Module 15: ttyl

Book Summary

Myracle’s book ttyl is a unique book that is written all in text messages. The text messages take place between three friends (Maddie, Angela, and Zoe) as they start the 10^th grade. The girls experience a range of typical teen woes: hatred of the popular crowd (particularly Jana), body image issues, drinking, new boyfriends, sex, homework, fights and fights between friends. But the girls also experience some uncommon—but still realistic—issues, like an inappropriate relationship with a teacher.

The girls’ friendship goes on a roller coaster. Angela starts dating a boy named Rob, and she needs her friends’ help when he ends up breaking up with her. Maddie really dislikes Jana, the popular girl, but she actually starts to befriend her. And Zoe starts going to a Christian group called Young Life with one of her teachers, Mr. H, with whom she starts a questionable relationship. Then the girls really get into it when Maddie goes to a frat party on Halloween with Jana, gets drunk, and makes regrettable decisions—Angela and Zoe talk about it when Maddie is not around, and when Maddie finds out, she is extremely upset, so much that she stops talking to them. Pictures end up circulating around the school of Maddie from Halloween night, and Zoe gets uncomfortably closer to Mr. H. Luckily, the friends come together and pull each other through.

APA Reference of Book

Myracle, L. (2004). Ttyl. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Impressions

I have mixed feelings about this book. I appreciate that Lauren Myracle wrote the story with her young adult audience in mind, trying to keep the voices of the characters authentic and presenting these voices in a format that is comfortable with teens. But I am weary of a book that is completely written in text message spelling and grammar. The entire book is written in this style. For example, Maddie writes, “so. . . what r u doing tonite? any big plans now that ur all made up and beautiful?” (Myracle, 2004, p. 109). It seems to reinforce bad writing habits that already plague youth today. I can understand that the book will seem authentic and familiar to teens, which will make it appealing, but I worry that books like these will only encourage youngsters to write in the abbreviated, text message lingo in formal writing as well, like in school assignments or job applications, which is only to their detriment.

But I am glad that Myracle isn’t shy about anything in this book, and she makes the story real by including many things teens actually talk about and care about, from love to underage drinking to religion. Some of the scenarios in her book seem scandalous, like the teacher who tries to initiate a romantic relationship with Zoe, but these contemporary issues will surely capture the attention of a teen audience—while likely making many parents uncomfortable. Not only will these issues catch the attention of the reader, but I think it will encourage the reader to think critically. Young readers will be encouraged to think about what they would do in these situations, they may be encouraged to think about actions and consequences, and they will hopefully learn something about themselves in addition to learning something about the characters.

I was surprised at how much character development occurred within the text message format. The way the girls interact and what they say about each other reveals a lot about their personalities, and it explains some of their jealousies and motivations for behaving. Plus, unique tools, like online personality quizzes (which teens often do take) are also included throughout the story to provide insight into the girls and their characteristics. It is also helpful that the different characters have different colored font for their text messages—this makes the conversations much easier to follow. Plus, the look of the fonts seem symbolic themselves, representing the personalities of each friend. For instance, Angela the social butterfly has a blue font that has soft edges, which reveals her spunky spirit and laid-back nature. Zoe’s font looks like a regular times new roman because she is usually hard-working and responsible. And Maddie’s font is dark black and bold, which seems to represent her pessimistic attitude and somewhat rough and tough demeanor.

I think this book will be held back, though, being relevant to teens for an extended period of time due to the popular culture references (like the singer Jewel), their clothing choices (like a knee-length denim skirt),  and the format of the book itself. These things will—and already do—make the book feel dated. I think text messaging online used to be much more popular, but many kids text on their cell phones now or use Facebook to instant message. If it doesn’t feel dated now, it will in the near future simply due to the fact that technology and communication changes so rapidly. The unique format may have worked to engage readers when the book first came out, but it will only take a couple of years for the format to turn teens away and make then roll their eyes. The book will quickly feel old and nostalgic rather than cool and contemporary, like parents who still live in the 80s and don’t realize they have gotten older, but their kids surely do.

Ultimately, I think the content of this book will make teens reflect and think about themselves and their peers more critically, but I think there are other young adult books out there that have relevant, thought-provoking content while using correct spelling and grammar. Although I don’t necessarily dislike this book, I can’t say that I like it either. I at least know that I am not going to heartily recommend this book anytime soon.

