Author: Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN)

ALAN Picks: Celebrate Black History With Books That Explore Dreaming, Independence and Resistance

In this month’s ALAN Picks we feature books by Black authors as well as a newly released book about teenage resistance. For Every One by Jason Reynolds is a letter to dreamers imploring them to take a chance and not give up. We Deserve Monuments By Jas Hammonds is about self-discovery, family history and small town challenges. Salt the Water by Candice Iloh is a novel-in-verse that addresses personal freedom and coming of age. Newly released Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray alternates between 1940s Germany, 1980 West Berlin, and 2020 Brooklyn as it tells a tale of injustice, history and tee resistance. 

Looking For Teen Reviewers: If you know students who are interested in writing book reviews of recently published young adult and middle grade books, let them know they can write for ALAN Picks too! 

ALAN Picks Book Selections: ALAN Picks accepts reviews of books published from spring 2020 to present-day, including soon-to-be-released books. This gives ALAN members who are interested in reviewing books more great titles to choose from, as well as accommodate some great books released during the beginning of the pandemic that still deserve highlighting. If you have some books in mind that you would like to review, please reach out to me!

Let Us Know How You Use ALAN Picks! If you read an ALAN Picks review and end up using the book with your students, let us know! We want to hear all of your great stories and engaging ways you are using young adult and middle grades literature in your classrooms. Remember, ALAN Picks are book reviews by educators for educators! Click on the archives to see previous editions. 

Submit a Review: Would you like to submit a review? Check out ALAN Picks for submission guidelines and email ALAN Picks Editor, Richetta Tooley at richetta.tooley@gmail.com with the book title you are interested in reviewing. Rolling deadline.

–  Richetta Tooley, ALAN Picks Editor

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Synopsis: Written in prose and as a letter to dreamers, the book For Every One by Jason Reynolds offers readers insights on dreaming, taking chances, and never giving up. The words on each page are intertwined with images. For Every One is available in book form and can also be found, written and performed by Reynolds, here. 

Review:

For Every One is an elegantly written book written in prose with beautiful images accompanying each passage. For Every One would be an excellent addition to a poetry unit or paired with a longer young adult book with similar themes. It would also be a great introduction text at the beginning of a school year or semester. 

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections

• Dreams 
• Dreaming
• Self Exploration
• Connections to Self

Teaching Strategies and Activities 

Before Reading: 

Reflective Prompts

Prior to reading For Every One, invite students to consider the following prompts. These prompts will allow students to begin thinking about the themes of For Every One while making connections to themselves. These questions may be posed as independent quickwrites followed by small group and whole group discussion. Alternatively, these could be posted on chart paper around the room and students could rotate to each chart paper to record their answer and read the answers of others. These questions could also serve as Essential Questions to anchor a unit of study. 

• What dreams or goals do you have for yourself? Why do you have those dreams or goals for yourself? 
• When you think about the dreams or goals you have for yourself, how do you feel? Why do you feel that way? 
• What do you think it will take to achieve the dreams or goals you have for yourself? 
• Do you think everyone has dreams or goals? Do you think everyone’s goals and dreams are the same? Why or why not? 

During Reading:

Identifying Theme For Every One is broken into four chapters. Pause after reading each chapter to discuss the messages and themes conveyed in the chapter. Students can record themes and connections they are making to the themes on a chart, such as the one below.

	Themes	Connection to Self
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Close Reading 

Invite students to select one passage from the book that especially resonated with them and have them return to and closely read this section. To guide their close reading of the section, have students consider what the text says, what this means, and why it matters. Students can record their ideas on a chart, such as the one below. 

What does the text SAY?	What does this MEAN?	Why does this MATTER to me?

After Reading: 

• Book Cover Analysis and Creation: After reading, invite students to look closely at the cover of the book and consider how the book’s themes are reflected in the cover. Have students share their ideas with the class. Following, drawing on the book’s themes, invite students to create and design their own original cover for the book that connects the book’s themes to their own goals and dreams. After creating their original cover, have students write a paragraph that describes how the themes in For Every One are represented in the original cover they created and how their dreams and goals are reflected in the cover they created. 
• Poem Writing: For Every One is written as a letter from the author, Jason Reynolds, to the readers and begins with the words “Dear Dreamer” (p. 4). Invite students to write a poem in the form of a letter that begins with the line, “Dear _______” and replaces “dreamer” with another word. For instance, students could begin their poem with ‘Dear Adventurer’, ‘Dear Traveler’, ‘Dear Lover’, or ‘Dear Friend.’ Encourage students to select a word that connects to their own dreams, goals, and passions. 

Formative/Summative Assessments

Summative Assessment 

One Page Visual 

Invite students to create a one page visual that represents their reading of the book and makes connections to themselves. Ask students to include the following on their one page visual: one word that summarizes the book, a statement describing the book’s message, a statement of how they relate to the book, two quotes from the book, a visual image that connects the book to themselves. Students can create their one page visual using colored pencils, crayons, and markers, or they can create their one page visual digitally using Google Slides or Canva. 

