Persepolis

Satrapi, Marjane. (2004). Persepolis. Pantheon: New York, NY.

Genre: Non-fiction

Format: Graphic Autobiography(memoir)

Grades: 9-12

Pages: 153
Lexile Level: GN380L
Topics: Islamic Revolution, politics, growing up,
cultural diversity

Summary: Marjane Satrapi is happy with her childhood in Iran, until  in 1980 political and religious turbulence forces the girls to wear a veil and are segregated from their male friends. Her parents and family members attend protests against Iran's regime, they risk becoming political prisoners, torture, or executed. Marjane is to young to understand politics, but she reads books to educate herself. The Slamic revolution takes power and many Irans flee the country, her uncle Anoosh is executed and that affects her faith in her religion. Iran goes to war against Saddam Hussain, all women are force to wear the veil, food is scarce, contact with the outside world is nonexistent, and mourning the dead becomes a daily routine. What used to be normal (listening to music, wearing your favorite clothes) has become a crime, Marjane rebeles to the changes, so she is sent to Vienna for her safety. She spends most of her teenage years in Europe, but has trouble fitting in and finding her true self. She returns to Tehran, but has a difficult time relating to others, and giving back her freedom makes her depress that she rebels even more against the strict regime laws. She decides to return to Europe.

Reader's response: Persepolis is a graphic autobiography that describes the life of Marjane Satrapi growing up in Iran. The cover of the book shows little Marjane wearing a veil, the veil is an important symbol in her life. This graphic novel, in black and white comic strips,  gives us a window to the freedom Iran women experienced before the regime and their strict lives after the revolution. What I enjoyed most about reading this book was the fact that it was written by someone who was born and raised in Iran, someone who knows the facts because they lived it. It is very different from reading a historical fiction book, where the author has to research the facts. Marjane lived every moment mention in the graphic novel, everything is from her personal experiences. It gives the reader a clear image of personal life and public life in Iran, and not what we think it is. Persepolis can be use in the classroom to help students with skills in visual literacy. It can also be use to teach across curriculum, for example placing events in history in a timeline using text evidence from the book and teaching cultures and traditions in Social Studies. This book can also be use in art class to learn about images as a focus of communication.




Iran timeline by Free Library Organization

Discussion Guide by Three Rivers Library

Using Graphic Novels in Education by Maryl Jaffe

Other books by Marjane Satrapi:

Novel Pairings:

Peter Sis's memoir reflects the life under the Soviet Communist rule.

Moying Li's memoir reflects life under a Communist rule in China.

Speak

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (1999). Speak. Penguin Group: New York, NY.

Awards: National Book Award, Golden Kite Award

Genre: Fiction
Grades: 9-12th

Pages: 224

Summary: During a summer party, while being intoxicated Melinda was taken advantage of. She called the police, but was unable to explain to the dispatchers or anyone at the party what had happened. She became ostracized by her peers at school, even her former friends. Unable to speak about her tragic event, Melinda becomes depressed, causes herself pain by biting her lips and nails, and isolates herself. She finds sanctuary in Mr. Freemans' art class and hiding in a closet at school. Self-center senior, Andy Evans, is responsible for Melinda's tragedy. He antagonizes her at school and Melinda becomes traumatize by his presence. Nobody understands her silence and change of personality, her mom thinks she wants attention, her father blames the school, and the counselor thinks is her parent's trouble marriage. Melissa finds the need to speak up about Evan to warn her former friend, Rachel, who starts dating him. Melissa tries to warn other girls by writing a message about Evan on the bathroom stalls and girls respond. She finally realizes that silence is not a solution to a problem and starts seeing herself as a survivor not a victim.

Response: This novel can be read as a autobiographical text for anyone that can relate to the protagonist or knows of someone that has experience the same events. It also helps the reader develop empathy for the victims and survivors of assault. The novel can be use in class to open up to small group or whole group discussions about social problems that affect our young adults that are hard to talk about. For reading skills students can learn about the use of metaphors in reading and writing, for example Melinda's tree paintings mirrored her inner transformation through out the novel. Cross curriculum activities can also be use with the novel, such as using art to demonstrate emotions and/or experiences, just like Amanda did in Mr. Freeman's art class. 

Thematic Unit by Dr. Lee Brown

More books by Laurie Halse Anderson:

Out of Darkness

Perez, Ashley Hope. (2015). Out of Darkness. Carolrhoda Books: Minneapolis, MN.

Awards: Michael L. Printz Award

Lexile level: HL660L

Age: 14-18

Genre: Historical Fiction

Topics: New London, TX Explosion, 

Race Relations, Segregation

African-American, Mexican American 

Quote from Out of Darkness: "This is East Texas, and there's lines. Lines you cross, lines you don't cross. That clear?"

Summary: Naomi Consuelo Coronado Vargas is the "dark step-daughter" of Henry Smith. Her mother past away when giving birth to the twins Robbi and Carrie. She becomes the caregiver to the twins, who she adores, and a maid to Henry, who she detests. Henry moves the family from San Antonio to the segregated town of New London, Texas to work for an oil company. Naomi feels sort of in between. She is not white like her brother and sister or black like the community in Egypt Town. She is the only Mexican at her school, and is constantly bullied and made feel inferior by her classmates and teachers. She falls in love with Wash, an African-American boy, but their love crosses the deadly line of color that bring atrocious consequences.  In 1937, the community of New London suffers the worst school disaster in American history. A gas pipe causes the school to explode, but the angry lynch mob needs to point the finger at someone, and they target Wash. They make his family pay for a crime they didn't commit, they are saved from hanging thanks to the presence of the pastor. When Henry finds out about the love relationship between Naomi and Wash he makes them pay with their life, and worst of all he makes his son Robbie participate against his will.   

Reader's response: The historical-fiction novel gives the reader an open-window view of the life of many individuals  that were effected by segregation during the 1930's in East Texas. The author's choice of words describe in great detail the fear of African-Americans and the feeling of insignificance by Mexicans. While reading this novel I felt, pity, anger, frustration, heart-broken and happy for the few moments that Naomi, the twins, and Wash shared together. The title of every chapter was the name of the character it was going to focus on. After finishing the text, the cover of the novel makes perfect sense, the long braid represents Naomi's identity. She wears her long braid to remind her of her mother and her ethnicity. She wears it proud even though the braid makes her stand out even more at school and gives her peers another reason to tease. Teachers can use this novel for cross curriculum activities between reading and history. It can be use to teach reading skills and to teach Texas history or U.S. history during  the segregation period.

Discussion Guide by Lerner Books

Other Books by Ashley Hope Perez:

Looking for Alaska

Green, John. (2005). Looking for Alaska. Penguin Group: New York, NY.

Awards: Michael L Printz Award

Top 10 Books for Young Adults

Grades: 9-12
Pages: 350

Genre: Fiction

Topics: Interpersonal relations, school, death, forgiveness

Summary: Mile Hartor, (who is fascinated by famous last words), makes the decision to drop out of public school and attend the prestigious boarding school in Alabama, Culver Creek, seeking a "Great Perhaps." Miles makes friends with his roommate, Chip Martin "Colonel", who is good at memorizing facts and despises the Weekend Warrior, the rich kids at school. He meets Alaska Young, an endlessly fascinating girl with erratic behavior. Alaska pulls Miles into her labyrinth, her pranks brings joy to his hopelessly boring life. While secretly and openly loving Alaska, he learns about her mother's death and the guilt she carries. One night, Alaska in an emotional distress leaves school with the help of her friends and dies in a car accident. Her death leaves her friends with unanswered questions, missing puzzles to her life, and guilt for letting her drive intoxicated. 

Reader's Response: The protagonist, Mile Hartor, narrates the story in first person. The book has two parts, the first half narrates events before Alaska's accident, the second half narrates events after. After the author acknowledgements, John Green provides deleted scenes as well as Q&A. The novel brings up many topics that teenagers experience on a regular bases in their own lives such as friendships, good and bad influences, trust, struggles, childhood experiences, love relationships and the feeling of invincibility. The novel lends itself for writing and small or large group discussions on how teenagers perceive themselves and each other and how adults perceive them. One of my favorite part of the novel was when the characters played the game "Best Day/Worst Day." Students can analyze causes and  and lasting effects for each character. They can also keep a journal to write about their worst and best days. 

John Green Official Site

Teacher's Guide by the Penguin Group

Audio Book by Brilliance Audio

Other Books by John Green:

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Ness, Patrick. (2008). The Knife of Never Letting Go. Candlewick Press: Somerville, MA.

Awards: Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

              James Tiptree Jr. Award

Grade level: 9th and up

Lexile: 860L

Pages: 496

Summary: Thirteen year old Todd lives in the supernatural and eerie Presstintown, a place where  women don't exit and everyone can hear each other's thoughts loud and clear through a germ called Noise. Todd finds a hole in the Noise, where he can actually hear silence, no thoughts. The source of the silence is Viola, a girl, a survivor from the Old World. Both run away to escape the Noise as well as the Mayor Prentiss's army who is after them. Through their journey they come across aliens, sickness, and death itself. Todd and Viola tried desperately to reach the town of Haven, a safe place. When they finally arrive is deserted, except for Mayor Prentiss. He welcomes them and declares himself president of the New World Order.

Reader's response: The story is told by the protagonist, Todd, point of view. I have to say the book was full of surprises. What makes this story incredible is that the protagonist is being pursue, but his thoughts can be tracked. He has to be creative and wise not to get caught by his own thoughts, something no one can control. We all think to ourselves all the time, sometimes unconsciously.

Chaos Walking Triology by Patrick Ness: