Would you call yourself a Chutengodian?

Godless. 1-4169-0816-1. Pete Hautman. 2004. National Book Award. Age 12-17. Caucasian small town youth.

Teenager Jason Bock is frustrated with his parents’ pressure to conform to the beliefs of Catholicism, a religion that leaves him dissatisfied. So he creates a new religion that focuses on water as the source of all life and regards the water tower as God, aka the Ten-legged One. Among the converts to the Church of the Ten-Legged God (CTG) are: Shin, the gastropod-loving geek who becomes obsessed with writing the religion’s bible; Dan, the preacher’s son who joins to defy his dad; Henry, the bully who challenges the followers to more dangerous feats in the name of their faith; and Magda, Jason’s crush who seems more interested in Henry than the religion. During their first Tuesday Sabbath mass on the dome of the water tower, Henry challenges the group to enter the “godhead” to become baptized. This ritual puts Henry in the hospital and most of the Chutengodians in jail. Jason soon finds followers breaking away into different sects. Henry and Magda, now Choots, have rewritten the religion’s commandments and Shin, now a religious fanatic, attempts to sacrifice himself to the godhead. In the end, Jason remains committed to Chutengodiaism while he wonders if he will ever have faith.

This book would be a great starting point for a discussion on the qualities of a good leader. Children could prioritize these qualities and then based on these criteria decide first if Jason Bock is a good leader and then use these same qualities to help describe a person who they think is a good leader.

Whether he is a good leader or not, Jason Bock is a well-written character. Jason’s honest doubts about established religion and also his new religion make him relatable to readers who have questioned their own identity and their own beliefs. His relationships with other characters are typical for teenagers. He interacts with his best friend Shin, a love interest Magda, and the hometown bully Henry. Jason’s opposition to his father’s values is also something that many teens have faced at one time. By placing Jason in the small town setting of St. Andrew’s, with its one water tower, Hautman poignantly contrasts the single-mindedness of the minds in a small town with Jason’s divergent thinking and beliefs.

In terms of plot, Hautman eases his readers into a difficult subject through a balance of humorous and serious issues. The initial conversations about gastropods and the Ten-Legged Ones are imaginative and comical. Readers are as intrigued as Jason is to see how Henry makes it to the top of the tower. It is only when the “believers” start to practice their new religion and break the law that the tale takes an somewhat unexpected and serious turn. Some readers undoubtedly expected what follows because Hautman’s successful use of foreshadowing . The policeman’s warning of the danger and illegality of climbing the tower foreshadows the events of the fateful midnight service. Shin’s speech about “channeling the Ten-Legged One” foreshadows his extreme behavior on the night of the storm. Magda’s interest in CTG because of Henry foreshadows her joining him when the CTG splits. Hautman also effectively uses images of water to help the plot along. Water is present in each part of the plot, including the scene in which the followers are baptized by swimming in the tower and the climax in which Shin is on the top of the tower when during the thunderstorm.

There will be readers who interpret this book as a challenge to established religion. However, Hautman does not seem to preach that any one belief system is better than another, but instead he provides a valuable way for readers to contrast their own beliefs and religion with those discussed in the book. Another important theme in Godless is the recognition that with power comes responsibility. This theme is echoed by Jason’s father when he reminds Jason of his power over Shin and Danny and later seen when Henry tires first to take over during the midnight service and then seizes power by creating his own sect. Additionally, the theme of water as the source of life is evident throughout the book in Shin’s writings at the beginning of each chapter and in the water-based rituals of CTG. While the themes of faith, power, and water are all complex ideas, Hautman pulls them all together in an provocative and entertaining manner.

A middle school or high school class could use Godless as the basis of a discussion about teens establishing their own identities and the impact of friendships on those identities. Although schools might find it difficult to discuss religions, an interesting Social Studies project would be to compare different cultures’ religions, including their major beliefs and practices. I believe this would go a long way to promoting tolerance for other peoples’ belief systems. Finally, Jason saw Shin’s drawings of people depicted as water towers . For an Art extension, students could draw themselves as a water tower or other large inanimate object and attempt to include elements of their own personality in the object.

How could they think he was a terrorist?

Big Mouth Ugly Girl. 0-06-447347-3. Joyce Carol Oates. 2002. ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Ages 12-18. Contemporary Realistic Fiction. Caucasian youth. Suburban middle-class.
To help them deal with the emotional conflicts they face at Rocky Ridge High School, basketball jock Ursula Riggs and newspaper columnist Matt Donaghy have secretly created the alter egos of Ugly Girl and Big Mouth. Their alter egos are not enough to protect them when Matt is suspended after his threat to blow up the school is reported and Ursula comes forward to prove Matt’s innocence. Matt returns to school, but emotions run high as both teens quit their extracurricular activities and become outsiders to their social cliques. The teens turn to each other and develop a close relationship while Matt and his family struggle with the backlash of their lawsuit against the school. After an anonymous bomb threat is traced back to a overzealous religious leader and his crazy daughters are exposed as Matt’s original accusers, life seems to return to normal. Matt’s column is going to be published in The New York Times and Ursula’s team convinces her to rejoin the team. The two teens come to realize what is important to them, which now includes each other.

This book could lead to discussions on social cliques, rumors, courage, and the role of cell phones, e-mail and texting in relationships today. Children might write about a time when they or someone they knew had the courage to stand up for another person, the consequences, and any lessons they learned from this action.

Joyce Carol Oates gives her readers a realistic story about teenage angst that can be interpreted on different levels. First, the author develops a plot in which the main characters face the challenges of correcting a false accusation and come to realize that there are costs associated with just being accused. Then, Oates adds the plot of a developing friendship between her two characters throughout this ordeal. Finally, she tells the story of two teenagers' struggles with their own self-perceptions.  Oates lets readers inside the heads and the emotions of her main characters, Matt and Ursula. By writing the narrative from her characters’ viewpoints, readers understand the characters' flaws even better. Once Matt labels himself as a "Big Mouth, " readers can observe that he begins to think before he speaks. However, Oates handles the complexity of  Ursula's poor self-image with a subtle difference.  Only Ursula's chapters are written strictly in first person, allowing the reader to really view the transitions when "Ugly Girl” surfaces. Readers see the red and inky black emotions emerge on the basketball court and see when Ursula feels disconnected with the petite, feminine women in her family.

This story contains thought-provoking subplots through which Oates introduces additional her teenage-oriented themes. Oates delivers an intriguing theme about the impact of the threat of school violence on a community through the reactions of the Rocky Ridge’s administration, the police, the neighbors, and Matt’s classmates. Some readers might wonder how their own community would react if a similar threat was present in their city. The theme of conflicts in families with teens is seen in Matt’s family’s struggle after he tarnished their reputation and in Ursula’s family’s values and priorities that seem to revolve around everyone but her. Oates also shows the importance of courage and true friendship when she contrasts Matt’s relationships with his old friends to his new bond with Ursula. Teenagers who read Big Mouth, Ugly Girl can be forewarned that one misunderstood conversation can impact so many lives. Teens can see that some family conflicts are universal. Finally, teens can also see the value in finding and keeping supportive friends in high school.

Big Mouth, Ugly Girl could easily lead to a discussion in a middle school or high school classroom about the impact of labels that we put on ourselves and others. In a Social Studies class, students could research causes of violence in schools, research their own district's policies, and write a persuasive essay recommending changes or additions to the policies to help deter this kind of violence. In a Communications class, students could write about the advantages and disadvantages of modern technology in our daily communications. They could reflect on a time when technology got in the way of  someone's true message. Finally, students could read op/ed articles in the New York Times before taking on a writing assignment in which they create a class newspaper.

Hey everyone! 

I was on youtube tonight after finishing Big Mouth and Ugly Girl.

I'll give you my review of the book soon, but I just had to share this hilarious (and FAST) recap. Check out the biceps and the ugly stare!  Did you think Matt should've channeled Popeye in the real story?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCZUNE5Kv0&feature=related

Yop and Yop Blog Activity: Character Maps

Character maps can be used as during-reading or post-reading activities to make meaning of the text by making sense of the story’s characters. Through the use of character maps, students analyze characters’ physical descriptions, personalities, perspectives, motivation, feelings, and relationships.

Yop and Yop demonstrate that by using two character maps, one near the beginning and one near the end of a story, you can better analyze changes in characters and changes in relationships in a story ( Yop and Yop, p.50). Thus, you will complete two character maps in this activity. I have modified the activity for you to respond online, but you can refer to the graphic organizer to help you visualize how this looks on paper (Click on image to see an enlarged view).

In Big Mouth, Ugly Girl, the storyline depends on the development of the relationship between Matt Donaghy (aka Big Mouth) and Ursula Riggs (aka Ugly Girl). These are the characters we will use for our character maps.

Part 1: Start with the character map about Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs during January (Chapters 1-8, pp.1-74). On the organizer, the class would list as many character traits as they can think of about each character in his or her box. Above and below the arrows drawn in between the characters, the class then writes words or phrases that tell what each character’s relationship is to the other character and how each character feels about the other character. For your blog response, first list three to five key character traits that describe EACH of the characters. Then describe each character’s relationship to the other and one or two phrases that describe how the character feels about the other.

Part 2: Now refer to the second character map that refers to April (Ch 47-49, pp.254-266) at end of the story. List three to five character traits that specifically describe each character at this point in the story. Then describe the relationship of each character to the other, along with two phrases that describe how that character feels about the other at this point in the story.


Part 3: Compare your lists for each character. For each character, evaluate one trait that you listed at the end of the story that the character didn’t display at the beginning of the story. Describe the events or information in the story that you feel support this change in the character.

To give you an idea of how to approach this assignment, I have written an example for Matt and included all the parts to the assignment below. You will need to complete both character maps for Matt and Ursula:

Part 1: January/Beginning Character Map:
Matt’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits you see in him, but here are my thoughts)
1. Popular easy-going vice-president of his junior class
2. Aspiring writer who is not quite happy with his play
3. Sees himself as a Big Mouth for not thinking before he talks
4. Hurt and angry that his friends do not stand up for him
5.
Ursula’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How Matt is related to Ursula and Matt’s feelings for Ursula at this point:  (Come up with your own response)
Ursula’s classmate. Doesn’t know why someone like independent and rebellious Ursula would help him.

How Ursula is related to Matt and Ursula’s feelings for Matt at this point: (Fill this in)

Part 2: April/Ending Character Map:
Matt’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1. Doesn’t feel like he fits in with his old friends
2. Still feels hurt because of the bomb-scare incident
3. Feels unsure if he can be funny and easy-going
4. Accomplished writer who is being published in the op/ed section of The New York Times
5.
Ursula’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How Matt is related to Ursula and Matt’s feelings for Ursula at the end: (Come up with your own response)
He is now close friends with Ursula. Matt feels inspired by her friendship to take more risks and be more independent.

How Ursula is related to Matt and Ursula’s feelings for Matt at the end:(Fill this in)

Part 3: One trait that has changed in Matt and one trait that has changed in Ursula. Use events or information from the story to support why those traits have changed.

Matt:
(Choose one of the ending traits you wrote and explain)
One of the traits that changed in Matt from the beginning to the end is that he doesn’t feel like he fits in with his old friends. Many events in the story influenced this change. When he e-mailed his friends after the false bomb scare and none of them wanted to get involved, it made Matt think twice about who his real friends were. Also, even after he was exonerated, none of his friends really did much more to re-establish their friendships than to send quick e-mails. In the end, when his friends would not approach him when he was with Ursula and when they questioned her ability to fit in with their crowd, Matt knew he could no longer be friends with friends who judged by appearances alone and not by who a person was inside.

Ursula:
(Choose one of the ending traits you wrote and explain)


Try to think beyond physical descriptions and more about the characters’ motivations and feelings. I look forward to seeing your responses. Have a great week!

Scorpions

Scorpions. 0-06-440623-7. Walter Dean Meyers. 1990. Newbery Honor Book. Ages 12-17.Contemporary Realistic Fiction. African- American youth, Multi-cultural urban residents, Lower-socio-economic status.

With his older brother Randy in prison for murder, twelve-year-old Jamal Hicks feels pressured to take over Randy’s gang, the Scorpions, to raise the money needed for his appeal. When Randy’s friend Mack hands Jamal the gun, he assures him the gun will command others’ respect. The only real support comes from Jamal’s best friend Tito, who joins the Scorpions even though he is afraid of drugs, guns, and gangs. Tito hides the gun for Jamal in the storage room so Jamal can scare the school bully and later shoots two gang members when they challenge Jamal, killing one of them. Mack becomes the Scorpion’s leader while Tito agonizes over and confesses to his role before leaving Jamal and the neighborhood forever.

Scorpions would be a good book to start conversations about the impact of poverty and single-parent households on families, the presence of bullying and weapons in school, or the realities of drugs and gangs in society. Young people can choose one issue, research the general statistics, write about the issue’s impact in their lives, and propose solutions to these social problems.

