Module/Genre 6 Fiction, Fantasy, and Young Adult

Module/Genre 6 Fiction, Fantasy and Young Adult

THE GIVER

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. 1993. THE GIVER. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395645662

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Lois Lowry’s futuristic tale takes readers into a world where feelings and emotions have been forbidden. The main character of this book is Jonas, a young boy who is to become a twelve, also known as a citizen in training. In this futuristic tale all of the twelve’s are given assignments in the community, which they will train for and take on as adults. At the ceremony of twelve’s Jonas thinks that he has been forgotten as his number has been skipped, only to find out that his assignment is handed out last because of its importance. Jonas is handed the rare assignment of receiver, because of his capacity to “See Beyond.” The receiver’s assignment is to hold all the pleasurable and painful memories of the past. Jonas is shocked on his first day of training, when the Giver unleashes emotions and feelings that he never knew existed. As Jonas experiences different things, he starts to believe that it is unfair that he is the only one who knows this way of life. However, the Giver urges him, that this is the way it has always been and that the people need to be protected. Jonas soon persuades the Giver to let him leave for the land of Elsewhere, so that the memories may eventually find their way back, and transform the community. Lowry has added two characters: Rosemary and Gabriel that add elements of surprise to the ending of this well-drawn out story.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I had difficulty classifying this title to a specific genre of “Fantasy” or “Science Fiction.” Lowry’s’ book contained many different elements that made it hard to determine where exactly it fit with these similar genres. Initially, I thought the Giver would be Fantasy, because it contained several of the six basic fantasy motifs. For example, with the motif of “Other Worlds”, Jonas lived in a place where humans were not allowed to feel emotion or see color. Heroism was another motif displayed in the Giver. Towards the end of the story Jonas decides that there needs to be change in the community and devises a plan to escape, only to have it foiled by the sudden upcoming release of Gabriel (the baby from the nurturing center living with his family). After Jonas finds out what an actual release is, he decides that it is unfair and inhumane, so he decides to take Gabriel early in the morning, protecting him from the elements until they reach Elsewhere, where they will both be safe. Another element of heroism that is incorporated into this title is: “The hero is assisted by a protective figure.” Lowry presents the protected figure known as the Giver, who is Jonas’ trainer. Jonas and the Giver talk for hours on end about how the world used to be and how the world could be. The Giver protects Jonas in many ways. He protects Jonas from his parents after he finds out that his father is part of administering releases, and he also protects him form the community by aiding Jonas in his initial plan to escape.
“Science fiction differs from fantasy not in subject matter but in aim, and its unique aim is to suggest real hypotheses about mankind’s future or about the nature of the universe.” (Engdahl, 1971 p. 450.) After I read this statement in the textbook, I had to reconsider my classification of this title, because this book can be interpreted as what life may be like on Earth in the future. Although some of the community’s concepts are bit far-fetched the Giver offers explanations that are plausible. For example, when the Giver explains, we cannot all have memories because then we would all be burdened and pained. When I thought about this, it made sense, but in actuality it wouldn’t seem right. Lowry’s writing creates many instances like this that leave the reader thinking beyond everyday life and into the possibilities of the future. Readers may even find it plausible that their existence is in what Jonas would consider Elsewhere.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly - 08-08-1994
Winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal, this thought-provoking novel centers on a 12-year-old boy's gradual disillusionment with an outwardly utopian futuristic society; in a starred review, PW said, ``Lowry is once again in top form... unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers.''
Booklist - 04-15-1993 Starred Review
The simplicity and directness of Lowry's writing force readers to grapple with their own thoughts about this dichotomy; though it is clear what the right answer is (and, at times, the narrative lacks subtlety in insisting upon that answer), the allure of a life without pain will give even the least philosophical of readers something to ponder.
Kirkus - 02-15-1993
Wrought with admirable skill--the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel.
School Library Journal- 05-01-1993
The author makes real abstract concepts, such as the meaning of a life in which there are virtually no choices to be made and no experiences with deep feelings. This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with readers for a long time.

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use this book to discuss how our feelings and emotions benefit us.
*Ask students how they feel about the concept of release, and what makes it wrong or right?
*Challenge students about what it would be like to live in a world like this, and ask if they think that this could actually occur?
*Have students write an essay on what happened to Jonas and Gabriel as they heard people singing.

JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gantos, Jack. 2000. JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374399891

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Jack Gantos has written a story of a boy with ADHD, Joey Pigza, and his personal journey of acceptance with his alcoholic father and himself. Ganto’s starts Joey’s adventure quickly with him and his mother on the way to his newly sober father’s and grandmother’s house. Along the way Joey daydreams of what life would be like to be a family all together again, but his mother won’t hear of it. Joey soon finds out that his father won’t either, because he has a new girlfriend Leezy. Upon Joey’s arrival he finds that his Dad is all for moving forward in life as long as Joey listens while he does the talking. Joey’s Dad, Carter, takes it upon himself to take Joey off of his ADHA medicine. At first Joey is apprehensive, but then with a few good days under his belt, and more persuasion from his father, Joey decides that maybe he doesn’t need it after all. Joey can barley contain the excitement from telling his mother his good news, of no longer needing the patch, However, not long after, Joey starts to get that buzzing feeling inside of losing control, just as his Grandma had predicted. With mounting pressure from Joeys father to move in with him and Leezy, and more importantly to win the baseball championship, Joey longs for home. He misses his patch and most of all he misses the comfort of his mother. Ganto’s ending is a whirlwind with the championship loss, Joey on the run, and a quick getaway with grandma waving goodbye in the rearview mirror.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In Joey Pigza Loses Control, Jack Gantos has created a work of contemporary realistic fiction that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. With an intended audience of middle readers, kids will follow Joey and his adventures with his father. Readers with ADHD will find that they can relate to Joey. They may even find themselves feeling some of the exact same emotions as Joey does throughout the book.

Readers with divorced parents will relate to his torn feelings when thinking of his mother and his father. For example, when Joey says, “Being away from Mom made me feel different. Like there was one Joey for mom and a different Joey for Dad and that I was becoming two Joeys. Mom’s Joey didn’t want to get a tattoo but Dad’s Joey did.” Readers will also be able to sympathize with Joey’s need to please his mother and his father. An example of this is when Joey’s Dad flushes his patches down the toilet. Joey knows he should tell his mother, but at the same time Joey wants to protect his father. Kids will also find Joey’s antics familiar as he tries to get his parents back together, but they will quickly be jilted back to reality as Joey’s mother says, “Don’t go there Joey!”

Readers will also find the familiar need of parental acceptance, as Joey tries to please his father by playing baseball and bungee jumping. Ganto’s conveys this to readers as he recounts the look on Joey’s dad’s face as he struck out the opposing team: “When I trotted off the field Dad was beaming and his canoe smile was sailing the seven seas.”

Readers will gain a new awareness for those who suffer from ADHD as Gantos describes one of Joey’s episodes; “ I stood on my tiptoes and rubbed harder until the itch was on fire and I could think of nothing else, and feel nothing else and imagine nothing else but that burning spot which was just getting hotter and hotter until I finally yanked my hand away and jammed it into my pocket and stood there twisting my hips around like pipe cleaners and hating myself just like old times and suddenly I knew for certain the other Joey had started to catch up to me and I wondered what to do about it.” Passages like this will make readers sensitive to what a person’s mind goes through when dealing with this type of disorder. The reality of this book will leave a definite impact on its audience.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly - 02-25-2002 Starred Review
"Like its predecessor, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, this high-voltage, honest novel mixes humor, pain, fear and courage with deceptive ease."
Booklist™ - 09-01-2000 Starred Review
Few children these days don't know someone wrestling with ADHD; meeting up with Joey is a fine way to gain insight into the problems "hyper" children face. But the story is more than message. Ganto's skillful pacing, sly humor, and in-depth characterization make it a truly memorable read.
Kirks - 06-15-2000 Starred Review
Carter is truly frightening, a vision of what Joey could grow up to be, did he not possess the inner honesty to acknowledge his limitations (eventually), and caring adults to help him. A tragic tale in many ways, but a triumph too.
School Library Journal™ - 09-01-2000 Starred Review
Readers will be drawn in immediately to the boy's gripping first-person narrative and be pulled pell-mell through episodes that are at once hilarious, harrowing, and ultimately heartening as Joey grows to understand himself and the people around him. The ride home isn't smooth, but it is hopeful and loving.
VOYA™ - 02-01-2001
The reader is drawn into Joey's struggle for self-control while his medication wears off and as his father's behavior becomes more erratic with the increased consumption of alcohol. Through Joey's narration, Gantos brilliantly portrays the often-manic pace of an ADHD mind, but he alleviates the tension with touches of humor. Gantos's style of writing and the subject matter make this book a great middle school read-aloud.-Ruth Cox.

5. CONNECTIONS
* This book would be an excellent introduction to the subject of ADHAD.
* This book may also spark discussion on alcoholism and how children cope with their parent’s addictions.
* Ask students to write a reaction paper about how they would have reacted in Joey’s position. Would they have told the other parent about what was going on?
*After this title, read other stories of Joey’s adventures out-loud as a class.

