The Graveyard Book

I had a very tough time connecting to The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which was surprising to me as I have very much enjoyed other of Gaiman’s books. While reading The Graveyard Book I kept thinking of my childhood and my strong belief that inanimate objects were alive when I wasn’t around. I would imagine my toys having the best time all day while I was at school. I connected this idea to Gaiman’s premise that the dead have another life all their own that we do not know about.

The idea of life after death is controversial and greatly depends on ones religious views. Gaiman asks the reader to suspend belief and come to the understanding that the dead live on after they have left their human bodies. Not only do they live on, but they live among us, not in a world separate from our earth.

I have given very little time or thought to the idea of what happens after death. It has always been my belief that a person lives on in memory through those that he or she touched throughout life. With the recent passing of my grandfather, I found reading The Graveyard Book somewhat comforting. It was a pleasant thought to think of my grandfather hanging out with friends and family members who have previously passed away. I do not think that Gaiman intended The Graveyard Book to be a book of comfort about death, but this is one of the purposes that it served for me.

Gaiman gave his reader many different ways to enter into the fictional world that he created in The Graveyard Book. It is clear that the gates of the graveyard where Bod and his family live are one such entrance. The layout of the book, the chapter breaks, and the illustrations also provide that reader a portal into Bod’s world. The first chapter begins with a minimal amount of words printed in white ink on black paper. This is followed by several pages of drawings intermingled with text. The drawings are black and white and have a sketch like quality, giving the reader just enough information to draw them in without overpowering Gaiman’s words.

The Graveyard Book reads like a collection of short stories more than a novel. As a whole it follows a very loosely defined western plot arc. Each chapter could almost be read independently of the book. It is almost as if Gaiman was writing down a collection of folk tales or fables from another world. Each story teaches Bod a lesson. In The Witches Headstone Bod learns the importance of honesty and not stealing. He also learns that good intentions are rewarded. In Nobody Owens School Days Bod learns the value of trusting his guardian, Silas, when he tells Bod that leaving the graveyard is a grave idea.

I cannot say that The Graveyard Book was my favorite Neil Gaiman title. In fact, it ranks quite low overall in my young adult list. However, I can see the value in the novel and have tried to understand why it was awarded the Newbery Medal. Gaiman’s writing is accessible to readers of all ages. He is able to effectively tell a compelling story that also teaches a lesson. Gaiman has set up his book of ghost folklore in a fashion that mimics what a western reader would expect of such a book. At the same time Gaiman is stretching his reader’s ideas about the world. Accomplishing all of this and writing a good book at the same time is truly a feat to be honored.

Skellig

The novel Skellig by David Almond seems more a novel about the power of love and hope than it is fantasy. However, love and hope are not genres of young adult fiction, therefore fantasy will have to suffice. Reading Skellig reminded me of all the times that the power of hope and love played a tangible role in my life. In particular I was reminded of the struggle that my family went through when my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Similar to the plot of Skellig, my family went through a crisis. Instead of a baby sister with a heart problem I experienced a brother with a brain tumor. I could relate to Michael’s uncertainty and his inability to help in what he thought was a meaningful way. When my brother was diagnosed with his tumor he lived in Washington, D.C. The distance between us created a chasm that made me feel removed from the problems he was facing. It also made me feel as if I was unable to help. When Michael is left at home with the neighbor or forced to go to school he seemed to experience a similar feeling of helplessness. He was unable to do anything for his little sister and the physical distance between him and his mother made it impossible for Michael to provide physical comfort.

During this time my family spent many days visiting doctors and in and out of the hospital. It need not be said that we wanted only what was best for my brother. Throughout this period, his surgery, and his recovery there was a lot of positive thinking and praying that took place. At times it felt as if I could physically touch all of the prayers, hope, and love that surrounded my family. There were so many people who cared, and so many people who kept my family in mind, that it was hard to ignore the power of all that positive thinking. I felt this positivity; it seemed that Michael manifested Skellig as the physical representation of his hope for his baby sister.