Professional Review

The following was stated in a review from Publishers Weekly (2004):

Myracle's (Kissing Kate ) approach is creative, even if her newest novel is somewhat formulaic: three best friends hash out their lives—from new relationships to conflicts with one another—through instant messages. As they start 10th grade, social Angela catches her new boyfriend on a date with another girl; tough Maddie is befriended, then humiliated, by a popular girl; and "good little Zoe" finds herself crushing on a teacher—who seems to be interested in her, too. Though the main characters and the plotting seem familiar, readers will appreciate Myracle's portrayal of the supportive friends: they listen to one another, plan a surprise party and a road trip, and when Maddie is low, Angela and Zoe make her a care package with a poem that Angela calls "mushy but not 2 mushy." Their messages at times contain too much plotting to seem like realistic chats, but the style makes for an engaging, quick read. Flourishes such as emoticons and Internet lingo add realism; the book's title translates to "talk to you later ," and Angela adds stage direction to her messages, writing "*stomps foot* " (when she believes Maddie is withholding information) or "*jumps up and down and squeals* " (when Zoe promises her a makeover). As might be expected, there is a falling-out among the friends. But while Maddie's reaction when she catches Angela and Zoe discussing her behind her back seems too extreme, readers will cheer their reunion, which happens just as Zoe's teacher makes his move. (para. 1)

Library Uses

I think this book can be well-utilized in a book display of banned books during Banned Books week. This book can also be utilized for a library’s Teen Advisory Board. Teens can read the book, and then a librarian can lead a discussion about censorship, mentioning that this book is frequently challenged. The librarian can ask the teens why they think this particular title is often challenged, the teens can talk about what they think about censorship, and the librarian can talk about intellectual freedom. I think this book would lend itself to a very interesting and engaging discussion about important themes that encourage teens to think for themselves and support an open exchange of ideas.

This book could also be used by a librarian or teacher for a language arts lesson or even just a discussion about how text message writing is different from formal writing expectations. This can be an opportunity to ask teens if they think the norms for text message writing negatively affects their generation’s ability to write formally and grammatically correct.

References

[Review of the book ttyl, by L. Myracle]. (2004, March 1). Publishers Weekly. 

           Retrieved from www.publishersweekly.com

Module 14: Cool Salsa

Book Summary

This anthology, Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing up Latino in the United States, begins with an editor’s note by Lori N. Carlson who describes how she became passionate about studying and writing about Latin American literature and her hopes for this anthology—that it will, essentially, help increase understanding of Latinos’ experiences in the United States and increase language study. Following the editor’s note is an introduction by Oscar Hijuelos, who describes his personal experience of growing up in the United States as a child of Cuban immigrants, and also as a Cuban with the look of an Irishman. He further describes the panic, uneasiness, and confusion of growing up in a family of immigrant parents, of having a mother learning English while he also did, of having a father who literally worked himself to death, of so frequently having a sense of “second classness” (p. xvi).

Poems follow the introduction and are separated by subject: “school days,” “home and homeland,” “memories,” “hard times,” “time to party,” and “promising future.” The poems feel like they have a logical order, ending with a sense of hope and optimism for the future. The poems represent all aspects of growing up Latino. Some poems are simple and joyful, like the one about “Good Hot Dogs” by Sandra Cisneros on page 10. And some poems describe challenges and hardship, like “A Puerto Rican Girl’s Sentimental Education” by Johanna Vega on page 12 and “‘Race’ Politics” by Luis J. Rodriquez on pages 60-62. Some poems compare Latin culture with culture in the United States, like “Dia de los muertos”  by Abelardo B. Delgado on pages 30-31. Some relive historical events, like “My Memories of the Nicaraguan Revolution” by Eugenio Alberto Cano Correa on page 38. Most poems throughout the book are also offered in two versions: English and then Spanish. But some are best told in Spanish and so are only represented in the book in that language. There is also a glossary at the end of the book to translate some of the Spanish into English, and there are biographical notes to give some background information about the various poets featured in the anthology.

