Book Reviews....

Here they are, enjoy :)

Introduction

I drew inspiration for compiling this collection from my desire to become an elementary special education teacher with a concentration in autism. I wanted to take some time and explore the literature that is currently being made available to teachers, families and friends of those with autism as well as children who have autism. I felt that a survey of what is out there was important as autism’s prevalence has exploded in recent years. To my dismay, I came across very few quality pieces of literature from this genre. Most were appalling, laughable, or mediocre at best. The three books that I have chosen to include and review represent the best selections from a very limited array of options. Having read each of the books a few times over I noticed a couple overarching themes: collaboration among doctors, teachers, families (with a particular emphasis on sibling relationships), and friends and the implications of such collaboration on the success of the child with autism as well as the unique characteristics and mannerisms of children with autism. In keeping with something I read from Eve Tal’s article earlier in the semester about classifying books pertaining to persons with disabilities, I tried to make sure that I was choosing books for this collection that had characters “whose disabilities may be integral or peripheral to the plot, but which are not stories about disabilities” (216). The stories I have included here transcend disability and highlight the importance of other issues that may stem from it- patience, communication, building relationships based on understanding and collaboration, and strengthening sibling connections.


Book Critiques

Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism
Written By: Laurie Lears
Illustrated By: Karen Ritz

Ian’s Walk by Laurie Lears gives readers a glimpse into some of the unique and puzzling characteristics of autism while telling the story of a sister who desperately wants to understand her brother’s autism- all in a days walk. It’s a beautiful summer afternoon and Julie wants to make a trip to the park with her older sister Tara, but not before being guilted into taking her younger brother Ian along too. Julie is given strict instructions by her mother to keep an eye out for Ian while they’re gone, but her mounting frustration with Ian as they journey to the park causes her to pay a little less attention to him than she should. The book is set up in a manner such that Ian’s differences are expressed by going through each of the five senses. Ian would rather watch the ceiling fan spin round and round as opposed to paying attention to the waitresses and food in the restaurant because he “sees things differently.” He would rather eat cereal than hot dogs, pizza or pretzels, because he “tastes things differently,” and so the refrain continues until each of the senses have been covered. As Julie waits, frustrated and fed-up with her brother’s peculiar behaviors, for her sister to return with pizza she neglects to watch Ian closely and he wanders off. While her stomach does a “flip-flop” she and her sister begin frantically asking strangers if they’ve seen Ian, searching every place they can think of. It is Julie who finally realizes where Ian has gone off to- the park bell, and she races to get him. On their walk back Julie lets Ian lead the way home and even lets him engage in behaviors that would otherwise annoy her- like laying on the sidewalk, smelling brick obuildings, and stopping to listen for something no one else hears. The book’s vibrant, water-color illustrations truly capture Ian’s innocence, Julie’s frustration, and ultimately the thing that bonds them together, regardless of differences- the love they share as siblings.

Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome
Written By: Clarabelle van Niekerk and Liezl Venter
Illustrated By: Clarabelle van Niekerk

With its brightly colored, eye popping illustrations and informative yet enjoyable storyline Niekerk and Venter have teamed up to create a feast for the eyes, ears, and heart. In their book, Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome, a young boy begins to exhibit perplexing and atypical behaviors. After noticing Sam’s difficulty in social situations such as school, resistance to change, impressive musical capabilities, and disappearance one night from home his parents decide he needs to see a doctor. After running several tests doctors come to the conclusion that Sam does in fact have Asperger Syndrome and that the only way to help him will be by working together to understand him. With the collaboration of teachers, doctors, family, and peers Sam begins to show signs of improvement in the previously mentioned areas. Sam’s extraordinary talent with the cello is showcased when he is asked to perform a solo at his school concert- where he receives a standing ovation and a crowd full of applause and smiles. The text goes beyond a superficial description of the characteristics of autism, but rather, highlights the importance of early intervention and collaboration in the face of it. The heart of the book lies in the success and progress made by Sam and provides hope to parents of children with autism that their journey may also have a happy ending.

Tacos Anyone?
Written By: Marvie Ellis
Illustrated By: Jenny Loehr

Tacos Anyone? or Alguien quiere tacos? as it is also known is the story of an older brother who is learning to work with his younger brother’s autism with the help of an occupational therapist. Older brother Thomas observes his brother Michael partaking in some strange behaviors that he cannot understand. Thomas wonders why Michael will not play with him, preferring instead to jump on his bed alone for hours on end. He sees his little brother screaming and hitting himself unable to articulate why, wishing that his brother would just communicate with him. With the help of Ms. Karla, the occupational therapist, Thomas learns how to step back and pay attention to what Michael is saying to the people around him through his facial expressions and body movements. Thomas learns that Michael does not like to touch certain things, like wet paint, but he does like to play with puzzles and bubbles. Thomas also learns a trick that’s sure to get his brother smiling and playing with him- turning him into a taco by rolling him up in pillows! The brothers share their first act of play together in a long time because Thomas has patiently worked with Ms. Karla and watched his brother to find out what makes him happy. This idea of improving sibling relations through collaboration and consideration is essential to any family trying to navigate their way through the unknown trials and tribulations often attached with autism. Aside from its important message and lively colored pencil illustrations the book is also written in both English and Spanish-a bonus for readers attempting to learn a new language and those whose first language may not be English.

Scholarly Review

Not surprisingly, I had a really difficult time finding an article about the presence of autism in children’s literature. I decided to broaden my search and look for an article about autism in general, but again I had a difficult time. I ended up coming across an excerpt from the book, Diagnosis and Assessment in Autism, by Eric Schopler, and Gary Mesibov that highlighted some of the defining characteristics of people with ASD- or Autism Spectrum Disorder. It was suggested to me to use the excerpt as a lens through which I viewed the validity and accuracy of the depiction of autism in the books I selected. Having read the portion of the book online called “The Continuum of Autistic Characteristics” I received further confirmation that the books I selected portrayed autism in a truthful manner. Some of the characteristics mentioned were “impairment in social interaction” which included things like impairments in social recognition, communication, and understanding, “repeated patterns of activity,” unique responses to “sensory stimuli,” and impairments in language. Looking back through the books that I chose I can find elements from each of these categories that the characters with autism exhibited in the stories. In fact, I think that the books I chose addressed several of these characteristics in a systematic manner (i.e.- one of the books goes through each of the five senses to express how autism influences them.) Based on the information I got from the book excerpt I stand by my selections as quality pieces of literature.

A little fired up.

I don't really know where to begin with this post and I don't really know where I want it to end either. I just have some thoughts about a lot of things that were said and it may not come out in as organized a fashion as I intend, but here it goes...

-I thought a bit more about the Miss USA discussion we had tonight. I decided that Miss California did the right thing. Although I do not happen to be in alignment with her views on gay marriage I believe that she stayed true to herself and spoke honestly. I would much rather have someone tell the truth about something, no matter how controversial, as opposed to fabricating some sugary sweet, tailor made answer that the public at large may favor. She wasn't the most articulate of speakers, but she had a limited amount of time to respond to a question she hadn't heard in advance- I give her a little credit for stating her opinion, regardless of how unpopular it may have been.

-I really enjoyed the video clips we watched in class. I am actually thinking about checking the video out from the library.

-The picture books that Natalie and I flipped through from Deb's library were appalling. I feel like every week I become increasingly more disappointed by the state of children's literature and what is being made available for their consumption. I'm hoping that I can write down the titles of some quality books when we share our projects in a couple weeks.

-I stand by my feelings about Boy Meets Boy. It was, by far, my favorite book of the semester. I was disappointed to hear that some people saw it as "in-authentic" and "unrealistic" because I just didn't see it that way. Levithan said that the book represented where he wished society was (i.e.- more accepting and progressive.) He wasn't attempting to fool people into thinking that the world he created in the book was the same world we live in right now. So what if he is being idealistic by writing this book? What would we do without the dreamers and idealists? Stagnate in the poor conditions of our world today, that's what. I don't know, I'm just not willing to settle for what we've got going on in the world today. We can do better and I plan to assist in the betterment.

