The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Adolescence is, at its essence, a time of change: physical change, emotional change, and the terrifying promise of change that comes with the beginning to question one's identity. Margaret A. Edwards, the guiding spirit of modern teen librarianship, defined the problem of young adulthood in The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts: “[Young adults] are people in their teens who have outgrown the role of children and have become eager, anxious understudies of adults,” she writes. Suspended between the two figurative worlds of childhood and adulthood, these adolescents struggle to define themselves, even as their perception of the world around them changes.
So who could be more appealingly relatable to young adults than a character suspended between two identities and two worlds?
Enter Arnold Spirit, the hero of Sherman Alexie's young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Arnold is literally caught between two worlds, and spends much of this delightfully poignant and funny novel trying to make a place for himself in the in-between. At his brand-new, all-white high school, he is Arnold the Indian; at home on the reservation, he is Junior the white-lover. “I felt like two different people inside of one body,” Arnold narrates, adding, “No, I felt like a magician slicing myself in half” (Diary, 61). In the article "Selecting Literature for a Multicultural Curriculum," Rudine Sims Bishop states that "Literature can contribute to self esteem by holding up to its readers images of themselves" (“Selecting,” 4). Though Sims Bishop is discussing the value of multicultural literature for minority readers, this commentary rings true for the young adult readers of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from all walks of life. All adolescent readers are, on some level or other, grappling with changing worlds and changing identities, and to see their own problems reflected in fiction can give them the self-esteem that seems so scarce in the turbulent teen years.

The House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street brings the experience of adolescence to life through the unique voice of Esperanza, a girl growing up in the Latin quarter of Chicago. Esperanza’s story contains many of the most common elements one would expect in a story of growing up: family strife, discovering the opposite sex, and school woes, but her Mexican background makes her tale stand out, as most YA novels have white, suburban protagonists. The House on Mango Street also differs from typical YA literature because the author, Cisernos, uses a series of vignettes told from Esperanza’s perspective to bring her world to life.
The novel touches on a number of themes which all adolescents will understand and identify with as they read. Esperanza, like many teens, looks for ways to assert her independence from her family. She does this by doing things like getting a part time job and staying at school to eat lunch even while the rest of her family goes home. She also wishes to rename herself to escape the legacy of her grandmother, who was also called Esperanza. The idea of community and cultural identity are also explored througout the House on Mango Street, and teens, who need "strong, caring communt(ies)" (Search Institute 1) in order to thrive, will appreciate the neighborhood where Esperanza lives and what it means to her. The book also looks at sexual maturation, though in subtle ways such as Esperanza and her friends talking about what they will do when they "get hips." Adolescent girls will especially identify with the main character as she talks about her concerns and hopes for herself and her appearance as she matures.
The House on Mango Street gives readers a lot to think about while bringing a world to life, and it deserves its place as a YA standard.

American Born Chinese -- Gene Leun Yang

Through three entwined plots, American Born Chinese explores relationship and identity development. The first storyline is a retelling of the Monkey King; the second is about a friendship between an American born Chinese (Jin) and a Taiwan-born Chinese (Wei-Chen); and the third is about a teenage boy (Danny) and his stereotypical Chinese cousin Chin-Kee).

Through Jin's friendship with Wei-Chen and his developing romantic interest in Amelia, American Born Chinese demonstrates developing stable and productive peer relationships (Havighurst) and appeals to the needs of the social self (Hughes-Hassell and Agosto).

After being thrown out of a dinner party, the Monkey King becomes ashamed of his bare feet and demands that all his monkey subjects wear shoes. It takes being trapped under a mountain of rock for five hundred years for him to realize that he is a monkey and monkeys do not need to wear shoes. Similarly, Jin is so embarrassed by his heritage that he rejects it completely and turns into Danny. Both the Monkey King and Jin's experiences appeal to a YA's development of a personal sense of identity and their need for information on forming self-image.

Chink-Kee is the embodiment of negative Chinese stereotypes: his outfit and hairstyle are reminiscent of the political cartoons of the 1880s, during the Chinese Exclusion Act, he knows the answer to every question the teacher asks, he eats "clispy flied cat gizzards wiff noodles" and his singing would probably embarrass William Hung. By including a character like Chin-Kee, Yang allows his readers to challenge their stereotypes and develop their personal value system.

Finally, the graphic novel hints at the disconnect between American-born Chinese and foreign-born Chinese. When Jin justifies kissing Suzy, he says to Wei-Chen, "Maybe I think she can do better than a FOB like you." By making readers aware of these tensions among Chinese Americans, Yang helps the reader develop cultural competency and cultural identity.

Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography

This graphic biography looks at the civil rights movement through the life of Malcolm X. His struggle contains many themes relevant to young people. As an adolescent, Malcolm deals with the loss of his own parents. He feels like an outsider, even in his own foster family. In the big cities of Boston and New York he finds independence, but he also falls in with a bad crowd, experiments with drugs, and eventually lands in jail, where he is redeemed through reading and writing. Even as an adult Malcolm struggles with his identity. When he decides to leave the Nation of Islam, he comes into conflict with his mentor (and father figure), which will eventually lead to his death.

The images draw you into the story, investing it with emotion. In this way, graphic novels can be good for inexperienced readers; the pictures allow them to follow the story. They can also be enticing for reluctant readers who are skeptical of books.

This story serves as a good historical guide. For many readers, it can offer an introduction to the civil rights movement, and for others more versed in the subject, it can allow them to view it with a fresh perspective. The book shows respect for teens with its honesty, for example, by not glossing over Malcolm's indiscretions as a young man. Also, in pointing out possible inconsistencies in Malcolm's autobiography, it teaches young adults to think critically about the world around them.

