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misterbelcher's reviews
50 reviews
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
4.0
The House on Mango street is a book I feel is essential for everyone to read. This piece exposes various problems in society such as poverty, education, and cultural differences. The family that is featured in this novel are Latino and Cisneros is able to present the hardships of a Latino family in Chicago. I enjoy this book because it makes readers think about issues that they may not be faced with in their life. Why are Latino people suffering during this time? What are the causes of poverty for Latino people in this neighborhood? Another strength of the book is the fact that it is written in small vignettes. Because of this, the book is an easy read and simple. However, it is packed full of important lessons and themes.
These questions can then be helpful in a teachers eyes. The House on Mango Street is a fantastic book to use in either a middle or high school classroom. There are many themes that are able to be discussed when talking about the book. Cultural differences, Resilience, Sexuality are all themes that could be talked about in the classroom. I think this book is a great choice to use in the classroom because it exposes students to different ideas than what they have encountered in the past. One thing that could be done with this book in the classroom would be a small research project on a different country/culture. Having the students understand the culture in which this book is referencing may help them understand the main ideas of the story. Using The House on Mango Street would be a great choice in either middle school or high school and I think it would benefit all students.
These questions can then be helpful in a teachers eyes. The House on Mango Street is a fantastic book to use in either a middle or high school classroom. There are many themes that are able to be discussed when talking about the book. Cultural differences, Resilience, Sexuality are all themes that could be talked about in the classroom. I think this book is a great choice to use in the classroom because it exposes students to different ideas than what they have encountered in the past. One thing that could be done with this book in the classroom would be a small research project on a different country/culture. Having the students understand the culture in which this book is referencing may help them understand the main ideas of the story. Using The House on Mango Street would be a great choice in either middle school or high school and I think it would benefit all students.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
3.0
Not having read this since I was in middle school, I can only offer an opinion that my 13 year old self remembers as he read this book. Looking back on reading this book, I was pretty horrified at what was going on. Weird language, unfamiliar with dystopian novels, and inhumane practices taking place. I am going to be reviewing this book from an educators stand point.
Something I severely dislike about this book, and would dislike as a future educator, is the complexity of the plot. The world in which this takes place doesn't completely make sense, as much of the novel focuses on the process of being "unwound." As a teacher, it could be hard to teach setting or plot development if young adults are too focused on what I focused on, which was the inhumane deaths taking place. I did not appreciate the violent/gory tendencies of this book, but it was written for a reason, right?
Despite having some dislikes, I think it could also offer some positives, especially in a classroom. Exposing younger teenagers to literature like this expands their horizons. 1984, for example, is another "classic" dystopian novel that is often times taught in the classroom. If you were to teach Unwind to younger aged students, I think it would make future dystopian novels extremely accessible. If a teacher can express that this novel presents different ideas and themes, I think it could be very successful in a classroom.
Something I severely dislike about this book, and would dislike as a future educator, is the complexity of the plot. The world in which this takes place doesn't completely make sense, as much of the novel focuses on the process of being "unwound." As a teacher, it could be hard to teach setting or plot development if young adults are too focused on what I focused on, which was the inhumane deaths taking place. I did not appreciate the violent/gory tendencies of this book, but it was written for a reason, right?
Despite having some dislikes, I think it could also offer some positives, especially in a classroom. Exposing younger teenagers to literature like this expands their horizons. 1984, for example, is another "classic" dystopian novel that is often times taught in the classroom. If you were to teach Unwind to younger aged students, I think it would make future dystopian novels extremely accessible. If a teacher can express that this novel presents different ideas and themes, I think it could be very successful in a classroom.
Paracuellos by Carlos Gimenez
3.0
Gimenez offers a great story as you are able to see the point of view of children lives after the Spanish Civil War. The thing I truly enjoyed about this graphic novel was that you don't need to be extremely educated on the history of the war. However, it was still a difficult read and presents many difficult themes and ideas to be discussed. I would say that I enjoyed this book overall but I had a hard time trying to grasp what was happening, as the texts, as well as images, are all telling so much.