Step 1: Believe things can change.

Just some quick thoughts today....

1) I just finished writing my last questioning the text paper and actually enjoyed it....

2) I am having a hard time finding the motivation to write my book reviews for the final project (maybe because graduation is in three weeks!!!!)

3) The weather is beautiful and I am inside doing homework, definite downgrade.

4) I started Confessions of a Closet Catholic yesterday and so far it seems pretty cute :)

Boy Meets Boy

So I know I read it a little early, but I had some time so I read Boy Meets Boy. Probably one of my favorite books. I don't know what it was, but I just couldn't put it down. Although I couldn't relate to Paul in terms of his sexuality I felt very connected to his and many of the other character's reactions to different things. I wanted to highlight a few of the more poignant passages in my mind:

"But I want to feel like life matters. I had something real with you, but then the realness scared me. I decided to go for other things instead." (103)

"Sometimes the space between knowing what to do and actually doing it is a very short walk. Other times it is an impossible expanse." (114)

"How could I possibly explain that he's the one my heart is made for? That's how it feels- he's the one my heart was made for." (136)

I don't care who you are, gay, straight, black, white, those feelings are raw. Relatable. I love reading books that transcend their characters. I was so caught up in the depth and romance of the novel that I never thought twice about the question of homo/hetero sexuality. Love is love, and I felt it while reading this book.

So I got to thinking....

I was reflecting on the conversation, rather, debate we had in class last night about Naomi's mother's behavior in the novel and whether or not she actually loved her daughter. Initially I felt like it was such an obvious answer: No, of course she doesn't love her, look at the way she treats her, let alone the way she treats Owen. After taking some more time to think about things I have changed my opinion. When someone brought up the notion that materialistic affection may have been the only way that Skla knew how to show love my mindset began to shift. I truly believe that that may have been a possibility. I actually have very close friends whose parents don't seem to know how to show love in a stereotypical fashion. Rather than passing out hugs, kisses, compliments, and praise, they dole out money and presents. I really thought the point about Skyla's own parents not being in her life was pertinent. How could she develop a sense for the manner in which to love her own children when she hadn't felt it herself? I believe that Clyde dictated a lot of what she did and without him she would be left feeling powerless and out of control. Although it was heartbreaking and infuriating to read, I'm just not sure that Skyla was capable of behaving differently.

The other point I wanted to bring up was about alcohol and whether or not Skyla's addiction to it should be a factor in her behavior. All I can say is that my dad was an alcoholic when I was a child, but I never knew it. There was never a moment I doubted his love for my sister and I and he never let his addiction affect his children's lives. I feel like it's a piss poor excuse to lean on, but again, because I'm not living her life I'm not sure I should be so quick to judge.

Just to clarify: I am in no way, shape, or form condoning Skyla's physical abuse of Naomi, shunning of Owen, and overall hainous acts throughout the book, but I am open to the possibility that with some help and guidance people can change.

Naomi the lion

I read Becoming Naomi Leon over spring break and I enjoyed it, but I had a very emotional response to it. Being the child of an amicable divorce I found myself becoming very angry with the way that Naomi's mother behaved. This is not to say that someone whose parents are still together would not have the same response, but I have seen divorce rear its ugly head in my own life and despite all the heartache that ensued as a result of it I know that I am lucky to have had parents who kept the needs of their children as a top priority. I was infuriated with the selfishness that Naomi's mother displayed time and time again throughout the duration of the book and wanted to jump through the pages of the book and scream at her. Growing up I was the only one in my group of friends whose parents weren't together, but I always felt really blessed considering the circumstances. I knew that I was lucky to see BOTH of my parents on a regular basis and I never doubted their love for me, unlike many children out there.