THE FIRST PART LAST

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. 2003. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689849222

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Angela Johnson has written a contemporary novel about teenage pregnancy and the repercussions it brings to life. Bobby is sixteen years old, and he is not concerned with when he will be getting his license, instead Bobby must think of diapers, bottles, and a babysitter for his new baby Feather. With the sudden pregnancy complications that his girlfriend Nia endures, Bobby is left on his own with the decision of what should be done with Feather. Should he continue on with the adoption process (because it is the best choice) or should he “be a man” and take care of his baby? Bobby makes the decision to keep Feather, but sleepless nights are the least of his worries. He leaves Feather with the neighbor, Coco, ditches school and gets arrested for tagging a wall. When Bobby’s father picks him up from the police station he already knows that he has let everyone down, most of all Feather. At times Bobby just wants to forget it all, forget that he has a baby, forget what happened to Nia, and just be a kid again. Angela Johnson’s writing conveys the all too real situation that Bobby cannot escape, a realization that readers cannot deny.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The reality of Bobby’s situation is realistically captured through Angela Johnson’s writing. Her choice to write each chapter in “THEN” and “NOW” will give readers a chance to see how much Bobby’s life has been affected. For example, one minute Bobby is thinking of when he, J.L., and K-Boy pranked a teacher by turning everything upside down, and in the very next chapter he is dropping off his baby at the sitter. By the end of this powerful novel, readers will understand what Bobby meant when he said, “Nothing’s changed and everything has.”

Depending on the demographics of the audience, Johnson has definitely incorporated controversial elements into this novel, from the main plot of teen pregnancy to the subtle allusions of teen sex. Some parents and families may welcome this type of book and its subject matter while others will be guarded with a young impressionable audience. I think that readers who do choose to complete this book in its entirety will find that Johnson has chosen to address these situations with respect and good taste. For instance, when Johnson’s writing alludes to the intimate actions of Bobby and Nia she writes, “My parents won’t be home until tonight. We’ve got a long time. I pull her to me then lift her up off the floor. We step on the pizza box as we head toward her room. I’m glad we have a long time. I’m glad.”

With the rise in teen pregnancy, this book could provide a positive learning experience for readers. This glimpse inside the world of a teen parent may make readers think twice about their actions and ramifications. Readers will relate to Bobby, and they will be able to sympathize with his feelings of just wanting to be a kid. Although Bobby longs for his childhood, Johnson’s writing is sure to convey his love for Feather.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist - 09-01-2003 Starred Review
There's no romanticizing. The exhaustion is real, and Bobby gets in trouble with the police and nearly messes up everything. But from the first page, readers feel the physical reality of Bobby's new world: what it's like to hold Feather on his stomach, smell her skin, touch her clenched fists, feel her shiver, and kiss the top of her curly head. Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again.
Horn Book Magazine - 07-01-2003
What elevates this scenario above melodrama is Johnson's unique storytelling strategy: she follows the arc of Bobby's consciousness in alternating short chapters labeled "then" (before Feather's birth) and "now." This allows the reader to measure how far sleep-starved single dad Bobby has fallen, psychically--and how far he's come. While this prequel to the Coretta Scott King Award-winning Heaven isn't bereft of humor (Nia's parents' home is "so neat and clean you could probably make soup in the toilet"), what resonates are the sacrifices Bobby makes for Feather's sake.
Kirkus - 06-01-2003
By narrating from a realistic first-person voice, Johnson manages to convey a story that is always complex, never preachy. The somewhat pat ending doesn't diminish the impact of this short, involving story. It's the tale of one young man and his choices, which many young readers will appreciate and enjoy.
Publishers Weekly - 06-16-2003 Starred Review
Each nuanced chapter feels like a poem in its economy and imagery; yet the characters-Bobby and the mother of his child, Nia, particularly, but also their parents and friends, and even newborn Feather-emerge fully formed.
School Library Journal - 06-01-2003 Starred Review
Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers
VOYA- 06-01-2003
This well-written book is not like anything that I've ever read before. It goes fast and has realistic fiction, romance, and suspense all in one. Most teen pregnancy books are about what the girl goes through, but this one is written from a different, exciting angle. Both girls and boys can read it.

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book would be an excellent read-aloud to start a discussion on teen pregnancy.
*Have students talk about what it would be like to be a parent, and the emotional responsibilities that come along with it.
*Ask students if they think that Bobby’s parents were right to make him do most of the work.
*Address preventive measures: condoms and birth control.