Module 3: Contemporary Fiction

 Module 3: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

1. Bibliography

Stone, Nic. Dear Martin. Crown Books for Young Readers. 2017. ISBN-13  978-1101939499 

2. Plot Summary

After trying to help his drunk friend, Melo, the protagonist Justyce is arrested through a misunderstanding. This terrible experience leaves him wondering about injustice and prejudice against black people and how that affects and surrounds his life. Through a letter to Martin Luther King, Justyce expresses his experiences as a black teenager and tries making sense of his culture and beliefs. Faced with challenges such as constantly debating with a white, privileged teenager, Jared, the struggle of picking the right girlfriend or the right college or the right friends, constant hate crimes against black people who end up dead, family trauma, death and grief of his friend, he rises up against injustice and tries to find his voice and stand up for his beliefs and values, defending and being proud to be black.

3. Critical Analysis

There are a lot of ways in which this book is an essential read for young teenagers. The style in which it is written offers a diverse way of looking at Point of View, flashbacks, letter writing, and connecting to current events. The language in Dear Martin is one of the most captivating for teen readers. They often say bad words or words like “homie” and “ick,” mostly words and slang that’s common in teens that are up to date. Another great criticism in this book is the characters and their personalities are very relatable, which I expand further in the Connections section below. To get further into detail about the letter writing, it offers a great modeled example of addressing a reader and establishing an audience. Even deeper, we can see that the book does good in involving different perspectives and points of view when Justyce addresses MLK. The chronological dates and order of the events and letters helps provide a sense of linear follow up for the readers. Flashbacks are also a major point in this book that teachers and librarians and students can point out and talk about. Lastly, the tackle of social justice discussions is truly executed perfectly in this book, allowing for more honest and open dialogue with teen readers.

4. Review Excerpt

Confessions of a YA Reader Review: https://confessionsofayareader.wordpress.com/2018/02/24/review-of-dear-martin-by-nic-stone/

What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said.  Dear Martin is one of those books that everyone should read.  Especially teens.  Just like The Hate U Give, I think it should be required reading in schools.   Every school.  But especially in schools that are mostly African American.  Those teens need to see themselves in a book like this.  Something to help them realize that they are not alone.  If you can find a way to help that happen, please do so.  I helped by donating to a classroom for the teacher to buy this book for her students.  Even if you can’t donate, please help spread the word.  This is just another book that is so important.

5. Connections

One of the most major connections in the book is the obvious relation to the real world context and issues of social justice that have been occurring the past few years. The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement is still very important and prominent, and Dear Martin is a great book that helps bring up those conversations. Another connection for the readers in this book is the emotions the characters feel throughout the book. The characters are teenagers that experience the main feelings that real teen readers also feel such as envy in relationships, grief of the death of a friend, having a mentor teacher such as Doc, romantic/sexual lust for other teens, wanting to fit in with the class but being afraid to speak up for what they believe in, frustration and misinterpretations of their actions and emotions, temptations to join a gang to feel included, taking advice from friendships, and the mother and son relationship of instinct and connection, etc. All of these scenarios that Justyce and his friends and classmates experience are super relatable for their given age group.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

1. Bibliography

Acevedo, Elizabeth. The Poet X. Quill Tree Books. 2018. ISBN-13 978-0062662804

2. Plot Summary

The poems/stories follow a teenager, Xiomara Bautista, who writes out her emotions in her journal/notebook. The slam poetry highlights her experiences as a Dominican, big, rebellious, girl. She writes about her struggles living with a very traditional and religious mother, falling in love with her first love, Aman, figuring out her own beliefs and doubts about faith and religion, learning to communicate and show love with her twin brother, growing her love for writing and poetry, and standing up to her parents’ strict and traditional expectations. Through her slam and poetry, she guides the readers through her emotional, physical, and mental journeys of the world inside her mind and heart.

3. Critical Analysis

The format of the book is written as the personal journal of Xiomara through verse/slam poetry, which allows a certain “insider” feeling for the reader. We’re able to see her emotions first hand and see how she truly feels and reacts to her experiences. There was a lot of figurative language and imagery such as “their gazes and words are heavy with things they want you to be,” “the billboard from on my face,” “I touched my tongue to the word volition like it’s a fruit I’ve never tasted and it’s already gone sour in my mouth.” In addition to the great imagery, there was a lot of reference and allusion to other written works and media works such as the bible and Nicki Minaj. This book somehow reminded me of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. The writing style and rhythmic patterns helped a lot in tackling the topics discussed, and it’s a great example to model writing for students.

 

4. Review Excerpt

Kirkus Reviews: Poetry helps first-generation Dominican-American teen Xiomara Batista come into her own. Fifteen-year old Xiomara (“See-oh-MAH-ruh,” as she constantly instructs teachers on the first day of school) is used to standing out: she’s tall with “a little too much body for a young girl.” Street harassed by both boys and grown men and just plain harassed by girls, she copes with her fists. In this novel in verse, Acevedo examines the toxicity of the “strong black woman” trope, highlighting the ways Xiomara’s seeming unbreakability doesn’t allow space for her humanity. The only place Xiomara feels like herself and heard is in her poetry—and later with her love interest, Aman (a Trinidadian immigrant who, refreshingly, is a couple inches shorter than her). At church and at home, she’s stifled by her intensely Catholic mother’s rules and fear of sexuality. Her present-but-absent father and even her brother, Twin (yes, her actual twin), are both emotionally unavailable. Though she finds support in a dedicated teacher, in Aman, and in a poetry club and spoken-word competition, it’s Xiomara herself who finally gathers the resources she needs to solve her problems. The happy ending is not a neat one, making it both realistic and satisfying. Themes as diverse as growing up first-generation American, Latinx culture, sizeism, music, burgeoning sexuality, and the power of the written and spoken word are all explored with nuance. Poignant and real, beautiful and intense, this story of a girl struggling to define herself is as powerful as Xiomara’s name: “one who is ready for war.” (Verse fiction. 14-18)

5. Connections

There are so many connections here for girls with Latinx parents. I personally could feel every emotion she did because it’s a very true representation of what it’s like to grow up with a strict latinx mom who has such high and different expectations for their daughters. Readers can connect with the anger a girl feels about the over sexualization of women, no matter what they wear or how they act. Readers can relate to the feelings and emotions of meeting their first crush and lover and how it becomes such a significant moment in their lives trying to figure out how to feel and what to do/what not to do. Teen readers can relate to the sibling and friendship relationships that are also important to learn to manage and you realize they’re always there no matter what. Lastly, readers can truly connect to a lot of the themes tackled in this book such as the struggle of finding your strength to speak up for what you believe, the standing up to parent expectations, the comparison between siblings and other friends, etc.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

1. Bibliography

Reynolds, Jason. Long Way Down. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. April 2019. ISBN-13 9781481438261

2. Plot Summary

William, Will, narrates a very personal story of his brother who was shot to death. The story is told chronologically in verse form of the situation that happened that led to the death of his brother. Out of anger and frustration he heads out of the house with two things: his brother’s gun and his desire to seek revenge for his brother’s death. However, on his way he begins doubting if what he's about to do is right. The elevator ride makes him pause and think about his emotions and actions. His traumatized and fearful mind causes him to create an image of Buck in the elevator, along with his uncle Mark, his own father, a childhood friend, and Shawn. Through these imaginary, ghostly appearances, the important people that have somehow impacted and shaped Will’s life show him that being tough and part of the street life isn’t all it’s made out to be and this makes him reconsider his actions.

3. Critical Analysis

This book does a great job in describing teenage young men's emotions such as sadness, grief, anger, loss of admiration, etc. and compares it to very realistic experiences such as someone yanking your tooth so hard and there’s pain and pressure and blood and headache and then there’s an empty space and empty hole in you. To further elaborate, the use of figurative language such as anagrams is also highlighted throughout the book such as alive equals avail, canoe equals ocean, cool equals loco, and cinema equals iceman. The use of metaphors, similes, imagery, and flashback all help him reminisce on the times he and his brother and family spent together. These emotions run through his mind and heart, along with the ghostly appearances and ultimately help him reevaluate his choice of action.

4. Review Excerpt

Kirkus Reviews: After 15-year-old Will sees his older brother, Shawn, gunned down on the streets, he sets out to do the expected: the rules dictate no crying, no snitching, and revenge.

Though the African-American teen has never held one, Will leaves his apartment with his brother’s gun tucked in his waistband. As he travels down on the elevator, the door opens on certain floors, and Will is confronted with a different figure from his past, each a victim of gun violence, each important in his life. They also force Will to face the questions he has about his plan. As each “ghost” speaks, Will realizes how much of his own story has been unknown to him and how intricately woven they are. Told in free-verse poems, this is a raw, powerful, and emotional depiction of urban violence. The structure of the novel heightens the tension, as each stop of the elevator brings a new challenge until the narrative arrives at its taut, ambiguous ending. There is considerable symbolism, including the 15 bullets in the gun and the way the elevator rules parallel street rules. Reynolds masterfully weaves in textured glimpses of the supporting characters. Throughout, readers get a vivid picture of Will and the people in his life, all trying to cope with the circumstances of their environment while expressing the love, uncertainty, and hope that all humans share.

This astonishing book will generate much needed discussion. (Verse fiction. 12-adult)

5. Connections

The connection of brotherly love and grief are the most common in the book. These experienced emotions are highlighted through the pain, revenge, anger, and violence that one might feel upon losing your loved one due to a rough neighborhood experience. The reader is able to connect through the unique expression of emotions told in poetic verses and slam all taking place in a short yet long elevator ride.