Besich Biblioteca: Crossover

Nineteen Minutes

Bibliographic Information: Picoult, J. (2007). Nineteen minutes. New York: Atria Books.

Plot Summary: Peter Houghton, a seventeen-year old student, just opened fire at his Sterling, New Hampshire high school, killing nine students, one teacher, and wounding several others. At the scene of the arrest, two bodies lay in blood- Josie Cormier, and Matt Reynolds. Matt, is dead, but Josie, suffering from shock, can’t remember anything. The novel progresses between flashbacks and the aftermath of the shooting. We learn that Peter and Josie used to be close friends, but as they grew up, Peter suffered at the hands of bullies, and Josie gravitated towards the popular crowd. When Matt and Josie started dating her sophomore year, Matt focused a lot of his bullying on Peter, calling him “fag,” beating him up, and pulling his pants down in front of the entire cafeteria. Peter’s home life didn’t help his situation. His parents were still mourning the loss of Peter’s brother, a popular, straight-A student who made Peter’s life a living hell. Peter’s homicidal switch flipped the morning he turned on his computer and accidentally opened the email he sent to Josie confessing his love to her-an email that was sent around school turning him into a laughing stock. That morning, he took out his revenge on those who mistreated him.

Critical Evaluation: One technique Jodi Picoult successfully utilizes in Nineteen MInutes is flashback. The story begins when Peter Houghton kills ten people on a shooting rampage at his high school. The subsequent chapter alternate between flashbacks and the aftermath of the shooting. In each flashback we learn a little more about the characters, like how Josie and Peter used to be close friends. We learn about the complexity of Josie and her mother Amy’s relationship, and start to understand why they are so distant. We learn about Peter’s own troubled life at home dealing with parents still mourning the death of his brother, and about how his brother mistreated him. We learn about the dynamics in Josie and Matt’s relationship, and we learn about the motivation behind Peter’s horrific act of violence. Through these flashbacks we start to feel a little sympathy for Peter because of all the unkindness he experienced, although it doesn’t justify his course of action. Picoult also does a great job resolving her story in an unexpected way.

Reader’s Annotation: In nineteen minutes Peter Houghton changed the lives of the people in his community.

Information about the author: Jodi Picoult has a huge repertoire of successful novels- twenty three to be exact. She studied creative writing at Princeton, received a master’s in Education from Harvard, and worked as a technical writer, copywriter, editor, and 8th grade English teacher.

Picoult has received numerous literary awards for her writing, four of her books have been made into television movies, and one, My Sister’s Keeper, was made into a full-length film released in 2009. In 2012, Picoult released Between the Lines, her first YA novel co-written with her daughter, Samantha Van Leer (Picoult, n.d.).

Genre: Fiction

Curriculum Ties: English (literature), Psychology

Booktalking ideas (one or two):

1. Peter’s perspective.

2. “News report” about the shooting.

Reading level/Interest age: 15+

Challenge Issues: This novel contains violence, murder, sex, bullying, and some strong language.

To defend challenged material I would:

1. Read/watch/listen to the material to become familiar with the content.

2. Familiarize myself with the Arizona Common Core curriculum standards http://www.azed.gov/azcommoncore/teacher/ to defend how the material can support the learning of these standards.

3. Refer to the Library Bill of Rights: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill

4. Refer to the collection policy of my library.

5. Collect reviews from staff/students/patrons who have used the material

Why I included this book: I included this novel because Jodi Picoult has written over 20 novels that have all been very successful. Nineteen Minutes discusses a lot of teen issues many young adult readers can relate to: bullying, high school relationships, complex parent-child relationships, and revenge.

References:

Picoult, J. (n.d.). About Jodi Picoult. Jodi Picoult. Retrieved 7 May 2013 from

http://jodipicoult.com/JodiPicoult.html

Pride and Prejudice

Bibliographic Information: Austen, J. (1813). Pride and prejudice. London: T. Egerton, Whitehall.

Plot Summary: In the lives of the Bennet girls, marriage is most desirable as they, as woman, are not to receive much inheritance once their father dies. Love is uncommonly found alongside marriage, but for Elizabeth Bennet, love is a requirement. Each of her sisters has their own stories of love and marriage, which unfold as Elizabeth tries to stay true to her own heart’s desires. When Mr. Bingley, a handsome and wealthy bachelor, moves to town every girl is hoping to be his bride. Mr. Darcy, a very wealthy friend of Bingley’s has also caught the eye of everyone in town, especially Elizabeth, but only because of his arrogance and pride. As Elizabeth learns of Mr. Darcy’s past and his misjudgments of her family, she is forced to make up her mind about his character, putting aside her own pride and prejudice towards him.

Critical Evaluation: Jane Austen never fails to appeal to the romantic in all of us, specifically woman. Although Pride and Prejudice is set in England in the late 1700’s, Austen draws on the intimate details of love and romance to connect with readers worldwide even two centuries after the novel was written. While Elizabeth struggles to make correct judgments of others, it feels as if Austen is similarly inviting the reader to reconsider within their own lives possible misjudgments they have made based on rumor or miscommunications. Mr. Darcy’s pride is something many of us are guilty of- judging people who aren’t as fortunate as ourselves. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s relationship experiences many obstacles, much like real-life relationships, and it shows how rewarding love can be when those obstacles are overcome. Social class is one of those obstacles, as Elizabeth hails from the inferior middle class to Darcy’s upper class. Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage show that prejudices based on social status and class are trivial and unfounded. Through love and commitment, class boundaries are blurred and prejudices squashed.

Reader’s Annotation: Enjoy a story about young love, and how to overcome pride and prejudice to find it.

Information about the author: Jane Austen is a famous English author of six popular works:Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey. Despite her many works focusing on love, Austen never married.
Austen began writing short stories and poems around age eleven, and at fourteen decided to become a professional writer. In May of 1817 Austen succumbed to illness at the age of 41 (Alex, 2013).

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Crossover

Curriculum Ties: English (literature)

Booktalking ideas (one or two):
1. Description of Mr. Darcy, and description of Elizabeth Bennet
2. Explanation of social classes and their differences.

Reading level/Interest age: 16+

Challenge Issues: N/A

Why I included this book: Pride and Prejudice is considered a classic literature, so it is a great addition to my collection. This book is a great choice for advanced young adult readers who aren't turned off by 19th-century customs and language. Multiple movie and play adaptations have stemmed from this book, along with many literary adaptations like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

References:
Alex, D. (2013, April 10). Jane Austen Biography. Retrieved from http://www.janeausten.org/jane-austen-biography.asp

Salem Falls

Bibliographic Information: Picoult, J. (2001). Salem falls. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN: 9780743418706

Plot Summary: Jack St. Bride pulls in to Salem Falls in hopes of a fresh start. He just got out of an eight-month prison stint after a false accusation from a teenage girl at the private school he taught. Embarrassed, jobless, and alone, he lands a job at the local diner run by Addie Peabody. As they begin a romantic relationship, Jack must register as a sex offender at the police station, and soon, everyone in town knows about his past. The town quickly makes their distrust of him known, but four girls from the local school, Gillian, Meg, Chelsea, and Whitney take interest in Jack. One evening while intoxicated, Jack makes his way home through the woods, and he stumbles upon the girls celebrating their Wiccan holiday Beltran. Gillian and the girls accuse Jack of sexual assault, and once again, Jack finds himself at the center of a witch hunt. His relationship with Addie is in shambles, and he is reliving his worst nightmare.

Critical Evaluation: One theme found in Salem Falls is that of persecution. The title of the book is an allusion to the Salem witch trials of 1692, in which 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, and 20 were executed. In Picoult’s story, the center of the witch hunt is Jack St. Bride, a former teacher accused of rape by a student. Despite St. Bride’s innocence, he pled guilty and served time in prison. Hoping for a fresh start he moved to Salem Falls, but it wasn’t long before his past became public knowledge. He suffered persecution from various community members. His biggest persecutor was Gillian, the daughter of the most successful businessman in Salem Falls, who accuses Jack of raping her. Now Jack is reliving one of his worst experiences. Gillian and her three friends actually do practice witchcraft, and they go to great lengths to cover it up, of course to avoid persecution. The parallel theme of persecution in Salem Falls and the Salem witch trials makes the story relatable to its readers.

Reader’s Annotation: In 1692 a witch hunt took over Salem Village. Now, over three hundred years later, Jack St. Bride is about to become the subject of another witch hunt.

Genre: Crossover Fiction