What else could you ever need?
I know when I was in high school, I always preferred fiction books to nonfiction books. I thought fiction books were better, more interesting, and more fun to read than nonfiction, and sometimes that's the case. However, that mistakenly led me to dismiss the entire category of nonfiction. Yes, I still prefer fiction, but my college experience (this book in particular) has changed my negative view toward nonfiction in general.
The book I read was Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, and it documented the experience Melba had as part of the "Little Rock Nine," or the first nine African American students to integrate schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. Now, I've always been familiar with the times and dates and court cases associated with integration, but until I read this book, it remained simply a part of history. I never gave much thought to the real experience those first integrated students faced. I never considered the details of the humiliation, agony, disappointment, and pain they were put through on a daily basis just to get the kind of education they deserved all along. This nonfiction book opened my eyes to the reality of history. It made history personal. Too often students face the risk of learning history as something in the distant past that has no relevance, or as something that's important, but not personal. Reading nonfiction books can change this for students of all ages, and I believe it's a necessary part of their education.
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This week, we're talking about individualism. This raises some questions: what does it mean to be an individual? Is being an individual worth it? I don't believe there's really a single "right" answer to these questions, but it's certainly one that students ought to explore and define on their own terms, and one of the best ways for them to consider this is through reading books that struggle with these questions in different ways. A perfect example is the book I read this week: The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Bartoletti took a real (though relatively unknown) historical figure named Helmuth Hübener and told his story from what she imagined his perspective to be. The story takes place during Hitler's rise to power in the early 20th century. Helmuth is a young German boy who slowly begins to realize that the government is lying to manipulate the German people, but Hitler's regime has created an environment where speaking out against the law is unimaginable, for it would surely bring harsh punishment or even death. There are many people who dislike the strict laws the Nazi Party has made, but the threat of punishment keeps almost everyone silent. Finally, however, Helmuth decides to take a stand. He uses his writing skills to make and distribute anonymous pamphlets to raise awareness of all the wrong Hitler is doing in Germany, even though each passing day increases the likelihood that he will be caught and perhaps executed. Helmuth's story is absolutely inspiring. I feel it would be a good choice for middle or high school students to read because it will show them that one person, even a teenager, can make a difference in the world if they stand up for their beliefs. The Boy Who Dared can teach students to find what it is they believe in and support and cling to it, no matter what the world may tell them. Students need to know that their thoughts, beliefs, and actions matter. They need to know that they don't have to simply accept what higher powers tell them. In fact, they should never just accept it! They should be encouraged to question and explore and seek the truth. Bartoletti's novel would provide students with a real-life example of how one teenager's courage made a world of difference, and that is such a necessary lesson to learn. The given theme for this week was "Good and Evil," which is a fantastic choice because it opens up a broad range of stories. My choice for this week was a book called Trafficked by Kim Purcell. I was intrigued by the description on the inside cover; this book is about a girl from Moldova who comes to America for a promise of a better life as a nanny. However, both the way she comes to this country and her experience here are horrifyingly real representations of the evil that people can do to those without power.
Hannah is placed with a family that lives in American but comes from Russia. She is meant to be the nanny of two children while the father works and the mother studies to become a doctor. The more time she spends, the more she learns about what's expected of her. For instance, she must keep the house immaculate according to the mother (Lillian)'s extremely neurotic standards. Any minor flaw results in even more work. Lillian hates to be disturbed in any way, so Hannah must add childcare in to her expected duties. Additionally, Lillian is obsessively jealous of he husband, Serge. She forbids Hannah from having any interaction with Sergey whatsoever, and scrutinizes her every move continuously. That turns into a problem once it becomes clear that Sergey has a special interest in Hannah. No matter what she does, Lillian finds a reason to hate her. On top of juggling all this, Hannah has not been paid, has been unable to communicate with her family in any way, and has ultimately been forbidden to leave the house, leaving her completely dependent upon Lillian and Sergey for everything. I don't want to give too much away, but I think this book (while certainly a difficult read) would be a good chance for high school students to confront the hard truths about our world. Human trafficking is a real problem today, and students need to know about real problems. It might be a hard sell because there are some sexual and violent elements to the book, but any book addressing this topic in a realistic fashion has to include those themes. At some point, we have to trust that our students can handle things, and I think the overall lesson on human trafficking and why it needs to be stopped is more important than coddling high school students with easier reads. |
AngelicaLaughter and literature are two of my favorite things, and I consider them to be crucial parts of my life. This blog is designed to spread life, laughter, and literature to anyone and everyone who needs them most. Photo by Tim Geers
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April 2015
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