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.