez explains what he was in detention for, made me realize that a lot of the perceived "badness" of teenagers are because of the messages society and more importantly what their first role models, their parents, send them.

Did My Perspective on YAL or Adolescent Literature Change?

I have one small amendment to to make about my thoughts on what I think adolescence is in relationship to young adult literature. The book states that YAL is usually about a teenager or young adult. While I still think that adolescence is defined by the developmental occurrences rather than the age, Pam Cole writes that most YA books are geared to the life experiences that this age group is going through.

Here what I wonder and feel free to respond. I ask this because of the convergence of two things. First the current generation in adolescence is the Harry Potter generation, and they are voracious readers (or at least book buyers Cook states in chapter 2) once hooked. Also, American culture in general is more accepting of and able to support (due to relatively luxurious lives) an extended adolescence. So, as the current generation in adolescence begins to move into young adulthood and adulthood, will we see so majority of YA books begin to focus more on (or at least expand to include) twenty-somethings?

YA Lit Bio

I have always been a reader. My earliest memories are of my dad reading "Custard the Cowardly Dragon" to my brothers and sisters and I (there were a lot of us...if you haven't read this to your children, please do!). My mom, a teacher herself, let us choose; we could lay down for a nap every afternoon in the summer or read her Child Craft Encyclopedias. I chose to read the "encyclopedias" especially the one with the short stories and poems in it. I was the kid who always read the most books for Accelerated Reader and didn't do it for the prizes. I have always read and still do.

Reading is my escape. Forget TV. Forget the Internet. I can't use my imagination with those medias. They are way too limiting and therefore boring. When I read Caddie Woodlawn and Jacob Have I Loved you can bet I saw myself as the main character. I lived with the Box Car Children in every place they found themselves and Nancy Drew didn't look like the girl on the cover of the book, but surprisingly like me. I could and still can if I'm able, drown in a book for an entire day.

I find that you can divide people into two groups--people who read and readers. I am a reader. It isn't something I do, it is something I am.

What is an adolescent?

The first incorrect assumption that must be cleared up about this term is that adolescence is an age period. Yes, typically people move through adolescence sometime in their teen years, but that being said it isn't the age that defines the term it is the change. Adolescence is the time period, short or long where one moves from being a child to an adult. It is when some life experience causes us to view ourselves not as the center of the world, but a part of the world; a part that has a specific role.

Adolescence is rocky because for the first time, we are aware of ourselves and in that awareness comes unsureness. We aren't sure how we fit into the world. As I look at my 8 month old son, I realize that the stage he is going through right now mimics the stage he will go through later on in his adolescence. Right now he is discovering the world. What happens when I drop my bottle on the ground? What happens if I yell in my crib? What does that dirt on the ground taste like? He is discovering the world because he feels the security to do so since he knows that his dad and I will be there as a safety net. When he is going through adolescence instead of discovering the world as it relates to him, he will be discovering himself as he relates to the world. What group do I want to fit in in high school? How do I want to act in groups? How do I want my teachers to perceive me? What kind of identity do I want to build for myself? Hopefully, if I do my job as a parent, that he will feel secure to make sound decisions while he creates this identity that will go with him in some form or another the rest of his life.

Adolescence is the time when we must learn about ourselves because if we don't know ourselves, we can't figure out where we fit in relation to the world, and therefore won't function successfully as part of the world.

Whatever time period we finally get to know ourselves is our adolescence. I've seen an 8 year old move swiftly through adolescence to adulthood at a young age and I've seen 27 year olds seem to be stuck in adolescence. They haven't had to figure out who they are in relationship to the world yet. So, in sum, it isn't the age that matters, it the switch in our perspectives. Adolescence is the journey to discovering who we are in relationship to the world.

Week 1 YAL Post

So I am relatively new to blogging. Luckily my school gave teachers their own blogs this past year, so I have had a chance to play around with it. I hope to learn more about blogging this term.

I apologize for the lack of creativity that this blog may display. I wanted to name it hugger-mugger (look it up on dictionary.com) and really go off on a tangent, but in the end, the other side of my brain took control, and I named it Alvarez Young Adult Literature. Boring, I know. Good thing I teach writing and mathematics. Both sides of my brain get worked out everyday!