Since this is a young adult novel, it is maybe assumed that this would be an easy read for younger people. However, I do not feel that way. This text should belong in an upper level high school class, maybe around 11th or 12th grade. Why? Because this story has a lot of information packed in and is quite dense. I myself had to read it twice to feel comfortable with what was going on. There are different characters to follow, various stories being told, and you have to really analyze the images as much as the text. I could see how this novel would be difficult to use in a classroom. Not to mention, the ideas and themes would be quite hard to discuss in a classroom. The lives of children following a war who are being neglected and essentially abused is a challenging thing to discuss with a younger audience.
Since this is a young adult novel, it is maybe assumed that this would be an easy read for younger people. However, I do not feel that way. This text should belong in an upper level high school class, maybe around 11th or 12th grade. Why? Because this story has a lot of information packed in and is quite dense. I myself had to read it twice to feel comfortable with what was going on. There are different characters to follow, various stories being told, and you have to really analyze the images as much as the text. I could see how this novel would be difficult to use in a classroom. Not to mention, the ideas and themes would be quite hard to discuss in a classroom. The lives of children following a war who are being neglected and essentially abused is a challenging thing to discuss with a younger audience.
The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
5.0
Truly exceptional. A non-fiction novel that presents two totally different sides of justice. It offers a great story line involving two different characters, both on the road to finding their own selves and being comfortable with who they are. I was completely, but pleasantly, surprised by the ending of this book. Human rights, self-identity, and punishment are themes presented in this book, which make it such a great read. If there was anything I did not care about this book it would definitely be the way the chapters were organized. Too short, and sometimes felt like I was left with nothing!
As a future educator, I think this is a book that should be in every single classroom. This novel presents justice in a way I never though possible. You have an unthinkable crime against a member of the LGBTQ community, but then, justice prevails for the boy who committed this awful crime. I think this book would offer up some great discussion in the classroom. Ideas are presented in this book, such as different genders and sexualities, that are not very known to many youth today. Reading this book would give the chance to educate students on the LGBTQ community, as well as the struggles it is still facing. Secondly, it also is a great way to educate students on the idea of justice, and what it really means. Did Sasha really receive any justice? Did Richard really receive any justice? I LOVE considering these questions, especially when using them in the classroom! One thing I think may be difficult for young adult readers and this book is the number of characters in this book. At the beginning, there are many characters introduced and it is easy to lose track of who is who. This could be a potential problem, as you could miss parts of the story line. However, I think it is something that could easily be worked around in the classroom.
Overall, this is an essential text to use in a classroom. The fact that it is non-fiction does not allow for any "What Ifs" regarding the plot, but only careful consideration of everything that happened. I think it is important for texts like this to be taught in our classrooms, especially to help educate students on topics like the LGBTQ+ community, and justice for convicted felons.
As a future educator, I think this is a book that should be in every single classroom. This novel presents justice in a way I never though possible. You have an unthinkable crime against a member of the LGBTQ community, but then, justice prevails for the boy who committed this awful crime. I think this book would offer up some great discussion in the classroom. Ideas are presented in this book, such as different genders and sexualities, that are not very known to many youth today. Reading this book would give the chance to educate students on the LGBTQ community, as well as the struggles it is still facing. Secondly, it also is a great way to educate students on the idea of justice, and what it really means. Did Sasha really receive any justice? Did Richard really receive any justice? I LOVE considering these questions, especially when using them in the classroom! One thing I think may be difficult for young adult readers and this book is the number of characters in this book. At the beginning, there are many characters introduced and it is easy to lose track of who is who. This could be a potential problem, as you could miss parts of the story line. However, I think it is something that could easily be worked around in the classroom.
Overall, this is an essential text to use in a classroom. The fact that it is non-fiction does not allow for any "What Ifs" regarding the plot, but only careful consideration of everything that happened. I think it is important for texts like this to be taught in our classrooms, especially to help educate students on topics like the LGBTQ+ community, and justice for convicted felons.
Dry by Jarrod Shusterman, Neal Shusterman
3.0
Have to admit, this was not one of my favorite reads. I thought that this book brought up a great concept and a great story line, but I also think it was dragged out way more than it needed to be. I thought this was a pretty slow read and even hard to get through at some points. I thought many of the "snapshot" moments were a little irrelevant and the story could have done without them. Despite this, I do think Shusterman did a great job with portraying what was happening in the story. It felt so realistic at times and really made you wonder what would happen if something like this actually took place in our world today.
Being that this is a Young Adult novel, it could be used in the classroom. In my opinion, this should be a text used in high school classrooms. As mentioned before, I think this book is quite slow and, at times, repetitive. I could see this book being difficult for young adult readers to grasp, especially in a classroom setting. Although, I do think this book would offer up some great discussion in a classroom. The nice thing about this text is that it could work in multiple subject areas. English, History, and Science would all really be beneficial classes to analyze this book. I think it would offer the chance to bring up current environmental issues and consider what "What Ifs?" of these current issues. Its also relatable as this book is all about the journey of 3 teenagers and 1 pre-teen. What would teenagers do if they were actually in this situation? Because of the age of the characters, I think this could draw students in a little more and grasp their attention. Overall, I think this book would be a challenging read in a classroom, but one that could definitely work and provide some insightful questions and discussion.
Being that this is a Young Adult novel, it could be used in the classroom. In my opinion, this should be a text used in high school classrooms. As mentioned before, I think this book is quite slow and, at times, repetitive. I could see this book being difficult for young adult readers to grasp, especially in a classroom setting. Although, I do think this book would offer up some great discussion in a classroom. The nice thing about this text is that it could work in multiple subject areas. English, History, and Science would all really be beneficial classes to analyze this book. I think it would offer the chance to bring up current environmental issues and consider what "What Ifs?" of these current issues. Its also relatable as this book is all about the journey of 3 teenagers and 1 pre-teen. What would teenagers do if they were actually in this situation? Because of the age of the characters, I think this could draw students in a little more and grasp their attention. Overall, I think this book would be a challenging read in a classroom, but one that could definitely work and provide some insightful questions and discussion.
Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
4.0
Absolutely adored this book. Wasn't sure how I felt about it before reading it, but can confidently say it is now a favorite. I love how Ahmed was able to tie so many different ideas and themes into one book. You follow, what seems to be a hopeless love story, of a 17 year old Indian girl who wants to just be herself. What I loved was how relatable this story was. I could clearly think back to when I was a senior in high school and thinking "Yep, sounds about right." Another thing...Ahmed was SPOT on with the dialogue. Really knew how to manage it and make it feel like true teenagers talking. Really not sure if there is anything I dislike about this book.
From a future educator's point of view, I think this would do great in a classroom setting. The thing about this book is there are so many things to be discussed. Race, Self-Identity, Expectations. I think these are all issues that could relate to just about anyone, in some way shape or form. Because this I centered on a high school senior, it would most likely do well in a high school setting. I wouldn't doubt that middle schoolers could not connect to the main character, but I definitely think it would surely strike a chord with most high school students. It is also SUCH an easy read. Lots of dialogue, and very easy themes and ideas to follow. If there is anything I would say I think would be a downfall to this book, in a classroom setting, would be a lot of the various language used throughout the story. Due to it being focused on an Indian family, there is a lot of Hindi words and phrases thrown around. It can be easy to get lost or confused. Otherwise, a great book that offers up lots of connections and great ideas.
From a future educator's point of view, I think this would do great in a classroom setting. The thing about this book is there are so many things to be discussed. Race, Self-Identity, Expectations. I think these are all issues that could relate to just about anyone, in some way shape or form. Because this I centered on a high school senior, it would most likely do well in a high school setting. I wouldn't doubt that middle schoolers could not connect to the main character, but I definitely think it would surely strike a chord with most high school students. It is also SUCH an easy read. Lots of dialogue, and very easy themes and ideas to follow. If there is anything I would say I think would be a downfall to this book, in a classroom setting, would be a lot of the various language used throughout the story. Due to it being focused on an Indian family, there is a lot of Hindi words and phrases thrown around. It can be easy to get lost or confused. Otherwise, a great book that offers up lots of connections and great ideas.