Review by: Andrea LeMahieu Glaws is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. 

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Synopsis: The novel follows Avery all the way to Georgia as she learns to love her grandma, discover herself, and deal with conflicting feelings both inside her family and out. Coming from DC to live in a small southern town is not easy for a young girl who is both black and queer. But that small town in Georgia proved to be a better home for her as she made real friends and learned the family history her mother never told her. Jas Hammonds represents what it’s like to be suppressed in a small town and how it feels to be caught in the middle of the generational trauma being strung along by her Mama Letty and mother. 

Review

This novel proved to be just as beautiful as the cover. It’s a book that pulls you in with the vibrant colors on the front and has you yearning to learn more as you read it. It gives you a character that is relatable no matter your race or gender identity and a story that helps you embrace yourself. We Deserve Monuments is a good read for anyone that has ever felt lost in their life or was ever left wondering who they were. This book finds magic in the mundane and will leave you wanting more of Jas Hammonds’ writing.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic connections: 

The themes of this book can be relatable to everyone, but especially those dealing with repression, grief, and self-alignment. 

• Race 
• Sexual identity 
• Growth 
• Generational trauma 
• Relationships 
• First love 
• Secrets 

Essential questions: 

• How do each of the characters display growth throughout the novel? 
• What role does generational trauma play in this book? 
• How does this text relate to both the past and the present of racial and sexual discrimination? 
• How does the main character view themselves? How do others view them? 
• What message is the author trying to convey? 

Teaching strategies and activities: 

• Have each student list what they think the themes are and give their own explanations 
• Identify the flat and round characters of the book 
• Make a character map and choose one of them to analyze 

Assessment Possibilities: 

Formative Assessment: 

• At the end of each class, post a quizlet to monitor student understanding of what they are taking away from this piece. 

Summative Assessment:

• Choose two characters from the book and explore/analyze how generational trauma affected their lives and their relationships. Give specific examples.

Review by: Lillian Glover, student, Fort Collins, Colorado 

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Synopsis: Salt the Water is a novel in verse, detailing the discord between Cerulean Gene’s beliefs about what their life could and should be, and the reality of a world that is sometimes unjust. Cerulean, their girlfriend Zaria, and their two friends, Irv and Jai, are working various jobs and side gigs to scrape together enough money to live off grid after they graduate high school. With six months left in high school, Cerulean is suspended after conflict with their antagonist, Mr. Schlauss, who represents all that Cerulean sees as wrong with their world—standardized testing, abuse of power, patriarchy, and antiquated traditions. As Cerulean’s family experiences a tragedy, we begin to wonder if there is a way for Cerulean to find the world for which they are longing.

Review

Salt the Water opens in a powerful way, depicting Cerulean’s frustrations with a bitter teacher. Cerulean challenges the status quo throughout the book, questioning a teacher that is supposed to grow students’ knowledge but instead closes off any critical thinking or discussion. But Iloh’s novel doesn’t stop with a frustrating teacher; it dives into the larger issues school systems are facing, such as outdated and irrelevant required reading, high stakes testing, and teacher shortages. 

Cerulean and their friends are gender queer individuals of color that think about and discuss the world in a nuanced way, offering multiple perspectives on the challenges that students today are facing. Cerulean’s family also depicts the challenges the Gene family faces as immigrants. Their Baba is a chef who has worked his way up to owning his own restaurant, their mama teaches swim lessons at the community recreation center. Their journey has allowed them to send their second child to a private Montessori school, but an accident in Baba’s kitchen brings the mounting pressure of medical bills and dwindles the family’s income down to one. The Gene family demonstrates grace and love as they navigate the precarity of their situation. While Cerulean’s words paint every family member with such detail and personality, we relearn what teenage angst feels like in the 2020s. 

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Themes:

• Family
• Coming of age
• Freedom
• LGBTQ+
• Society

Essential Questions:

• How does a novel in verse introduce new ways for an author to explore their character’s emotions in new ways?
• How does society respond to people who challenge the norm? How does society respond to challenges from individuals in marginalized groups (LGBTQ+, people of color, unhoused, immigrants)?
• Why does Cerulean feel the need to “salt the water”? How does this impact them?

Culturally responsive and sustaining teaching strategies and activities 

• Close reading of the text to determine how formatting expresses the internal experience of Cerulean
  • What emotions cause Cerulean to use less spacing?
  • How does the author use enjambment and visual poetry to express ideas and emotions?
  • Why does Iloh include multi-genre elements in including the original letter sent by the school regarding Cerulean’s absences?
• Gathering evidence and generating claims about the use of the motif of salting the water
  • Where does this idea first occur, and what does it mean to Cerulean?
  • When does Cerulean have to “salt the water”? What happens before and after? Do you notice patterns?
    • Have students complete a chart that provides evidence of Cerulean’s thoughts and emotions before and after each occurrence, then come up with an overarching claim about what causes this
• Have students write one final poem that expresses Cerulean’s emotional state after they disappear.
  • Where is Cerulean? What are they doing and with whom?
  • Does this new reality offer the freedom Cerulean was seeking?
  • How does Cerulean feel about leaving their family?

