Does My Head Look Big In This?

Bibliography: Abdel-Fattah, R. (2008). Does my head look big in this? New York: Scholastic.

ISBN: 043992233X

Genre: religious

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12+/14+

Critical Evaluation: Author Randa Abdel-Fattah jumped right into a teenage girl’s mind when she started chapter one with a reference to Jennifer Aniston in Friends (1). Giving the reader a visual of the Adidas shorts and Winnie-the-Pooh shirt (2) protagonist Amal is wearing underscores the instant camaraderie of teen girls everywhere. But she doesn’t shy away or creep slowly into the theme of the book--the very challenge of Amal deciding to wear her hijab full-time is right on page two. The conversational tone captures the informal intonations of teenagers looking to fit in with their peers. Yet despite this realism, Amal’s multifarious group of friends seem a bit forced and too conveniently placed to specifically emphasize the importance of diversity. The story does not have the freedom to move on its own, but it instead seems like every character, every description is deliberately framed by Abdel-Fattah. The book feels stilted and boxed in by the author’s personal objectives of inter-religious integration. Despite these failings, the characters had depth and were very well rounded. Amal’s moods, goals, adventures with friends and obsession with boys kept the story moving easily and created a fun, relatable and educating narrative.

Plot Summary: After agonizing over the decision, Australian-born Amal decides she’s ready to wear her hijab full time, showing her friends, her schoolmates and her community that she’s a devout Muslim. Her friends are supportive, her parents are concerned and her classmates are just weirded out. They don’t understand why she now wears a headscarf and prays several times a day. Some are open to learning, but others, as typical in any high school, are just plain cruel. Amal, always ready with a comeback for those cutting remarks, learns to explain her beliefs in terms other teens can understand. But things get complicated when her crush tries to kiss her and she has to pull away because of Islamic mandates. She finds that people are willing to understand until it involves personal risk. It all becomes very real, though, when her best friend runs away from a family constantly trying to undermine her education and marry her off. Amal has to figure out if she wants her viewpoints respected, she has to learn to respect the beliefs that others hold dear. Only then will she truly be able to embrace her own Islamic tenets.

Reader’s Annotation: Amal is ready to wear her hijab full time and show the world that she’s serious about her beliefs. But when everyone from her friends to her family shows doubt in her decision, will she have the courage to continue following her heart?

Author Information:

Randa Abdel-Fattah was born in Sydney in 1979. She is a Muslim of Palestinian and Egyptian heritage. She grew up in Melbourne and attended a Catholic primary school and Islamic secondary college where she obtained an International Baccalaureate. She studied Arts/Law at Melbourne University during which time she was the Media Liaison Officer at the Islamic council of Victoria, a role which afforded her the opportunity to write for newspapers and engage with media institutions about their representation of Muslims and Islam.

During university and her role at the ICV, Randa was a passionate human rights advocate and stood in the 1996 federal election as a member of the Unity Party-Say No To Hanson. Randa has also been deeply interested in interfaith dialogue and has been a member of various interfaith networks.

Randa has used her writing as a medium for expressing her views about the occupation of Palestine. Her articles about Palestine, Australian Muslims and the misunderstood status of women in Islam have been published in the Australian, the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Canberra Times, New Matilda, Le Monde (France).

Randa lives in Sydney with her husband and their two children. She works as a litigation lawyer.¹

Curriculum ties: multiculturalism

Booktalks: Would you be willing to permanently and visually show your belief in something?

Challenge issues: Islam, Muslims, religious stereotyping

Challenge resources (for usage in a challenge situation):

• Library Selection Policy

• Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
• Active listening skills
• Awards
• Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
• Illinois Library Association (Banned Books Listings)
• National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
• Positive and negative reviews: expert, parent, student
• ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
• ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom

• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Reasoning: Expanding perspectives is a core objective in library mission statements. This book helps develop understanding, empathy and compassion for teenagers of different religions and opinions. It has won or been short-listed for multiple awards, including Kirkus's Best Books for Young Adults.

