#20 - Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

   Just The Basics

    Published: May 2, 2024

    Genre: Coming of age, realistic fiction.

    Pages: 286 pages

    Acknowledgements:  Lincoln Award Nominee (2020)

        "To be alive is to be missing.”

    "Turtles All the Way Down" is a coming-of-age/realistic fiction novel by John Green. Aza Homes is a high schooler riddled with anxiety, a constant spiral of harmful "what-ifs" barely beneath the surface of her already quiet demeanor. In Indianapolis, Indiana, the life of Aza and her best friend Daisy (Star Wars fan-fiction writer extraordinaire) is relatively plain until the mysterious disappearance of local billionaire Russell Pickett. However, "luckily" for Aza and Daisy, Aza had met Russell Pickett's son Davis, years earlier at a grief counseling camp for those with dead parents. As Aza and Daisy try to unravel Russell Pickett's disappearance, the girls find themselves wrapped up again with David and his brother Noah, who are both still reeling from the mysterious disappearance of their father. In a story that is much more about mental health and the struggles of living with OCD than solving a crime, Turtles All the Way Down is about how difficult it is for the inner worlds of young people to collide. Aza and Davis have a romance, but one that can only survive at a distance, both because of Aza's worsening OCD and Davis's struggles with the public eye's attention on his family. This novel feels like a season of life where a young person grows up quickly, in the face of both wonderfully supportive friendships, the trials of mental health, and the trauma of losing a parent.  

    Why "Turtles All the Way Down"?

    I think it is fitting that I end my list of 20 YA titles with a John Green book. You see, John Green and I go way back. I was once a subscriber to the Vlog Brother's YouTube channel back in the early 2010s, a badge of book nerd honor on my Millennial resume. John Green is probably the YA author I have read the most of. I read Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, and Looking for Alaska when they all came out-- even before movies and shows were made of them. I wanted to end this list with Green's 2024 novel, because I felt a bit nostalgic in seeing that he's still actively releasing books. I have not read a John Green book since I was exiting high school, so Turtles All the Way Down felt like a ten-year high school reunion with an author I haven't seen since then. I've always loved Green's style of dialogue-focused narrative writing. I knew this novel was going to be good before even reading it, because I knew the style and type of story Green likes to write. Quiet stories, stories that might be full of emotionality but won't contain any big car chases. Turtles All the Way Down was still wonderfully personable, full of witty dialogue, and was a quick read with an emotional story. The trust I have in John Green is still warranted even 15 years after I first watched his YouTube videos. 

    Teaching Considerations

     Turtles All the Way Down would make a great novel for freshmen or Sophomore readers. This book exemplified internal and external conflict in a way that uses both types of conflict to add depth to a relatively simple story. I can teach this novel to a whole class because I understand Green's body of work and can make connections about his auteurship and what's important in the books he writes. This novel would also be a good choice for a book or book club option. I can see this book fitting into a unit on family, mental health, grief, or loss of innocence. The only triggering moments of this novel are Aza's intense moments of anxiety, obsessive compulsion, and even self-hatred. Aza gets close to suicidal ideation due to her mental state; however, this novel does not go as far as having her harm herself (other than some habitual, and minor, self-harm like opening her cuts on her fingers). I think this is the best John Green book to use in a classroom over the four I have now read, as Aza's interiority, along with Aza and Davis's search for more information on Mr. Pickett, shows how internal and external conflict can shape a plot, and usually combine to make the story intriguing. 

      Sections to Read Aloud & Reasoning

1. Twenty-Four 

• "Spirals grow infinitely small the farther you follow them inward, but they also grow infinitely large the farther you follow them out." (Page 284)

    While Aza deals with her often crippling anxiety and OCD symptoms, she uses the metaphor of spiraling. In this novel, the metaphor works differently as Aza both spirals deeper into her thought-spiral, or in the above moment, where she finally begins to spiral out of it. This metaphor is important in understanding how Aza thinks, and how thinking can be a difficult thing for her to stop. The sections of intense interiority where Aza battles with herself are some of the most fruitful moments for close reading and analysis. 

        2. Twenty-Two 

• "You're both the fire and the water that extinguishes it. You're the narrator, the protagonist, and the sidekick. You're the storyteller and the story told. You are somebody's something, but you are also your you.” (page 245)

    An interesting and meta part of this novel is how Aza often remarks that she "feels like a character" or feels like an abstraction, with her free will an illusion of the circumstances of her life leading her along. In the passage above, Aza is finally regulated somewhat due to medication and more talk therapy. This is an important tipping point for her character, as she realises that she is, in fact, herself, finally feeling some agency against her mental illness. Sections like these would make great discussion points for whole-class talks about free will, struggles with mental health, and Descartian philosophy. 

    Overall Thoughts

        Turtles All the Way Down was a great place to end my journey through YA lit (at least for now) because this book is a great example of young adult literature having just as much power in its construction as adult literature. This book felt deep, profound even, with both entertaining characters and an entertaining plot. Yes, this book seemed "simple" in terms of a very linear story; however, that allowed Green's characters to shine like they were supposed to. I am still my high school self, reading Looking for Alaska, when I read Turtles All the Way Down. I finished this book in just a few days, and I know my high-school self would have done the same. The relationship between Aza and Davis is impossible and complicated, much like the romance in The Fault in Our Stars, only in the last chapter of Turtles, Green provides a transcendent flash-forward where the reader gets to see how Aza learns from this season of her life. This book is both small and big at the same time, as the story effortlessly zooms in and out on the details that make it feel important. 

    Future Explorations

     This future exploration section seems very easy to write about-- I think I'm going to watch the HBO movie version of this story to celebrate the completion of my 20th YA book for this year. As an English teacher, I know John Green is not going anywhere in my life. Either students or other teachers will bring their works to my bookshelf again, and I think they deserve a place there. John Green was and continues to be a big part of my relationship with YA literature, and I am thrilled that I liked Turtles All the Way Down as much as all the others I have read from him-- as a kid or as an adult English educator. 

#19 - The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

  Just The Basics

    Published: March 7, 2017

    Genre: Coming of age, realistic fiction.

    Pages: 464 pages

    Acknowledgements:  NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature Nominee (2015)

        "And there we were, laughing again. What was it with this laughing thing? We were not supposed to be in the laughing mood. But there it all was. Me and Sam laughing. Whistling in the dark? Whistling in the dark." 

    "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life" is a coming-of-age and realistic young adult fiction novel. The book has a small and intimate cast of characters, all surrounding the nexus of Salvador and his father's home (Vicente). Salvador's adoptive father is an openly gay man; however, Vicente has spent years as the sole parent to Salvador after his birth mom died, and his birth father was never in his life to begin with. Salvador's lifelong best friend, Sam, becomes a sister to him through a major tragedy—in a story about chosen family, real family, and the inevitability of grief. In this novel, friends become family, real family is strained as Salvador's grandmother Mima battles cancer, and the role of nature versus nurture is explored in a simple yet emotional novel told in a series of extra-small mini-chapters. 

    Why "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life"?

    I saw Benjamin Alire Sáenz's name all over the teen section of my library. His Aristotle and Dante series seems to still be very popular, even with the last book being released in 2021. I personally didn't want to start another series for these final few books on my YA list, so I settled on "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life" as it stands alone, yet shares a front cover motif very similar to the Aristotle and Dante series. I went into this novel completely blind, not even reading a synopsis. What I found when I read this book was a story about grief, told in chapters that felt more like vignettes. The snapshots the readers get to Salvador's life, his relationships, and his recently budding anger issues, this novel was a fast read. A clipped-together collage of a young boy's life as he witnesses how those around him feel pain, all while experiencing his own pain. 

    Teaching Considerations

     This novel would be great for resistant readers. Especially those of Mexican heritage, as Salvador's family is unabashedly Mexican, the culture and language make up the background and context for him and his father's family. I think this would be a great book club option, as the book is relatable, understandable, and direct in its subtext. A small group of students (any secondary age, honestly, this book can be comprehended by any grader above 7th) could discuss this book easily, as well as maybe find a character that they can relate to. The biggest trigger warning for this book is the use of the F-slur for gay people. This word, however shocking to hear, fused full force in this novel, is something that at first triggers violent anger in Salvador; however is also a point of reflection for him as he begins to understand why he has recently felt so angry. This book would be a great choice for early high schoolers, who might be struggling with emotional regulation themselves. 

      Sections to Read Aloud & Reasoning

1. Me. Sam. Saturday Night. 

• "We both shrugged and kept drinking. The thing is, I didn't want to stop. I wanted to know what it felt like to be drunk. You want me to explain this logic? Well, where was the logic in loving? Where was the logic in dying in accidents? Where was the logic in cancer? Where was the logic in living? I was starting to believe that the human heart had an inexplicable logic." (ebook page 104)  

        One of the scenes where the reason for the title is made super clear is when Sam and Salvador get drunk off his dad's wine. In a vulnerable moment, they talk about both the tragedies of their life, and Salvador first comments on the illogical nature of traumatic events. This section and the surrounding chapter would make a great close-reading section for students. Questions about what "logic" is in life (if at all) may be explored in discussion or writing. 

        2. Night. 

• ''And I was trying to be strong for him, I'd never thought about that. I knew now, and maybe a part of me had always known it, that my dad knew how to keep his pain to himself. He'd learned-- maybe because he was born gay-- he'd learned how to suffer things in silence. I didn't want that silence for him. The night seemed so dark. But I think  I'd learned how to whistle in the dark. Maybe that was something." (ebook page 177)

    Salvador's dad, Vicente, is this novel's main pillar of consistent support. Almost every character has moments when they depend on him, most often Salvador. The above passage, which is the majority of the small "Night" chapter, focuses on Salvador's realization that his dad needs support, too. As Salvador grows up over the course of the novel, he begins to encourage his dad to live his life for himself beyond living it for his son. Sections like this may encourage discussion about the sacrifices of parenthood and the importance of living for oneself. 

    Overall Thoughts

        While this Sáenz novel wasn't earth-shattering or revolutionary, it was cute, emotional, simple, and quick. In this case, simplicity isn't a bad thing, as novels for younger readers need things spelled out to them. The simplicity of "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life" comes from this novel's understanding of the size of the story of grief and coming-of-age it is telling, without needing to expand the story to try to encompass an entire world. This novel just covers Salvador's life, and that's enough for this personal story. This novel focuses on the hard parts of life when it needs to, to the happy parts when they arrive, and is overall a quick and loving meditation on how the people in our life act as family to us-- whether biological family or not. 

    Future Explorations

     I think I'll give the Aristotle and Dante books a shot after sampling  Benjamin Alire Sáenz's writing style. This book did feel exactly like that, a sample of what an author has to offer. I would like to see an expanded version of the simplicity shown in  "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life". Sáenz writes realistic dialogue and has a laid-back way of characterization that allows the reader to understand the people in the novel in sometimes quiet and simple actions or little conversations. I think this was a cute book from an author who seems like an effortless creator of small, personal narratives for younger readers. 

#18 - Fire Keeper's Daughter by Angeline Boylley

 Just The Basics

    Published: March 16, 2021

    Genre: Coming of age, realistic fiction, crime. 

    Pages: 494 pages

    Acknowledgements:  Edgar Allan Poe Award (Best Young Adult) Winner (2022)

        "Wisdom is not bestowed. In its raw state, it is the heartbreak of knowing things you wish you didn't.” 

    "Firekeeper's Daughter" is a combination coming-of-age and crime novel, focusing on Daunis, a biracial Ojibwe native. In her community, plagued with drug abuse, crime, and somehow still an interconnected network of tribal elders, Daunis finds herself plagued by tragedy after tragedy. Meth has taken hold of many of her close friends and distant relatives, and while still battling with the recent death of her uncle, the catatonic state of her GrandMerry, and the tensions between her best friend Lilly and her meth-addicted boyfriend Travis, Daunis finds a way to serve her community profoundly. Even as her tribe has always ostracized her due to the scandal of her birth (her Firekeeper father's affair resulting in the birth of her half-brother Levi). Daunis struggles to find her place in her tribe even after she can no longer play hockey, the local favorite sport. While her brother Levi might excel on the ice, Daunis learns uses her intellect and strengths as both a student and a young Ojibwe woman to get to the bottom of the meth epidemic on her reservation. In a story with twists, turns, and heartbreak, Firekeeper's Daughter is a modern tapestry of community and folklore. As Daunis, along with her blooming love interest with the new boy in town, Jamie Johnson, readers will find themselves entangled in a compelling mystery thriller that almost seems impossible to summarize. 

    Why "Firekeeper's Daughter"?

    This book is all over the top YA book lists, and came into my hands as one of the most recommended works for English teachers to read at my school. I borrowed a copy from the ELA workroom and finished this book almost immediately. Boylley also won the Edgar Allen Poe award for best YA novel in 2024, and I completely understand why. This was one of the longest books on my YA list this year, but the 494 pages went quickly as this book swooped me up in it's story. It's hard to not give any spoilers; however, it would be tragic for any potential readers to have the experience of reading this novel ruined. What begins like a typical high school hockey-related love story between Jamie and Daunis quickly becomes a mature commentary on the ravages of drug abuse on small communities, as well as creating a thrilling crime novel.  This book is transcendental in its tragic moments and an action-packed crime thriller when it gets the ball rolling. As Daunis learns how connected her life is to the meth epidemic, she also learns about the web of lies lying just beneath the surface of her close-knit Ojibwe community. This book is about grief as much as it is about the power of a young woman. 

    Teaching Considerations

     I would adore teaching this novel to a whole class. It's dense, especially in its use of Ojibwe language, cultural tradition, and mysticism, so I would recommend older readers beyond the 10th grade. There are serious trigger warnings for violence, sexual assault, drug abuse, and heartbreaking betrayals. However, it is in these hard moments that this novel shines the brightest. Boylley is not afraid to have horrible things happen to characters, especially after lulling the readers into a false sense of narrative safety. This book is realistic in both how sudden tragedy can strike and how deep the trauma these events can cause. However, Daunis is overwhelmingly resilient and overcomes events that would crush lesser people. I would love to teach this book on a unit about grief, about the power of community, about the power of women, or on the hardships caused by drugs. This book is multifaceted in its coloring of themes, making it a strong contender for full class study under many different thematic lenses. 

      Sections to Read Aloud & Reasoning

1. Chapter 9

• "A brave hand reaches for the gun. Lily's fingers outstretched. Demanding. Give it. Now." (page 86)

    While I have to avoid a lot of the context here, chapter 9 is when this novel really turns a corner. What happens between Daunis, Lilly, and Travis has a tragic ripple effect that reverberates through the rest of the story. This section would be an important close read for students. Certain events of this chapter, and particular phrases heard by Daunis, become refrains repeated again and again as the story continues. These passages are important thematic statements that encapsulate this novel's themes of grief, loss, and the betrayal of those whom Daunis thought she knew. 

        2. Chapter 33

• ''If you knew it was the last time you were going to see someone, would you say something profound? Would you share how much they meant to you? Would you ask any burning questions? Would you ask for forgiveness? Would you thank them?" (page 320)

    A lot of this novel is also about unlearning things you have known to be true before. In the wake of her uncle's mysterious death, Daunis learns that she has to seize every last moment with her loved ones. Passages like the one above are full of potential for analysis for thematic subtext. Her questions posed to the reader are great moments for students to respond for themselves. If you were in Daunis's shoes, how would you react? Who in life do you need to hold a bit more closely? 

        3. Chapter 52 

• "I'm reminded that our elders are our greatest resource, embodying our culture and community. Their stories connect us to our language, medicines, land, clans, songs, and traditions. They are a bridge between the Before and the Now, guiding those of us who will carry on in the future." (page 453)

    The elders of Daunis's community are a crucial part of her support system as well as important characters in the story. These older Ojibwe natives serve as both role models and hilarious foils to the young people of the reservation. Each elder has a lesson to teach, and a deeper analysis of these teachings in read-alouds would allow for easy essay questions and thoughtful discussion. Much like when Danis talks about grief and regret, how might students use this text to better understand the elders in their own lives? In a Western culture detached from that of the Ojibwe people, the centering of the elders and their stories bridges the teaching of Daunis's tribe in an easily accessible and thought-provoking way. 

    Overall Thoughts

        This has been one of the best books I have read, period. This story has a way of pulling the rug out from under you as you read. In both the moments of intense sadness and loss, this book finds transcendence, healing, and power. In its moments of thrilling action, Firekeeper's Daughter finds a way to turn the tension up another notch after the reader has come to understand these characters and their relationships so clearly. This book centers on the teachings of a tribe in a way that readers can understand and come to appreciate as Daunis uses her culture to help her navigate the mystery she's involved with. I wish I could write a blog post containing all the spoilers, so as to discuss how each moment compounds on another to make this story so compelling. This does not read as a YA novel at all, but instead a novel that anyone could enjoy, come to appreciate in its teachings, and then ponder further. 

    Future Explorations

     I would love to explore this book's sequel, Warrior Girl Unearthed, just to return to this world and reconnect with these characters. This book is smart, well-written, and is an incredible showcase of Boylley's talents. Even though my life seems a million miles away from Daunis's, I felt close and connected to the characters I met along my way. I think I will read more of Boylley's works, for both the love I have developed for her style, her storytelling, and the realism she brings to the YA genre. 

#17 - The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Bérubé

  Just The Basics

    Published: August 7, 2018

    Genre: Paranormal Fiction 

    Pages: 336 pages

    Acknowledgements:  For the first time, none that I can find. 

        "If this is over, really over, do I need them? Can I leave them behind, walk away from them? I'm walking on water, aren't I? But it was fear, that moth-wing panic, that brought me there. That's what I was trying to escape."

    "The Dark Beneath the Ice" is a paranormal, coming-of-age novel by Amelinda Bérubé. The story centers around Marianne's unraveling. Her parents' divorce, her abandoning of ballet, and her questioning sexuality spiral her into a haunting by a mysterious vision of her worst nightmares. Her nightmares are all about water, darkness, and ice lurking below her fragile self-image and wavering confidence. In a new school, Marianne meets Ron (Ronette is her full name), whose psychic mother eventually allows Marianne to face herself, the ghost haunting her, and how she cannot solve anything by continuing to run away. What might at first seem like a purely paranormal haunting eventually morphs into a story about parenting, finding oneself, and accepting who you are as Marianne and Ron untangle the mysterious darkness around them. 

    Why "The Dark Beneath the Ice"?

    I found this book on a YALSA list of the most popular YA titles in the last few years. I threw this work on my list at the very last second, craving some paranormal literature after so many realistic novels in the past year. However, I quickly understood that "The Dark Beneath the Ice" was going to be a difficult read. Not because this book is too haunting or too disturbing, but because it is so mediocre. I personally love media in the horror genre, but I had to push myself to get through Bérubé's very tepid story. I wanted what one always gets from good spooky lit: atmosphere, striking imagery, and some of the beloved genre tropes that make works in this genre so memorable. What I got was a pulpy, average, and not very compelling read. I'm not even sure the young adults I teach would like this novel."The Dark Beneath the Ice" was a bit too basic, underwhelming, and lukewarm, offering very little atmosphere or compelling pacing. Unfortunately, the question here changes from why "The Dark Beneath the Ice"  to why not "The Dark Beneath the Ice". 

    Teaching Considerations

     I'm struggling to find where this book would fit into my classroom. With other YA works, I have found the issue is sometimes that a story isn't for me, yet still can be worked into a positive light with some creative pedagogy. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure if a high or middle school student found Bérubé's work on some spooky October, they might enjoy this story. Especially if this reader is a young queer girl, I can see Marianne and Ron's story keeping them interested. From a teaching perspective, I don't think this book would even be a good fit for choice reading or book clubs. This book offers very little in terms of substance for analysis. The pacing (which is my biggest gripe), the dialogue, all lack subtext and deeper meaning. The paranormal aspects are often rushed, too frequent, and not impactful in the way stories like this need to be. There is a minor trigger warning of some peril and violence, but I've seen worse in animated Disney movies. Not only is this book not for me, but it's not for my classroom either. Nothing wrong with this book as a story concept-- as I think the externalization of emotional problems of young queer kids makes for good horror (watch I Saw The TV Glow if you want to see what I mean), but I just think this novel does the horrors of life as a closeted lesbian girl a disservice. 