APA Reference of Book

Carlson, L. M. (ed.). (1994). Cool salsa: Bilingual poems on growing up Latin 

          in the United States. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Impressions

I enjoyed reading the editor’s note and the introduction, which both prepared me for the mood of the poems and situated me towards this anthology so that I understood its purpose before jumping in. However, I was a little thrown off by the writing style of the introduction by Oscar Hijuelos. I really enjoyed the content of what he said, but his writing style was quite choppy, and it lacked much flow. He included so many commas and interjections, packing multiple ideas and references in one sentence, that I sometimes had to read sentences a couple of times to understand what he was saying. I greatly appreciated, however, his willingness to share his personal experience of being bilingual and growing up in the United States as a child of Cuban immigrants, which served as an appropriate introduction to an anthology of bilingual poems about being Latino in the U.S.

The poetry itself is really beautiful and artistic, and it is for the most part very accessible to teens and young adults—although some poems may not be fully understood. They display wonderful rhythm and musicality. A lot of the poetry also successfully depicts strong, detailed, memorable images, like the poem “Pig Roast” by Sandra M. Castillo on pages 22-23, which includes specific details about the setting, the characters, clothes, and more within the poem. In this poem, a scene is effectively developed and created in a way that the reader can see and also experience it for him or herself. The poetry throughout this anthology also effectively introduces readers to dynamic and multidimensional Latin experiences that are not stereotypical. The poetry educates readers about differences between Latin culture and culture in the United Stated, like the poem “Dia de los muertos” by Abelardo B. Delgado on pages 30-31, which describes the contrast between the way Mexican people view the dead and the way people in the United States view the dead.

Some of the poems in this anthology are presented in English with some words still in Spanish, which I think works well to help develop the mood and setting of the poem for the reader, who can better imagine what experiences sound and feel like with the inclusion of these Spanish words. I think this is also a great way to introduce English-speaking readers to foreign words. Someone who is learning Spanish could greatly benefit from this anthology by reading poems first in Spanish and attempting to translate them into English. The reader can then check the English version or the glossary for accuracy.

One poem that stood out to me was “The Changeling” by Judith Ortiz Cofer on page 36, which describes the experience of being a young girl vying for her father’s attention. The young girl had to dress up like a masculine soldier in order to get him to look up and pay attention. But when called to the dinner table, her mother forced her to take off the costume, to feel invisible again. Even though I am not Latina, I can still understand what she is feeling. The poems in this anthology serve as a reminder that although we have cultural differences that give us unique experiences, there are still many feelings can be universal. We are all different and the same simultaneously.

Professional Review

The following was stated in a review from Kirkus Reviews (1994):

The founder of the bilingual children's magazine Azul offers a collection of poetry by Gary Soto, Oscar Hijuelos (who also contributes an introduction) and other contemporary Latino writers from both the edges and the heartland of our country. Most, but not all, of the poems were written in English first; they appear here in the original, and also in translations: sometimes literal, sometimes free, sometimes by the poet, generally by another. Gathered by theme--``School Days,'' ``Hard Times,'' ``Time To Party,'' etc.--they express a wide range of experience and feeling in direct ways, from Gina ValdÇs's ironic ``English con Salsa'' (``Welcome to ESL 100, English Surely Latinized'') or Pat Mora's ``Mango Juice'' (``Eating mangoes/on a stick/is laughing/as gold juice/slides down/your chin...'') to Luis J. Rodr°guez's account of being beaten upon venturing into a white neighborhood to buy groceries (`` `Race' Politics''). Six of the poems here are truly bilingual, mixing languages in intriguing ways. In ``Why Do Men Wear Earrings on One Ear?'' Trinidad Sanchez Jr. exclaims: ``Sepa yo!/Maybe por costumbre, maybe porque es la moda/or they have made promesas...because la chica selling them was sooooo mamacita...'' Carlson assumes that most of her readers will be more comfortable in English; the English version of each poem comes first, and Spanish phrases are translated (``Sepa yo: How should I know?'') in an appended glossary. Poetry with a distinct flavor: a skillfully mixed appetizer for After Aztlan: Latino Poets of the Nineties (1992) and other larger collections. (para. 1)

According to a review from Publishers Weekly (1994):

As hot as jalapenos and as cool as jazz, this collection serves up ``ingles con chile'' and Spanish that ``you feel in the blood of your soul.'' Lyrical, traditional poems share space with street-smart free verse, and works by the likes of Sandra Cisneros and Gary Soto are juxtaposed with entries from lesser-knowns. Illustrating the ``beat and pulse'' of generations of U.S. writers of Latin American heritage, the poems are presented both in the original and in translation; poems making use of both languages are easily accessible to English-only readers by virtue of an appended glossary of Spanish terms. In his introduction, Hijuelos ( The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love ) focuses on the ``unrelenting, unending sense of second classness'' that his parents experienced as Cuban emigrants and explains how this ``sense'' affected his uses of English and Spanish. The political agenda is not hidden, but the potency of the volume lies in Carlson's eclectic selection of voices--her volume approximates what one poet here calls ``a Mixtec chant that touches la tierra and the heavens.'' (para. 1)

Library Uses

I think this book could be well-utilized in a Spanish class for middle or high school students. Teens can read the poetry in Spanish to practice the language, utilizing the glossary to learn unknown words. A teacher or librarian could also follow a reading of this anthology (or readings of certain poems) with a lesson about Latin culture and/or a discussion about the unique experiences of Latinos growing up in the United States. This book could also be used as an introduction to a poetry unity in a literature class. A teacher can read a selection of poems aloud, and then the students can talk about whether they like them or not. Afterwards, the students can write their own free verse poems. In a public library setting, the title of this book could be placed on several recommended book lists, including one with poetry for teens and one with multicultural titles.

References

[Review of the book Cool salsa: Bilingual poems on growing up Latino in the 

          United States, edited by L. M. Carlson]. (1994, July 4). Publishers Weekly.  

          Retrieved from www.publishersweekly.com

[Review of the book Cool salsa: Bilingual poems on growing up Latino in the 

          United States, edited by L. M. Carlson]. (1994, July 15). Kirkus Reviews.  

          Retrieved from www.kirkusreviews.com

Module 13: Otto's Orange Day

Book Summary

In Otto’s Orange Day, Otto the cat loves the color orange. In fact, it is his favorite color. One day Otto receives an orange package from his Aunt Sally, and inside is a lamp, which his Aunt found in a strange, little store. His Aunt Sally thought Otto would like the lamp because it is the color orange. But when Otto dusts off the lamp, a genie appears, and he grants Otto one wish. Otto wishes that everything in the world was orange. At first, Otto loves it—everything is that bold and beautiful color. But then Otto quickly realizes that there are some problems with his wish. Some food is not very appetizing when it’s orange, like lamb chops; people get into car accidents because all the colors on the stop light are orange; Otto can’t identify his own house because all of the houses are orange. So Otto’s Aunt Sally comes to help. She makes her own wish that everything in the world was not orange. The genie grants her wish, but he makes everything in the world blue instead. Otto realizes the genie just wants someone to do something for him for a change, and so Otto orders the hungry genie a pizza, which would be enjoyed much more if it weren’t all in blue. As a result, the genie changes everything back to normal, and Otto comes to a new appreciation for all different colors, not just orange.

APA Reference of Book

Lynch, J. (2008). Otto’s orange day. New York, NY: RAW Junior, LLC.

Impressions

I did not personally like this graphic novel as much as I enjoyed most of the other books I have read throughout the semester, but I can see where a young child may enjoy it. I thought it was a little silly and ridiculous that the entire book (even if it is a graphic novel for children) would be based on the premise that the main character made a wish to make everything orange. With a goofy situation like this, it seems like this story would be better suited for a picture book format rather than a graphic novel, which often is longer and could use the extra space for plot and character development. Also, the lamp and the genie reminded me of the popular Disney movie Aladdin, a movie in which the genie also gets angry that he does not receive anything, which made me feel like the story itself was not incredibly unique or different.

Also, I thought it was somewhat strange that the text sometimes rhymed. The story did not consistently rhyme, just here and there, but not for any apparent reason. It seemed to rhyme randomly, and it didn’t contribute to the development of the story as far as I could tell, so it seemed unnecessary. It was also interesting that on page 29, when Otto is looking for his orange lamp in his room where everything is still orange, a block of text at the bottom of the page encourages readers to look for the lamp by stating, “Can you help Otto Find the lamp in this clutter?” (Lynch, 2008, p. 29). This could be a clever way to encourage reader interaction and to keep kids engaged with the story, but I think that if this type of reader interaction occurs once, it should occur at least a couple of times throughout the book for the sake of consistency. It felt somewhat odd and out of place the way this “game” is currently incorporated into the story. Lastly, the dialogue felt forced and awkward because at times it was utilized to describe what was happening in the story. For instance, on page 30, Otto says, “Now what will I do? The genie only gave me one wish and I used it. Maybe I’ll ask Aunt Sally Lee for help” (Lynch, 2008, p. 30). The purpose of this dialogue seemed to be that it was trying to explain to the reader what was happening in the story rather than represent something the character might actually say, even if that character is a cat.

Even though I did not enjoy this book very much, I think it could be enjoyed by kids approximately in preschool through 2^nd grade. It is a lighthearted and fun book that new and beginner readers may like. But it may be difficult, however, for beginning readers to understand how to follow the dialogue in the various panels since graphic novels follow a different format that other chapter books, and kids may be unfamiliar with this format as beginning readers. But kids could easily appreciate the goofy situations and simplistic humor, and they likely will be attracted to the bold and expressive cartoon-like illustrations. In fact, both the content and the style of the illustrations remind me of a typical cartoon television show for kids—TV shows that kids typically really like, which makes me think kids will also like this easy-to-read graphic novel with eye-catching illustrations. In addition, the sequential art was varied, and the composition of the pages was different throughout the book, which made the illustrations more interesting to look at and easier to read. The exaggerated facial expressions in the illustrations worked well to communicate the feelings of the characters to readers, like when Otto felt scared and nervous on page 27 (Lynch, 2008, p. 27). Action and movement are also depicted successfully with small but effective lines that were able to show things like chewing, car crashes, and running.

Overall, I appreciate this book’s potential to grab and engage young, reluctant readers who may think reading is not for them. This book demonstrates the wide variety of literature available for children, and it reminds me that graphic novels help youth develop literacy both for the printed word and for images.

Professional Review

According to a review of the book from Kirkus Reviews (2008):

Young Otto loves orange so much that when a sly genie rises up out of an old lamp he receives from Aunt Sally Lee, he uses his one wish to turn all the world that color. His ensuing bliss changes to blues, though, after he gets a gander at his orange lunch and then sees what happens on the street when every traffic light is the same color. Cammuso illustrates comics veteran Lynch’s tale in neatly drawn sequential panels, casting Otto as a cat (marmalade, of course) in human dress and pairing him with a blue, distinctly Disneyesque genie. Discovering that said genie hasn’t eaten in 880 years, Otto cleverly calls on the persuasive power of pizza to reverse the wish, and by the end all’s well. Low on violence and high on production values, this comics-format “Toon Book” will leave emergent readers wishing for more. (para. 1)

Library Uses

Otto’s Orange Day could be made available in a classroom library for children to browse and read during silent reading times. This book could also be used as an example for a class project during which the children create their own comic to understand how text and illustrations interact and reinforce one another. Children can read graphic novels like Otto’s Orange Day and then create their own comic strip. It would be fun to provide orange snacks to children during a program that features this book (like oranges, orange candy, orange juice, etc.).

References

[Review of the book Otto’s Orange Day, by J. Lynch]. (2008, May 1).  

          Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from www.kirkusreviews.com

Module 12: Me. . . Jane

Book Summary

This book starts off by introducing Jane and her stuffed chimpanzee, and the story follows Jane and her toy chimpanzee as they played outside, climbed trees, and observed nature. She learned as much as she could about the plants and animals that she loved. At one point, Jane’s curiosity even leads her to hide in a chicken coop to see where eggs come from. Even at a young age, Jane was very aware of the world around her. Jane also loved the books about Tarzan in African jungles, which featured a character whose name was also Jane. Jane wanted to live in Africa too. Then the story jumps ahead in time, saying that one day, Jane awoke and her dreams of living in Africa with the animals were true.