One of best elements in Scorpions is Myers’ realistic development of Jamal throughout the plot. This story highlights a turning point in Jamal's life: Is he old enough to join a gang, carry a gun, and take on the responsibility of helping his family? Instead of Jamal simply refusing to join the gang, Myers has his main character resolve this question through his interactions and dialogues with gang members, classmates, and his best friend. Myers’s strength is making these conversations more realistic by using the dialect that is associated with Harlem. Harlem is also essential as the setting because this well-known tough neighborhood reflects the tough choices Jamal needs to make. Readers may not agree with Jamal’s decisions to join a gang, keep the gun, and confront the gang members, but his character flaws and continual attempts to solve his problems are what make Jamal such a sympathetic character and Scorpions such a riveting story.

Myers connects with readers through multiple themes: friendship and loyalty, courage and difficult decision-making, and the struggle between the individual and society. Myers effectively contrasts the true bond between Jamal and Tito with the “friendships” of gang members, which are based on money and drugs. However, his story shows the tragic costs when loyalty is put in front of what is morally right. Myers also uses this book to reflect many situations that teenagers must make decisions about today, including peer pressure, trouble with authority figures, and bullying in school. Reading and discussing how Jamal handles these issues and the consequences of his decisions may help young people make better decisions in their own lives. Finally, through Myers’ subtle inclusion of the story line of Jamal’s drawing, readers can find the importance of following your dreams, not following the life that others, including family members, have decided for you.

Scorpions could spark a lively conversation in a middle school and high school classroom about the values of friendship, loyalty, and courage, and individualism. It could also be included in a historical unit on America or be extended into an art lesson based on Jamal’s passion of drawing landscapes and people.

Monster

Monster. ISBN 0-06-440731-4. Walter Dean Myers. 1999. Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award. Age 13-17. Contemporary Realistic Fiction. African-American young males, Lower socio-economic status.

Steve Harmon, a sixteen-year-old black male, is on trial as an accomplice to the robbery and felony murder of a local drugstore owner. During the trial, Steve alternates journaling about his life in the detention center cell and writing an autobiographical screenplay which recounts the courtroom drama. Steve also wrestles with his conscience through flashbacks of key events which lead up to the robbery. The trial results in Steve’s acquittal, but the author leaves his readers to decide Steve’s innocence for themselves.

This would also be a good book to initiate a dialogue on poverty, peer pressure, and the impact of individual choices one makes. Children might write about a time when they succumbed to peer pressure, the consequences that occurred, and the lesson learned from the experience.

Myers impressively pens a realistic first-person account of the internal struggle of the protagonist while he adds a more objective screenplay, which is portrayed as written by this main character. Myers effectively uses the dialogue in this screenplay to contrast his multi-dimensional main character with the more singular-minded perpetrators and witnesses. These static characters allow readers to be even more captivated as the layers of fear, guilt, defensiveness, and determination are revealed in Steve’s character. The revelation of Steve’s own “personal truths” through multiple formats (his journal, his screenplay, and interspersed flashbacks) engages the reader more than a simple third-person narrative of the court drama would, but adds to the ambiguous sequence of key event that could prove Steve’s innocence to the readers.

In addition, Myers poignantly uses the detention center setting to show the horrors of prison life. The colloquialisms of prisoners add to jail’s dark realities. Readers may be uncomfortable with Steve’s reflections on other inmates’ beatings, rapes, and views of suicide, but they are the key to the cautionary part of this tale. Steve’s setting seems to motivate him to lie about his involvement to avoid going to prison. For the audience, this setting underscores the undesirable consequences of making impulsive, poor choices. Prison life as seen by Steve from the inside is integral to the twists in the plot and fits with the story’s theme.

One clear theme in Myer’s work is the importance of Justice versus Innocence. Steve’s lawyer conveys existing prejudices in the criminal justice system when she tells Steve that being black, male and on trial are huge hurdles that could hurt his case. Readers also find themselves struggling throughout the book between the hope that Steve Harmon is found “not guilty” and the concern that justice may not be served with his acquittal. The protagonist’s innocence is not made clear by the author; as it often occurs in life, it is derived from the opinions and interpretations of the jury of readers.

This novel would be appropriate in a middle school social studies or high school government class as the basis for a discussion on how the judicial branch of government works. For example, students could discuss the roles of judge, jurors, and laywers. They could even write and perform a scene in the book from the juror’s point of view. Alternately, students could research and discuss racial and socio-economic prejudices either in the criminal justice system or in society today.