Assessment Possibilities: 

Formative 

1. Have students map out characters and their interactions with Cerulean along a certain dimension (e.g. freedom to constraint, change to tradition). Have students describe how the various character’s impact Cerulean’s expression of self.
2. Have students find a poem with unique formatting (spacing, capitalization, italics) and analyze how this poem contributes to a theme of the novel.
3. Cerulean finds Baba’s cooking to be therapeutic. Have students write a “recipe” for one of the characters in the book.
4. Have students compare Mr. Shlauss to Chanel, then depict key differences on a one-pager using words and symbols.
   1. How are these teachers characterized differently (speech, actions, looks, interactions)? 
   2. What are the differing beliefs and attitudes that these teachers hold?

Summative

• Argumentative essay prompt: Why does the novel end from Airyn’s perspective? Defend a claim about why Iloh chose not to include Cerulean’s perspective after they left their family.
• Literary analysis essay: Explore how Iloh’s use of formatting and use of colloquial diction support the development of Cerulean’s perspective. How does this impact the reader’s experience and develop a theme?

Optional Components:

• Multiple books: Have students read Salt the Water and Long Way Down. These two novels in verse explore teenagers coming of age and being at odds with the values their society holds. While Cerulean comes from a home that is described as “free spirited” and feels resentment over attending public school while their brother attends a private school, their conflict drives them to want to run away and live off grid. Will, on the other hand, lives with his mother, who is in shambles after Will’s brother is killed, and Will comes from a society that offers no escape, rather rules to survive that are passed down from brothers, uncles, and cousins. Students will work to compare the differing themes of these novels, exploring how the families and larger society around each of the protagonists impact their beliefs and actions. Students can analyze perspective and find examples of how the authors’ use of formatting and style express a similar emotional experience under differing circumstances. 

Reviewed by: Heather Gray, Teacher at Columbia Public Schools, Columbia, MO.

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Synopsis: Under the Same Stars alternates between 1940s Germany, 1980 West Berlin, and 2020 Brooklyn. Interspersed is “The Tale of the Hare and the Deer,” an allegorical fairy tale. Best friends Sophie and Hanna cannot ignore the realities World War II has brought to their small town, and they are pushed to decide between action and complicity. Brought to West Berlin by her controlling parents, Jenny discovers its punk scene and with it an understanding of her identity. In the early days of the lockdown, Miles and Chloe submerge themselves in an unsolved mystery from 1940s Germany while also witnessing injustice in their own city and country. Slowly, readers unravel the threads that connect the storylines and the historical events that marked the time periods. At the heart of the novel is the resistance of teens when faced with injustice. 

Review

Under the Same Stars is not only engrossing but also brimming with information. Libba Bray packs the pages full of story and knowledge. From romance to history to activism to music, there is something for everyone. Readers are sure to learn about a new person, event, or part of history they were unaware of before beginning the novel. The effortless prose goes down smoothly despite the weighty topics. Through vibrant and captivating characters, Bray brings history to life by providing windows and mirrors. While the novel offers teens a mirror that reflects their experiences during lockdown, it also offers them a window into decades they may have only heard about.

Bray’s language celebrates the power of words and the beauty of stories, both exhibited in the storylines and elegant words on the page. Lovers of language will be compelled to note lines that call to them.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Preliminary Activity:

1. Read Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s essay “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” and discuss the necessity for books in which readers see themselves and others.

Thematic Topics:

• Resistance
• Oppression
• Injustice: racism, antisemitism, homophobia
• Identity: race, religion, sexual orientation

Topics for Further Exploration:

• Los Desaparecidos – Argentina
• Argentina’s Dirty War
• Book Burning and Book Banning
• Hans and Sophie Scholl (White Rose)
• Freddie and Truus Oversteegen
• Bund Deutscher Mädel
• The Berlin Wall
• Rise of the Punk Scene in East Germany
• George Floyd
• Breonna Taylor
• Edelweiss Pirates

Discussion Questions: 

1. In an email correspondence from Ms. Diaz to Miles, she quotes her friend: “‘The truth will set you free. But first it hurts’” (347). Discuss this idea and provide examples to support its validity.
2. Sophie argues that stories are love letters “‘[s]ent from the present or the past to the future,’” when arguing against Hanna’s belief that stories are “‘pretty lies’” (233). With whom do you agree, Sophie or Hanna? Explain and provide examples as support.
3. In one installment of “The Tale of the Hare and the Deer,” Bray personifies books and states that while the books burned the ideas did not (227-8). Book burning and book banning are part of our past and present. What drives people to destroy or ban books? Do you believe that while books may burn, the ideas do not? Explain.
4. Sophie loves fairy tales and is fascinated by words. Provide at least one example of the power of words from each of the storylines in the novel.
5. “‘When you read about the lives of others, you form a kinship. You learn to see the world not just through your own eyes. […] It exercises the mind—but also, the heart’” (94). Provide at least three examples from the novel where you see the world through a character’s eyes. Did you experience empathy or anger or something in between? Did you learn something new about yourself or about the world? Discuss your feelings and reactions to these moments.

Empowerment Activities:

1. Frau Hermann explains why she believes adults share fairy tales with children. “‘We tell them to give children the code for survival. Fairy tales tell us how to see the monsters. How to defeat them. How to carry on despite grief and loss and injustice. They teach us how to make meaning from chaos. How to forgive’” (146). 

• Task students with creating a fairy tale that begins with “Once upon a time” and which makes meaning from chaos, teaches the reader how to carry on or how to forgive. Students should include literary devices, such as metaphor, symbolism, or personification, as Bray does, to create evocative stories.

2. Students will choose a cause for which they feel passionate and educate themselves on its origins and major talking points. Instructors may choose to include a mini lesson on research at this point. Students will then create a pamphlet, zine, or poster to educate others about the issue which will be shared via a gallery walk.

3. During a class on interview etiquette, students will brainstorm tips for conducting a fruitful interview, from first contact with the interviewee to following up after the interview. Students will contact someone who was alive in the 1940s and/or the 1980s and ask them for an interview. As a class, draft questions that focus on what the person remembers most about that time period, both personally and historically; their feelings about that time period now; and advice they would give today’s teens. The final project will take the form of an oral presentation and/or a profile essay.

Reviewed by: Stephanie Terrill, visiting assistant professor, Massachusetts. 

ALAN Picks: Celebrate Immigrant Heritage & Pride Month With Text Ideas for the Classroom

In this month’s ALAN Picks we have a new type of review geared towards teacher educators of pre- and in-service teachers. We are also featuring books in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month and Pride Month. For poetry fans, Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne is a novel in verse that explores friendship and voice. All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir, is a multi-perspective and generational story of Pakistani immigrant parents and their first-generation American children. This is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves follows a boy as he explores love and sex as a bi-sexual teen. For those looking for nonfiction, Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer is a humorous exploration of sexuality in the animal kingdom.

Looking For Teen Reviewers: If you know students who are interested in writing book reviews of recently published young adult and middle grade books, let them know they can write for ALAN Picks too! 

ALAN Picks Book Selections: ALAN Picks accepts reviews of books published from spring 2020 to present-day, including soon-to-be-released books. This gives ALAN members who are interested in reviewing books more great titles to choose from, as well as accommodate some great books released during the beginning of the pandemic that still deserve highlighting. If you have some books in mind that you would like to review, please reach out to me!

Let Us Know How You Use ALAN Picks! If you read an ALAN Picks review and end up using the book with your students, let us know! We want to hear all of your great stories and engaging ways you are using young adult and middle grades literature in your classrooms. Remember, ALAN Picks are book reviews by educators for educators! Click on the archives to see previous editions. 

Submit a Review: Would you like to submit a review? Check out ALAN Picks for submission guidelines and email ALAN Picks Editor, Richetta Tooley at richetta.tooley@gmail.com with the book title you are interested in reviewing. Rolling deadline.

–  Richetta Tooley, ALAN Picks Editor

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*For Teacher Educators:

Synopsis: In this novel in verse, Sky walks the reader through a snapshot of her life. She reveals details of her friendship with Lay Li, and how their once-close bond is being rifted by boys. She tells the reader about her sister Essa, who is alternatingly mean and cruel. She lets us know the freedom and joy she finds buoyed by swimming, basketball, her cousin, Inga, and a new friend. In all of her interactions and in working her way through the conflicts with her best friend and sister, Sky comes to learn that she can take up space and shine too.

Review:

Chlorine Sky, Browne’s first novel in verse, is a beautiful book. Told in her own voice, the reader gets access into Sky’s life and thoughts, and the heartbreak and difficulty she finds through it. The reader is shown Sky’s dreams and fears, her hopes and her vulnerabilities, her moments of joy and sanctuary. Throughout the text, the reader sees Sky transform from someone she thinks is invisible, to someone who knows is deserving of love and attention. 

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections & Possible EQs

As a teacher educator, I use Chlorine Sky as one of five books (see the final activity below for a list of the other texts) to teach preservice teachers about dialects of English besides white mainstream middle class English that we often privilege in school. Therefore, possible thematic connections and essential questions for pre- and in-service teachers include the following non-exhaustive list:

• linguistic diversity
• linguistic bias / prejudice
• Why does it matter in what voices we tell our stories?
• What features of language are privileged in this text, and why is that important?
• What is the relationship between language, identity, culture, and power?

For secondary teachers who would like to use the book with high school students, one might explore the following non-exhaustive list of possible thematic connections and essential questions:

• finding our voices to tell our stories
• healthy relationships
• In what voices do we tell our stories? 
• What stories can we tell about who we are, and how we became that person?
• How can our friendships help us find our voices?
• What does it mean to be a good friend?

Teaching Strategies and Activities

Explore the history, features, and usages of Black Language

This activity is designed for pre- or in-service teachers, but can also be modified for secondary students. The goal of the activity is to help learners recognize that Black Language is a rule-governed variety of English. For instructors wanting to know more information about Black Language before reading Chlorine Sky or any text written in Black Language, check out this website.

• As learners read Chlorine Sky, have them mark text that is not written in white mainstream middle class English. If learners communicate in white mainstream middle class English, they might now know that it has a name or that there are other varieties of English. In this case, the instructor can prompt them to notice and mark moments in the text where the narrator says/writes in ways that are different from how they talk/write. In this stage, it is important that the instructor monitor how learners talk about the language in Chlorine Sky. Because we have been socialized to undervalue and subordinate varieties of English outside white mainstream middle class English, learners might use deficit language to describe the language in the text. Caution learners to describe the language as different, and to identify those features that are different, rather than judging or moralizing the language as “good/bad,” “in/correct,” or “im/proper.” 
• Have learners gather the text that they have marked that is not white mainstream middle class English and ask them to find patterns within the language. For example, there might be instances when the speaker uses “ain’t,” when the speaker uses “be” in unanticipated ways, or when the speaker doesn’t seem to conjugate a verb in the third-person singular. 
• After identifying patterns in the language, have learners look up features of Black Language. This dialect of English is also called African American Vernacular English and Ebonics. As they look up features of the language, have them examine the patterns they found in Chlorine Sky against the grammatical and syntactic rules of Black Language. Learners will discover that Black Language is a rule-governed systematic dialect of English, just like the dialects that learners communicate in. 
• Next, have learners investigate the history of Black Language and its contemporary uses: when and how was it developed, who speaks it today, what are some contemporary features of the language, who is an authorized user of the language. This is a good opportunity to have learners explain the relationship between language, identity, and culture. 
• With this background information, learners can discuss the function of Black Language in Chlorine Sky, can describe the effect of reading a text in Black Language, and can speculate as to why an author might write in Black Language. 
• Then, have learners draw on their prior knowledge of racism, anti-Blackness, and white supremacy in schooling and discuss why they think that Black Language has been a subordinated language and prohibited and undervalued in many school settings. If learners do not already have the prior knowledge necessary for this conversation, the instructor can supply it.
• For options on how to assess this activity, see below.

Convince a colleague

In this activity, learners will attempt to convince a colleague, parent, or student who expresses hesitation or disdain about teaching students varieties of English outside white mainstream middle class English. This activity can be adapted for secondary students: consider what audience would be relevant for them to speak to?

• First, have learners brainstorm potential pushback or resistance to teaching secondary students varieties of English other than white mainstream middle class English. In this step, learners can also talk to family, school, and community members about their opinions about teaching varieties of English other than white mainstream middle class English. The goal of this step is to learn and listen to others’ qualms and hesitations.
• Individually or in small groups, have learners select one element of resistance to focus on. 
• Once they have selected their resistance point, have learners add to their research about the roots of the resistance: what is at the heart of the resistance to learning varieties of English other than white mainstream middle class English? They can do their research on the internet, and interview family, school, and community members. 
• After they have conducted additional research, have learners write a dialogue/screenplay on how they might interact with a resistor: how might they frame their argument, what might the resistor say, how can the learner honor the resistor’s concerns while pushing back against racism, anti-Blackness, and white supremacy? (If learners are not familiar with rhetoric or tools of argumentation, the instructor can facilitate that instruction. What is important to keep in mind is that not all people are convinced in the same ways, and so learners must listen to their interlocutors about their concerns and find ways to make their points that are legible to the resistors.)
• A variation on writing a dialogue/screenplay is having learners enact role playing scenarios in which one person is a proponent of teaching varieties of English other than white mainstream middle class English and one person opposes. The opposer can be a student, a fellow teacher, an administrator, or a parent.

Expand Our Repertoire of Knowledge of Varieties of English

The goal of this activity is to help learners recognize that there are many varieties of English.