Aside from my personal connection to the book I wondered about what age level this novel was targeted for. It's one of those books that deals with uncomfortable topics like divorce, abandonment, alcohol abuse and verbal and physical abuse, but these issues make it a very important book to share with students- many of whom may be dealing with one or more of these issues in their own life.

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover- Judge it because its Terrible!

I just had to comment on how awful some of the books were that we looked through during class. I am doing my final project on books about disabilities, specifically those about autism and I walked away feeling very discouraged about what I might come across when attempting to create my collection. I was just so appalled by some of the plot-lines (or lack there of)in some of the books. Shelley the Hyperactive Turtle? Really? Wheelchair driving school? Is this serious? Although I think it is of utmost importance that we as future teachers learn to discern quality literature from, well, the crap that's out there, I can't help but wonder who is actually letting these "bad books" get published in the first place. I mean, the unfortunate truth is that the books are in demand and therefore whatever gets written (regardless of quality) gets published...so it seems.

BUT it doesn't have to be this way. Rich, informative, quality pieces of literature with multidimensional characters and a fully developed plot can be created, but it is up to people like us, who take classes like this one, to contribute to the literature that's out there. If we aren't going to write the books, we can, at the very least, possess the critical eye to determine which books accurately portray particular subject matter.

Al Capone

I finished reading Al Capone Does My Shirts over the weekend and I really enjoyed it. As a special education major, and person in general, it was refreshing to read a piece of young adult literature that incorporates issues of disability- as I have not come across very many. I took a particular interest in this novel because I eventually want to specialize in autism. When attempting to write my questioning the text paper I sat down at my computer and realized that there were a plethora of different angles at which I could approach the book. I eventually settled on discussing how much of the "caretaker" responsibility should be placed in the hands of a child who has a sibling with a disability. Aside from enjoying the plot line and incorporation of autism I really do appreciate that Choldenko authored a book that is so genuinely thought provoking. I could see myself using this book as a tool to teach children in a general education classroom about autism.

More on "Insider vs. Outsider"

After doing research on the Middle East Book Award and reading the articles for this upcoming week's class I feel like there is no escaping the "insider/ outsider" debate. It really seems to come up everywhere. Part of the reason I really enjoy this class is that we have read some really thought provoking articles about topics that I had never really considered before. I am especially engaged in the readings that pit one side against another because it forces me to check my own thoughts and opinions on the matter. When it came to the readings this week I realized that I had never even thought twice about the numerous different awards available for authors and illustrators to win, let alone how I felt about the criterion for winning such awards.

As I reflect on the articles I can see the benefits of each side of the argument, but I lean more towards Aronson's perspective that the various different awards should be kept, but honored based on content, rather than race. I mean, I don't think that there is a "right" answer when it comes to this debate, it's point of contention that people will battle over in the future, all I know is that this position in the argument makes more sense to me right now. I suppose I want to be the teacher that incorporates ALL the literature into my classroom- whether it be books written by insiders or outsiders, or books that feature characters not represented in my classroom.

At the end of the day, a book that has an award seal on the cover doesn't automatically make it a quality book anyway.

I stand corrected....

Contrary to my last post, I did end up enjoying Habibi. I'm not sure when the turning point was for me, but the action in the book seemed to pick up and I read it pretty quickly. Additionally, I thought that last Wednesday's class was very informative. As I read the book I hadn't even realized how controversial it could be because of how biased it is. I appreciated listening to Walters' lecture and hearing the Jewish perspective on the matter. It's a shame that the book has been banned from West Bloomfield because I think that if it was paired with a companion text reflective of the Jewish perspective it could really inform, rather than offend people. On another note, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the discussion, or lack there of, that took place in my questioning the text group today. I don't feel challenged or stimulated. No one really contributed anything and it felt like a waste of time. Although the purpose is to delve into the text and have a "rich" discussion, that's not what is happening, at least in my group. I prefer whole group discussions because they keep me engaged and thinking at the very least.