      Sections to Read Aloud  & Reasoning

1. Chapter 16

• "I'm ice on the water. Cracking. Every word hits me like a stone. That's what Ingrid heard coming out of my mouth?" (Ebook page 377)

    Some of the context for Marianne's personality crisis comes from the rejection of her old best friend, Ingrid, with whom Marianne was in love, but who eventually rejects her. The metaphor of water, ice, and darkness is the main externalization of these emotional struggles. While the metaphor is repetitive throughout this work, if an educator chose to use this text in class, the metaphorical connections between Marianne and water are worth exploring. 

        2. Chapter 12

• '''But you're the one who brought me here.' Anguish creeps into the other voice, the kindling of anger. 'I was trying to find the way for so long. And you called me. I heard you!' 'There's something you want. Isn't there?' Ron insists. 'Tell me what it is!' 'I want... what is mine.'" (Ebook pages 287-288)

    The specter that haunts Marianne's refrain is "I want what is mine". The ghost clearly reflects many aspects of Marianne, with its own ghastly fixation on Ron (bet you can guess the payoff here). Moments like the one above are both the paranormal moments that punctuate the novel but also reveal a lot of Marianne's internalized fears about her queerness. Moments with the ghost could be looked at by students in how they both move the plot along with some excitement, and how they reveal who Marianne is deep down. 

    Overall Thoughts

        I truly didn't like "The Dark Beneath the Ice". With these reviews, I am usually able to find a place for every book. So far, this has been the only work of the sixteen I have read that I feel is not only not for me, but is arguably poorly written. Nothing was thrilling or exciting in this work. The paranormal moments were so frequent and so plain that they almost became a drag. To thrill a reader, to haunt a reader, to scare a reader, there needs to be much more atmosphere, more compelling pacing, more of hiding important elements of the plot until a key moment, and Bérubé did not pull through for me here. If a student is a horror junky, they might find more enjoyment here than I did. However, I disliked how this novel is more constructed than any YA book I have read so far. 

    Future Explorations

     There was to be some stellar paranormal YA lit out there! While I did not find what I wanted here, I'm sure there is a wealth of queer-oriented thriller/horror works out there that offer what I am looking for when I pick something up in this genre.  I hope that Bérubé has a successful career, but I do not think I will be looking for any other work by this author. 

#16 - Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi

  Just The Basics

    Published: May 9, 2023

    Genre: Realistic fiction, Coming of Age 

    Pages: 384 pages

    Acknowledgements:  2024 Coretta Scott King Author Award winner

        "But none of that matters now because I don't want to be a part of anyone's movement. I want to be my own liberation and break down these walls, tear down this house, kick down the front door, and just walk out and never come back. Like Mama. But I am not abandoning Freedom." 

    "Nigeria Jones" is a coming-of-age novel written by Ibi Zoboi. The title character, Nigeria, is the daughter of a famous Black nationalist and revolutionary. In the wake of her mother's absence, the birth of her little brother Freedom, Nigeria struggles to find a place for herself, outside of her father's controlled world of radical liberation, as she attends the Philly Friends School in Philadelphia. Nigeria Jones is a powerful analysis of what Black liberation might look like in an oppressive White world. Zoboi's work takes an unflinching look at Black Power while personalizing the struggle between whether it is better for Black youth to strive for radicalization or exist in the racist systems of America, while questioning how kids like Nigeria may find an individual path to liberation, all wrapped up in a heartfelt narrative about a sixteen-year-old girl finding her way. This novel is as much about personal liberation and individual freedom as it is about how grief and generational trauma challenge Black youth to unpack their identities as they venture outside of the world their parents might create for them. 

    Why "Nigeria Jones"?

    I found this novel when looking through the winners of the Coretta Scott King awards from the last few years. Honestly, I had no clue what to expect. From the first chapter of Zoboi's work, I felt as if I was venturing into a space not intended for me in the slightest; I was a stranger in a strange land as I read about Nigeria's life and the Black Power Party her father cultivates. As a White man, I felt that I was stepping into an all-Black world that was completely alien, and I was a bit shocked by how humbling this read was. The references to African-American tradition, emphasis on important Black voices, and the traditions of Nigeria's Haitian-American heritage were almost like reading a novel from another country. As I read, I felt honored to be in this space and grateful for this book's creation of a conduit between my lived experience and those of these characters. As I consider myself a progressive person, Nigeria Jones exposed how different the life of Black Americans really is, while also exposing how limited my knowledge of Black American life is. However, through the exploration of this novel, I was given a small view into a world not meant for me to step into, but still able to come to appreciate it through this extremely raw and powerful narrative. Just like when I read The Unboxing of a Black Girl, I learned quickly to contemplate this book, enjoy the emotionality of the story, and simply acknowledge the perspective this story was lending me. 