• In book clubs, have learners read books written in varieties of English other than white mainstream middle class English. For example, Chlorine Sky and books written by Angie Thomas (particularly On the Come Up and Concrete Rose) offer examples of Black Language. In the Wild Light (Zentner) is an example of a variety of Southern English. When We Make It (Velasquez) and Efrén Divided (Cisneros) are examples of Nuyorican English and Spanglish, respectively. 
• Have each book club complete the activity, Exploring the history, features, and usages of __ Language (modifying for the variety of English they’re reading).
• To assess this activity, have learners create presentations about what they’ve learned about the language and present the information to their classmates. For pre- and in-service teachers in particular, require that the presentations include active learning components. For example, rather than just telling listeners the features of the language, show listeners an excerpt of the text and have them identify the features. 
• An extension of the presentation assessment is to have pre- and in-service teachers create unit and/or lesson plans that teach secondary students about the variety of Englishes. 
• An extension of the presentation assessment is to have learners consider the role of power in communicating in different Englishes: if language users use languages outside white mainstream middle class English, what are the consequences? In what ways are those consequences in part shaped by language user’s visible identities, like race, gender, and class? 
• This activity is a productive preceding activity for the drafting of a linguistic narrative (see below).

Formative and/or Summative Assessments

Assessing the relationship between language, identity, culture, and power through the creation of linguistic narratives

This assessment offers a way for teachers to gauge students’ understanding of how language, identity, culture, and power function together. This activity can also be done with secondary students. 

• Have learners complete the activity above called “Exploring the history, features, and usage of Black Language”
• Then, have learners consider their own languages: in what ways do the languages they communicate connect to their cultures and identities? For example, learners might speak with regional accents or vernacular, or they might communicate in another variety of English, like Chicanx English or Appalachian English. Another good question to get learners thinking about their own languages: have you ever changed your language to fit in? How did it make you feel to have to do so?
• As learners brainstorm the ways that their languages help them to amplify their identities and cultures, have them draft linguistic narratives that narrate these connections. Some mentor texts include Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue,” Jamila Lyiscott’s “Three Ways to Speak English,” and Gloria Anzaldúa’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue.”
• Now have learners consider the role of power in the ways that they communicate: if they communicate in languages outside white mainstream middle class English, what are the consequences? In what ways are those consequences in part shaped by their visible identities, like race, gender, and class? Have them thread these ideas into their narratives.
• Gather students into groups of 3-4 to have them read and workshop each other’s drafts.

Developing Lesson Plans That Draw on the Relationship Between Language, Identity, Culture, and Power

This assessment offers a way for teachers to gauge students’ understanding of how language, identity, culture, and power function together and what that might mean for their teaching.

• Have learners complete the activity above called “Exploring the history, features, and usage of Black Language”
• Have learners consider and discuss what the activity means for their teaching. In other words, what might they do differently in secondary classrooms with the new knowledge they have about varieties of English?
• In groups or individually, have learners develop a unit and/or lesson plans to teach secondary students about the relationship between language, identity, culture, and power. 
• Gather students into groups of 3-4 or put two groups together to have them read and workshop each other’s unit and/or lesson plan drafts.

Reviewed by: Naitnaphit Limlamai, Assistant Professor of English Education, Colorado State University-Ft Collins.

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Synopsis: Sabaa Tahir’s young adult novel All My Rage is a story of love, rage, and forgiveness told through three separate lenses. The first perspective is Misbah’s, a young Pakistani woman from Lahore, Pakistan. Misbah’s tales start from the commencement of her arranged marriage to Toufiq, to their immigration to the United States in pursuit of claiming the “American Dream” through their family-owned motel. The second and third perspectives are two Pakistani Americans who are currently high school seniors at Juniper High, Salahudin (Sal) and Noor. Sal and Noor are best friends, and are both dealing with differing familial traumas. Sal’s mother, Misbah, has been recently diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease, and Noor is attempting to apply to college in hopes of escaping Juniper right under the nose of her estranged uncle. Through each of the characters’ struggles, Tahir shares a breathtaking, emotional narrative of individuals who are searching for a sense of belonging and acceptance within their differing identities.

Review

All My Rage is a beautiful novel. This piece creates room for immigrants and first-generation individuals to embrace their identity whilst also paving a space for other students, perhaps, those who do not share specific identity factors with the main characters to learn about contrasting experiences. The author embeds themes of romance and friendship with aspects of race and disability in a way that curates raw moments shared amongst the main characters. The normalized range of emotions faced amongst the marginalized young adults within this novel is heavily important and necessary for one’s learning experience. With the reading of this novel, all individuals are presented with the choice to resonate, be challenged, and/or gain knowledge and perspective about what it is like to grow up as a Pakistani American within the U.S. As a Pakistani American woman herself, Sabaa Tahir presentes an authentic representation of displacement and disbelonging that many first generation individuals face. Through these feelings, there is promised integrity, respect, and graciousness weaved within Misbah, Sal, and Noor’s journeys that is essential to the awareness surrounding current/past immigration laws and social movements. This is a must-read for those who are interested in learning more about the experience of immigrants and first generation young adults. Not to mention, each character is extremely vibrant and realistic, and the language utilized within the curation of the plot is breathtaking. To this day, All My Rage is my favorite young adult novel I have ever read!

