LS 5653-20
Genre 6 Inclusive Lit
Shannon Hicks
Darius
the Great is Not Okay
Bibliography
Khorram, Adib. Darius the Great is Not Okay. Dial Books, 2018. ISBN 978-0-525-55296-3
Plot Summary
Darius is a
teen who enjoys tea and spending time with his little sister, so he struggles
to fit in to the typical high school crowd. His mother is Persian, and his
father is not; he shares very little with his dad except the struggles of
mental health and a common interest in Star Trek. When Darius’ Babou is
diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, his family travels to Iran to visit.
Darius experiences a totally different world in his mother’s homeland; one with
family, a new friend, and celebrations unlike anything he’s experienced in the
states. While he tries to understand his bouts of depression and loneliness, he
finds acceptance in Sohrab, his new Iranian soccer friend. Darius is a likeable
teen with whom many readers will relate.
Critical
Analysis
Darius
the Great is Not Okay opensto
Darius describing his Persian makeup on his mother’s side. He works in a tea
shop and believes Persians are “genetically predisposed to like tea” (p. 2).
Throughout the story, Darius references tea; in the present he brings to his
grandmother, to sipping tea with his grandfather and the lessons he receives on
the correct way to brew Persian tea. These instances allow the reader to experience
tea in different ways, while also connecting the important beverage to his ethnicity.
Darius also
struggles with his mother’s native tongue, Farsi. His younger sister is fluent
and yet Darius’ mother did not speak to him in Farsi, so he has not had the
opportunity to learn it. Short phrases in Farsi are provided, which lend itself
to credibility in authentic writing. After Darius’s sister uses a Farsi phrase
for “how are you?” he explains that “chetori toh” would only be used for those
people with whom one has a close relationship. “Farsi has different ways of
talking to people, depending on the formality of the situation and your relationship
to the person you’re addressing” (p. 20). Darius explains that his knowledge of
Farsi consists of familial relations, food, tea and politeness phrases. He even
discusses the holidays Chaharshanbeh Suri and Nowruz and the types of Persian
foods served.
Darius often
feels like the outsider in his own family. He does not speak Farsi, he feels he
disappoints his father frequently, and begins to explore romantic feelings for
his new friend, Sohrab. While in Iran, surrounded by family and accepted by
Sohrab, Darius feels a bit braver and is able to build confidence to be true to
himself.
Review
Excerpts
“Debut author Khorram presents meticulous descriptions and
explanations of food, geography, religion, architecture, and English
translations of Farsi for readers unfamiliar with Persian culture through
characters' dialogue and Darius's observations.”
“Darius
the Great is Not Okay.” School Library Journal 64.8 (2018): 73. Novelist,
EBSCOhost, (accessed December 1, 2020).
“Darius
the Great is Not Okay.” Publisher’s Weekly 265.23 (2018): 15. Novelist,
EBSCOhost, (accessed December 1, 2020).
·
Boston
Globe-Horn Book Awards – honor 2019
·
Rainbow List: Top Ten GLBTQ Books for
Children and Teens – commended 2019
·
William C. Morris Debut Award –
winner 2019
·
Lambda Literary Award – finalist 2019
·
Asian/Pacific American Award for
Literature – winner 2019
·
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award –
finalist 2019
·
Indies Choice Book Awards – honor
2019
·
CCBC Choices selection – 2019
·
Middle East Book Award – winner 2019
·
Junior Library Guild Young Adult
Selection - 2018
Connections
·
Read
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay.
·
Collaborate
with the history teacher to study Iran’s geography, culture and religions.
·
Read
the newest release, Darius the Great Deserves Better, the sequel to the
novel.
·
Working
with the guidance department, discuss depression, the signs and treatments.
