The Misfits

The Misfits by James Howe

            Children’s Novel—Realistic Fiction

            Grades 5-8

            Rating: 5 Stars

            Summary: A group of seventh-grade outcasts start a third student council party in order to bring attention to the negative impacts of name calling.

            The Misfits is truly an amazing book that I think everyone should read at some point. Its theme of name calling addresses an issue that most people will fall victim to and therefore makes this book particularly relevant for middle school students who are in the midst of such an issue as part of their day to day lives. However, I found no problem relating to the characters and the situations that they faced at an older age as well.

            The realness of the characters in this novel is really what makes it such a powerful book. There is a personality or trait that everyone can relate to: the weirdo, the fat kid, the tall girl, the brainiac, the fairy, the shy girl. While we may not be able to see an exact mirror of ourselves in Bobby, Addie, Skeezie, Joe, or any of the other characters, we can still share in a similar experience, which is what makes these characters so “authentically human” and relatable through the problems they face (Peterson & Eeds, 2007, p. 40). I found myself connecting to the experiences of Kelsey as the shy girl. In elementary and middle school, I was quiet and didn’t like to be notices, and I related to her feelings of embarrassment when someone was talking to her. It is fascinating to observe the behaviors of each character while reading and be able to identify people in my own life that are similar to them. In that sense, Howe did a phenomenal job of creating such real people in his story and capturing the social essence of what it means to be a middle school kid.

            Howe’s choice for point of view also makes this novel unique. We see the story through the eyes of Bobby, one of the members of the Gang of Five. At first, I thought it may have been more effective to switch between the four friends, Bobby, Addie, Skeezie, and Joe, in order to offer insight into each of their thoughts throughout the book. However, I realize that by showing the events only through Bobby’s perspective, we have the opportunity to see things only as he sees them. I feel like this allows us as the reader to feel like a member of the Gang of Five because we get to know each of Bobby’s friends in a way that only he can share. Because he has such a close bond with each of the other three friends, we are able to experience the interactions consistently through one character, which is what makes the first person narration through Bobby a significant choice.

            Finally, the theme of The Misfits gets at the heart of a significant issue in schools today. While we can all likely relate to a character of this novel in some way, most of us go through school without standing up against those that call people names or degrade others based on stereotypes. I think that the actions of the Gang of Five represent an empowering message for kids in school. Many students face torment by bullies and do not know how to cope with it, but Bobby, Addie, Skeezie, and Joe show readers that they can and should do something about it. One of the most significant events in the book is when the Gang of Five hangs up signs with the names that they have been called and come to realize that if someone calls them a name, then they are only proving their point. The characters show that name calling does not have to be brushed off or tolerated. Indeed, they help the reader understand that we are all people and deserve to be treated with care and respect. In my experience, this is a message that all kids could benefit from hearing.

Hush

Hush by Jacqueline Woodson

            Children’s Novel—Realistic Fiction

            Grades 6 and up

            Rating: 5 Stars

            Summary: After her father witnesses a race-related murder, the safety of Toswiah’s family is threatened and they must move away and change their identities. Toswiah becomes Evie and tries to reinvent herself in a strange place amidst a family that is quickly falling apart.

             I have always wondered what life is like for those that enter the Witness Protection Program and must begin a life in an identity that is completely different from who they really are. After reading Hush, I can say for sure that I would never want to go through the utter hell that Evie and her family experience as a result of a separation from everything the once knew.

            First off, I think that this novel is a great piece of literature. It was a page turner and I simply could not put it down! Woodson portrays the story in the first person through Evie’s perspective, and I think this choice enables you as the reader to “have the knowledge of the experience,” including her struggles, in a very authentic way (Peterson and Eeds, p. 50). It is through her eyes that we see how difficult it is for Evie to cope not only in a new environment, but as a new person in that environment. Her emotions are so raw that it is impossible not to feel a tug on your own heart for this poor girl. I truly cannot fathom having to leave everything that you have ever known behind and begin a new life. In the end, Evie shines through as a courageous warrior, albeit with her share of battle wounds. However, as Peterson and Eeds discuss, the way that a character copes with problems is what makes them human (p. 40). Although I can’t relate to the same situation and struggle of identity, Evie’s vulnerability really opens her up as a character that is innately human, which allows me as the reader to connect with her on a deeper, more emotional level.

