The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

The Breadwinner explores the realities for women under the role of the Taliban in pre-9/11 Afghanistan. The story centers on the life of Parvana a young Afghan girl who regularly helps her disabled father at a local market in Kabul. University educated, Parvana father gets paid to read and compose letters because most Afghans cannot read or write. Parvana’s family of seven live in a bombed-out apartment building in the city. Parvana is happy to leave each day to help her father rather than stay home with her mother, sisters, and baby brother. Because Parvana’s father has a foreign education, he is arrested by the Taliban and thrown in jail. Without him the family cannot survive; women are forbidden to work, go to school, or even appear in public without a male relative by the ruling Taliban. A plan is conceived that Parvana will cut her hair and dress like a boy so that she can make money for her family’s survival. Her disguise offers Parvana a measure of freedom unheard of for women living under Taliban control.

Disguised as a boy Parvana returns to the market to read and write letters. She even befriends another "boy", Shauzia, who is desperate to escape from her oppressive family and make her way to freedom. Together the girls witness unspeakable horrors perpetrated by the Taliban, but they also gain a sense of their own self-worth, which helps them to develop the confidence to try to control their own destiny in the face oppression.

One of the most important over arching themes of the book is social justice and human rights. The women in the Breadwinner,  are subjected to brutal beatings, forced to live their lives indoors regardless of  their circumstances, condemned to illiteracy, and if there are no male relatives to look after them a life of poverty and possibly starvation. The book was written in 2002, three years before the US invasion of Afghanistan. Currently, there are still areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan under Taliban control. They are at war with the current Afghan government, which will be on its own to defend itself against Taliban control by the end of 2014. It remains to be seen how the status of woman will protected.

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In the classroom: 

I would use this book to supplement a unit on Islam, which I would tie in with current events about the middle East and human rights issues (perhaps compare the US Bill of Rights with UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights). 

Lexile Level: 630
Grade Level: 7th grade and up

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (A Single Shard) is inspired by the true story of Salva Dut and his harrowing story of survival during the Sudanese Civil War. As an eleven year Salva is forced to flee his village when bands of soldiers arrive and kill everyone in their path. Separated from his family and believing that they are all dead, Salva joins a band of refugees seeking refuge in Ethopia and then Kenya. Salva spends 11 years in refugee camps before coming to US. Believing that all his family died in the initial raid on his village, Salva receives word that his father is being treated in a hospital in Sudan.

This begins Salva’s next life journey, his father suffered from water borne illness because there is no potable water in his father’s village. Salva’s new journey is to bring potable water to the people of the Sudan.

Salva’s story is juxtaposed with the fictional tale of Nya, a young girl that must walk several hours twice a day to fetch clean water for her family. She does this for seven months out of a year. The other five months she and her family must temporarily move to find water, water that is not fit drink. It is the quest for healthy water that Salva and Nya’s tale converge. 

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In the classroom:
I would recommend this book to be used with a unit on Sub-Sahara Africa. The main themes of the book, war, conflict, natural resources, human rights issues, cultural identify, etc. could be used in conjunction with current events from the Sub-Sahara region of Africa. Nya and Slava's story would also make for great discussions about universal human rights.

Lexile Level: 720
Grades: 6-8

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-fattah

Does My Head Look Big In This? by Abdel-Fattah, Randa is the story of Amal, an Australian-Muslim-Palestenian sixteen year old girl who makes the decision to wear the head-scarf, hijab full time. This is a big decision because she knows that the hijab has the potential to alienate many of the people she comes in contact with. Starting with the other students that go do the posh prep school she attends, a boy she has a crush on, and even members of her own family. 
Amal is just like any other 16 year-old; she wants to fit in but she also wants to be an individual. She is proud of her culture, Muslim and Palestinian, but she is conscious of being perceived as a religious zealot. 

This last point, religious devotion, is especially poignant in that the book takes place in 2002, the year after 9/11. As a Muslim, Amal is often put in the position to explain the actions of Islamic terrorists. Amal responds to these requests by asking Christians to explain the bombings by the IRA and the Klu Klux Klan. 

