An Annotated Bibliography of Some
Adolescent Literature
April 2005
In researching and writing this paper, I found that the majority of the discussion of theme and proposed pedagogy fit best within the discussion of each of the selected books themselves, rather than as a separate introduction. Overall, I selected texts which fit into the entwicklungsroman category, being more concerned with emotional growth and maturation than chronological or physical ageing.
I looked for texts that lent themselves to the main idea I wanted to investigate
– exploring setting as a plot device. The overarching or connective intent of
the pedagogical approaches I have outlined for each text is to encourage close attention
to the descriptive in order to discern the possible intention behind its
creation and placement, and the value it brings to the readers’ comprehension.
This aspect of writing is often overlooked by young readers and writers,
yet it is an essential element, enabling the reader to better understand the
characters and their interactions. Careful readers can gather enough
information to develop their own maps or other visualizations of the places in
which the stories occur. Some authors give more or less satisfactory
descriptions and a discussion of why an author might have chosen a particular
would be fruitful, as would the creation of representations of a particularly
sparsely described setting.
By looking at this in all the texts listed, and perhaps comparing some
of these authors’ descriptive styles to each other or to other authors
encountered in class, I intend for students to become more aware of the ways in
which authors use descriptive language to create mood and to influence the perceptions
of their audience. This will increase students’ ability to read closely, and
improve their understanding of how to include this essential literary element
in their own writing.
Secondarily, I chose texts with which to investigate the issue of
implied versus actual audience as a way of weaving the issue of
multiculturalism throughout the entire curriculum by applying a constant focus
on the ways in which, underneath their superficial traditional and cultural
differences, people all over the world are more similar than different. In this
venue, setting is also important, as it offers a glimpse into an unfamiliar
world and can provide the necessary connective material to bridge the gap
between the familiar and the strange.
SELECTED TEXTS:
NOTE:
In each case, I have listed the name of the text, the author, and the type of
text it represents – novel, film, short story, etc. In those cases where the
text is available in more than one format, I have listed all formats of which I
am aware for informational purposes, but have not necessarily individually
addressed more than one in the ensuing discussion.
Spirited Away; Hayao Miyazaki (anime film, graphic novel, printed script)
This text is appropriate for nearly all secondary ages, albeit with
lessons requiring modification for different grades.
En route to new home, a young girl (Chihiro) and her parents wander into a mysterious town, which turns out to be a kind of parallel universe of gods and monsters, ruled over by a witch. There, humans are changed into animals and disappear – her own parent become pigs after eating, uninvited, from a small shop. Chihiro, who is spoiled and whiny, must start working at a bath house to survive, and must find a way to break the spell over her parents and get the three of them released back into their own world.
One approach to the film might center on the
assumed audience of the film’s creator and how that audience’s expected
pre-conceptions and assumed knowledge is different than those of the (actual)
American audience. Some examples of this include the fact that the bath house
serves as a spa for spirits in need of rejuvenation. In this small but
essential fact are embedded several assumptions relating to the author’s
intended (Japanese) audience:
§
The
universality of the bath house—a distinctly Japanese aspect of daily life in
§
The
spirits themselves—both their general existence as an “ordinary” aspect of
daily life and the things they are spirits of. While familiar with the concept
of ghosts and spirits, most Americans are more familiar with either the
sprite/elf/fairy or the demon/ghost/phantom categories, not many Americans
would be expecting a turnip spirit – something that is utterly every-day in the
context of the Japanese culture.
Or, I might pair this story with Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll. Both are depictions of young girls using their
innate intelligences to make sense of, and triumph over fantastic worlds into
which they are unexpectedly thrust.
An approach using both “texts” might be to
select a single frame from the film and have the class analyze it in detail –
what is emphasized, why did the director choose to locate the scene in this
place, what would be different if it were placed elsewhere, how did the
director choose to light this scene (and why). Having the students concentrate
on only one frame gives them the chance to study its many component parts.
Then I would have them do the same type of
close scrutiny of a descriptive passage from the text, asking them to look at
the setting created by the author and envision it come to life – what would it
look like, how would it feel, what would the light be like, the furniture,
whatever is described. This will give them access to the myriad tiny elements
that come together to create a sense of place within a text, as well as the
many details a director must attend to when making a story into a play or a
film.
My Name is Asher Lev; Chiam Potok (novel)
This book is appropriate for high school students, probably 10th through
12th grades who are capable of putting themselves in the place of the young man
whose identity puts him at odds with the family and community he loves,
A Young US-born boy of Eastern European
descent raised in an ultra-orthodox Jewish community, becomes an artist and,
following his dream, creates a furor when he depicts Christ on the cross with
the face of his much-suffering mother.
While it takes place in
This offers an opportunity to look at
setting and audience. By having students examine how the author gets
information to them that they might not know without using a glossary or having
the protagonist explain things the reader knows he already knows as a matter of
course, they are put in the position of seeing how context is created for a
varied audience without sacrificing authenticity of setting and character
behavior. I would assign some type of creative writing project in which the
student-authors must accomplish something similar (on a vastly smaller scale of
course). They might set a story in a high school, or within their own religion,
or from inside some aspect of their own culture in such a way that their
intended audience – in this case, the other members of the class – can
understand from an insider’s perspective what their character sees, feels,
knows, appreciates, is.
Eragon;
Christopher Paolini (novel, audio tape and CD)
This book is probably best suited for students in the 7th through 9th
grades. In terms of its bona fides as a young adult novel, it was not just
written for and about adolescents but by
one as well. The author of this fantasy novel was not even 19 when it was
published, and his fans are eagerly awaiting the next two books in a promised
trilogy.
Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest,
which brings a dragon hatchling. With only an ancient sword and the advice of
an old storyteller for guidance, the two navigate the dangerous terrain and
dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.
This is a text in which the action takes
place in a world of the author’s imagining, so it offers unlimited options for
expressing the visions conjured in students’ minds as to what the places
described really look like, and theories as to why the author chose to describe
them as he did. Here I might have students describe the locations in which
specific scenes occur, as well as the dragons which play a vital role in the
story.
Some of the things they may be asked to
consider: is it important that the king looks the way he does, and that his
castle is described in this way? What might you add to the description of the
throne room that would increase the reader’s ability to imagine it while also
adding to the sense of who he is? Application of the same types of questions to
Eragon, the dragon, and other key characters would
result in students spending time considering setting closely as a determiner of
mood and a mover of plot.
Donald Duk;
Frank Chin (novel)
Although the protagonist is just turning 12, this text is appropriate
for high school students. Younger readers might be confused or distracted by
the abrupt shifts between “real life” and dreams.
The story traces a week or two in the life
of a US-born boy of Chinese descent leading up to the Chinese New Year
preceding his 12th birthday (a significant event in Chinese culture). We meet Donald in a state of quiet rebellion
against all things Chinese – he wants to be “all American” and finds his family
“too Chinese.” A series of events and their repercussions help him to see the
value of his Chinese heritage, and the imperfection of the
This text lends itself well to the invention
of sets and backdrops. I might have the students choose one scene to
story-board, emphasizing the decisions they have to make in terms of the look
of the setting. By focusing on how authors create a sense of place I am
encouraging a closer engagement with both the text and the culture it depicts,
some aspects of which might be unusual or foreign to some students.
Once again, the theme is the similarity of
the people who live such seemingly disparate lives. While a student might not
know what Donald and his family are doing when they offer bits of food and
liquor to the gods, he or she will be able to identify the pull of popular
culture and the resistance to parentally imposed tradition, as well as Donald’s
maturation process over time.
Compass and Torch;
Elizabeth Baines (short story)
Although the boy in this story of a son’s camping trip with his father
after a long separation due to divorce is only eight, the issues of his intense
desire for his father’s attention and approval and their strong desire to
connect with each other, coupled with the exposure of their underlying fears
and concerns about just those things, will touch older students as well. I
would use this with any secondary grade, modifying the accompanying assignments
as appropriate.
In
keeping with the theme of setting as a tool to further the plot, I would have
students concentrate on developing the area where the father and son go, what
it looks like when they park, along their walk, as they set up the tent and go
to sleep – and the wild horses which are a constant background. What are they
there for? What do they mean?
The
ending of the story is very ambiguous. I might ask students to write the “next”
scene – how does the campsite look in the morning after all the horses have
been around the tent all night? How will each character see it? This could lead
to some discussion of how people can see the same thing differently.
This
is another opportunity to look at assumed versus actual audience and the
assumptions make by authors about the cultural knowledge of their readers. The
names for things used in the story are British rather than American and young
readers might be intrigued by the variances in “their” language such as “torch”
for “flashlight” and “boot” for “trunk”. This is an opportunity to look at the
similarities of feeling and emotion common amongst people of different cultures
– we’re all more similar than we are different.
Blue;
Wayne Harper (short story)
Although the references to it are not bawdy or crude, sex is used as a
backdrop in this story of a young couple on vacation. For this reason, I would
probably serve this text only to 11th or 12th graders.
A British couple is on holiday in
Stereotypically,
it might be considered unusual for a relationship story to be told from the
first person perspective of the contemplative male partner. In this case, we
see a marked difference in interests that might lead to an eventual parting of
the ways. The ending remains ambiguous, but the story’s single location and
three characters (the couple and a waiter who is out of sight most of the time)
lends itself to in-class performance.
I
might have students break into three teams, with each one working on a scene
from a different portion of the story (it is neatly broken into three segments,
almost like chapters in a book, with each segment consisting of two or three
scenes that parallel those in the other segments). It would be interesting to
see them perform their scenes consecutively as they unfold in the text and then
compare the different choices made by each group depicting the same couple on
the same day in the same place.
This
text would also lead to some spirited discussion of relationships, what it
means (if anything) when someone says X, what is important beyond the physical
attraction, what makes a relationship work or last. These are issues dear to
the hearts of teenagers (and adults) everywhere and I envision some reflective
writing assignments before the reading, immediately after the reading, and
again after the class discussion – and perhaps an assignment asking students to
consider this story from the point of view of their opposite gender.
Artimus Fowl; Eoin
Colfer (novel, audio tape and CD)
This book is most appropriate for middle school students who might
identify with the young protagonist more closely than students in 9th grade or
higher.
The protagonist’s father is dead and his
beloved mother has withdrawn into depression. Left to his own devices, he takes
his butler and embarks on a complex and daring scheme to steal elfin gold. He’s
a brilliant, sardonic, criminal mastermind. He’s 12. Over the course of the
story he has a number of adventures and does some growing and maturing.
While the protagonist is a boy, his chief
antagonist (the officer of the law) is a girl, offering adventure and positive
role models for both genders. This is the first in a series so, if they like
it, students may choose to read the other books on their own.
Taking a close-reading approach I might have
groups of students select a scene to illustrate. Those who are intimidated by
the idea of drawing can use computer generated artwork or items found in
magazines – the important aspect of this project is to create and defend their
vision of the setting. Attached to this project would be a written notation of
the specific words or phrases in the text they used to construct their setting,
and why those words led to their specific result. An explanation of anything
added to their setting that was implied or not mentioned at all in the text
would also be required.
NYSTATE LEARNING STANDARDS
APPLIED/ACCESSED:
1. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and
generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and
electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and
written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
2.
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
Students will read and listen to oral, written and electronically produced texts and
performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an
understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the
texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use
oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.
3.
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas,
information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established
criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written
language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on
experiences, ideas, information and issues.
NCTE STANDARDS
APPLIED/ACCESSED:
1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print
texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of
the
3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to
comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior
experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge
of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and
their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence,
sentence structure, context, graphics).
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual
language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with
a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as
they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to
communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language
conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative
language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable,
reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy
communities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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V22-3. December 1960. p150-156
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Hadley, Barbara. “Short Story Writing in Senior High.”
The English Journal. V51-1. January 1962. p49-51.
Ede, Lisa. “On Audience and Composition.” College
Composition and Communication, V30-3. October 1979. p291-295.
Long, Russell, C. ”Writer-Audience
Relationships: Analysis or Invention?” College Composition and Communication,
V31-2, Recent Work in Rhetoric: Discourse Theory, Invention, Arrangement,
Style, Audience. May 1980. p21-226.
Berkenkotter, Carol. “Understanding a Writer’s Awareness of
Audience.” College Composition and Communication. V32-4. December 1981. p388-399.
MacLean,
Segel, Elizabeth. “As the Twig is Bent…:Gender
and Childhood Reading.” Chapter 8 of Gender and
Thomas, Gordon, P. “Mutual
Knowledge: A Theoretical Basis for Analyzing Audience.” College English,
V48-6. October 1986. p580-594.
Carter, Karlyn, S. “Developing a Sense of Audience: The Student to Student
Handbook.” The English Journal. V78-1. January 1989. p60-63.
Trites, Roberta Seelinger.
Disturbing the Universe: Power and Repression in Adolescent Literature.