Reflections 6-9

Awards, Poetry, Literary Elements, and Historical Fiction

Sisters

Telgemeier, Raina. (2014). Sisters. Scholastic: New York, NY.

Genre: Non-fiction (Memoir)

Format: Graphic Novel

Pages: 208

Ages: 8-12

Topics: Siblings relationships

Summary: Raina wishes for a little sister, but when Amara is born she wishes she could take it all back. They argue over everything. Their small apartment doesn't seem big enough for the two of them. To make her life more dramatic she also gets a little brother. The family, except for dad who stays behind to look for work, drive to Colorado Springs to a family reunion. The road trip becomes intense when the sister's different personalities clash. Raina tunes out everything and everyone with the help of her Walkman and some cassette tapes. She is lost in her own world that doesn't pick up the clues of her parents arguments, but Amara is being observant. Amara's questions and comments make Raina pay more attention to her parent's relationship. They need to figure out how to get along and stop fighting like cats and dogs to save the family. 

Reader's response:  The author uses her cartoon-like illustrations to bring emotion to the minimal text. The book is a easy read since the illustrations do most of the "talking." It is so interesting how words and sounds are drawn with different fonts and colors to signal how they are intended to sound.  I like the plot of the story because is something many can connect with. Who doesn't fight with siblings? Everybody has been to family reunions were you feel awkward with extended family members you feel you have nothing in common with. But we all realize that when things get to hard to handle on our own, we have our family to turn to. That's what family is for. 

This is a great graphic novel to include in the classroom because it increases comprehension and vocabulary for reluctant readers and ESL leaners. It also serves as a bridge between low and high levels of reading. 

Story Starter by Scholastic

Teacher's Guide by Scholastic

Teaching with graphic novels

Other books by Raina Telgemeir:

House of Dolls

Block, Francesca Lia. (2010). House of Dolls. Harper Collins: New York, NY.

Genre: Soft Fantasy

Reading interest: Juvenile

Pages: 80

Topics: Dolls, Doll House, Loneliness
resentment, jealousy

Favorite quote from the book: "The combination of boredom and jealousy is a dangerous thing."

Summary: Madison Blackberry is bored in her fancy all-white-and gray penthouse, bored with her fancy toys, bored without any friends.She is jealous of her mother who attends gala parties and never has time to play with her. She is jealous of her father who is always traveling. She is jealous of her little brother who gets all the attention. But most of all, she is jealous of her dolls, Wildflower, Rockstar, and Miss Selene, and their boyfriends Guy and B. Friend. She envies the fancy dresses her grandmother makes for the dolls, but she has not made one dress for Madison. Out of anger Madison takes away all of the dolls' fancy dresses. She sends Guy to war and B. Friend goes MIA. Madison's jealousy melts away when finally her family realizes that all she needs and wants is their time and attention.

Reader's response: House of Dolls is a contemporary fairy tale where the lives of the dolls are affected by the complex relationships of their owners. Madison's family seems to be lost in pride and avarice that they forget about Madison. This book can be use in the classroom to have a discussion about the importance of family relationships. It can also be use to introduce students to writing their own fairy tale stories. Students can also write a different ending to the story. 

Other books from Francesca Lia Block:

Other books about dolls:

The Doll People by Ann Mathews Martin

Doll Bones by Holly Black

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: