A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah

I had the good fortune, several years ago, to go to a small seminar that happened to have Ishmael Beah as the keynote speaker. I remember thinking to myself, "How can anyone who has been through such horrific things be so happy?" Since that day, Ishmael has always been one of the people I try to model myself after. If he can wake up and live life with a smile on his face, so can I.

Even though this was my second time reading A Long Way Gone, I was still as shocked and saddened by the contents of the novel as I was the first time I read it. From scenes with babies that have been shot to death, dismembered community members and imams that have been burnt to death, their remains eaten by animals, A Long Way Gone is certainly a blunt-forced reminder of the terrible cruelty that humans can inflict on one another. Yet, amongst all the horror, Ishmael finds a way to provide bittersweet glimpses of human warmth and kindness. Despite it's grim nature, A Long Way Gone still leaves you feeling hopeful.

A Long Way Gone is certainly its own type of coming-of-age story, and one that I think everybody should read. I don't want to presume what an individual reader can get out of A Long Way Gone, because I think the message gleaned from this memoir is probably different and deeply personal for each reader.

However, I can say that I deeply admire Ishmael's bravery and openness in discussing the horrifying nature of civil war and becoming a boy-soldier. I feel like his memoir provides its readers with a better understanding into this often forgotten world, while also calling into focus the blurry line between right and wrong.

The Circuit

The Circuit is a fascinating, heart breaking and true account of the life of migrant families, more specifically the children of these migrant families. I will admit that, initially, I was hesitant to read it. I thought it would be like every other propaganda-novel about immigration, trying to persuade you one way or the other. I was surprisingly relieved when I realized this story was not like the others. I was immediately sucked in and read the book in one sitting.

While I knew, prior to reading The Circuit, that is was based in truth, I did not get a "non-fiction" feel from the book. In fact, most of the time I kept hoping that I would get to the end to find out that none of this really happened. Each little episode of loss, and the consequent emotions, had me reaching for the tissues. That being said, I was rooting for Panchito the entire time, despite the fact that I knew what was coming (it's not called The Circuit for nothing!).

I was able to see bits and pieces of myself in the novel as well. I grew up in a military family, and could commiserate with Panchito over the anguish and disappointment of having to leave a place you have just grown to love, only to start all over: new friends, new home, new school. On the other hand, I could also relate to the happiness and excitement felt when you get to return to that place. And, while I wasn't deported from the place I called my home for most of my life - I did have to leave (I'm not a citizen of the country I grew up in), and have yet to return.

I think this book is a must-read for any and everyone. It does not matter where you stand politically. This book will pull you in with its emotional, powerful language and will remind you of the hardships that come with trying to attain the American Dream. And, if nothing else, it will remind you of the cyclical nature of life and leave you feeling hopeful that, next time, maybe things will be better.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World - Jennifer Armstrong

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World is a great book if you are a fan of non-fiction, or have an innate interest in ships or shipwrecks. It is an incredibly detailed account of Ernest Shackleton, his men and their ship as it gets stuck in the ice, and falls to pieces, during their attempt to be the first crew to cross Antarctica. It is most certainly an impressive story of endurance, hardship and miracles.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World is also full of real life photographs taken during the experience which, honestly, is the only reason I was able to keep reading the book. While I could tell that it was a well written account of the experience, I found that I struggled to stay interested. Even though it is full of little heart warming anecdotes (such as the Emperor penguins and their affinity for the banjo or how the sled dogs loved to chase the penguins), I wasn't totally consumed by the book.

I don't think my being bored with the book was really the fault of the author, so much as it was my own personal disinterest in the topic. I especially didn't like seeing the picture of the handsome man holding the two baby penguins on route to killing and eating them. I know they had to do it to survive, but I didn't need to see the picture of the cute baby penguins on their way to slaughter. It made me sad.

If I had been reading this book after watching Pirates of the Caribbean or Eight Below I may have been more drawn in, but since I just read The Book Thief, I was mostly just bored with Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World.

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak is my new favorite author. The Book Thief has easily been placed in my five favorite reads of all time. Everything about this novel was interesting. It was narrated by death, which is more than appropriate considering the story takes place during World War II. The novel is incredibly sad, but every moment that occurs is so palpable that you can't pull yourself away from the book. The narrator, who is also a spoiler of endings, will have you laughing out loud in one paragraph, and running for tissues in the next.

The Book Thief speaks to the reader in so many ways. On one hand, it is the story of a girl, her 'family' and friends trying to live as normal a life as possible in Nazi Germany. On another hand, it is the sad story of World War II itself. On a different hand, it is the story of Leisel and her books, and discovering the power that words can have (something the narrator seems to have mastered). Every page of The Book Thief will have you on the edge of your seat.

The Book Thief is marketed towards adolescent readers, and I think it is done appropriately so. This novel speaks to the power of reading and words, and the power of close friendships, and does so in a way that most adolescents and all adults should be able to understand. It provides a totally different look into the Holocaust and Nazi Germany, and may be more engaging for some readers than The Diary of Anne Frank or Schindler's Ark (which are also both very good). This novel is also great for adolescents because it will allow them to formulate a plethora of questions about topics such as the different uses of point of view and voice, metaphors and similes and running themes (such as the color of the sky during death).

My only complaint about this novel being marketed towards adolescents is that too many adult readers will overlook it, simply based on where it is placed in the bookstore. This simultaneously heart-wrenching, heart-warming novel is too good to be overlooked. It answers so many unasked questions: What were young German girls and boys doing during WWII? What were the experiences of German families living near the concentration camps? Furthermore, it leaves you asking questions: Why the emphasis on the color of the sky? Is Death also a book thief? What more of communism?

On a personal note, I enjoyed that Max was from Stuttgart, because that is where I was born. So while I may not have been able to personally relate to every experience in the novel (despite the fact that I read every moment as though I was the one living it), I did have that - and somehow, perhaps in the spirit of Max's character, that small connection was very powerful.

Esperanza Rising

Pam Munoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising really hit close to home for me, which was totally unexpected. My great-great grandfather, David Patten Black, fled to Chihuahua, Mexico in the late 1800's, to escape the marshals that were hunting down polygamists. There, he met my great-great grandmother (and a second wife), and lived a successful life as a horse-breaker and the sheriff of his town. But, in 1912, Poncho Villa came through and told everyone to clear out unless they wanted to meet their maker. My great-great grandfather's neighbors didn't want to leave their settled land, successful farms, etc. He didn't want to either, but he picked up his wives, kids and a few belongings and left for safety. He did, however, feel an obligation to his neighbors and friends and came back to try to convince them one more time to leave with his family, but when he got back into town, it was too late and everyone had been slaughtered and robbed.

His family, much like Esperanza's family, had to start again with nothing but $25.00 to their name. They had to leave the life they knew for a life of impoverished uncertainty. I found it really interesting that my family history aligned so neatly with the events that occurred during Esperanza Rising. That all being said, my family didn't become migrant workers, and weren't driven out of their home country. Nevertheless, the similarities are there.

In general, Esperanza Rising offers a great look into the experiences of Mexican families during the Mexican revolution, as well as migrant families and workers. It also tackles class issues and hierarchy within the Latino community, something which I think is often overlooked. Even more interestingly, Esperanza Rising also addresses the differences of being Spanish, Mexican, etc., and how people are treated differently based on their roots. Again, this is not a topic that is often discussed as being a problem outside of the dominant culture.

In specific regard to adolescents, I think this novel is a valuable read. It really provides those "windows and mirrors" opportunities. Students will be able to look into Esperanza Rising and see themselves in Esperanza's character. They will be able to identify with teen angst, identity struggles as well as have the opportunity to address the idea of a world outside of themselves (moving away from egocentricity). They will also be able to look into the text and empathize with the struggles of a friend or a neighbor going through financial troubles, or with Esperanza herself. These are important experiences to have.

