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YAL Blog Post #6: The Youth Lens

Themes in The Sun is Also a Star:

What are the themes of the text?

The themes of the text are love, fate, immigration, deportation, and racism.

What values, beliefs, or ideas about youth are conveyed through the themes in the text?

The ideas about youth that are conveyed through the themes in the text are that they are idealistic and naïve.  Daniel believes that after meeting a stranger on the street, he not only will get her to fall in love with him, but that they are soulmates.  He says, “We’re meant to walk through this world together. I see it in her eyes. We are meant to be. I’m certain of this in a way I’m not certain about anything else” (Yoon 101).  He knows almost nothing about Natasha at this point, and is still recklessly trying to pursue her instead of preparing for his future.

Natasha is extremely naïve because she believes that she will be able to overturn a judge’s ruling over her deportation in one day.  She has gone to the immigration office day after day for weeks in hopes that she will be able to stay in the United States. She says, “The truth is, despite the fact that I don’t believe in miracles, I was hoping for one” (Yoon 232).  Natasha’s belief that she will single handedly be able to stop her family from being deported shows that the author believes youth to be idealistic and naïve.  

How do these themes norm, complicate, or reimagine youth?

These themes support cultural norms about youth because young adults are often seen as erratic, impulsive, and dreamers.  Both Natasha and Daniel throw away all of their responsibilities of the day in order to pursue an unlikely dream. By writing this book, Yoon further ostracized young adults from the population of older people by showing them that youth make impulsive decisions without thinking about the outcomes.

Works Cited:

Petrone, Robert, et al. “The Youth Lens: Analyzing Adolescence/Ts in Literary Texts.” Journal of Literary Research, vol. 46, 2015.

Yoon, Nicola. The Sun is Also a Star. New York, Delacorte Press, 2016.

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YAL Blog Post #5: Sequential Art, Graphic Novels, and Comics

What is the role of sequential art, graphic novels, and comics in the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom?

The role of sequential art, graphic novels, and comics in the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom is to encourage all types of readers to engage with the text in a visual way.  Reading graphic novels can entice even the most reluctant readers to enjoy a novel. In particular, “Nonfiction sequential art is kin to traditional nonfiction as it presents information for purposes of educating or informing… but in an accessible and reader-friendly format” (Kelly 5).  When students are learning about difficult or abstract concepts, it is helpful to provide them with the novel in a sequential art format so that the student can “see” the concepts they are reading about.

Graphic novels are especially helpful for low-level students or English Language Learners (ELLs).  Instead of focusing on decoding and translating the words of the text, they can look at the pictures and use their context clues to build their literacy skills without much frustration on their end.  “It should also be noted that both images (Figures 1 and 2) show universal emotional responses that any student, even readers struggling with English, can easily comprehend and process. The images can further develop students’ conceptual knowledge of what abstract concepts, such as emotions, entail” (Kelly 5).  Using graphic novels can build students’ literacy in a new, exciting way that many readers haven’t been exposed to. Sequential art is enjoyable to read, and is a great addition to any ELA classroom.

Post-Reading Discussion Prompts for This One Summer:

  1. How are Rose’s emotions portrayed through the use of the panels on pgs 138-139?
  2. Examine how the authors use images to add audio cues to the story on pgs 180-181.  Explain how this affects the rising action and tension of the plot.
  3. How is Jenny’s embarrassment shown through the actual text and images on pgs 212-218?
  4. The novel This One Summer tackles mature themes, like teen pregnancy, miscarriage, and maritial problems.  What artistic choices do the authors make to highlight these issues in the panels? 
  5. Alice withdraws from her family and friends throughout the novel.  How does this affect the other characters? Use details from the panels or actual text.

Works Cited

Kelly, Brian. “Sequential Art, Graphic Novels, and Comics.” SANE Journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education, vol. 1, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2010, pp. 1-24., <https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sane/vol1/iss1/10>.

Tamaki, Mariko, and Tamaki, Jillian. This One Summer. First Second, 2014.

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YAL Blog Post #4

Option 1: Sentence Starters

  1. Three important points/ideas are… discrimination, hope, and forgiveness.  Sasha was the victim of a horrible hate crime caused by Richard flicking his lighter on and setting their skirt on fire.  Richard discriminated against them and wanted to cause them some type of pain, be it through making fun of them or by setting their skirt on fire.  Sasha is hopeful that this incident will make others aware of the struggles people who are agender face each day. They are able to forgive Richard, but will never forget his actions and how they affected their life.
  2. This reminds me of… Laverne Cox, my favorite transgender actress’s experiences during high school.  During high school, on her way home from school, “The second I was off the bus, I had to start running or I’d be beat up” (Rose).
  3. The author’s purpose is… to shed light on the struggles agender people face and to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.
  4. What interested me most was… how Sasha and their parents asked the court for leniency on Richard’s sentence.
  5. I still don’t understand… why Richard chose to flick the lighter.