Pet
Bibliography
Emezi,
Akwaeke. Pet. Make Me a World, 2019. ISBN 978-0-525-64707-2
Plot Summary
The town of
Lucille is without monsters, they were eliminated years ago, or so they
believe. Jam’s mother is an artist and after working on a particular piece of
art for weeks, Jam sneaks in the room to look at the canvas. As she peers over
it, she cuts her hand and bleeds on the painting, which brings it to life. Pet
emerges with horns and claws and warns Jam that it is hunting a monster; one
that can be found inside her best friend Redemption’s house. Jam must decide if
she will join in the hunt and if she should warn her friend of the potential
danger in his house.
Critical
Analysis
I want to know
more about Jam’s mother and why she included the razor blades into the canvas.
It was stated that this was not the first painting of hers to come alive, so she
must have understood the dangers of inserting a dangerous object into her work.
And while the forward to Pet was intriguing, I thought the story tried
too hard to include too many elements (elective mute, sign language, Igbo
phrases, gender identification, sexual abuse, and prison reform) all within in
a middle grade selection novel.
At times, Jam
uses sign language to communicate. While walking with her friend Redemption,
Jam expresses her frustration and “her hands were a blur as she signed” (p.4).
Although when she wishes to communicate with the librarian, she uses a notecard
to write her thoughts and slides it to him. He replies on the same card and
hands it back to her. Jam is glad that they do not have to speak with one
another.
Aloe is Jam’s
father and is the one who realized Jam’s frustration at being called a boy when
she identified as a girl. Aloe held Jam tightly while her temper flared, saying,
“ewela iwe” (don’t be angry). Shortly after this outburst, Aloe researched puberty
blockers and hormones. Her parents were supportive of her reveal, Bitter even
teaching her how to conduct breast exams and fertility options. When Jam
approaches her father about surgery, he tells her she is a girl with or without
surgery. Jam’s parents love and accept her while also allowing her to take the
lead in her bodily decisions.
Redemption is a
kind and loyal friend. Jam is distraught at the thought of a monster living in
Redemption’s house. While Redemption was a trained boxer, he fought for “the
beauty of what his body could do, for the frailty of being human…it wasn’t
personal; it wasn’t about his ego. It was about being alive” (p. 56). It is not
until toward the end of the novel that Redemption wants to use his fists to
hurt, to injure, and to protect his little brother, perhaps bringing out the
monster that may live inside all of us.
Subtle
descriptions are given describing Jam. Her hair can be twisted into styles, she
uses shea butter on dry patches, the moment she realizes her hips are widening
and her chest is beginning to develop. While it can be inferred that Jam may be
of African American descent, it is not definitive.
Parts of the
story are thoughtful and make the reader examine their own thoughts about good
verses evil, monsters and villains, and how real darkness can be hidden. The
angels who tried to rid Lucille of monsters did so by believing the victims, counseling
and giving rehabilitation to the monsters. It was a tough process of pulling
back the covers of evil and seeing the true number of monsters in the town, “…the
public ones, the freestyle solitary ones, the charismatic smiling ones” (p.
79). Monsters were not necessarily the ones similar to Pet with unsightly horns,
blood and scabs, but neighbors and loved ones and those in positions of power
who sometimes abused others. Pet explains to Jam that “the truth does not
change whether it is seen or unseen…a thing that is happening happens whether you
look at it or not” (p. 95) so Jam is forced to realize that Redemption’s
brother is being abused by someone in Redemption’s family, someone that is a trusted
adult to Jam. Whether she chooses to acknowledge it or not, it is still
occurring. In the end, Jam asks that Hibiscus not be killed for his monstrous
ways, “I know I can’t stop you if you don’t want to stop. But the town will
learn nothing this way, the families will learn nothing. They’ll keep
pretending all the monsters are gone; they won’t remember to look for them.
They might not believe us” (p. 185). Jam has come to the conclusion that alludes
many adults; that fear and monsters must be confronted head on.
Review
Excerpts
“Jam’s language is alternatingly voiced and signed, the
latter conveyed in italic text, and Igbo phrases pepper the family’s loving
interactions. Emezi’s direct but tacit story of injustice, unconditional
acceptance, and the evil perpetuated by humankind forms a compelling, nuanced
tale that fans of speculative horror will quickly devour.”
“Pet.”
School Library Journal 266.4 (2019): 26. Novelist, EBSCOhost,
(accessed December 1, 2020).
“Pet.”
Kirkus Review (2019). Novelist, EBSCOhost, (accessed December 1,
2020).
Awards
·
Walter Dean Myers Award for
Outstanding Children’s Literature – honor 2020
·
Rainbow List: Top Ten GLBTQ Books for
Children and Teens – commended 2020
·
CCBC Choices – selection 2020
·
Stonewall Children's and Young Adult
Literature Award – honor 2020
·
Lambda Literary Award – finalist 2020
·
Junior Library Guild - middle
selection 2019
·
National Book Award for Young
People's Literature – finalist 2019
·
SLJ Best Books of the Year –
selection 2019
Connections
·
The
theme of good verses evil is prevalent in the novel. Discuss other works of art
that showcase this same theme.
·
Do
you think Hibiscus’ punishment was fitting for his monstrous crime? Write a
persuasive paragraph describing why or why not.
·
Discuss
what you think will happen to the city of Lucille now that monsters have
returned. Will the city now recognize the monsters, or will they return to
pretending they are gone?
·
Listen
to the podcast https://teachnouvelle.com/pet/ with author H.D. Hunter to hear their
take on the novel.
A
Friend for Henry
Bibliography
Bailey,
Jenn and Mika Song. A Friend for Henry. Chronicle Books, 2019. ISBN 978-1-4521-6791-6
Plot Summary
Henry is a
young child who is in search of a friend. His search is complicated by being on
the autism spectrum even though it is not explicitly stated. The reader feels
for both Henry, who desperately wants a friend and for the other children, who
have their own personalities. Henry finds Katie looking at the class fish at
the same time as he and they begin to forge a friendship based on mutual
respect. A sweet tale of friendship and accepting others just as they are.
Critical
Analysis
A Friend for
Henry may be one of my
new favorite books. Illustrations in the picture book are done in ink and
watercolors. The facial and body expressions allow the reader to understand the
characters’ emotions even when they are not explained in text. When a classmate
of Henry’s disturbs his carefully arranged carpet pieces, Henry’s eyebrows raise,
and his mouth is open in an oval to illustrate his frustration. When Henry is reprimanded
and must sit next to the teacher, his eyes are cast down and he hugs his knees
to his chest to show that he is sad, and perhaps embarrassed. Just by
appearances, one is not able to infer that Henry is atypical or has a “disability”
because his struggles are not on the outside, but rather, within.
As Henry and
Katie both watch the class goldfish swim in the bowl, Henry begins to ponder Katie’s
qualities. She smells like strawberries, she enjoys reading and even conquered
the big slide on the playground. They begin to share their likes and dislikes
while also finding common ground while playing with building blocks. They learn
to appreciate their differences too. While Katie enjoys the big slide and Henry
still does not care for it, he compromises by waiting at the bottom of the slide
for her. While they both like reading, they choose different books. Katie is
sweet and accepting and Henry finally finds a friend.
Review
Excerpts
“Song’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations depict a
multiethnic, play-centered school. The cartoon art includes many familiar
classroom details and works well in conveying Henry ’s emotional
frustrations. As the number of diagnosed children on the autistic spectrum increases,
so does the need for informative and positive presentations such as this.”
“A
Friend for Henry.” Booklist 115.12 (2019): 52. Novelist,
EBSCOhost, (accessed December 1, 2020).
“A
Friend for Henry.” School Library Journal 65.1 (2019): 79. Novelist,
EBSCOhost, (accessed December 1, 2020).
·
Schneider Family Book Award – honor
2020
Connections
·
Read
We’re All Wonders by R. J. Palacio.
·
Discuss
the qualities that make a good friend.
·
Have
students work in groups to illustrate a friendship “how-to” booklet.
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