References:

¹Abdel-Fattah, R. (n.d.). Biography: Randa Abdel-Fattah. Retrieved November 1, 2015, from http://www.randaabdelfattah.com/biography-randa-abdel-fattah.asp

Does this make my head look big? (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_12?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=does%2Bmy%2Bhead%2Blook%2Bbig%2Bin%2Bthis&sprefix=does%2Bmy%2Bhead%2Blook%2Bbig%2Bin%2Bthis%2Caps%2C214

October Baby (film)

Rating: PG-13

Directors: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin

Writers: Andrew Erwin (story), Jon Erwin (story)

Stars: Rachel Hendrix, Jason Burkey, John Schneider

Bibliography: Erwin, A., & Erwin, J. (Directors). (2011). October Baby [Video file]. USA: Gravitas. Retrieved October 21, 2015.

Genre: drama

Reading Level/Interest Age: 14+

Plot Summary: 18 year old Hannah is beautiful, talented and loved. Aside from some rather serious health issues, life should feel fulfilling. Yet she feels the constant burden of isolation and emptiness, a lack of enthusiasm for life. After a terrifying health scare, family secrets are revealed. Hannah’s physical and emotional issues all stem from the same cause--she was the survivor of a failed abortion. Devastated by her parents dishonesty and the knowledge that her birth mother hadn’t wanted her, Hannah decides to seek the answers she believes will make her whole. With her best friend at her side, she follows a trail of information to find her birth mother and investigate the circumstances surrounding her birth. The facts she discovers unleash a hurt so powerful that she doesn’t know she can overcome. When her parents finally explain their reasons for keeping the adoption so secretive, Hannah begins to understand that every story has a perspective she may not have considered. She knows the ultimate path to her acceptance lies in forgiveness, but the act of forgiving turns out to be even more difficult than she ever dreamed possible.

Critical Evaluation: John Schnieder (of Dukes of Hazzard fame) gives an incredibly moving performance as the protagonist's father. With an intense level of believably, he became the father that every teen should have--one that loves his child above all else. The pain in his eyes at Hannah's suffering wrenches the hearts of viewers. Rachel Hendrix, who plays Hannah, is a natural in front of the camera. Her movements are not stilted or forced, but are instead graceful and instinctive. The scenes in which she is deep in thought, generally on a pier or a beach, are tear jerking in their beauty, simplicity and realism. Because the story line is so emotional, the setting had to be in the figurative background. Some movies depend so much on setting that it almost becomes another character, but in October Baby, the cinematographer was careful to ensure that filming, including angles, shots and camera movement, was just as natural as the acting. Overall, it’s a beautifully created film with a storyline and characters that stay with the viewer long after the movie ends.

Reader’s Annotation: Hannah is 18 when she finds out that she is the survivor of a failed attempt at abortion. Will her journey to find her birth mother provide the confidence she needs to move forward?
Author info: n/a

Curriculum ties: none

Booktalks: adoption; would you stand up for your best friend over your girl/boyfriend?

Challenge issues: abortion, parental disrespect, petty crime

Challenge resources: Library Selection Policy

• Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
• Active listening skills
• Awards
• Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
• Illinois Library Association (Banned Books Listings)
• National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
• Positive and negative reviews: expert, parent, student
• ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
• ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom

• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Reasoning: All teens struggle with determining their identity, but when a teen also needs to come to terms with circumstances surrounding an adoption, issues develop a much higher level of volatility. Libraries need to provide material that help distressed patrons find options, information and support and to give other patrons methods to develop empathy and knowledge around the topic of adoption.

References: October Baby. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2015, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1720182/

Luna

Bibliography: Peters, J. A. (2004). Luna: A novel. New York: Little, Brown.

ISBN: 0316733695

Genre: realistic fiction, LGBTQ

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12+/14+

Plot Summary: Regan has known for years that her brother, Liam, identifies more with being female than male. She has no problem with it and lets him borrow her clothes, her makeup, her mirror. She’s never divulged Liam’s secret to anyone and he’s grateful for that, yet he still takes advantage of her. His demands continue to rise as he decides that he can no longer keep his true identity a secret. He constantly wakes her up in the middle of the night, convinces her to ditch class and demands her attention. Regan is exhausted and frustrated by his actions, but he is her only friend and she needs his affection. No one is more surprised than she is when her Chem Lab partner starts flirting with her. She likes him a lot, but is reluctant to get too close-- she’s sure that if he ever found out her brother’s secret, she’d lose him entirely. Her frustrations with Liam start bubbling over, causing tension between them. He apologizes for his selfish behaviors and agrees to cover Regan’s babysitting job so she can go on a date with her Chem Lab partner. When the children’s parents come home to find Liam dressed in the wife’s clothing,  Regan snaps. His decision was just so wrong. As angry as she is, though, she won’t tell his secret. He has to come to terms with how society will treat him without Regan’s help. But once he finds the courage, can Regan find the courage to embrace her true self?