Works Cited

Rose, Nick. “Laverne Cox Speaks on the Struggles of Being a Transgender Black Woman in the US.” The Sundial, 5 Mar. 2018, <sundial.csun.edu/116580/arts-entertainment/a-night-with-laverne-cox/>.

Slater, Dashka.  The 57 Bus.  New York, Wren & Rook, 2017.

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All American Boys

By Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

YAL Blog Post #1

Dear Diary,

I remember this like it was yesterday.  Paul, Quinn, and I were practicing for basketball tryouts at the park.  The courts were made of huge black asphalt, and it was well loved. The pavement had started to crack, the paint had faded away, and the hoop had no net, just a round metal circle to shoot through.  Paul was working closely with Quinn, making sure he was in shape enough for tryouts. I remember being so jealous of their relationship because even though Paul was my brother, I didn’t get to see him much since he joined the force.  Every night he came home, he was beat down and exhausted from what he had seen that day. He smelled like sweat, tobacco, and fast food. His eyes always had bags under them from the long hours he worked. Even so, every Saturday morning he would wake up and help us practice basketball skills until late afternoon.

That’s why I don’t understand why Quinn so easily flipped a switch and joined the bandwagon against my brother.  Paul was basically his father and has looked out for him since he was a kid. I know that the video looks bad, but the media always twists everything against cops.  How is this any different? I know my brother, and he would never beat up anyone who didn’t deserve it.

-Guzzo

Pages: 1 2

YAL Blog Post #7: Digital Book Review

I loved creating my digital book review.  I chose a simpler route of just discussing my thoughts about the book in a video, rather than creating a book movie trailer.  In order to organize my thoughts, I created a sort of “script” of what I would say during the video so I wouldn’t blank out when it began.  The questions that were provided with the assignment were super helpful because it allowed me to cover all of the important information of the book and give my audience a better idea if they would be interested in reading it or not.  I found that the most difficult part of recording the book review was my speaking skills. I would practice what I wanted to say before turning the camera on, but when I started recording I would stutter and have to start over.

Discussing YA books in a digital medium is beneficial for students because it allows them to use something they are familiar with: technology.  One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was to watch YouTube videos! I think kids will more naturally be opposed to the digital book talks because it combines educational material with a fun video.  One drawback to making online videos is that children will not have the opportunity to ask questions about the book they are interested in or look at it in person. For example, if a book is about a topic students are unfamiliar with, they may bypass watching the video instead of asking for clarification from their teacher.

I think I would use this method as an assignment for my students, and keep all videos in a place where they can easily have access.  This way, they are hearing their classmates and someone their own age talk about books, instead of their teacher. Then I could allow students to browse through the videos when they need ideas on what books they would like to read.