            Many of the issues in Hush would make it a very controversial choice in the classroom. I imagine that many parents would be unhappy if I asked their child to read this book, however I feel like many of these topics are vital to talk about with kids and this book would be a worthwhile read. The issue of racial conflict is an obvious one. I think it would be beneficial just to get a feel for what students think is at work behind this conflict and see where that conversation leads. Even the simple act of facilitating discussion among students so that they can begin to think about issues of race is important. Naturally, kids might wonder about how race played into the murder of Raymond Taylor, and this is something that I would not try to shelter my students from. Unfortunately, racial discrimination is a very real part of the society we live in and if children don’t encounter this fact in school, then they will inevitably encounter it somewhere else. As a teacher, I think it is my responsibility to talk about these societal issues because school is a much safer place to ask questions and voice opinions, rather than sending kids out into the real world to learn about it on their own.

            Another relevant topic discussed in Hush is the formation of identity. I would read this novel with middle school students, as this is the age at which kids are really starting to question their own identities and form who they are as human beings. I think it would be neat to talk about Evie’s struggles with identity and the things that she did not want to let go of. Everyone goes through that phase of wondering who we are, and this book challenges the essential pieces of our identity and whether or not we would be able to let go of that. This could turn into a project for students to explore the hypothetical—if they were to enter the Witness Protection Program, what would they miss the most about their live? What might be difficult about creating a new identity? Since this is something that most people don’t have to think about, we often take things in life for granted. Reflecting on Evie’s experiences and struggles would be a good way for students to stop and think about their own lives, and perhaps learn to appreciate who they are and what they have. 

The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry

            Children’s Novel—Science Fiction

            Grades 6-9

            Rating: 5 Stars

            Summary: When Jonas is assigned to be the next receiver of memories in his community, he discovers a hidden world of feelings, colors, and experiences that everyone in society is sheltered from. After seeing the injustice in this way of life, Jonas and The Giver devise a plan for Jonas to escape and release the memories to the community.

            I have never been a huge fan of the science fiction genre. When I think science fiction, I often see images of outer space, robots, and futuristic technology. The Giver introduced an entirely new perspective to me in regards to this genre which I had previously overlooked. In many ways, Jonas is a person just like me…he has a family, he goes to school, he plays with friends. The twist in this novel is that Jonas exists in a community that has placed such tight restrictions on its members that Jonas and everyone he knows has been prohibited to lie, sense color, and feel. In many respects, they are forbidden to live in the way that we as humans are meant to live.

             One of the most intriguing elements of The Giver is Lowry’s construction of place. Many authors create an enhanced version of the world as we know it, often allowing us as the reader to experience something that is thrilling and magical when we dive into their stories. However, Lowry’s construction of place is a society which is deprived of the essential elements that make the real world what it is. This is what elicited an eerie feeling of emptiness for me as I made my way through the pages of The Giver. I cannot imagine living in a world that does not know the happiness of Christmas and family, or the delight of sledding down a snow-covered hill. Even pain is something that helps us make meaning out of life, but this is a feeling that Jonas experiences for the first time at age twelve and something that is foreign to the rest of the community. The inability to feel was a strange thing to witness, and this conception of a place with restrictions on such things is what ultimately set the mood for me in this story (Peterson & Eeds, p. 45).

            Time is another element which Lowry uses in a rather unconventional way. There is the normal passage of time through the months, but if you think about, the grander concept of time is very skewed for the members of the community. Jonas is able to experience memories of the past, almost as flashbacks, but the rest of society remains ignorant to their very own history. The idea that his parents had parents at one time is even a surprising revelation to Jonas, which shows how the idea of a past is just not relevant to how these people live. While time for them is passing, to the reader they almost seem to be standing still, living in the moment, because the minute someone is old enough to leave, they are gone and forgotten about. This idea is actually quite difficult to wrap my mind around, but maybe this is what Peterson and Eeds are referring to when they talk about time being “ordered psychologically” so that it seems to have stopped (p. 53). Overall, this is another aspect of the novel that contributes to the mood and feeling of uneasiness, which makes it an effective science fiction read.

            The ending was, for me, the climactic peak of tension that had been slowly building since Jonas and the Giver started meeting. As Jonas becomes more aware of the restrictions and injustice that the community imposes on its members, I felt that this caused a climbing tension as he becomes increasingly enraged with the lies that he had been told all his life. With his decision to escape, I felt a sense of victory over the inner conflict that Jonas experiences between the life he has known and the new experiences that the Giver has shown him. Jonas and Gabe battle some rough conditions in their escape, and even though the ending can be interpreted as the death of Jonas, I really don’t think he dies. I think that because he has arrived at the spot of his first pleasant memory that he received from the Giver, this must be the start of a new life as he sleds down the hill towards the house filled with music and light. 

The Higher Power of Lucky

            What I loved most about reading The Higher Power of Lucky is that there is a little bit of Lucky in all of us. At some point in our lives, we all search for something more and feel like we are all alone in our struggles. Susan Patron’s characterization of Lucky is so successful because of this fact—she is completely relatable. She just wants to know that after losing her mom and never really knowing her dad, she will have some security in her future. When this is challenged by her suspicion that Brigitte is going to go back to France, Lucky decides to take matters into her own hands and fend for herself. When I was younger, I remember feeling like my parents were never coming back when they would leave me and my brother with a babysitter. Lucky’s way of coping with her situation is a bit more dramatic that I was as a child, but either way, the need to feel wanted is important when we are young.

            At first, it seemed odd to me that Patron told the story in the third person. Lucky’s feelings seem so raw and vulnerable that it is easy to think that we must be seeing through her perspective, but that’s not true! I think what makes this choice effective is that we still are empowered to know everything that Lucky is feeling. Had there been any more distance between us as the reader and Lucky as the main character, a lot of meaning would have been lost. Peterson and Eeds (2007) say that authors writing in the third person can “choose to let us view everything that happens through the eyes/thoughts/feelings of a limited number of characters” (p. 51). This is the case in Lucky. We never have access to the thoughts of Brigitte and must rely on Lucky’s perception of her, which is why for most of the story we become entangled in the fear that Brigitte is going to leave Lucky. Through this aspect of her writing, Patron creates a mood for us as the reader that is easily influenced by Lucky’s perception.

            Mood plays an important role in Lucky. As I just mentioned, it is influenced by the fact that Lucky’s viewpoint is pervasive and Brigitte’s is not. I spent most of the story worrying right alongside Lucky that Brigitte is going to leave her. This worry helped me to connect on a deeper level with Lucky and I found myself wondering what I would do in the same situation. Lucky is a lot more bold than I am, and I don’t think that I would run away like she did. I did, however, feel a genuine concern for her, and this connection was created through my access to Lucky’s emotions. Mood also functions as an avenue for tension in literature (Peterson & Eeds, 2007, p. 55). Tension definitely increases when Lucky sees Brigitte’s passport and decides right then that she needs to take action. When she comes to the conclusion that she will run away, I became nervous and concerned that she was making a mistake.

            Overall, The Higher Power of Lucky is a story that is true to the emotions and struggles of its main character. As a reader, I enjoyed following Lucky’s journey and her growth as a result of it. As she goes through her struggles and eventually learns to cope with her fears, Lucky’s relationships evolve with other characters, including Miles, Lincoln, and eventually Brigitte. The fact that her character is dynamic and changing lends itself to the other elements of the story as well, creating a nice balance and enhancing the piece as a whole.

Because of Winn-Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

            Children’s Novel—Ages 9-12

            Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)

            Summary: This is the story of ten-year-old India Opal Buloni and the summer that she finds a dog. Winn-Dixie, named after the town’s supermarket, helps Opal to meet a lot of new friends and realize a lot about herself throughout the course of the summer.

            Because of Winn-Dixie is a great story about both friendship and loss. Opal has been raised by her father because her mother left them when she was still young. As I was reading, I felt a heart-wrenching feeling of sadness alongside Opal because she constantly thinks about her mother and mourns the fact that she doesn’t know much about her. Opal’s struggle with this experience made me pause and reflect on how lucky I have been to grow up in a family with both parents. I think I often take this for granted—even in the midst of a world where divorce is far too common and I know plenty of people whose parents are no longer together. Because I have not gone through this, I had a hard time relating to Opal. However, the text is written in such a way that her feelings are raw and out there for the reader to observe. As the story develops, Opal finds that a stray dog, Winn-Dixie, has a knack for socializing and helping her to make friends in her new town. Winn-Dixie quickly becomes part of the family, and I could relate to Opal’s rapidly growing love for him. It reminded me of the bond that my family instantly formed after adopting our dog from a shelter when I was in middle school. Lastly, Kate DiCamillo masterfully tailors the dialogue to capture a laid-back southern dialect and give us a snapshot of the characters in their truest form. I felt as though I was sitting in on each conversation and developing a personal relationship with the characters.

            I think students would find it easy to relate to this book—whether to the loss experienced by Opal, her desire to make friends, and especially the difficulties she has with getting along with some of her peers. This novel would also be a good base to discuss the ways that people from around the country use language differently. In fact, I think this topic would have to come up in reading this book because there are many examples in the dialogue of incorrect grammar and slang that might confuse students and challenge how they write. As a teacher, I would like to see how students might react to the obvious dialect, if they react at all. I think it would be important to reassure them that it is not wrong, but rather just a representation of how people talk and certainly a feature of writing that can make the story much more interesting.