Assignment: You will each select either a Novel or a Biographical/Autobiographical Text that deals with questions of youth and the process of coming of Age. The first step in this assignment is to pick a book that is of interest to you and get my approval.
Once you have selected the book and done a critical reading of it, you will write a 3-5 page essay that explores why you chose the book, what you believe was the most powerful message in the text and why stories of youth provide a powerful vehicle for understanding societies of the past and present.
On this page, I will post examples of texts that you might consider writing about. However, these are just suggestions. I encourage you to research different possibilities and find a story that speaks to you and your interests.
Suggested Texts
the Skin I'm In
by Sharon G. Flake
The Skin I'm In is a realistic fiction novel written by Sharon G. Flake. It was published by Hyperion Books on January 3, 2000. It depicts the story of seventh grader Maleeka Madison who has low self-esteem because of her dark skin color. Thirteen-year-old Maleeka Madison is tall, skinny, and dark-skinned. That's a problem for her, because it's such a problem for everyone else at school, it seems. To make her life easier, Maleeka befriends the toughest girl in school. Only bullies force you to pay more than you’d like, so life for Maleeka just gets harder, until she learns to stand up for herself and love the skin she's in.
Persepolis
by marjane Satrapi
Persepolis is a graphic autobiography by Marjane Satrapi depicting her childhood up to her early adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. The title is a reference to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire, Persepolis. Newsweek ranked the book #5 on its list of the ten best non-fiction books of the decade.[1] Originally published in French, it has been translated into several languages including English.
French comics publisher L'Association published the original work in four volumes between 2000 and 2003. Pantheon Books(North America) and Jonathan Cape (United Kingdom) published the English translations in two volumes, in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
NOTE: IF you choose to write about Persepolis, you should read both parts 1 & 2.
French comics publisher L'Association published the original work in four volumes between 2000 and 2003. Pantheon Books(North America) and Jonathan Cape (United Kingdom) published the English translations in two volumes, in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
NOTE: IF you choose to write about Persepolis, you should read both parts 1 & 2.
Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
Monster is a young adult drama novel by American author Walter Dean Myers and was published by Harpercollins in 1999. It was nominated for the 1999 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2000,[1]and was named a Coretta Scott King Award Honor the same year.
The book uses a mixture of a third-person screenplay and a first-person diary format to tell, through the perspective of Steve Harmon, an African American teenager, the story of his trial along with James King for felony murder in the state of New York.
The book uses a mixture of a third-person screenplay and a first-person diary format to tell, through the perspective of Steve Harmon, an African American teenager, the story of his trial along with James King for felony murder in the state of New York.
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
by j.d salinger
The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger.[3] A controversial novel originally published for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage angst and alienation.[4][5] It has been translated into almost all of the world's major languages.[6] Around 1 million copies are sold each year with total sales of more than 65 million books.[7] The novel's protagonist Holden Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion.[8] The novel also deals with complex issues of innocence, identity, belonging, loss, and connection.
THe Hate You Give
by Angie Thomas
A coming of age novel inspired by The Black Lives Matter Movement.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, Khalil’s death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Starr’s best friend at school suggests he may have had it coming. When it becomes clear the police have little interest in investigating the incident, protesters take to the streets and Starr’s neighborhood becomes a war zone. What everyone wants to know is: What really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could destroy her community. It could also endanger her life.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, Khalil’s death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Starr’s best friend at school suggests he may have had it coming. When it becomes clear the police have little interest in investigating the incident, protesters take to the streets and Starr’s neighborhood becomes a war zone. What everyone wants to know is: What really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could destroy her community. It could also endanger her life.
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