APA Reference of Book

McDonnell, P. (2011). Me. . . Jane. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Impressions

I really enjoyed both the text and illustrations of this book. It is the type of picture book that I think can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Jane is an extremely famous person known for the great work she has completed throughout her lifetime, particularly with chimpanzees, and I’m sure there are biographies available about her that are long and packed with stories, information, and details. (In fact, I found one biography written about Jane for adults that is 740 pages long!) But McDonnell does a wonderful job of concisely introducing young readers to Jane Goodall, focusing on Jane’s passion and love for animals rather than all of the details of how she came to be in Africa. McDonnell effectively portrays the spirit of Jane as a child—her adventurous pursuits, her passion for animals, her curiosity about the world—things that children can relate to. While there is a big and sudden leap in time at the end of the book, jumping from Jane’s childhood to showing Jane living in Africa as an adult, I think this shift in time is surprisingly smooth. Plus, the purpose of this book is to demonstrate Jane’s interests and dreams as a child, so it is not necessarily important to children to know how her dream came true, just whether it actually did or not. 

I also appreciated that there was a page with more details about Jane’s life at the end of the book for older readers. There was a message from Jane in the back as well in which she encourages the reader to make a difference and get involved. I did think it would have been helpful, though, to include a list of references or resources at the end for the reader to both know what type of research the author conducted and also for the reader to know where he or she can go to learn more. I can imagine that this might not have been included due to the age of the intended audience, which is approximately preschool through 2^nd grade. Children from this age will likely not know the purpose of a reference list, but older readers may want this information.

The illustrations are also very successful in supporting the content of the story. They appear to be quite childlike and simplistic, reflective of Jane’s childhood. Like I mentioned in a discussion post (Dunham, 2012), the illustrations are also gentle, warm, and inviting, showing small smiles and facial expressions on Jane’s face and her chimp’s face and appropriately matching the sentiment of the story that nature is embraced and adored by Jane. The background pictures that often appear behind the text are also unique and interesting, and they seem to imitate images from old, scientific notebooks. In fact, at the end of the book it states, “Throughout the book, ornamental engravings from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are included, collectively evoking Jane’s lifelong passion for detailed, scientific observation of nature” (McDonnell, 2011, p. 38). Overall, I really like this book and love the unique and beautiful illustrations. I think it is a successful biographical picture book, it is sweet and endearing, and it effectively represents Jane and her lifelong passions in a format that is accessible to young children.

Overall, I think this is a great biography for young children because it is beautifully and appropriately illustrated, the text is accessible, the story is engaging, it is inspiring, and the book appears to accurately portray Jane Goodall.

Professional Review

The following was stated in a review from Publishers Weekly (2011):

In this picture book biography, McDonnell (Wag!) examines Goodall's very English childhood and her unexpected wish—nurtured by early exposure to Tarzan—to live and work in Africa. On the left, earnest text appears on cream-colored paper embellished with delicate vintage images of trees and animals. On the right, by contrast, McDonnell's winsome ink and watercolor drawings come across as sweetly goofy. Jane spends most of her time sitting quietly, watching living things. "One day," McDonnell writes, "curious Jane wondered where eggs came from. So she and Jubilee [her beloved stuffed chimpanzee] snuck into Grandma Nutt's chicken coop... hid beneath some straw, stayed very still... and observed the miracle." (The hen looks just as surprised as Jane.) Best of all is a spread that shows Jane fantasizing living like Tarzan's Jane in Africa; she swings on a vine through the jungle, dressed in a sensible cardigan and a tartan skirt. Back matter fills in readers about Goodall's accomplishments as an adult; McDonnell's concentration on her childhood fantasies carries a strong message to readers that their own dreams—even the wildly improbable ones—may be realizable, too. (para. 1)

Library Uses

This picture book is valuable both for its content and its illustrations, so it would work well in a storytime program at the library for preschoolers with a theme of primates. This picture book would be appropriate for older kids as well, and it could be read aloud to a group of elementary-aged children during an After School Program during a day that focuses on biographies of inspirational people. This book would transition well into talking about what the children want to be when they grow up, and the kids can write about it or share their thoughts with the group. Lastly, this book could be included in a book display of biographical picture books or a book display of children’s books about inspirational women during Women’s History Month in March.

References

Dunham, K. (2012, November 17). What did you read this week? [Msg 1]. 

          Message posted to https://ecampus.unt.edu/webct/entryPage.dowebct

[Review of Me. . . Jane, by P. McDonnell]. (2011, February 28). Publishers 

          Weekly. Retrieved from www.publishersweekly.com