Skellig first appears when Michael and his family move to their new house where things are supposed to be great. However life does not go as planned and Michael’s sister is born premature. Michael is told to pray for his sister and think positive thoughts; only he doesn’t know what positive thoughts to think. It is at this point that Michael finds Skellig, the being who eventually helps to, in Michael’s mind, save his sister. Skellig is a part of Michael’s life for as long as he needs to pray for his sister. Skellig provides Michael with a mystery that is more tangible than the problems with his sister. Michael can help Skellig survive; satisfying the need he has to help his sister.

The life of Skellig and the life of Michael’s sister mirrored each other throughout the course of the novel. Michael’s sister had ups and downs; she was allowed to come home from the hospital and then forced to go back; she had the tubes and wires removed and then put back. It was uncertain whether or not she was going to survive. This same uncertainty surrounded Skellig. At first Michael was not sure if he really existed. Once Michael confirmed the existence of Skellig he still did not know who he was or what he was doing in Michael’s garage. After moving Skellig to the abandoned house, Michael wanted to know what Skellig was and why he was there. Skellig’s true nature is never revealed. He simply states that he is, “Something like you, something like a beast, something like a bird, something like an angel” (167). Skellig is able to fill all of the rolls that Michael needs him to play.

Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Luna

On the surface Luna is the story of a teenage boy, Liam, who was born into the wrong body, that of a girl. But just like Liam, the novel has layers and is really about the journey of self-discovery that every teen must travel, regardless of gender identity. It is this universal truth, the truth that we all must discover who we are and we might need help doing it, that makes Julia Anne Peters’ book accessible to all readers.

Peters made the conscious choice to tell the story through the eyes of Liam’s sister, Regan. At first it seems odd to tell the story of a teen going through the beginning stages of a gender identity transition through the eyes of a straight sibling. How can Regan possibly know the struggle that her brother is going through? Is it possible for Regan to truly understand her brother? It is these questions that plague the reader in the beginning pages of Luna. The unreliability of Regan as a narrator seems as if it will doom this novel that tells such an important, and often overlooked and under told, story. However, it is soon apparent that Regan is struggling just as much as Liam. At sixteen years old, Regan does not know who she is. She has always lived in the shadow of her brother. Liam has depended on Regan and in turn Regan has almost become an extension of her brother. “It’s always about my brother,” (117), complains Regan. Her life has begun to revolve around her brother gender identity.

There is a point in the novel, after Regan’s first date with Chris, where Liam’s future seems more certain than Regan’s. Liam is determined to transition to Luna. It is almost certain that the future will bring a new, more appropriate life for Liam, a life where he can identify as his true self, as Luna. Regan, on the other hand, seems to have no control over her life. When Regan first encounters Chris after their first date she, “locked herself in a stall and waited. Waited until the earth stopped spinning. Until the roar in my head subsided,” (182). It is Regan’s future that is spinning out of control, not Liam’s. One would think that in a book about gender identity, it would be the opposite.

Peter’s choice to make Regan’s struggle parallel Liam’s is what makes Luna such a beautiful and accessible books. Through Regan any reader can identify with Liam and his struggles, for the reader is not asked to identify directly with Liam, but instead with his sister and her point of view. Looking through Regan’s eyes makes it easier to comprehend Liam’s struggles; the non-transgendered reader is allowed to make stronger and deeper connections to the text.

Peter’s does a magnificent job of creating deep and believable characters. Despite the fact that Regan, at first, appears to be an unrealistic narrator, she comes alive through the spectrum of emotions that she faces throughout the novel. At times she depends on her brother, she needs his affirmations as much as he needs hers. A few pages after this deep connection with her brother, Regan will think about how Liam and Luna are ruining her life, or the life that she so deeply desires. She will then become defensive of Liam, scolding Aly for having the same thoughts that Regan herself has had about Luna. This rollercoaster of emotions makes Regan seem like a real person. She does not live in a perfect world of love and acceptance. Instead Regan is forced to deal with the realities of life. These true to life emotions make it easier for the reader to connect to and trust Regan, and through Regan the reader knows, trusts, and begins to understand Liam and Luna.

Luna is a text about self-discovery and accepting who you are, but it is also a text about accepting who others are. During my reading of Luna it was impossible for me to separate the novel from the tragic news stories of the multiple LGBT identified teens who have committed suicide in the past few months. These stories have been weighing heavily on my mind and my heart. It is impossible for me to separate my reading of the text from the fact that there are teens who are taking their own life because of their identity struggles. It is through the lens of the text that I examine these recent news stories and my responsibilities as a teacher. What is my role in this crisis that our country is currently facing? How can I as a teacher effectively promote the idea that intolerance is not tolerated?