All American Boys Character Sketch

Title of Assigned Reading: All American Boys

Name of character: Paul Galluzzo

  1. Your age and physical appearance:
    1. Late 20’s, early 30’s.  Large, white, muscular, and fit man.
  1. Your house, city/area, favorite place:
    1. My house- down the block from Quinn
    2. Springfield
    3. Park Basketball Courts
  1. Your passions, “soap box topics,” deepest desires (which may not be mentioned in the text):
    1. Justice and revenge
    2. Being the best police officer
    3. Apprehending “criminals”
    4. Being a role model for his family and friends
    5. Appearing to be tough and intimidating
    6. Be a hero
  1. Your main goal:
    1. To be a good police officer that people can count on to help them.
  1. Your biggest obstacles and problems:
    1. Criminals causing trouble
    2. Defending myself against the Rashad Butler case
  1. Your biggest influences:
    1. Mr. Galluzzo, Quinn, Guzzo, and Mr. Collins (town hero, Quinn’s father, veteran)
  1. Your greatest strengths:
    1. Physical strength, All-American image, respected member of the community status, close knit family, sense of justice
  1. Your greatest weaknesses:
    1. Impulsivity, need to dominate others, violent tendencies
  1. What one or two words best describe you? Give examples of details or events from the text that demonstrate these traits:
    1. Strength- Paul beat Rashad Butler and put him in the hospital, and defended Quinn from bullies when he was younger
    2. Intimidation- when playing a game with Quinn after beating Rashad, he is overly aggressive and causes him to leave the game.  He also uses his physical strength to get his way.
  1. List quotations from the text that reveal most clearly who you are and what you are about:
    1. “He was flipping burgers at the grill.  A red bandanna tied up over his head. Ratty t-shirt, even in this cool November weather… Man, I’d never really taken in how huge they were, like, they could’ve squatted, pitched forward, and put their knuckles in the dirt, and they’d be the linemen I just saw wearing Pats and Broncos uniforms” (Reynolds & Kiely 103-104).
    2. “If you keep bitching at each other like this into the season, you aren’t going to play well.  You’re going to suck. So strap on a pair and get your shit together” (Reynolds & Kiely 112).
    3. “I just wanted him to stop beating me.  I just wanted to live. Each blow earthquaked my insides, crushing parts of me I had never seen, parts of me I never knew were there.  ‘Fuckin’ thugs can’t just do what you’re told. Need to learn how to respect authority. And I’m gonna teach you,’ he taunted, almost whispering in my ear” (Reynolds & Kiely 23). 
  1. Prepare an opening monologue of one to two brief paragraphs to introduce yourself to the audience.
    1. My name is Paul Galluzzo.  I am just a typical American guy.  I’m proud of my family, my job, and my choices.  If you ask anyone around town, I’m always willing to lend a helping hand.  I practically raised Quinn Collins after his Dad died, and I treated him like my own son.  Guzzo, Quinn and I would run drills all day at the local park so that they could make their high school basketball team.  All I ever wanted to be was a good role model to them. That’s why I joined the police force. I want to help my town be a safe place for my family and friends to live, and I will use any means necessary to do it.

YAL Blog Post #2

I believe the strategy of “shared reading” would be beneficial when teaching the text, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.  Shared reading “combines aspects of guided reading and read-aloud strategies. During shared reading, a teacher or proficient student reads the text aloud, pausing at pre-selected moments to discuss content and analyze the text” (“Close and Critical Reading”).  This would serve as a during reading activity because both the teacher and student are analyzing and reading the text together.  One of my favorite middle school English teachers used this strategy, and it helped me understand the text easily because I was reading along and hearing her speak the words aloud.

Since this book deals with such mature themes, like police brutality and racism, it would be really important to facilitate the text.  Making sure all students fully understand the content of the book and how to have mature discussions is extremely important. This book is unique because it is written in a double narrative, so people can see two extremely different characters’ points of view.  I personally would focus on why Quinn struggles so much with standing up to his family, friends, and Paul to do what is right and to set an example for his younger brother. Is it always necessary to be loyal to your friends, even when you know they did something wrong?  Students at this age are very influenced by their peer groups, so I know that they would struggle with this concept.

In the article, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” by Rudine Sims-Bishop, she asserts that YA books are an instrumental piece of children’s education.  In order to understand the multicultural world we live in, they need exposure to all different types of people and lifestyles. She writes, “… books may be one of the few places where children who are socially isolated and insulated from the larger world may meet people unlike themselves” (Sims-Bishop).  When I was growing up, I lived in a predominantly white neighborhood, and went to public school. The public schools I attended had only 27% of students identified as minorities. Growing up in this town sheltered me from a lot of issues and cultures, and I mostly tried to educate myself through reading YA novels.  Although I knew they were fictional, I was able to take a peek into many different lives unlike my own.

Works Cited

“Close and Critical Reading.” Teaching Tolerance, <www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/teaching-strategies/close-and-critical-reading >.

Sims-Bishop, Rudine.  “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors.”  Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom. Vo. 6, no. 3.  The Ohio State University, 1990.

In-Class Response

  1.  The main idea I took away from the three assigned readings was that Young Adult novels provide young readers with different perspectives than they are exposed to in everyday life.  When adolescents read books they are interested in, they gain new ideas and become aware of their own prejudices.
  2. “In this country, where racism is still one of the major unresolved social problems, books may be one of the few places where children who are socially isolated and insulated from the larger world may meet people unlike themselves. If they see only reflections of themselves, they will grow up with an exaggerated sense of their own importance and value in the world-a dangerous ethnocentrism” (Sims-Bishop 1).
  3. As a teacher, you should expose your students to a diverse set of books so that they can expand their cultural literacy and become educated adults.
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