Doing it Right: Making Smart, Safe, and Satisfying Choices About Sex

Bronwen Pardes’ book, Doing it Right: Making Smart, Safe and Satisfying Choices About Sex, is an example of a good piece of informative writing. Pardes’ “zesty” and “up-to-date”[1] informational approach to sexual education makes her book appealing to young adults who are searching for answers to their questions about sex. Pardes’ experiences, writing style, and organization of her book exemplify the characteristics, developmental needs, informational needs, and changing world of today’s teens.
Pardes provides a captivating cover for her readers that intrigue them before they open the book. The first three words of the title, “Doing it Right,” are captivating because it is in young adult terms. The title of the book sets the stage for “a reading level, vocabulary, and a tone of writing that are at a consistent level appropriate to the intended audience.”[2] The organization of the book also captivates its readers. It begins with background knowledge of the author. She gives her credentials and motivations for writing the book. The book then goes on to discuss what sex is, sexual development, sexual protection, ways to have sex, sexual orientation, masturbation, sexually transmitted diseases, unfamiliar sexual terms, orgasms, sexual abuse, and where readers can get more information. In each chapter she provides a question and answer section. The questions are from real young adults, who she has come in contact with. By writing in terms young adults can understand and organizing her book in a way the focuses around young adult questions, Bronwen Padres provides a book that is appropriate to the needs of its readers.
[1] Selection Criteria for Young Adult Resources, Suggestions for Evaluating Informative Nonfiction, INLS 530, 2008.
[2] Selection Criteria for Young Adult Resources, Suggestions for Evaluating Informative Nonfiction, INLS 530, 2008.


Dana McCullum

Freedom Walkers by Russell Freedman

With “Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott”, Russell Freedman presents a dramatic portrayal of the times that tells a story, rather than simply reveals facts. This compelling tale is laid out like a novel, each chapter building on the prior, and is enhanced with photos and quotations that give the reader a clear and personalized account of the event. Characters are introduced and woven through the story using their own words to convey their thoughts and feelings of frustration and determination. Although Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. take prominent roles, Freedman also focuses on the hundreds of community boycott heroes. These heroes are shown to stand by their pledge of non-violence through harassment, bombings, and arrests. Even when the Supreme Court declares the bus segregation laws unconstitutional, the boycott leaders prepare for more violence by teaching the community how to respond to white harassment with courtesy and goodwill. This book contains chapter notes to support the quoted material, an annotated bibliography and an index.

Freedom Walkers provides young adult readers with connections to what they are learning in the classroom. Dramatic storytelling and an accessible reading level gives students, particularly reluctant readers, an alternative to their textbook. Freedom Walkers enables young adults to connect and contrast what they are learning about history with what is going on in their world today, particularly in light of the inauguration of our first African American president. The photos used in the story add evidence to the words and draw in the reader’s interest. Freedman’s handling of the subjects of racial bias and non-violent protest provide opportunities for informal discussion and debate both in and out of the classroom.

Freedom Walkers provides important role models to help teens develop emotionally. Throughout the book, Freedman shows the boycott participants as patient, determined and able to exhibit self-control in spite of the pressure put on them to respond to harassment and violence. These adult role models are particularly important to urban youth who may be exposed to violence in their households or community. They see that non-violence can be a successful way to respond to harassment and to create change.

Most importantly, this book provides young adults with the opportunity to develop the reflective self. Confronting bias in any form is an important step in a teen’s personal growth. Freedom Walkers makes the reader contemplate their own personal value system, sense of civic duty and prompts some important self-examination. “Am I brave enough to stand up for what is right, regardless of personal sacrifice?” Teens might find themselves examining what they consider to be their “community” and what that “community” stands for.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen takes the romance genre and builds a serious and contemplative novel that teenage girls can easily relate to.  Remy, a recent high school graduate, has had countless boyfriends but always ends the relationship before it gets serious.  Her mother, on the other hand, is working on marriage #5.  Remy is happy to have her last summer before college to hang out with her friends (and maybe a summer boyfriend) but has her plans changed when she meets Dexter, a musician that begins to break down Remy's harsh exterior.

Dessen juxtaposes Remy and Dexter's relationship with Remy's mother and her new husband, Don, that shows how Remy's defensive nature is to keep herself from being hurt like her mother.  The novel directly addresses several conventions of the romance novel: readers become emotionally attached to the characters, the novels empower women, that it provides an escape from reality, and that sex happens only within happy, monogamous relationships.  This Lullaby exemplifies most of these conventions, but also challenges the reader's notion of a romance novel.

Most importantly, Dessen captures an awkward and important developmental stage in her novel and addresses issuses accompanying it without judgment.  Remy has a past of sleeping around and is often drinking with her friends.  Dessen does not demonize these acts, but compares them with how Remy acts when she is in a satisfying relationship and when she isn't drunk.  This switch from having ever-changing realtionships to a single, serious relationship is not portrayed as an abandonment of independence, but as a stage in creating a firm identity and developing emotional stability. 

Luckily, the discussion of these serious topics occurs within realistic teenage dialogue and honest emotions.  This Lullaby allows readers to see themselves or people they know in the characters and learn from the plot how to deal with these traits.  While the story does have a sappily happy ending, both Remy and her mother are better off for the chances they have taken.  Establishing independence looks different for various people and relationshops, and This Lullaby lets readers know that this is OK.