Short Stories & Autobiography

Book 1: Short Stories

Who am I Without Him?: Short Stories About Girls and the Boys in their Lives by Sharon G. Flake

 

Bibliography:

Flake, S. (2004). Who am I without him?: Short stories about girls and the boys in their lives. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.

Summary: 


My Impression:

Reviews: 
"Hilarious and anguished, these 10 short stories about growing up black today speak with rare truth about family, friends, school, and especially about finding a boyfriend. Erika is a "ghetto girl" who likes white boys; she can't help it, and the other black kids in school can't stand her. because they know. Class is a big issue for Erin, who steals clothes so he can take a suburban girl to the homecoming dance. The church girls are forbidden to date, and they get hurt when they go hunting for boys. But their well-meaning parents don't have it right, and the girls won't stop looking. As with Janet MacDonald's fiction, the talk here is wild, angry, and outrageous, but there's no overt sex or obscenity. Yes, there are messages, but the narrative is never preachy or uplifting; it's honest about the pain. When one girl's boyfriend hits her, she apologizes "just like my momma does when daddy slaps her." The best advice comes from a dad who abandoned his family, who now tells his teenage daughter how to avoid getting stuck with someone like him ("you is so much more than a pretty face and a tight pair of jeans, some boy's girlfriend or some man's wife"). Not everyone makes it The stories work because Flake never denies the truths of poverty, prejudice, and failure" - Booklist (Gr. 6 to 12)

Hazel Rochman. (2004). Who am I without him?. Chicago: Booklist Publications.

 

“Written in the vernacular of urban African-American teens, which Flake captures flawlessly, these 10 stories have universal themes and situations. Some are funny and uplifting; others, disturbing and sad. In "So I Ain't No Good Girl," a teen wants to be with a good-looking popular boy, so much so that she tolerates his disrespect and abuse. In "Wanted: A Thug," Melody writes to a columnist for advice on how to steal a friend's boyfriend, unaware that the friend is the columnist's younger sister. Two of the stories are told from a boy's point of view. The concluding story, "A Letter to My Daughter," in which an absent father gives his daughter his advice about boys and men is sad, poignant, and loving. Flake has a way of teaching a lesson without seeming to do so. Addressing issues and situations that many girls face in today's often complex society, this book is provocative and thought-provoking.” – School Library Journal (Gr. 7 & Up)

Oluonye, M. (2004). Who Am I without Him?: Short Stories about Girls and the Boys in Their Lives (Book). School Library Journal, 50(5), 147.

Use in Classroom Setting:

Book 2: Autobiography

Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos

Bibliography:

Gantos, J. (2002). Hole in my life. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Summary:  

My Impression:

Reviews: 

“The author of Joey Pigza series relives his late teens and early twenties when, as the result of a drug bust, he was sentenced to prison. While serving time, he became a writer, and his early release under strict conditions, including going to school, cemented his resolve to write. At times harrowing but always moving, Gantos’ story will scare, touch, and enlighten.” – Book Links/Booklist Supplement (Gr. 9 & Up)

Hole in My Life (Book). (2004). Book Links, 13(5), 10.
 

“Gantos crafts a compelling tale of his chaotic life. Early on he and his family moved frequently as his father searched for employment. As a teenager, he took off on his own, intent on finding inspiration for his writing. At the age of 20, however, he ended up in prison for conspiracy to distribute drugs he helped smuggle into the United States. While in prison, he realized that his early life had already provided him with enough material to write fiction. Accessible and riveting, his story speaks to a young adult audience.” – School library Journal (Gr. 9 & Up)

Fazioli, C. (2003). Hole in My Life (Book). School Library Journal, 49(11), 84.

Use in Classroom Setting:
Students examine the different types of adversity that author Jack Gantos faced in Hole in My Life before he became a well-known author. As a class, they work through diverse scenarios in which they determine the importance of confronting their doubts and being accountable for their decisions. In the end, students share their own dreams for the future and discuss how they plan to accomplish them.

Students focus their attention on the study of Jack Gantos works to discover what themes and/or other commonalities might run throughout the body of one person's writings. Students make connections to his fictional work and his autobiography Hole in My Life.

Graphic Novel & Censorship Issues

Book 1: Graphic Novel

Bone: Out of Boneville by Jeff Smith

 

Bibliography:

Smith, J. (2005). Bone: Out of boneville. New York: Graphix.

Summary: 
A group of three is chased out of their town, Boneville, the characters call themselves Bones. It looks like Phoney Bone had some business deals go wrong and his cousins Smiley Bone and Fone Bone had to help him get out before the townspeople got to him. They end up getting lost and separated. While Fone tries to find his cousins he has some help from Thorn and her Grandma Ben, but it looks like the townspeople aren’t the only ones interested in finding Phoney. A gang of furry rat like creatures and a mysterious dragon are keeping a close eye on the trio. The cousins are finally reunited when they go meet up at the Spring Festival but the story continues in the next book of the series.

My Impression:

Reading through the book I enjoyed the very imaginative characters and landscapes. The book drew my attention with its secret mystery because you don’t know what the connection is between these cousins and the creatures in this land they’ve never been to. Though it has some dark powers in play, the book stays light with the funny interactions between the main characters.

