When I Was the Greatest

 

Reynolds, J. (2014). When I was the greatest. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 

Ali is a good kid. Not living under the perfect conditions, surrounded by all the negative things that threaten all teenagers, a bad neighborhood, drugs, gangs, etc. He doesn't have time for that, he's too busy focusing on the things that truly matter to him, his education and his passion for boxing. His friends are not as "smart" about their decisions. This story is about friendship and the bonds connecting these boys together. Ali is always coming to Noodles rescue, but there might be a time where not even Ali with his smarts will be able to help, or will he?

Easy read. Enjoyable. Realistic. It's the fear that all parents have. What if our kids don't choose their friends wisely and are dragged down to trouble with them? It's a fear and it's a reality in our world. 

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A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich

Childress, A. (1973). A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich. New York: Speak.

Told in an unconventional way, this novel serves as a mini documentary relating the story of Benjie, a teenage boy who is known to be a drug addict and resorts to stealing to satisfy his addiction. The different people that relate Benjie’s story, in a way justifying his actions, but not condoning them, attribute this addiction to the poverty and living conditions in which they are forced to live under. This is a story of a young man who does not fight this battle alone, who despite his efforts to stop doing drugs, continues to fall victim to temptation, and who we all know is not the only individual who has ever encountered this problem. Perhaps a stronger support group is necessary, but a definite second chance is awarded to him, whether he takes advantage of it by making the best out of it is another story. 

The thought of drugs and teenagers is terrifying. I have had my share of encounters with teenagers while under the influence and it saddens me deeply. I had a student once who came into my first period class thinking it was fourth period, which is when I had it. One who was taken out of her test taking site TAKS) because she came back from lunch heavily under the influence and couldln't even keep her pencil on the paper, another who couldnt' even talk to me when prompted and was drooling because he couldn't even close his mouth. One even confessed to me that during his sophomore and junior years he would be drunk in class.  Where are the parents? Probably at home or work thinking their child is safe from this monster. I see my children as incapable of ever succumbing to drungs, but what if they are capable of it? What then? All these have been good kids, with perfectly normal lives...who is safe from this monster? 

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Half a Moon and One Whole Star

Dragonwagon, C., & Pinkney, J. (1986). Half a moon and one whole star. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

“No star to see but half a moon

That falls and fades and will go soon

A rising shining summer sun

Another summer day begun.”

This provides a magical description of what happens when we close our eyes and sleep. So what does happen in this magical moment called night? It simply blesses us with the opportunity of a new beginning, a new shot at witnessing the sun rising and enjoying the beauty of life. Simply beautiful and peaceful. The illustrations do a magnificent job at depicting the beauty of night and how life doesn’t stop at night fall, on the contrary, everything that happens at night promotes more life and creates beauty as everyone else rests. 

I suffer from insomnia and being awake in the high hours of the night is not fun. But like this book says, there is always a lot of activity at night. Whether it's the noise of cars on the overpass near my house, or the train connecting wagons like 800 meters away from my house, or simly the chirping of the ocassional night bird...while some sleep...others continue to live!

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Tears of a Tiger

Draper, S. M. (1996). Tears of a tiger. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

The first book in a trilogy tells the heartbreaking account of the consequences that come out of a typical mistake made by a teenager: drinking and driving. Three serious issues are addressed in this book; drinking and driving have consequences that go beyond a legal punishment; a person’s inability to deal with his own guilt can lead to a depression that no one can help him out of; and a person’s way of dealing with depression can result in tragedy that many saw coming but were still unable to pretend. The agony that Andy undergoes while he blames himself for the death of his dear friend is touching and draws out the reader’s sympathy for this young boy. Terrifyingly accurate, this book opens our eyes to the crude reality of what a seemingly insignificant action can do and how it brings life changing consequences that may be a little bit too difficult to deal with. 

Heartbroken is how I felt as I read it. My heart hurts for Andy and for the agony that he undergoes. The guilt was too much for him to handle. How does one live after knowing your irresponsible actions killed an innocent human being. As a high school teacher, I see how they see themselves as invinsible. Nothing fazes them. They're young and they have their lives ahead of them. As much as I try to make them see that they have to live live cautiously, most still believe their youth guarantees them many, many years ahead of them. I have lost too many students in my fifteen years of teaching, most because of accidents. Life is too short. And although we must enjoy it while we are well and healthy, we must be careful as well. If we are lucky, our mistakes will affect only us, but if we are not, we will live with the agony of knowing our mistakes affected those we love. And will we be strong enough to endure it?

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Jazmin's Notebook

Grimes, N. (1998). Jazmin's notebook. New York: Puffin Books.

Hopeful to say the least. Jazmin’s Notebook is a representation of how the everyday struggles that a person faces, as horrific as they may seem to be, have no bearing on a person’s ability and should not be the determining factor that hinders success. Quite on the contrary, Jazmin’s struggles, an absent father, an alcoholic mother, a father who tries to take on responsibility again but ends up dead in a tragic car accident, does not end the dreams of this young girl, who with the help and support of her older sister, knows that no matter how difficult life may get, her determination will lead to success. This is a reminder that a strong sister bond gives a person enough strength to keep going and not vow down to times of hardships. 

How can one go through life without a sister? Although dysfunctional in its way, my family is strong and united. I have the most loving, selfless, nurturing parents I could have asked for. Still, our life has been far from perfect. I have a strong support group who are with me unconditionally. My sisters would fight for me till the death, as I would do for them. Although tragic, Jazmin's life can still be salvaged because there is hope, because she is not alone, because she will not give up. The strength we get from those we love pushes us through our own limitations. This is a tell of I CAN because I'm not alone. 

Summary

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Guests in the Promised Land

Lattany, K. H. (1973). Guests in the promised land: Stories. New York: C. Scribner's Sons.

“It ain’t a Promised Land at all if some people are always guests and others are always members.”  A collection of eleven short stories that narrate life as a black person in a white world ranging from a girl that despite being taunted, manages to keep her cool; to a young man who has just being released from jail and vows to not fall victim once more to the criminal life; to a touching love story that warms your heart, or an individual who hides behind charitable behavior to disguise a hateful racist side. These stories depict different people in different situations with different experiences that all depict the struggles of an African American in a White American Society.

Sometimes people complain that the struggles of African-American are overrated. To let it go and accept the past and embrace the present, the present that's supposed to be "racism free." Well, time an time again it is proven to the world that the world is still racist, and whether we want to accept it or not, America is indeed a racist country. And it's not just African-Americans that struggle though. It's also Hispanics, I know because I am pretty much Mexican, but Anglo-Americans struggle as well. It's a harsh world out there, but sometimes the struggles of some are more noticeable than the struggles of all. 

Lockdown

Myers, W. D. (2010). Lockdown. New York: HarperTeen/Amistad.

Lockdown is definitely a novel about finding one’s purpose and taking advantage of second chances. Sometimes we are destined to greatness, yet, the circumstances that surround our lives are not necessarily conducive to this greatness. Reese encounters a situation in which the mistakes in his life put him in “lockdown” at a juvenile detention center. In there he constantly struggles to do the right thing but despite the fact that he wants to do better, he has to fight to stay on the right path. He finds an elderly friend that teaches him about what is important in order to be successful. Reese earns his second chance by following his advice and learning to control his actions. This serves as a reminder that humans are allowed to make mistakes and that there is always hope for redemption. 

And also, we find friends where we least expect it. Finding his friend, Mr. Hooft, in the place where he least expected to find a friend brought him comfort. Although he wasn't necessary the nicest, he shared with him stories that taught him great lessons in time. As teenagers we tend to worry too much about what others think of us, and I imagine even more so for boys. Reese found himself confronted with situations that perhaps shouldn't have been difficult choices to make, yet his hot head led him to trouble. Sometime we are too quick to judge troubled teenagers without understanding their background. Everyone makes mistakes...and everyone desrves a second chance. All we have to do to help these kids is see the good in them and undertand they're not bad kids. 

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