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections and Analysis

Themes:

1. Identity: Race, Class 
2. Friendship and Family: Interpersonal relationships and community
3. Romance
4. Mental illness: PTSD; Generational trauma 
5. Addiction

Essential Questions:

1. What components make up one’s identity? 
2. How does the feeling of “rage” come forth through specific characters? In what way is this feeling connected to the experiences of those that identify as underserved/marginalized?
3. How can a community, or lack thereof, (such as a friendship, a romance, a family) serve or challenge the experiences of those that identify as underserved/marginalized? 

Culturally responsive teaching strategies/activities

1. Close reading of the text with the racial reader’s identity (as well as the characters’ racial identities) in mind

• How does the reader’s identity shape the students’ reading of the text? Are they being challenged, are they resonating, what is familiar and what is unfamiliar?
• Have students take notes on these questions and discuss them in groups!

2. Close reading of one specific character with their emotional experiences (mental health) in mind

• In what moments is this character voicing their emotions (and when are they internalizing them)? How does this character’s perspective (first-person) impact the students’ perspective? Do they resonate with the emotions this character is facing, or are they challenged by them?
• Have students pair up with one or two other classmates (those of whom chose different characters) and discuss
  • What is different and what is the same?
  • What is the benefit of having these differing perspectives braided within the story?

Assessment Possibilities:

Formative Assessment Ideas:

1. Individually highlight/annotate certain racial stereotypes/narratives being challenged/reinforced

• Have students get into groups and utilize a poster board to make a combined list!
• On one side of the board, have students write out the racial stereotypes/narratives that are being challenged with an explanation as to how/why, on the other side of the board have students write out those that are reinforced 

2. Individually highlight/annotate the different emotions that each character faces in connection to their identity being challenged and/or misunderstood 

• Individually, have students draw out a map of the emotions that each character is facing throughout the book, continue to map it out as the book goes on

3. Highlighting/Annotating places in which the characters embrace within a “community” and/or feel accepted within their identity 

• Have students pair up with a partner, and create a combined bullet list of these places
• After creating the list, have students write an individual reflection of how these pillars of community do (or do not) show up within their life 

Summative Assessment Ideas:

1. Have students select a piece of literature (e.g. “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop) and use it as a lens to view the text

• Have students write a literary analysis that explains the ways in which the poem works as a lens to view the text 
• Then, create their own poem that connects to their literary analysis in some way as well as a paragraph reflection describing this connection

Reviewed by: Mia Manfredi, Student at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

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Synopsis: Enrique Luna wants to get over his crush Saleem, so he pursues other prospects. In doing so, Enrique tries to find clarity in his sexuality while being closeted from his parents, navigating his relationship with his best friend Fabiola, and dealing with the news that Saleem is leaving Los Angeles for the summer because his parents want him to meet a woman. In his pursuit to get over this, he meets a cast of prospects including a stoner named Tyler, a class president, Ziggy, and the enticingly scary Manny. Do these prospects bring Enrique to a conclusion about Saleem? And will living his truth lead to consequences?

Review

Enrique’s answer to his hardcore crush on his friend Saleem is to get with as many prospects as possible. In doing so, we get to learn about the experience of this Mexican, Bisexual man who comes to terms with the fact that he is worth more than his body image and self-esteem issues would have him believe. Aceves breaks down stereotypes of bisexuality by analyzing the reasons why someone like Enrique would sleep with other men due to his absolute abundance of love for one person who he wants to live with forever, and he learns this throughout the book. This book is an excellent example of queer identity and will help students understand intersectionality. This book does contain mature content and many sexual themes, but these scenes serve as an exploration of body and self, therefore, this book would be suited best for eighth grade and above. 

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Analysis

This book is a fantastic example of LGBTQ+ representation. It would be beneficial in a classroom for both students who identify with the community, and those who don’t because the plot points are relatable to people of any identity while still driving home themes of sexual repression, discrimination, and confusion about one’s identity. 

• Exploring sex as an LGBTQIA+ individual
• Coping with lost love
• Inability to come out to parents
• Social anxiety
• Judgment of Risks 
• Breaking stereotypes of bisexual people
• Coming of age
• Race

Teaching Strategies and Assessments

Formative Assessments

Summative Assessments

• Students can be tested for their ability to dissect themes from this book including but not limited to risk judgment, LGBTQIA+ struggles, and learning from past mistakes. 
• Students might create a portfolio of their understanding of this book during the reading. 

Teaching Strategies

• This is Why They Hate Us intertwines sexuality with multiple other intersections of a student’s life, giving this book an excellent opportunity to shine in a curriculum centered around topics of race and sexuality. 

Reviewed by: Joshua Ricci, English Education Student at Colorado State University.

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Synopsis: A scientific review of the nature of queer animals. Some of the sexualities include: gay, lesbian, bisexuality (or pansexuality), and three-way relationship (or throuple). Through his novel, Eliot Schrefer proves that the complexity of sexuality is not only a human concept but seen throughout the entirety of the animal kingdom. The main point is that it challenges the idea that homosexuality isn’t natural as animals don’t do it… spoiler they do!

Review

This book is full of humor! Despite being more scientifically based as it is informative nonfiction, it was very interesting and humorous. This book had easy scientific language making it very easy to get through. The author went out of their way to find people of color in STEM fields that identify with the LGBTQ+ community to interview at the end of most chapters. I feel that the most important part of this book is that it argues against the fact that homosexuality isn’t natural, the whole book proves that it is natural. This book is especially good for students who identify within the LGBTQ+ community to prove that they don’t need to change who they are because of some outdated ideologies, while also showing that is it is okay to be heterosexual and cisgender.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Essential Questions:

• Why is learning and understanding gender and sexuality important?
• Why is it important to understand why homosexuality within the animal kingdom is important?
• How do you develop your personal writing style?
• Does nonfiction have to be written like a textbook?

Assessment Possibilities: 

Formative:

• Have students create their own drawings/comics that relate to every chapter, like Eliot Schrefer did
• Learn about writing voice, learn to make nonfiction humorous, study the craft of the book and have a writing lesson
• Compare Queer Ducks to the average biology/ evolutionary textbooks taught in schools, have the students make notes on sticky notes to point out the differences between the information then write down questions they have on why they think the average textbook changes/ hides the truth

Summative activity: 

Have a discussion comparing what the average biology/ evolutionary textbook says about sexuality and gender within animals compared to what the book says, have students use their sticky notes as guides or references

Have students compare/ share their comics from each chapter with the class

Have students write about a topic they know very well (could be anything so long as it’s nonfiction) and have them try to mimic Eliot Schriefer’s style of writing voice

Reviewed by: Aimee White, English: Creative Writing Undergrad at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

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Synopsis: This story follows a demon named Little Ash and a non-binary angel named Uriel on their search for a missing girl, Essie, from their shtetl (village). To find her, they journey to America, with the help of a girl named Rose, an angry yet kind girl who is dealing with her friend’s and lover’s sudden marriage, and the ghost of a rebbe. Together they learn what it means to be human while navigating a new world filled with discrimination and sinister plots.

Review

A book revolving around Jewish culture and immigration, Lamb seeks to educate and entertain readers with a realistic yet fantasy-filled world. Once they discover a sinister plot unfolding, Little Ash and Uriel head off toward America with Rose, building up the suspense and action. Through the boat ride over, one can’t help but grow closer to the characters and root for them. Sacha Lamb does a great job depicting Jewish culture, LGBTQ+ relationships, and gender fluidity throughout her novel. The book also contains a nice list of Yiddish terms used throughout. At the end of the book, Lamb creates a world where one is left wondering – can angels do devious acts and demons do Orthodox acts?

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections and Analysis

• Female Empowerment
• Sexual and Gender Identity
• Immigration 
• Culture

Essential Questions:

• How can religion impact our decisions?
• Who gets to decide who we truly love?
• Are people born good?
• Does culture define us?
• How does one search for identity and meaning?

Teaching Strategies and Activities

• An overview of the history of Jewish culture, discuss the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and their work, religion, and beliefs.
• An overview of the history of the LGBTQIA+, including information about nearby resources, and discuss the Trevor Project and GLAD and the projects which they are currently working on.  
• Discuss the difference between Judaism and Christianity with a focus on beliefs and traditions.

Student Activity

Yiddish Vocabulary Presentations

• Throughout the book, Lamb uses Yiddish terms often to explain the world around their characters. To get more familiar with the Yiddish terms, I recommend having students form groups and present on a given set of Yiddish terms. Each class, a new group will present their Yiddish terms as well as open the floor to discussion, for any confusion.

Assessment Possibilities: 

Formative Assessment: Complete a check-in with students on their understanding of Yiddish terms. Have the check-in include a space where students can ask questions about the text, if they have any.

Formative Assessment 2: Have students chart out the journey on a classroom map of Little Ash, Uriel, and Rose. Leave pins in each destination and draw lines of yarn to each destination. Have students reflect on the different countries, cultures, and situations at play.  Complete a check-in on students to see their understanding of their journey.

Summative Assessment: Students are assigned to write a series of letters documenting what they’ve learned about conflicts within either the Jewish or LGBTQIA+ communities. Have students research more into the history of these communities. Students will also be tasked in connecting this to the book and referencing passages surrounding their chosen community. These letters can be directed to family, friends, the teacher, or to characters of the book. These letters will not be sent to anyone – they are meant only to show what students have learned.

Reviewed by: Allyson Horvath, General Psychology, Colorado State University