My two criticisms of the book is that at times it be very heavy handed and repetitive with the message, Muslims are like everyone else. I would have also liked the author to explain in greater detail why Muslim woman wear the hijab in the first place.

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In  the classroom:
I would pair this book with a unit on Islam, perhaps not as a requirement because the indended audience are girls. It could work nicely with book groups. It gives some insight into the Arab culture, especially the trials of living in a non Muslim country. It re-enforces Islamic teachings and traditions through the character of Amal. The book also offers lots of examples of how we tend to stereotype groups or make the homogeneous and how dangerous it is to essentialize others by making them speak for an entire religion, race or ethnicity. For example, in the exchange Amal has with the class president, Lara, Lara wants Amal to speak about the motives behind bombings perpetrated by Islamic terrorists. Amal points out that she cannot speak on their behalf, because as she says, they are not part of her. 

Lexile Level: 850
Grade Level: 7th grade and up

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

Catherine, Called Birdy is set in an English manor house in the year 1290. The main character is fourteen-year-old Catherine, nicknamed, Birdy because of her love of birds. Catherine is unusual for her time in that she can read and write. Birdy has been promised in marriage to a much older man she calls the “Pig” by her father, whom she calls the “Beast”. She is also unusual in that she rages against the constraints of medieval society and the narrow roles available to women.

Through Birdy journal entries readers get a detailed picture of life in late medieval England. Each journal entry begins with a short description of day as it remembered through a book of saints given to her by her brother Edmond. For example: “26^th Day of July, Feast of Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary.” These introductions give the reader a glimpse into the inescapable nature of the Catholic Church during the time. They also are the springboards for many of Birdy observations about life, her station, and the plight of women. Through her we attend funerals, weddings, fairs, and feasts. We learn about herbal medicines and barbaric medical practices. We glimpse into the intimate details of medieval bathing and hygiene. Birdy is delightful engaging read.

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In the classroom:

Birdy would make a wonderful companion to a unit on feudalism in Western Europe. Some of the concepts can be difficult for seventh graders to grasps, namely the lack of social mobility and the absence of choice or self-determination. Birdy is a good bridge between students modern  of self and medieval concepts of self. Students will find Birdy's camera into daily life entertaining.

Lexile level: 1170

Grade level: 6-8

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Bound, by Donna Jo Napoli is the story of Xing Xing, the orphaned daughter of a potter who must serve her conniving step-mother and step-sister. The book takes place during the onset of the Ming Dynasty (late 1400s). Readers will quickly recognize Xing Xing as Chinese Cinderella character; forced to work tirelessly at mind numbing duties and forever at the beck and call of her step-mother and sister.

Xing Xing’s only escape from brutality of her daily life is her calligraphy, poetry, and visiting a nearby pond where she believes the spirit of her mother has come back in the form of a gleaming white carp.

The book affords the reader a glimpse into the traditional Chinese view of women in society, “Stepmother was fond of repeating the popular saying 'Better one deformed son than many daughters wise as Buddha.' In both cities and villages newborn girls were often thrown away, their bodies eaten by dogs and rats." (Pg. 27). While Xing Xing’s mother and father may have been unconventional in their attitude and upbringing of their daughter – Xing Xing can read and write -- there is no escape from the realities that face Xing Xing. She has no honorable option in life but to marry.

Much of the book centers on the Chinese tradition of foot binding, the smaller a woman’s feet the greater her beauty and ability to attract a husband. Xing-Xing’s prospects for a husband are slim, she has no dowry, and her feet have not been bound.

The title, Bound, not only aptly describes the process of disfiguring young girls feet to achieve a warped beauty aesthetic, but it also illustrates the relationship Xing Xing has with her step-mother and sister and Chinese society in general. With no family, Xing Xing is tied to her family and their whims. As a girl Xing Xing is tied to the tight conventions of Chinese society, which do not afford women options beyond marriage and motherhood.

My one criticism of the book is the ending. All indicators at the beginning of the book led me to believe that I was reading a Chinese Cinderella story. I felt the book did a good job building up to the ending but I found the ending rushed and not fully developed. I didn’t fully believe that Xing Xing would find a prince that was willing to accept her as an equal.

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In the classroom:
From a teacher point of view I liked the rich detail the book provided about 14^th century China. Students would get a feel for the ways people of this time related to the spirit world and how it permeated every facet of their lives as well as dictated behavior, i.e. Stepmother arranges the screens in the room to create a path with right angles because demons and evil spirits cannot turn corners. Additionally, while foot-binding is barbaric, it is a fascinating tradition, one that invites lively discussions about what is considered normal, changing notions of beauty, as well as inviting students to investigate their own world views.

Lexile Level: 800
Grade Level: 7th grade and up

A bit About YAL Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is defined as realistic literature "set in a time remote enough from the present to be considered history." (p. 79 Tomlinson & Lynch-Brown, 2010). The stories and characters may be imaginary, however, the time period must be presented authentically. In some historical fiction books real characters and events are intertwined with imaginary characters. 

Some key components of historical include:

Setting: authentic settings that convey the time period. For example clothing,  food, transportation, technology, etc.

Language: It can be problematic to use authentic language or dialects of the time. Writers must find a balance between conveying the time period through the language of the characters without losing credibility by using language that is too contemporary.

Bias: Much of history is written from one perspective or view point. Modern historical fiction is often written from the perspective of women or other marginalized groups with an attempt to provide other views to an historical era or event. However, regardless of  the perspective, characters must "behave in an historically accurate fashion" (p. 80 Tomlinson & Lynch-Brown, 2010).  

The use of historical fiction in the class room to supplement a social studies curriculum increases recall of historical facts as well as increasing active engagement in the curriculum. (p. 80 Tomlinson & Lynch-Brown, 2010).  

Of the 102 books listed by the Young Adult Library Services Association as the best books of 2013 only 10 of these qualify as historical fiction. The topics and time periods range from the Black Panthers, to World War Two and the Gestapo, to slave traders and the Civil War. ("2013 best fiction," 2013). At the web site GoodReads.com, a web site that invites its members to review and share their reading experiences, members recommended 542 new titles in young adult historical for 2013. (Good Reads Historical)

References:

(2013). 2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults. Young Adult Library Services Association, Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/bfya/2013list
Good reads historical fiction 2013. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/23965.Historical_Fiction_2013?page=6

Tomlinson, C., & Lynch-Brown, C. (2010). Essentials of young adult literature. (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson.

A bit of background on young adult literature (YAL)

The category, young adult literature ( YAL), as distinct from other forms of literature can be traced to the mid-twentieth century. Certainly, teenagers were reading literature prior to the twentieth century but they weren’t seen as a distinct marketing audience with clearly defined literary criteria. Many topics were considered inappropriate for young readers, such as sex, drugs, violence, etc. By the mid fifties, these once taboo topics started to make their way into literature aimed at a teenage audience, books like, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume explored female puberty or M.E. Kerr’s, Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! which examined dysfunctional family dynamics. Stories like these were written specifically with a teenage audience in mind and with teenage main characters set in realistic situations that were relatable.

Since the sixties the number of YAL titles published has exploded, and the last decade has seen the biggest expansion. In 1997 there were 3,000 new YAL titles published. Twelve years later that number jumped ten times to 30,000. In 2009 the market share for YAL exceeded $3 billion. Many researchers and reviewers argue that there is a link between increased rates of adolescent reading and the number of YAL published titles to the phenomenal success of the Harry Potter series. The wake of Harry appears to be contributing to high levels of adolescent reading and has produced many new captivating series, such as the Hunger Games as well as introduced young readers to old stories, such as the Hobbit. (Grady, 2011)

In order to be considered YAL must first and foremost be true to its indented audience. Other central features of YAL are:

• written for young people, ages 11-18.
• a main character that is a teenager
• the plot and main events are relate to teenagers
• the dialogue is authentic to teenagers
• the point of view “reflects an adolescent’s interpretation of events and people” (Tomlinson & Lynch-Brown, 2010)

References:

Grady, D. B. (2011, August 1). How young adult fiction came of age. The Atlantic, Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/08/how-young-adult-fiction-came-of-age/242671/
Tomlinson, C., & Lynch-Brown, C. (2010). Essentials of young adult literature. (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson.