Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

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American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

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From the moment I picked up American Born Chinese, I was excited to read it cover to cover. I had paged through the novel looking at the pictures and reading the inside flaps, but I couldn’t wait to dive into the story itself. I knew that the book was divided into three parts and going into the book, I was most excited to read about the story of Jin Wang: the partially autobiographical, realistic fiction portion of the novel. I was hesitant to read what appeared to be a folktale and a blatantly racist representation of a Chinese individual. However, I was determined to give the other two parts a fair shot and I was pleasantly surprised.

Although I taught my intersession course on comics and graphic novels, I remain to have very minimal experience with visual texts. At first, I will admit, I thought that reading graphic novels was a little like cheating. How was I supposed to “use my imagination” if the pictures were already there? Where was the challenge? However, teaching my intersession class and reading this novel really helped me to understand the unique role of the graphic novel. Yang was able to represent so much more of his message with pictures that would have been impossible or just plain confusing if written out in language. Given that the story is all about identity and the diversity of cultures, it seemed fitting that he use a medium that is universal: pictures. And the way they have been so beautifully drawn, no translation is needed whatsoever.

The story thread of the Monkey King was really interesting to me. Having no familiarity with Chinese folktales, it made me want to learn more. I felt this element of the story showed the pride Yang has in his heritage while the other two showed the difficulty he had with combining his heritage with his newfound culture; a challenge for so many adolescents (and adults) today. Now that I have read this novel and seen one version of the monkey king tale, I plan on reading more about the Chinese folktale.

At first I was completely shocked at Yang’s blunt use of racial stereotyping in the character of Chin-kee. I thought to myself, “how could someone who is promoting pride in his heritage be so blatantly racist in his portrayal of his own culture?” However, it didn’t take long to realize Yang’s purpose: blatant stereotyping would stand out and make readers think. Yang is aware that this language is used to describe and mock Chinese people on a regular basis and he wants his readers to see what this looks and feels like. It is extremely offensive and I truly believe that was Yang’s intent. It really made me think about the stereotypes I see and hear on a regular basis and what I might do to contradict those racist actions. I really appreciated his bold choice to use a stereotypical character to get his ideas across.

As far as the medium goes, I feel that a graphic novel was a great choice for this particular trio of stories. Yang was able to easily shift from story to story with a simple shift of background. His ability to use visual cues to illustrate emotion and inner thoughts really helped me to understand the characters on an entirely different level. In a way, the increase in visual cues allowed me to have a deeper comprehension of the story as well as the changes each of the characters experiences throughout the novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Yang is an incredible storyteller through images and ideas and I am grateful he was willing to put his thoughts and feelings on paper so that others might begin to understand his experience. I would highly recommend this book, particularly to someone who has little or no experience with graphic novels. Happy reading!

Songs Inspired by Literature

This video, created by Deborah Pardes, reveals the inspiration behind the songs...LITERATURE! Enjoy!

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Lakshmi is a 13-year-old girl living in Nepal with her mother and stepfather. When her stepfather gambles away the family’s income, Lakshmi must take a job in the city as a maid. Dozens of cities and strange tour guides later, Lakshmi realizes the maid job was a cover: she is in India and has been sold into sexual slavery, with little hope of ever returning home. Written in short vignette style chapters, this novel tells the heartbreaking story of a young girl attempting to survive with only the memory of happiness to keep her afloat.

This book continues to give me chills. It is sad, disturbing, and horrifyingly true. My heart is completely broken for these young girls who live everyday not knowing if they will ever see their families again who experience the violation of their innocence on a regular basis. Written with incredible care and seemingly impossible lyricism, this novel is a much needed dose of reality. Although undeniably harsh, the story McCormick tells is one that cannot be ignored and is an important novel for teen and adult readers alike.

Luna by Julie Ann Peters

For this book blog, I have chosen to write my response in the form of a letter to the author. I had an extremely positive reaction to this text and I wanted to frame my response in the form of a thank you to Julie Ann Peters, an author who I believe has taken an incredible leap and landed with grace. I fully intend on mailing an edited version of this letter upon reception of feedback.

Ms. Peters,

Thank you. You have captured the experience of a transsexual teen with such honesty, intelligence, and heart. Your novel, Luna was a joy to read for a plethora of reasons.

First of all, you gave your characters honest, realistic thoughts and feelings. You did not sugarcoat the incredibly challenging and heartbreaking discussion or experiences that accompany coming out as a trans individual and I think this truly made your book incredible. “She loved hearing that, that she could pass. Most girls spend hours and hours working on themselves so they’ll be striking, eye-catching, desirable. Liam would give everything to live one day as a plain, ordinary girl” (54). This passage really resonated with me. I have had so many similar conversations with my trans friends who have said those very same words and each and every time it breaks my heart. You have crafted this experience with precision and truth.

I was also very impressed with your seamless interweaving of the construction of gender and gender roles within the pages of the text. This allows your reader to place him or herself within the story, even if he or she does not have personal experience with a trans individual. The passage in which Regan is describing her babysitting charges was particularly accurate and succinct: “Pretty. A word for girls. The way handsome described boys. Liam was right; people did use boy and girl language. They expected different behaviors. When kids acted ‘out of role,’ as Liam put it, they were labeled tomboys or sissies” (50). Your mention of sexuality as a spectrum is also very enlightened; a bold yet important choice for a young adult novel.

Although your novel deals with issues of transsexuality, you take special care to not lump the T in with the G, L and B. This is often a challenge and I thought you did an excellent job of separating these identities and describing them respectfully and accurately. As you know, even people who have friends or relatives who identify as G, L, B or T still do not understand the difference between them. This particular inner monologue of Regan really stuck out for me: “He likes guys. We both do. That doesn’t make him gay. It makes him as straight as me because in side he’s a girl, Dad. Just like me. You have two daughters, okay?” (123). The separation of sexuality and gender from one another in your novel is very clear-cut in a way that I think young adults can really “get.” These distinctions and definitions are important and wonderfully effective when voiced by a likeable character in a novel.

In addition, I really admired your decision to give the voice of the novel to Regan rather than her transsexual sibling. Oftentimes coming of age stories are written from the perspective of the individual going through the identity discovery/crisis themselves. I thought having Regan tell the story was the perfect way to construct this narrative. This allows the book to reflect multiple perspectives, not just that of the trans individual. With Regan as narrator, the reader can get a sense of what it might be like to support a friend or family member going through something similar. It is a unique challenge that is not often discussed. I really appreciate the way you portrayed Regan. She was incredibly supportive, but also struggling and learning—a very honest depiction to which your readers can relate.

Overall, I thought your novel was incredibly well crafted, a very possible story with realistic issues and characters. Your willingness to write about a topic that many consider controversial is commendable. Thank you for creating a story in which even the most silenced voices can be heard. I cannot wait to share this story with my future students.

Sincerely,

Sarah Rose

La Linea by Ann Jaramillo

La Línea is the story of 15-year-old Miguel’s journey from Mexico to the United States. Miguel has been looking forward to crossing the border (la línea) for six years, eleven months and twelve days, since his parents left he and his sister, 13-year-old Elena, with their grandmother in Mexico. The siblings encounter many trials along their journey including train gangs, thieves, life-threatening exhaustion and living in constant fear of la migra. The story is incredible tribute to the power of family, resilience, and the incredible challenge (and importance) of overcoming obstacles.

La Línea is a fascinating, exciting and important text for students and teachers alike. Bringing together issues of belonging and immigration in a fast-paced adventure, Jaramillo has written a great young adult novel. Having little to no experience with immigration, this book was extremely enlightening for me. I am in awe at the lengths people are willing to go to immigrate to America and it made me aware of the things I previously took for granted. I think this is an important lesson for everyone and Jaramillo expresses it in a very well written, engaging story.

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

Talk about a visceral reaction. This book was incredibly terrifying. But, I’m glad I read it because there is no cure for ignorance besides education. A Long Way Gone is an amazing example of a text that promotes social change in an extremely powerful way. There is no way that a documentary on child soldiers or a newspaper article could have the power this book has. Seeing war through the innocent eyes of a child is the most authentic, honest portrayal of war there is. The most powerful aspect of the text was the changes Ishmael experiences throughout the book. It is awful to watch him be stripped of his innocence one page at a time. At the beginning, we see him responding as a civilian: “I turned away, and my eyes caught the smashed head of another man…I felt nauseated. Everything began to spin around me. One of the soldiers was looking at me, chewing something and smiling. He took a drink…‘You will get used to it, everybody does eventually,’ he said” (100). At that point in the text, I too felt sick to my stomach and I remember thinking “there is no way he will get used to this.”

However, we see the power brainwashing and propaganda can have on someone who has lost all hope. During training, the soldiers are reminded of their loss and coerced into allegiance with the government: “Visualize the enemy, the rebels who killed your parents, your family, and those who are responsible for everything that has happened” (112). Their leaders tell them, “Our job is a serious one and we have the most capable soldiers, who will do anything to defend this country” (123).
It was absolutely horrifying watching Ishmael fall into these (what I thought to be obvious) traps. It makes sense that he had to distance himself from his actions and be almost empty, similar to an abuse victim: “I just sat with my head in my hands, thoughtless” (109).

For a good part of the book, I must admit I was angry with Ishmael. I did not understand how he could transform so quickly from an innocent child into a soulless killer. However, I pushed through and knew deep down that what I really felt was remorse and sadness for his loss of innocence. He was truly a victim. This is absolutely devastating. This particular passage sticks out in my head: “I didn’t feel a thing for him, didn’t think that much about what I was doing. I just waited for the corporal’s order. The prisoner was simply another rebel who was responsible for the death of my family, as I had come to truly believe” (124). In hindsight, Ishmael is realizing that he had created excuses for himself and pointed out his reasoning for completing such terrible acts. The fact that I know he was a victim of a horrible crime does not eliminate the goose bumps from the back of my neck as a re-read this passage.
Horrifying memories reenacted aside, this book was extremely powerful for me. Having little to no knowledge of the situation in Sierra Leone, this book gave me a very personal account of the horrors that occurred there during the civil war.

And last but not least, I was so incredibly grateful for Esther, Ishmael’s nurse. She showed an incredible amount of compassion for Ishmael and was willing to step completely outside of her comfort zone in order to help him. She helped him to begin his lengthy but crucial recovery in a very powerful way. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, young or old, for it teaches an amazing lesson about the resilience of the human spirit. Happy reading!