Reviews:

“Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone have been run out of Boneville, but the real adventure begins when the three cousins accidently get separated and must find each other. A combination of appealing story line, endearing characters, smart dialogue, and solid artwork all contribute to the success of the Bine comic series, which has not only received critical acclaim but amassed a loyal fan following since its inception in 1991.” – Booklist/Book Links (Gr 3& Up)

Bone: Out from Boneville, v.1 (Book). (2004). Book Links, 13(5), 53-54.

 

“A whimsical journey, cunningly told. It combines fable with American legend in a tale of greed, friendship, and struggle. The story follows three cousins who have been thrown out of their town for cheating the citizens. Shortly thereafter, they are separated. Each Bone stumbles into a mysterious valley full of odd creatures that reveal strange happenings. The story is well paced with smooth transitions. It is dark, witty, mysterious, and exciting. The full-color art reflects that of classic comic books; one glance at the comic cels and one is reminded of old Disney and "Peanuts" cartoons. However, the animation and fresh story line put Smith in a league of his own.” – School Library Journal (Gr. 5 & Up)

La Counte, S. (2005). Out from Boneville. School Library Journal, 51(5), 164.

Use in Classroom Setting:

After students read Bone: Out of Boneville, discuss how the graphic novels communicate the story with more than just words. Have the student create their own short comic with Web 2.0 tool http://www.toondoo.com, make sure to have their image enhance their text. Then the students can explain how the image gives meaning or foreshadows from the pictures’ arrangement and perspective. 

Students can use Bone: Out of Boneville to begin their own creative side story related to the book. They can start by taking and scene depicting any of the more minor characters, like Ted, Ted’s brother, Ms. Possum, the three baby possums, or Ms. Porcupine and fill in an interval of the story. He story can just be a narrative or the students can chose to create pictures to go with it.

Book 2: Censorship Issues

And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

Bibliography:

Richardson, J., Parnell, P., & Cole, H. (2005). And tango makes three. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Summary:  

The book is based on true events about a family of penguins that live at Central Park Zoo, one particular couple Roy and Silo who are both boys. They made a nest just like the other penguin couples they observed, but they noticed the other nests with eggs that eventually became baby penguins. So one day they got a rock and took care of it as if it was an egg but nothing happened. Their keeper decided to give them their own egg that needed to be cared for. They cared for it just like any good parents until it hatched. The baby was named Tango and she was a new born chick penguin to have two daddies.

My Impression:

The book is a fun book about penguin while covering big topics of adoption and same-sex pairing. Though the book is about animals, people may have a problem with its connection to alternative or non-traditional families. The reason it gets banned is because people associate it with sexuality and find it inappropriate for children. I think children see and enjoy a story about two penguin fathers who make a happy family for their little chick.

Reviews: 

“This tale based on a true story about a charming penguin family living in New York City's Central Park Zoo will capture the hearts of penguin lovers everywhere. Roy and Silo, two male penguins, are "a little bit different." They cuddle and share a nest like the other penguin couples, and when all the others start hatching eggs, they want to be parents, too. Determined and hopeful, they bring an egg-shaped rock back to their nest and proceed to start caring for it. They have little luck, until a watchful zookeeper decides they deserve a chance at having their own family and gives them an egg in need of nurturing. The dedicated and enthusiastic fathers do a great job of hatching their funny and adorable daughter, and the three can still be seen at the zoo today. Done in soft watercolors, the illustrations set the tone for this uplifting story, and readers will find it hard to resist the penguins' comical expressions. The well-designed pages perfectly marry words and pictures, allowing readers to savor each illustration. An author's note provides more information about Roy, Silo, Tango, and other chinstrap penguins. This joyful story about the meaning of family is a must for any library.” – School Library Journal (PreS to Gr 3)

Roach, J. (2005). And Tango Makes Three. School Library Journal, 51(7), 81.

“Roy and Silo were “a little bit different” from the other male penguins: instead of noticing females, they noticed each other. Thus penguin chick Tango, hatched from a fertilized egg given to the pining, bewildered pair, came to be “the only penguin in the Central Park Zoo with two daddies.” As told by Richardson and Parnell (a psychiatrist and playwright), this true story remains firmly within the bounds of the zoo’s polar environment, as do Cole’s expressive but still realistic watercolors (a far cry from his effete caricatures in Harvey Fierstein’s The Sissy Duckling, 2002). Emphasizing the penguins’ naturally ridiculous physiques while gently acknowledging their situation, Cole’s pictures complement the perfectly cadenced text-showing, for example, the bewildered pair craning their necks toward a nest that was “nice, but a little empty.” Indeed, intrusions from the zookeeper, who remarks that the nuzzling males “must be in love,” strike the narrative’s only false note. Further facts about the episode conclude, but it’s naïve to expect this will be read only as a zoo anecdote. However, those who share this with children will find themselves returning to it again and again – not for the entreé it might offer to matters of human sexuality, but for the two irresistible birds at its center and for the celebration of patient, loving fathers who “knew just what to do”.” – Booklist (PreS - Gr. 2)

Mattson, J. (2005). And Tango Makes Three (Book). Booklist, 101(18), 1657.

Use in Classroom Setting:
Students listen to And Tango Makes Three, afterwards they discuss life cycles. Focusing on the life cycle of an egg the students cut and color images of stages to be placed in chronological order. Students identify the predictable life cycles of animals and plants.

While reading And Tango Makes Three focus on the zoo keeper’s decision to give Roy and Silo the egg. Discuss how this was meant to let this odd couple feel included so that they would be achieving the same accomplishments as the other penguins. Have a display set up for students to post ideas on how they can complete a small act that would make someone feel included or accepted.