Also, they will get to learn a few new words in Spanish. An ever expanding vocabulary is never a bad thing.

The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros

There are a lot of different themes running through this book, but the one that I connected most with was the theme of a young girl trying to find herself. Having grown up in a culture that "requires" women to grow into a social role, I can identify with Esperanza's struggles. Every thing she says and does is underscored with the issue of trying to figure out where she fits and how she needs to adapt. It broke my heart to read the passage about her name (pg 10 - 11), especially when she says, "She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don't want to inherit her place by the window" (pg 11). Those words echo the feelings so many girls have, even in today's society. I personally struggle with feeling like my own thoughts, ideas and desires are suppressed or unwelcome based on the fact that they don't match society's rules and regulations for what is acceptable from females. It's hard to find yourself in a man's world.

Nevertheless, The House on Mango Street is full of hope. All the while, the reader knows that Esperanza isn't the kind of girl who takes what life gives her. She tries to make the world work the way she wants it to, and she constantly clings to her desire to break away from the norms which is illustrated best in "Four Skinny Trees" (pg 74 - 75). But trying to change her world doesn't come easily (it comes with sexual assault), and not without watching other girls, like Sally, fall victim to the life she doesn't want. The House on Mango Street reads like a diary, which I think makes it seem all the more real. You know that you are reading the best and the worst, her hopes and her dreams, and you want her to succeed.

I think that The House on Mango Street is a great book for adolescents to read. It speaks loudly to the adolescent female population to have hope and to, for lack of a better phrase, "be the change you want to see in the world." It speaks to the racism, poverty, danger, shame associated with communities like Esperanza's while also speaking to the feeling of "otherness" and feelings of inadequacy that adolescents of all backgrounds experience. No matter who you are, there will be something in The House on Mango Street that speaks to you.

Monster

I enjoyed Walter Dean Myers' Monster. That being said, I wish I'd had a strong reaction to the novel as a whole. The book certainly caused me to reflect on the treatment of young, African American men in this country, which then lead me to think about the recent execution of Troy Davis. He was thrown in jail, just like Steve Harmon, as a young man. Although there was no real evidence to link him to the murders he was accused of, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. This lead me to ask the same question I'd been asking myself during Monster: Did he really do it?

Then I started thinking about the Amanda Knox case. She, too, was accused of brutally murdering someone. She was found not guilty, and has recently returned home. If Troy Davis had been a young, white female would his fate have been different?

In Monster, Steve narrowly escapes the fate met by Troy Davis. If he had been a young, white female would he have been implicated in the robbery-gone-wrong at all? Why is it that so many young, African American men end up in prison? This book left me with more questions than answers.

That being said, I really enjoyed the portrayal of Steve's character. So many times we are exposed to young black characters like Bobo: thugs, gang bangers, hoodlums from broken homes. Steve is different. He has two parents who love him and each other. He is a smart kid who tries hard in school. He wants to be a good role model for his little brother. He doesn't want to be like Bobo. What frustrated me most was that, even though he had all these great attributes, people were afraid to give him the benefit of the doubt. You see it when O'brien refuses to hug him. You see it in the minor collapse in the relationship between him and his father. You see it in his mother's face. Why do so many people have such little faith in Steve? I will admit that I did a small "fist pump" when James King was found guilty. I was so happy that Steve was separated from the image of wrong doing!

I also enjoyed that the book was written as a screen play. The changes between font (switching from hand writing to typing) was slightly distracting, but I realize there was a purpose for that. I also enjoyed that Steve's film had a relatively happy ending. Reading Monster was kind of like watching an episode of Law & Order, only with an ending that does justice to the character on trial.

I feel like this would be a good book for adolescents to read. It helps to break the stigma that all young, African American men are criminals. It shows a much more raw, emotional side of what goes on in these types of scenarios and helps to remind you that there is more to someone than the color of their skin or the neighborhood they live in, and that these things don't define a person.