Discussion about children’s and Young Adult Literature
Wild W
ings by Gill Lewis has hit the USA and is getting all sorts of attention… shortlisted for the Green Earth Book Awards, on the American Booksellers Association New Voices project…
http://gilllewisauthor.blogspot.com/2011/09/wild-wingsaka-sky-hawk-in-america.html
This was a wonderful read. I am a big fan of The Kiterunner and Thousand Splendid Suns. These works however are not appropriate for all ages. I am glad that The Breadwinner is there for younger audiences. Pavana is a tenacious character. I liked that this focused on the women’s rights, often the rights that we take very much for granted in this country. The characters seemed real with sibling rivalry, depression and just plain fear taking their toll on the family. The other aspect that I really liked about this book is that the author describes the time before the war when Afghanistan had been a free-thinking, progressive place. This in a way makes this novel even more chilling. To think that educated, self-sufficient people are reduced to a semblance of their previous life is rather frightening. I think kids think that these things could not happen here or to them. This book shows that our freedoms need to be cherished. This book would be accessible to most students and I think most kids could identify with the characters. My father grew up in Budapest during World War II. Literally his yard was a battle field between the Russians and the Nazis. Before the war life for my grandparents was very good. Their world was ravished by the war. I saw the same harrowing details in The Breadwinner. I think students can get a better understanding of a different culture by reading this book.
I read “Does This Make My Head Look Big?” by Randa Abdel-Fattah. I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not, and I have almost zero background knowledge in Muslim customs. To my surprise, it was a quick read, and I can remember feeling some of the same ways that our main character does. The story is a coming of age novel about a young Muslim girl in Australia, and making the decision to wear her hijab (head covering) all the time. While I can’t relate with her religion, we all can relate to fitting in at high school, and wanting people to see us the way our family and close friends do. The book deals with loads of things many high school girls do-boys, friends, alcohol, acceptance from our family, and self image. I would recommend this book for girls ages 14-17, and mothers dealing with girls this age. I am glad to say I was pleasantly surprised by how great this book was.
Clement’s narrative makes it so easy for American readers to relate to life in Afghanistan. Visit the publisher’s site at http://books.simonandschuster.com/Extra-Credit/Andrew-Clements/9781416949299 or Clement’s site at http://www.andrewclements.com/books.html
Cool surfer dude Richard Lewis delivers a story with two narrators in this stimulating story about the tsunami that hit in 2004.
Amazing story about a young woman coming of age in Pakistan… but also about every girl’s right to pursue her dream. Find out more at Qamar’s website http://www.amjedqamar.com/Home.php
Uma Krishnaswami’s Grand Plan to Fix Everything involves travel to India, Bollywood movies, movie stars and producers, romance… at first it doesn’t sound much like a typical children’s book. What makes this book work for young readers?
Check out the author’s website at http://www.umakrishnaswami.com/
Check out this trailer for the book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd3cXLHzcHA
Is this an illustrated book… or an long picturebook? Does it matter? The big question is which children will this quirky oddball friendship story appeal to? What is it about the characters and situations that make this an enjoyable read?
The Amelia books are very popular and part of that might be due to the stylistic elements. Both the handwritten fonts and the illustrations make this out of the ordinary. How does the narrative impact readers in your opinion?
The book can be read here online: http://www.funbrain.com/books/ameliawritesagain/book.html
Dork Diaries is part of a growing trend to include illustrations in narratives for older readers. What purposes do you think the illustrations serve in this novel?