Reading Luna helped me to begin to think through some of these questions. I could relate to Regan who wanted so badly to be able to save her brother from all the hurt and ugliness in the world while at the same time she wanted to leave her brother behind and take care of herself. I too want to shelter my friends, family, and students from the ugliness of the world. However, facing these realities, and learning to deal with them, is part of becoming a productive global citizen.

The People Could Fly

Upon first sitting down to read The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton I was filled with memories. I think this, filling ones mind with memories, is one of the intended purposes of folktales. Indeed, before I even started to read the book my mind was taken to the summer of 2000 when I spent six weeks touring Poland and Israel with my youth group. While in Poland, in the town of Chelm, one of the staff members read to us from a collection of folktales about the wise men of Chelm. While reading The People Could Fly I kept thinking back to my one night in Chelm spent in an old hotel listening to stories that I had been told many times before, only this time was different. This time I was in the origin of the stories, Eastern Europe, and I was being told the stories not only in English but also in Yiddish.

I strongly believe that, much like poetry, folktales are meant to be heard, not read. It is hard to take seriously a story about a bear and a rabbit who tame a lion, or a man who marries the moon’s daughter by morphing into various animals and finally killing a boar. However, when heard, these stories take on a new meaning. The reader’s imagination is set free by the various intonations of the storyteller’s voice. A listener will buy into a story if told by a good storyteller. This was the same experience that I had in Chelm.

There are many personal connections that I can make to folktales, besides my night in Chelm, I was also reminded of my time working at a non-profit that served primarily Native American youth in south Minneapolis. During my time working at this non-profit Native Elders would come to work with and teach the youth about Native culture. Stories are a big pat of Native culture, as they are in most cultures. I learned that Ojibwe storytellers only tell stories when there is snow on the ground. I do not remember the reason for this, but it seemed so much more appropriate to tell a tale when it was cold outside and warm and cozy inside. It created a connection based on shared warmth between the storyteller and the listener.

My personal reflections on storytelling, which only begins to scratch the surface of the flood of memories that came at me when I began reading The People Could Fly, made me sad that I was reading the book and not listening to it. It seems that I would be able to get so much more out of the folktales if I could interact with a storyteller. Having little context provided to me before reading the folktales made it hard to analyze them. It was hard for me to understand each folktale with knowing the history behind it, I had a tendency to over analyze the tales, looking for meaning in each word and action.

The Beautiful Girl of the Moon Tower read like song lyrics. The theme of the story, that love and beauty can conquer all, is indeed a popular theme in music. The repetition throughout the tale lent itself to the chorus of a song. Anton repeatedly calls out “Ai, Ai! Make of me a…” The simple sentence structure also made the story easy to understand and allowed it to read like a poem or song lyrics, “When he spoke, Anton turned into himself. / The girl asked of him, ‘What are you doing here?’ / Anton answered, ‘I’ve come to get you to marry me.’ / ‘I cannot marry you,’ she said. ‘My father will not let me’ (57). The call and response between Anton and the girl also lend itself to song.

Another common theme that ran throughout The People Could Fly was the numbers three and seven. In one story alone, Manuel Had a Riddle, the numbers three and seven show up multiple times. Manuel was given three loaves of bread and three cakes by his mother. His dead donkey was eaten by three vultures. The three vultures were eaten by seven robbers. Manuel was given three rabbits to take to the field to fatten up Manuel was visited three times while he was in the mountain. The story of Manuel Had a Riddle teaches that the truth can be distorted through riddle and fancy talk.

The Original Digital

I like Polaroid cameras, which is why I am sad that Polaroid recently announced that it is discontinuing its instant film division. In part I blame Outkast, they told people to shake it like a Polaroid picture, when in reality it should be lay it flat in a room temperature environment like a Polaroid picture. Or, if you are outside in the cold, hold still near a warm part of your body, but never, ever, shake it like a Polaroid picture, for this disturbs the developing process.

A few years ago I found a Polariod camera in my roommate's (note: parent's) house. The sight of the camera jogged many a memory from my youth of waiting for pictures to develop, and then being able to retake the picture if it didn't turn out right ... in other words, Polaroid was the original digital, so to speak. I took the camera and began to use it as my everyday camera. People were amazed when I pull out my Polaroid to capture a picture perfect moment. Everybody always wanted a copy. Polaroids became kind of my thing for a while. I took them wherever I went, writing witty captions across the provided space. I then began to hang them up on the back of my dorm room door. It was a visual literacy project that documented my life. Although my Polariod has become a less frequent addition to my Murse (man purse), I still occasionally use it.

I decided to use a collection of my Polaroids for a few different reasons. The first being that although the Polaroids portray only a short time span in my life, they represent an intersection between images and words. Almost all of the Polaroids that I have taken are marked in someway, most of them with writing. I felt that it was important to remember the moment not only with a picture, but also with a written description to help enhance the photograph. As an English major, this was kind of a big step for me. I was used to writing and writing and writing, but never before had I relied on an image in place of words. The space below the picture only allows so many words, so I had to be careful in picking which words I would use.

The second reason that I chose to use Polaroids for this project was becuase of the intersection of old and new. Polaroid camera's are an outdated technology, yet they have a clear connection to current technology. People like instant gratification, this is why people liked Polaroids, and now like digital cameras. These are two different types of digital literacies that are also somewhat related. I had to master both of these literacies (being able to use the Polaroid camera, and then being able to scan the pictures) in order to complete this project.

Digital Writing (said in deep computer fabricated voice)

I really enjoyed this weeks reading by Rick Beach. Most everything that he said rang true to me, as I am very excited to use technology and digital writing practices in my classroom. I think that using blogs, videos, and Web 2.0 in the classroom is an awesome way to engage students in writing that my otherwise seem dull or boring. Not only will these practices help to catch our students attention, but it they will also help us (teachers) and the community become more engaged in the educational process.

I have visions of students having blog partners from around their community, city, state, country, and world ... the possibilities are endless. Opening up student blogs to readers outside of the classroom will not only encourage students to be more mindful of what they are writing, but it will also help them see the real-world, practical applications of their school work. A student who seems more oriented to math and science could pair up with a local business professional. These two could then comment back and forth on each others ideas and blog posts. The student will not only feel a sense of importance, but will also establish connections between their writing and their future.

Link o' the week: This weeks winning link is to Tim O'Reilly's (the same Tim as mentioned in the Rick Beach article) website, but not just to his website, specifically to an article outlining the differences between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.

Assessing Assessment

There are two things that worry me most when thinking about assessment (especially with writing assignments):

1. The length of time that it will take me to fairly grade each paper
2. The effect that my assessment will have on the student

To address the first issue, I dread thinking about how much time I could spend reading and assessing papers. I know that it is part of the job, but I would much rather spend my time in the classroom with students, or preparing for class. But, assessment and grading is a necessary part of the job. Not only are grades required by schools and school districts, but it is also important to give students feedback by way of grading. Students have the right to now where they are in terms of the grading scale. As a current student I know the frustration of working and working and working and not being assessed. All I want is a little validation for all the time and effort that I have spent completing assignments. Is this too much too ask.

With this said, I think it is of the utmost importance to not just think of assessment as grading, but instead to think about all of the categories outlined in Writing Process: responding, assessment, evaluation, and grading. Students need more than just a letter grade. They need to know how the grade was earned. Where did they have problems and where did they excel? There are many ways to provide students with this type of feedback, grading is one way, another is writing workshop, or mini-conferences. Giving students personal feedback is an important part of the assessment process, especially for writing assignments.

This brings me to my second fear of assessment: the reaction students will have to my assessment of them. In Boy Writers Ralph Fletcher makes the point that we as teachers need to be sensitive to what we tell students. We need to make sure that our feedback is given in a constructive manner and that we are not attacking students. If our words are judgmental, students will shut down and become non-responsive. At this point, nothing we say will have any affect. For this reason, it is very important to think about the affect of our words on our students, even in casual conversation.

Link o' the week: This weeks link is to the National Teaching and Learning Forum's page on Classroom Assessment Techniques.