    Teaching Considerations

     I have been scratching my head about how I would teach this book. Nigeria's life and struggles in both her father's world and her life in White spaces brought up many important questions about liberation, reparation, the role of family and culture, all while supplying almost endless critiques of systemic oppression. This makes this novel a powerful read in a classroom; however, I'm not sure I'm the right educator to help answer these questions. I think this novel would be a powerful book club addition, possibly in a unit on racism, the Black experience, freedom, or oppression. This book is almost brutal in its honesty and candor in critiquing the world of a post-Black Lives Matter America, so I don't think Zoboi's work would be pragmatic in the hands of younger high schoolers. For seniors or juniors, I think this novel can be explored. The level of language used and the intelligence of this work's analysis would need time and care in its dissection. There is a risk of alienating young White students in the teaching of this book to a whole class. I think that's the point. I would love to get this book in the hands of those Black students who desire to expand their critical consciousness. This is one of the first YA books I have read that has seemed difficult for me to teach. I think if I were to use this novel in a classroom, I would simply allow the work to speak for itself. There are moments of sex, marijuana use, and some language. However, these are not things to shy away from, as Nigeria smartly explains why seemingly problematic aspects of her life are criminalized and made to seem inappropriate only in the White-majority context. To teach this novel would be to invite students into a discourse where there are no clear answers and would encourage many difficult conversations. This book is smart, and would need a smart class to begin to understand the complexity of the role of Black Power in America. 

      Sections to Read Aloud  & Reasoning

1. Grievance 5

• "Makai? Aren't you tired of all of this? of having to read my father's books? Of listening to all those live streams and podcasts? It's the same thing every single day. Over and over again. I get it by now. We're oppressed. Racism is fucked up. Black People are messed up because of it. White people are evil because of it." (Ebook page 235)

    This work is full of moments in which Nigeria unpacks what her father has conditioned her to believe while also understanding her need to find her own path. Moments like the one above abound, where Nigeria understands that her entire life is surrounded by critical critique, while almost getting tired of always needing to be as conscious as she is. Sections like these would make for an important class discussion. Is it really "all about race" when real people's lives are affected? Does it ever get tiring searching for revolution everywhere one looks? 

        2. Article II, Section 3

• ''Yes, Baba," I say, and the first step I take after my father's commands is the one where I almost step into that Mama-sized hole and almost, almost fall." (Ebook page 115)

    A lot of Nigeria's journey in finding herself comes as she follows her mom's footsteps. Her mom functions as a foil to her father's radicalism, still as critical of the world around her, however, without many of the isolationist tendencies that separate Nigeria from the White world around her. Sections like this clearly express the role Nigeria feels her father forces her into, a role her mom held when she was with the Movement. Reading aloud moments like these shows that even though Nigeria is brilliant, she is still a young girl searching for a place in the world that is truly hers. In terms of characterization, sections like these illustrate that Nigeria is ultimately very hurt by her mother's absence and how this abandonment is made even more difficult by her father's expectations. 

    Overall Thoughts

        Nigeria Jones is an impressive meditation on Black American life in a modern world. This novel was exceptionally sharp, both in its construction as a story and in its commentary. I actually struggle encapsulating this book in my writing, as it is such a large and detailed look at Black oppression, systematic racism, finding one's place, and overall grief, that I think it is impossible to boil down for quick simplicity. There is a ton of power in this story and in Zoboi's writing style. I enjoyed this book very much, even though I cannot pretend this work was written for me. I think Nigeria Jones would change the life of a young Black girl when she reads it. For a book about intersectionality, this book is an impressive expression of both Black joy and disgust at an oppressive world. I don't think I have read a YA book so smart, ever. This book blew the doors off what I thought I knew about being Black in America, and yet still wrapped me up in a story full of love and the transcendent power of revolution. 

    Future Explorations

     Ibi Zoboi is just impressive. I would love to read more of her work, because I was so challenged with this one. Reading is meant to offer people windows into the lives of others, and this book has been one of the most impactful windows I have had into a life very, very far away from my own. While I do think this work would be difficult for younger students who cannot see outside of their own lives, I enjoyed what Zoboi had to offer and her grit in presenting it in a young adult narrative. 

#15 - The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist by Margarita Engle

  Just The Basics

    Published: September 15, 2015

    Genre: Historical Fiction, Novel in Verse. 

    Pages: 192 pages

    Acknowledgements: PEN Center USA Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature (2014)

        "The poems Tula recites / fall onto my ears / like shooting stars / or flowers / in a storm wind, / plummeting towards earth / instead of drifting." 

    "The Lightning Dreamer" is a historical fiction novel in verse about Cuban feminist and abolitionist poet Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda. Poet Margarita Engle fictionalizes Avellaneda's life in Cuba from 1827 to 1829, then follows "Cuba's greatest abolitionist " to her life in Spain from 1836 onward. Although this is a work of fiction, much of Avellaneda's writing is said to come from real-life conversations, and in Lightning Dreamer's collection of free-verse poems, these characters are explored as real-life relationships. Back when arranged marriage was the norm, and miscegenation was an extreme and illegal taboo, fourteen-year-old "Tula" (as Avellaneda was called) grapples with the brutality of slavery around her, her mother's expectations, the power she finds in the poems of José María Heredia, and her exile to the countryside due to her radical beliefs. Engle explores Avellaneda's life in the same poetic medium, as Avellaneda was able to express her thoughts on power, love, and freedom years before either feminism or abolition were accepted in the Americas. 

    Why "The Lightning Dreamer"?

    When I read about Engle's work on a list of top YA works of the past ten years, I was confused about what this book would even read like. I have little experience with novels in verse already, so adding some historical fiction made me anxious to get a hold of this book (I had my mom check it out from the Douglas County Library; JeffCo had no copies). What I found interesting in the concept was only made more so in the actual construction of the work. Engle tells the story of Avellaneda's life through a series of first-person free verse poems. Each poem is from the perspective of a character, whether it's Tula herself, her brother, her mom, or the fictional "Sab" who is a personification of Avellaneda's main character in her novel also named Sab. None of the poems is very long; however, the mosaic they create thematically paints a stark image of a time in Cuban history when both Black people and women were inslaved. Black and brown Cuban people in chattel slavery, women in arranged marriages with men almost two decades older than them, enslaved for a dowery at the age of fourteen. This book was worth the effort to track down, because I think this book is a gem of a poetic look at history and an underscoring of how abolition and feminism intersect. 

    Teaching Considerations

     I haven't found a better book for cross-curricular study. In a dream unit, the life of Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, José María Heredi, and Cuban independence could be taught in a social studies or Spanish class, and then The Lightning Dreamer could be taught in an English class. I think this book would be a great full-class study. It is short enough to mostly read aloud, but the poems and how they are sequenced are so pregnant with meaning that they allow for deep analysis. I think the concept of arranged marriage for fourteen-year-olds to grown men might be disturbing for younger readers, and along with some depictions of violence against enslaved people, I think this book should stay out of the hands of middle schoolers. High school-age students from 9th to 12th grade could comprehend this book and its complex themes, even more so if these students can somehow access this text and its themes in multiple content areas.  

      Sections to Read Aloud  & Reasoning

Please note: all titles of the poems indicate who is speaking, so refer to citations for the exact location. 

1. Tula 

• "Today I released / my caged goldfinch. / Mama scolded me bitterly, / but I do not care, because today / one small, winged creature / has finally learned / how to fly!" (Ebook page 32)

    Once Tula is engaged to the man she will eventually run away from, her grandfather gifts her a goldfinch as a pet. She hates keeping it, hating its small cage, seeing herself in the bird's captivity. This poem and the series of poems around it create a deep sense of sorrow for Tula and the reality of being a young girl in this time. This poem would be great to read aloud in class because its easily accessible metaphor, its emotional, and its historical context. 

        2. Sab

• ''Tula has refused to marry / the man on the spirited horse. / She calls my request horrible, / insisting that marriage / without love / is just one more / twisted / form / of slavery" (Ebook page 50)

    The above selection from one of the Sab poems is the clearest expression of the theme of slavery and arranged marriage in the book. This poem may not be as full of symbolism as the last selection; however, the style of this poem is emblematic of how a lot of Engle's free verse poems read. This philosophic, yet still somehow almost conversational, meter and diction both communicate the meaning of each work, but in part talk to the other poems in their juxtaposition. 

    Overall Thoughts

        The Lightning Dreamer was one of my most unique reads for this list. I not only enjoyed its poetic style, but I think Engle's work had an artful touch in memorializing the life of Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda. What is fascinating is that this book honored Tula without exactly retelling her life story. Some of the fictionalized characters actually were the most compelling; these characters just existed to help personify important topics in Avellaneda's work or characters in her own stories. I was impressed that reading poetry from charaters based on characters based on possible anecdotal encounters could work so well in communicating a point. The poetic focus on love, freedom, living life for oneself, and the journey life takes you on were made to feel important, universal, and truly cherished by Avellaneda when she was alive. 

    Future Explorations

     Are there any more historical fiction poetry books? I am interested in checking out more of Engle's works, even if that means I have to read a few picture books. I knew nothing about the Cuban move for independence, the Cuban abolition of slavery, or these forced marriage practices. I think there is power in learning about history through poetry, and this is something new I have discovered through reading this book. Conceptually, understanding the emotionality of history through artfully crafted language somehow makes learning about history feel more fulfilling than just learning facts and dates. 

#14 - A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield

 Just The Basics

    Published: January 2nd, 2018

    Genre: Nonfiction 

    Pages: 208 pages

    Acknowledgements: Coretta Scott King Award for Nonfiction 2019

        "Sometimes I growl, shake myself and spatter a few red drops of history to remember. Then-- I forget."

                     - Carl Sandburg (From "I Am the People, the Mob)

    "A Few Red Drops" is a nonfiction work by Claire Hartfield offering a brief history of the 1919 Chicago Race Riots. In a way that centers historical context beyond the description of racial violence, Hartfield's report creates a student-forward explanation of the Great Migration, the Meat Packers Union, the history of Chicago, and the racial powder keg the city was building until its explosion in 1919 over the death of Eugene Williams. With the riots used as a narrative frame, Hartfield uses many first-hand accounts to allow for an understanding of the tensions between Southern Black migrants and mostly mid-European immigrants that arose from a shortage of jobs, a series of labor strikes, and housing shortages, and how these conflicts eventually led to the death of 13 men and the horrific bombings of several Black-owned properties. The Chicago Race Riots were the first in a series of conflicts around America called the "Red Summer," where the Great Migration of southern Black Americans resulted in racially charged violence that would have ripple effects across US history.  

    Why "A Few Red Drops"?

    After reading Paula Yoo's Rising from the Ashes earlier this year, I was very interested in nonfiction about racialized violence in America. Both Yoo's and Hartfield's works had different approaches to retelling these events; however, when paired together, they had several noticeable correlations. Unlike Yoo's report, Hartfield's A Few Red Drops is separated from contemporary readers by almost 110 years. A Few Red Drops was not nearly as personal as Rising From the Ashes, and instead was more of a cursory glance at the Red Summer and the fallout effects of the Great Migration. Hartfield's work was a good supplementary nonfiction addition to my YA list, as it felt like it balanced out my understanding of what nonfiction YA can look like. I originally picked up this work just to follow a through-line of racialized violence in America, but as a result of reading this text, I feel as if I now understand the different stylistic takes in contemporary YA nonfiction. 

    Teaching Considerations

     For a book about racial violence, A Few Red Drops surprisingly had almost no description of violence. There were statistics given about those who died in the rioting, photos of those properties bombed in this time frame, and the attention drawn to the young boy Eugine William's death by accidental stoning and drowning. However, it felt as if the gruesome details of this time were understated on purpose for the book's intended audience. This means this book can be taught in a classroom with less apprehension; the only other trigger warning should be the use of the n-word (but with understanding the topical focus, this should almost be expected). I think this book would be a great supplementary text for a unit on riots, systematic racism, protest, or even labor rights and unionizing. I keep thinking back to Yoo's work, and just really prefer that book overall, so I could also recommend that A Few Red Drops be taught in conjunction with Rising from the Ashes as a part of a quad-text framework or some type of literature circle. I think A Few Red Drops is appropriate reading for all secondary students, from 6th to 12th grade, with the right teacher support and scaffolds. Again, this book just doesn't seem like a good fit to teach on its own without additional materials. 

      Sections to Read Aloud  & Reasoning

1. Five, White Negros 

• "Just west of Chicago's Black Belt sat the white immigrant communities known as Packingtown. The men and women who settled there had come to get away from oppression in their homeland. Irish and Germans arrived in the mid-nineteenth century, Poles and Lithuanians a few decades later" (Ebook page, 61)

    Chapter 5 would be important for students to understand because it sets up the other ethnic communities that are essentially at war with those Black Americans living in the Black Belt. It is between these multiple communities that struggle for jobs in Packingtown (a meat-packing district), the strikes, the unions, the scabs (usually hired Black people), all together lead to the strained communities of Chicago. As the title of this chapter alludes to, all these groups were disenfranchised by the White-Anglo majority of Chicago's richer areas. These minority groups were largely manipulated by the rich men who owned Packingtown to remain in control and not have to deal with negotiating with labor unions and the resulting strikes. 

        2. Seventeen, Race Riot 

• ''Around white neighborhoods, the story went that the drowned boy was white and the stone thrower was black. In black areas, among stories of Officer Callahan's villainy was the claim that he had prevented expert swimmers from saving Eugine, and that he had held black bathers while they were pelted with bricks and stones." (Ebook page 234)

    What is most interesting about this selection, and this entire chapter, is the amount of misinformation that causes people to take violent action on the street. Eugine Williams was a black boy and was hit in the head by a stone from white aggressors. Officer Callahan had no involvement. It would be fruitful to break down these moments with students, so they can understand the role information and misinformation always have in moments of mass civil unrest. This chapter also has all the details of those who died in the riots, so its improtant to analyze this section for more critical information and a timeline of events. 

    Overall Thoughts

        A Few Red Drops was interesting, informative, and easily digestible. The reason I am not as satisfied with this text is that it lacks humanism. Yes, the reader gets some key names, and the text serves as remembrance for Eugene Williams; however, I was spoiled by how much mor reverence I felt when reading Rising From The Ashes. Yoo's work felt like a candle still burning for those who were lost, for those who helped start the LA riots. A Few Red Drops felt more like reading an unbiased newspaper article. Maybe this is the English Teacher side of me talking, but I want stories we read in class to be stories about people, with morals and even some bias towards the racism shown in the Red Summer. Maybe A Few Red Drops would be more fitting for a social studies teacher to use in class, where unbiased materials are more of a mainstay. Even though these events took place over one hundred years ago, and testimonies have been lost to time, I still felt like Hartfield's work was too brief a dive into an important and thematically relevant topic in the history of racism in the United States. 

    Future Explorations

     This is Hartfield's only nonfiction book; her only other work is a picture book. It may be a bit of an insult to Hartfield, but reading this book made me want to go back to Paula Yoo's work. I am beginning to really enjoy reading YA nonfiction, as these works make history digestible and easily understandable to me. I think something like the history of civil unrest in America can get messy, and I have enjoyed using the nonfiction works on this list to better educate myself on the basics of these important events. A Few Red Drops is the final YA nonfiction book on this list, so I am wishing I ended this part of my journey with a deeper and more substantive book.