Aside from all that, I finished Bronx Masquerade a couple days ago. What a quick read! I enjoyed the book, but I do wish that it had been a little longer or that some of the characters' storylines would have been more fully developed. I liked how the poems were intertwined into the story. I really felt like the book could have been turned into a movie or something. The voices in the story were very prominent- it felt like real life rather than a fictitious story.

Habibi

I have been working on reading Habibi and although I am enjoying it, I just can't get into it. I will read thirty pages or so and then put it down and go do five other things. I'm going to finish it before class on Wednesday, but it feels like more of a job to complete rather than a story that I want to cozy up with. It could be because of everything else I've got going on. We'll see...

Also, I just wanted to make a comment about last week's class. I am SO glad that we didn't end up having to do the "fishbowl" discussion as was planned. Talk about pressure. I felt that the discussion we had was heated enough, there was no need to pit three students against three in the center of the room. There were definitely people who spoke out more than others and when I was feeling particularly passionate about one point or another it was a bit difficult to get a word in edgewise, but I'm not one for confrontation so it was okay.

A little frustrated...

Well I just finished reading the four articles for this week and I must say that I am a little frustrated. Although I enjoyed reading them, (especially in that order) I just feel all heated up about them. Despite the fact that he certainly didn't receive the "popular vote" for his opinions on multicultural literature, I found myself agreeing with Patrick Shannon. This was surprising to me because I had initially posted comments that were in alignment with the other authors (as far as members of the in-group being the best, if not only, people to take on the task of writing on behalf of a group of people.) At the end of the day I was just really put off by some of the comments made by Harris, Sims Bishop, and Cai.

I am still trying to figure out which perspective of multicultural literature I find the most suitable, but I am leaning towards "Multiple + Culture = multiculturalism." I mean, I get it, it is impossible to address every single culture that exists in one school year, but I definitely agree that "not only the underrepresented cultures but also the mainstream cultures should be included" (Cai 75). I just found it to be really annoying when the authors (aside from Shannon) kept saying that they aren't trying to exclude other cultures, but the most important thing to address in multicultural literature was race/ ethnicity. What about all the other cultures? They are important to. What about the middle class, white, male students that many teachers are bound to have in class? Should we as teachers not include books reflective of their (the dominant)culture? No, wait, we are supposed to be including books that teach white students to feel bad about their whiteness as a means of being socially/ morally informed right?

This whole debate disgusts me. Yes, we need to make sure that students understand that we live in a racialized society, but that doesn't mean excluding books that include the "mainstream culture." I personally favor the all inclusive definition of multicultural literature rather than one that emphasizes a particular sect of the population.

Inside Out.

Alright, well I just posted something, but then I looked at my syllabus and have to post something about my position on the "insider" "outsider" debate. Although I will read the articles, I feel like I have an opinion to share without reading them first. Maybe I will post something later if my thoughts change after reading the coursepack.

I had actually thought a lot about this question during tonight's class. I mean, how could you not? We were talking about making generalizations and stereotyping. In my "Questioning the text" paper I actually addressed the question. It is my current opinion that stereotyping is never okay, I don't see how generalizations are "helpful" and, at the end of the day I don't think I could ever write a book or make claims confidently (no matter how accurately) about a group of people to which I do not identify. I know that it had been mentioned in class that it would be perfectly valid to thoroughly research a group to which one does not belong, and then author a book on the topic, but I just cannot agree. Reading about the trials, tribulations, joy, pain, sorrow, and triumph of a group of people via an author who is not a member of that group is not the same as reading about those same things from someone who actually lived them.

I don't know. Maybe my opinion will change, I am open to hearing the other side.

I eat cake for breakfast....

I found tonight's class to be pretty thought provoking. Although I am still unclear as to how I should distinguish between the terms "generalization" and "stereotype" I have walked away with some more things to mull over. I know that my teacher had mentioned taking the article out of the coursepack that sparked our discussion on this topic, but I personally feel that the article is a powerful one, no matter how frustrating. The way I see it is that many things in life are not cut and dry. Life is messy and confusing and although articles like the one we discussed in class may perpetuate the confusion, they provide some food for thought at the very least. Maybe there isn't supposed to be a right answer. I mean, in an ideal world we wouldn't even need to define terms for the negative, potentially negative, borderline offensive, etc.. labels and traits that we assign to people. Maybe the "correct" answer isn't making sure to say the right thing all the time, or refrain from saying things at all, maybe the key is to be conscious of the problem and do the best you can every day to live in peaceful, respectful, coexistence with everyone.

Also, I read my poem today and didn't die. Incredible.

Here's to eating cake for breakfast :)

My Poem

So I was reading through some of my classmates' blogs and I saw that some of them had posted their autobiographical poems from last week's class. As I mentioned in my first post I was disappointed that I had not read my own during class so I am going to post mine as well!

In addition I realized that I never explained why I even have this blog or who I am.....My name is Lyndsay and I am a senior (!) at Michigan State University. I am an elementary special education major with concentrations in language arts and learning disabilities. Eventually I would like to get endorsements in autism and possibly emotional impairments. I have created this blog for a multicultural children's literature course that I am taking this semester and I hope you all enjoy!

Here's my poem:

"A Sense of Life"

I was

Seeing new cities
and making new houses
homes

Hearing crickets at night
as the summer air
foams

Feeling blades of grass
between my
toes

Smelling lilacs in the yard
deep within my
nose

Tasting the season
with stains on pressed white
clothes

Childhood passes
with both
highs
and
lows

And that’s the way life goes.

I am

Seeing this city
for how long?
God only
knows.

Hearing these lines rhyme
wishing they were
prose

Feeling the pressure and yet
rolling with the
blows

Smelling sweet satisfaction
more pungent than a
rose

Tasting this season
as the cold air
froze

This time passes
with both
highs
and
lows

And that’s the way life goes.

I will

See my bags packed once I
pay off these
loans

Hear voices of loved
ones over the
phone

Feel free and independent,
but strangely
alone

Smell home cooked meals
doing it all on my
own

Taste this season
bitter, sweet, and sour,
and know that I’ve
grown

Time passes
with both
highs
and
lows

And that’s the way life goes.

First Class

Before this year I had never really blogged at all, but I am strangely excited about the prospect of managing one of these even after class is over! Although I am writing a few blogs a week for classes and it all feels a bit overwhelming I think it might actually be fun once the stress of school is over. Anyway, I just wanted to say a couple things about class tonight....

First, I am still feeling really torn about my thoughts on the book my group reviewed in class, Black is Brown is Tan. Although I did enjoy the poetic structure and language of the book, I am unsure of how it would function in a classroom. Would it benefit students who come from multiracial families? Would it benefit those who do not? How do I really feel about addressing stereotypes? All of these questions and others are still circling through my mind. I actually ended up feeling kind of awkward during class when I mentioned that I thought stereotypes should be avoided when selecting multicultural pieces of literature because someone spoke up in total opposition to me. Initially I felt wrong in my thoughts, and embarrassed for having made the comment, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that I agreed with the person and hadn't spoken as clearly as I wanted when making my own comment. I do in fact believe that stereotypes should be addressed because I think that to ignore them may actually perpetuate them. If students are going to be hearing such information why not combat and dissect it? I think the point I was trying to make was that in the particular piece of literature my group was critiquing the stereotypes were presented discreetly and in a manner that might signify that making such statements is okay. I did not feel that the book was filled with a plethora of overt stereotypes for the purposes of dispelling them or having discussions about them- they were just stuck in there as unnecessary details in the story. I felt like the book had the potential to send some kind of positive message and after reading it, I just don't even know what kind of message was being sent at all.

Lastly, I just wanted to say that I am disappointed in myself for not having read my poem in class tonight. I was beyond nervous and initially just wanted to get it over with, but as soon as I left class I regretted not sharing it. I actually enjoy writing poetry when I have time and there is a part of me that was proud of what I had written and I just let me nerves get in the way. Oh well, maybe I'll read it to my roommates....