Critical Evaluation: Julie Anne Peters makes frequent use of flashbacks in Luna. In my opinion, it’s one of her strongest writing elements, but it’s also her weakest. The flashbacks themselves were wonderful--fully encompassing for the reader. They were just as vivid as the main narrative, with sounds and colors and textures bringing them to life. I felt like I was in the room, sitting on the couch with Regan, when Liam/Luna throws his backpacks and knocks over Regan’s cup of soup. “Shaking off chunks of chicken and noodle and daubing the broth with my T-shirt, which is just smearing the Magic Marker on the poster board where I’d just spent an hour delineating all the countries of Africa.” (93) The words are simple, but so, so effective in creating a mood and scene.

When using flashbacks in a novel, the length of each needs to be taken into consideration. It has to be a careful balance between too short (breaking fluidity) and too long (distracting the reader from the current situation). Most of the flashbacks in Luna were about two pages long, just the right length to entice the reader, providing a memory, a familial way to understand the character on a deeper level. The flashback about Regan’s sleepover was ten pages in length, though, long enough to be a short story of its own. It did provide insight into both Regan and Liam/Luna, but it was too much of a break from the main narrative. It ended with a couple of lines of main narrative, then a chapter end. It’s too easy at that point to put the book down. Chapter breaks should be a dramatic pause, giving the reader a reason to immediately turn the page and keep reading. This particular instance just served to cause a rift in my concentration.

The fact that Peters choose to offset the flashbacks with italics is an indication of lack of writing fluidity. The writing should lend itself to transitions between flashbacks and current narratives. I often found the transitions jarring and random, but I also understand that memories don’t always come to mind smoothly. In that same vein, I found it awkward that Regan would mentally “go away sometimes” (251). She’d just drift off, leaving people around her to wonder what on earth was going on. In the real world, that would just be weird. Because it doesn’t come across as realistic, it gives me the impression that Peters was trying to hard to find a reason for Regan to remember things.

Reader’s Annotation: Regan is the only person who knows that her brother wants to be a girl. Can their relationship survive his need to share his true self with the world?

Author Information: Julie Anne Peters is the critically-acclaimed, award winning author of more than a dozen books for young adults and children. Her book, Luna, was a National Book Award Finalist; Keeping You a Secret  was named a Stonewall Honor Book; Between Mom and Jo won a Lambda Literary Award; and Define “Normal” was voted by young readers as their favorite book of the year in California and Maryland. Julie’s books have been published in numerous countries, including Korea, China, Croatia, Germany, France, Italy, Indonesia, Turkey, and Brazil. She is a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, PEN America, Colorado Authors League, and The Author's Guild.²

Born in Jamestown, New York, she has spent most of her life in and around Denver. She worked as a teacher, research analyst, systems engineer, and a computer programmer before becoming a writer. She currently lives in Lakewood, Colorado.¹

Curriculum ties: societal norms, diversity

Booktalks: do you portray yourself differently to different people?

Challenge issues: LGBTQ, abuse

Challenge resources (for usage in a challenge situation):

• Library Selection Policy

• Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
• Active listening skills
• Awards
• Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
• Illinois Library Association (Banned Books Listings)
• National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
• Positive and negative reviews: expert, parent, student
• ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
• ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom

• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Reasoning: Luna will expand the diversity holdings in a library collection. It aligns with education, providing impetus for personal development and expansion of empathy.

References:

¹2004 National Book Award Finalist: Young People's Literature. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2015, from http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2004_jpeters.htm#.ViW5CWv5Wt4

²Peters, J. A. (n.d.). Julie Anne Peters' Bio. Retrieved December 3, 2015, from http://www.julieannepeters.com/files/JPBio.htm

Go Ask Alice

Bibliography: Sparks, B. (2006). Go ask Alice. New York: Simon Pulse.

ISBN: 978-1416914631

Genre: autobiography/non-fiction (until mid 1980’s); relabeled as fiction thereafter

Reading Level/Interest Age: 9th and up

Plot Summary: We don’t know her name, but she tells us her deepest secrets. At first those secrets are typical of teenaged girls: she doesn’t like her body, she’s in a fight with a friend; she has a crush; she’s angry with her parents. But when she drinks a soda laced with drugs, everything that once seemed so important seems to pale in comparison. Getting high gives her a sense of control, one that is sorely lacking in a new house, a new school and a family that seems to pressure her into being someone she’s not. Taking a few drugs once in awhile, getting high occasionally with friends draws her in, seemed innocuous enough but soon led into an addiction she would do anything to feed. She ran away from home, lived hand-to-mouth and traded sex for drugs. When sober, she didn’t want to give her body away or live in a filthy, unsafe apartment. She wanted the stability that she had with her family. Time and again, she promises herself that she’ll stay clean, but the siren call of the drugs is too hard to resist. Sick, alone and penniless, she finally agrees to call her parents. They bring her home, tend her, get her help, love her. She’s clean. She’s happy. She’s dead.

Critical Evaluation: Written in diary format, the reader knows only what the diarist wants us to know. There’s no external evaluation with which to extend analysis. The writing very much holds true to a teen girl’s tone. It is glib, full of trendy words and extreme moodiness. She’s either in the depths of despair or on top of the world. Where the tone breaks down, however, is in the girl’s extensive descriptions of being high. Her sentences become longer, more complex, more dynamic. Gone are the quick sentences, girlish overtones and dramatic exclamations. The complete difference in tone would make sense if she were actually on drugs while writing. With the changes in brain functions while under the influence of drugs, I can imagine that writing styles would become more free and fluid. But the diarist is writing about her drug experiences after the fact, sometimes a couple weeks after. It’s entirely possible that the length of time between experiencing and writing can alter perception. This, as much as the change in tone, pulled me out of the reading experience and made me doubt the realism of the story.

Reader’s Annotation:   It’s a secret that parents don’t want you to know… the colorful and mind-blowing intensity of being high. But are you willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING to find out for yourself?

Author Information: Although the author of Go Ask Alice has always been identified as “Anonymous”, it is now commonly recognized that the book was written by Beatrice Sparks in 1971. Originally the editor of the book, Sparks is actually listed in the US Copyright as the book’s author.

Beatrice Ruby Mathews Sparks (January 15, 1917 – May 25, 2012) was born in Goldburg, Custer County, Idaho and grew up in Logan, Utah. She began working with teenagers in 1955, after attending the University of California at Los Angeles and Brigham Young University.  She worked as a music therapist at Utah State Mental Hospital and taught continuing education courses at BYU.

Critics have questioned Sparks's qualifications and experience. Researchers have been unable to find a record of the Ph.D. she claimed on book jackets and in her résumé. One interviewer wrote that Sparks was "vague about specifics" when asked about her counselling qualifications and professional experience.¹

Curriculum ties: sex education, drug education

Booktalks: runaways, what could the parents done to better help the girl?

Challenge issues: drug use; running away; rape; underage sex; peer pressure

Challenge Issue Resources:

• Library Selection Policy
• Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
• Active listening skills
• Awards
• Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
• Illinois Library Association (Banned Books Listings)
• National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
• Positive and negative reviews: expert, parent, student
• ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
• ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom

• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Reasoning: Go Ask Alice has become a classic that teens return to again and again. It is frequently referred to in movies, television shows, books, articles and conversations, further entrenching itself as part of modern culture. It’s a library’s job to provide the means for patrons to become and remain culturally literate so Go Ask Alice is a necessary title.

References: ¹Beatrice Sparks. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Sparks

Go Ask Alice. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from http://www.amazon.com/Go-Ask-Alice/dp/1416914633/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449175123&sr=8-1&keywords=go%2Bask%2Balice