Books: The Human Connection

At a recent dinner party, I heard a compelling argument in the Ebook vs RealBook debates:  real books can connect humans (on subways).  People actually start conversations with strangers regarding books.  Covers add a layer of human play and interest to the fray of urban life.  And yesterday, this truth showed itself during my hours at Books of Wonder.

Neil Gaiman reading & book signing! 

Illustrator/Author duo of Chu's Day

The lines began.  The most considerate way to have used my waiting time?  Figuring out precisely what to say in 15 seconds about being inspired as teacher/writer, capped with a profound witticism.

Yes, I didn't do that.

Instead, I bought a copy of every day by David Levithan.

I read 35 pages as I shuffled in line.  The novel caused four spontaneous discussions with strangers.  Four.  Not only did this say volumes about this particular book/author, it reminded me (a Nook user) of the power of books to connect people.  And of the gravity of authors within an expanding universe.

A compelling YA novel (that stirs conversations with strangers)

Meanwhile, Neil Gaiman has very passionate fans.  The store was packed.  One older gent dressed up as Destiny from Sandman.  A toddler was dressed up as Chu (from Chu's Day).  Most fans had their picture taken with Neil (with several fan in tears of joy).  I suspect the lines continued late into the evening.  Neil himself seems a particularly down-to-earth guy, which made the spectacle rather warming for such a cold, rainy day in NYC.

Me?  My back & legs cramped, but I was enjoying my new book.  

The woman in front of me handed Neil and Adam Rex bottles of fine juice, which lifted spirits.  Then as I approached, the owner of Books of Wonder, Peter Glassman, initiated a conversation about the non-Neil book I was carrying: "That's a great book!"   So, I'm 10% blaming him for having nothing of import to offer Neil Gaiman when I stepped up.  I had no fine juice.  No personalized witticisms.

Only heavy admiration...

Sometimes words just suck.

As I watched him scribble "believe" in my book, I chuckled.  Someday I will buy him a fine beer, I promised myself.  Yes.  Authors matter.  Dead-tree-book-devices matter.

Whether they sleep inside dead trees, digital data, or our frayed neurons - stories, like the gods, need our warm blood & breath to live.  I think what matters most is whether they guide us to improve ourselves.  To be more human.

(this is not a YA text)

My rambling reflection is passive, cliche, & indulgent - yet embodied.  Sometimes words just suck...  :-)

Tickling Brains, Turning Pages (books)

Stargirl

Dangerous Days

Hunger Games. The Hobbit.
Percy Jackson. Stargirl.
Harry Potter. Terabithia.
Outsiders. Daniel X.
Twilight. Catcher in the Rye.
Pretty Little Liars. Ender's Game.
The Giver.  Speak.  The Skin I'm In.

What do these titles have in common?  

Power?  Love?  Tragedy?  Recognition?  Voice?  Brains tickled?  Pages turned?

Why do middle-grade readers love Fudge, Judy Moody, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid sooooo much?

I've seen students (in the South Bronx) trying to read while walking down stairs.  While that is obviously a safety concern, I am thrilled to see that motivation!  As read-alouds or as independent reading, these stories tickle their brains.

What's not to love?

Are You There, God?

Writing for the adolescent species may seem completely daunting, but let's not kid ourselves.  Or perhaps I should say, let's kid ourselves a bit more?

Remember being a kid?  We could grin at a friend and start crafting fun out of anything.  If you call math drills "math kung fu" and pull out a timer, then you might find the kids doing math with a smile.  The Joy Factor.

Let's play.  Tickle brains.  Get dramatic.

Kids love power, right?.  All kinds of power.  Adolescents like power, too, but they also seem to like stories that are dipped in tragicomedy and end with some brand of heroic recognition.

Let's humor them!

Can I develop unique stories that are a joy to read?

Esperanza Rising (book)

Some stories can remind us that oral storytelling came before the written traditions.

I love this book.

Esperanza Rising makes for a perfect guided or shared reading text.  There are rich themes and ample opportunities for discussion.

A man with a small goat on his lap grinned at Esperanza, revealing no teeth.  Three barefoot children, two boys and a girl, crowded near their mother.  Their legs were chalky with dust, their clothes were in tatters, and their hair was grimy.  An old, frail beggar woman pushed by them to the back of the car, clutching a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Her hand was outstretched for Alms.

Esperanza had never been so close to so many peasants before.  When she went to school, all of her friends were like her.  When she went to town, she was escorted and hurried around any beggars.  And the peasants always kept their distance.  That was simply the way it was.  She couldn't help but wonder if they would steal her things.

"Mama," said Esperanza, stopping in the doorway. "We cannot travel in this car. It... it is not clean.  And the people do not look trustworthy."   (p.66-67)

What makes some stories so lyrical & enjoyable when properly read aloud?  

In that passage, there's mood-laced exposition with its rhythm and concrete descriptions.  No teeth. Barefoot children.  Dust.  Tatters.  Grimy.  Beggar.  Our imaginations are filled with just enough theme-rich detail to induce a reaction.  The author, Pam Munoz Ryan, then reveals some more back-story about the main character and her worldview (which is likely to also induce a reaction from readers).  Then the strong beat comes at us as Esperanza gracelessly and regrettably conveys a class judgement in front of everybody.

1. Setting as setup (details with thematic clues, but without saturating "working memory")
2. -->  Revelations that tug at reader emotions
3. ---->  A powerful beat that exposes her worldview to conflict with family/friends

I've seen 5th graders completely enthralled by this book.  They fought over copies.  They sat motionless when given a chance to listen to the audiobook with the lights low.  They drifted to this distant time and truly cared about the characters.

In terms of revelation and exposition, I've put this book on my "short shelf" of model texts.

What are the other devices and structures that authors use to manage exposition and back-story without losing the "flow" of narration?  What other books weave in exposition so masterfully that it naturally reads aloud?