Story of a Girl

Story of a Girl is a book I'm sure many teenage girls would enjoy, but I'm not so sure I would want to teach it in my classroom. That being said, I want to make it a point to say I don't think there is anything wrong with reading this novel. I think kids should read whatever interests them!

I would like to focus on defending why I would not want to read this in my classroom. Story of a Girl has a title that definitely does it justice, it is a story of a girl. Deanna has major internal and external conflicts and I don't think the boys in my class would be able to relate to her as a character. Deanna has major family dynamic problems. Her brother and his girlfriend live in the house with their child which is not necessarily a "problem" but it is an unstable environment for a teenager. Deanna's father is clearly her big issue because they cannot communicate with one another after what he witnessed. These are just two of the major issues Deanna has. Many children would not be able to connect their life to the novel which could pose interest and discussion issues in the classroom.

I will say the one theme adolescents could look at in this novel is the fact that is takes so long for Deanna to forgive herself for what she did with Tommy. This could repercussion of her father's attitude about the situation in combination with her own remorse. Adolescents should know that they will make mistakes, but it is not going to ruin their life. Every mistake is a lesson and mistakes make you a stronger person. Deanna's relationship with herself grows stronger because she is eventually able to forgive and move on with her life.

Stupid Fast

Stupid Fast is a great book for middle-school children. It is written through the mind of an adolescent. What I mean by that is the ideas in the book move quickly which is how children think and speak. The only criticism I have is that young adults might not see the "point" to the book because it takes a while to set up the entire plot. I had a hard time explaining what the book was about when I was halfway through! 

My favorite theme in Stupid Fast is the idea that Felton can change his life on his own. His mother and brother have "gone crazy" while he spends the summer getting friends, a girlfriend, and discovering his passion (running). Felton feels accomplished in the idea that he can establish a life outside of his crazy family; "I liked being somebody I'd never been before; someone not connected to what was happening at home; somebody who is obviously not a Reinstein" (158). This wouldn't be considered his "Aha moment," but it is certainly the result of acting on his Aha moment. He realized he could accomplish these goals and he did. 

This is certainly a coming-of-age story. The way I would incorporate this into my classroom is to see what parts of Felton's life relate to my students. Students are interested in ideas they can understand; so what better way to guide their understanding than by connecting the book to their life? Felton goes through struggles in the book with his family, friends, and Aleah, but he deals with them like many adolescents would. I would want my students to know that it is okay to get angry, like when Felton finds out the truth about his father. When the anger subsides, they need to know their will be peace. 

This book can reach a wide variety of adolescent audiences from all walks of life. I also think it's great for male students because there are many books highlighting female struggles but not many that are from the point of view of a boy. 

Welcome!

Hello English 463!
My name is Anna Tschida. I'm looking forward to exploring your blogs this semester. This is my first blog so hopefully I can make it easy to explore mine as well! See you all next Monday.
-Anna