It’s a fixer-upper

I am doing some much needed cleaning of this blog, so if things are all bizzaro world, that why. In the meantime listen to my station on Pandora.com!

The Prodigal Son and all…

So, I was googling myself (because it’s what cool kids do), and my two book blogs came up and I was like, “Ooooohhhhh, yyyyyyeeeeaaaahhhhh.”  So, then I had to decide if I would delete them, because it’s been like two years since I’ve been on them, or actually start contributing again.  Obviously, I am doing the later.  It really boils down to me being bored and not wanting to start my memoir just yet.

I’ve been deep in thought for like 30 seconds just now trying to figure out what YA books I have read in the past 2 years.  I did read “Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen.  Yeah.  Books about the environment.  sweet.  He’s got a lot of books, so apparently kids are reading them, but I don’t like a main platter of politics.  That’s why I hate Ani DiFranco.

Anywho, I liked doing this blog, I am just super lazy, so maybe I’ll be back in less than 2 years.

Cheese and Rice

It’s been so long since I have been on here I have no idea what I am doing…

Bright Ideas

I love conferences.  Once upon a time when I was going to be a band director I went to quite a few music educator conferences.  I love learning.  This was my first english ed conference.  I love this stuff…

I liked the keynote speaker Jacqueline Woodson a lot.  I must admit, I was worried it would be a droll boring lecture.  But she was fun and spirited and made me forget it was 8:30 in the morning.  I not only enjoyed her book excerpts, but I loved that she had all of that stuff memorized.  My mind told me, “Wow.  She really cares about what she does!” 

I also had to laugh when she made the comment about putting “stickers” on her books, because kids want to read books with stickers on them.  Yeah.  So do I.  I have read a few YA books this semester.  On my many trips to the library I have a few goal books in mind and then I peruse.  Then I see the book with the sticker and think, “Oh, there’s a sticker on this one.  I should get it.”

So, now I think I will be checking out a few of her books from the library.  With or without stickers.

I went to the “Acing the Interview: What Principals Say They Value,” session.  I had high hopes.  I have a brilliant friend that has been trying to find a teaching gig for awhile now but to no avail.  We have done the “What is wrong,” brainstorming, and all I can come up with is that he has a Master’s Degree.  Other than that his resume is phat.  So I was hoping to get some tips out of this sessions for both me and him.

I have to say, virtually everything was pretty much common sense.  In my opinion at least.  “Dress properly, don’t show tattoos, don’t show piercing.”  Yeah, I didthat for the crappy job I have now.  Next.  The thing that threw me the most was the comment that according to principals polled, “20-100+ applicants apply for a single position.”  Roughly 10 make it to the interview round.  So, how do I become one of the ten?  That’s what I really want to know.  Once I get in their I can rely on my sparkling personality.  It’s a lot easier to be on out of ten than one out of one-hundred.

I did go to a cool session called,” Reading, Writing & Eurythmics: Infusing Popular Music and New Media in the ELA Classroom.”  This session was great for me.  Being a music geek, the idea of combining the two was fabulous.  If there was a Literature and Psychoanalysis session there too, all of my academic dreams would have come true. 

The idea of the class was inspiring readers, especially “at risk” students to read by showing them references to literature in popular music.  The idea was, “Even your favorite artist that didn’t graduate high school is well read.”  And the cool thing was that the music was diverse.  Eric Federspiel and Luke Rodesiler of South Lyon High School have created a wiki site where teachers can easily find these music/lit references.  I have to say, I am listening to my music so closely now hoping to spot one so I can add it to the site.  I went to the site and I was highly disappointed that someone had already added the two Bjork references that I was going to add.  And of course my Kate Bush/ Wuthering Heights reference was there too.  I did find some Tori Amos references and submitted them.  I’ll wait and see if they make the cut.  This is an ongoing project, so if you know some stuff to add you can submit it!  The site is http://pclit.pbwiki.com/.  If you want to add any info you can sign in as a guest with the password BrightIdeas….shhh, don’t tell.

Behold, my comments

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Kurt Vonnegut- “He’s up in Heaven now.”

This is not a problem novel post, but I really need to put this post up.  I have some other posts in the works however, so no worries.

My favorite author and author of my favorite book Galapagos, Kurt Vonnegut died.  My friend told me last night.  I cried a bit.  So it goes.

I know he wasn’t exactly young, but it was still a shock.  Ironically enough, I just reread God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian a few days ago, a book where Vonnegut is brought to near death by Dr. Kevorkian so he can interview people in heaven.  I just hate the idea of people dying and all of their ideas, their imagination, their mind is gone from this world.  I just wonder what else could have been created by that mind.  I grieve that lost insight. 

Below is an excerpt from the introduction of God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian:

I am honorary president of the American Humanist Association, having succeeded the late, great, spectacularly prolific writer and scientist, Dr. Isaac Asimov in that essentially functionless capacity.  At an A.H.A. memorial service for my predecessor I said, “Isaac is up in Heaven now.”  That was the funniest thing I could have said to an audience of humanists.  It rolled them in the aisles.  Mirth!  Several minutes had to pass before something resembling solemnity could be restored….So when my own time comes to join the choir invisible or whatever, God forbid, I hope someone will say, “He’s up in Heaven now.”  Who really knows?  I could have dreamed all this.

What are “Problem Novels?”

• It is estimated that depression affects as many as one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents. 
• If you look around a class of 25 students, at least five are likely to have seriously considered suicide, and at least two are likely to have tried to kill themselves in the past year.
• The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world.
• The median age at which lesbian and gay youth become aware that their feelings of “difference” are linked to a same-sex sexual orientation is 13.  9% of high school students identify as “gay, lesbian, bisexual or questioning.”
• Research from Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc. (ANRED) suggests that about 1 percent of female adolescents have anorexia.  Bulimia affects 1 to 3 percent of middle and high school girls.
• In 2001, 20% of 8th graders reported trying marijuana, and 9% were current users. One out of five students in America has used an inhalant to get high by the 8th grade.

 

These are staggering statistics. 

The amount of children suffering from emotional problems is evident from the small listing of statistics listed above.  Often young adults don’t seek support out of fear and confusion.  As a survivor of childhood, adolescent and adult depression, I recognize the importance of information and support.

The new trend of “problem novels” geared toward young adults, is a new world for children with emotional problems to find relief and support.  “Problem novels” can introduce kids to signs of emotional disorders, offer support by showing them they are not alone and influence them to seek help.

According to Wikipedia, “Problem novels are a sub-genre of young adult literature that deal exclusively with an adolescent’s first confrontation with a social or personal ill.”  These “social or personal ills” would consist of many adolescent problems like depression, suicide, eating disorders, sex, drugs, sexual orientation and peer pressure.

Naturally, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the content of these books.  Are they really appropriate for young adults?  My goal for this blog is to explore this question.  It’s no secret that kids are plagued with peer pressure, many have emotional disorders and many more come from broken homes.  But, can reading about how fictional characters deal with these situations really help kids, or does it only glorify these terrible social issues?

To help me in this journey, I will be utilizing the following references to gather further information:

• Kids Lit- A blog by Tasha Saecker, the director of the Menasha Public Library in Menasha, WI.  The site includes reviews and articles about problem novels.
• Reading Today Daily- A division of the International Reading Assosiation.  The page lists literary news from various news sources.
• I will also be combing the book sections of The New York Times and USA Today, as well as utilizing Google News to gather more information on YA and problem novels.

As I will undoubtedy come across more sites and blogs, I will be sure to list them and provide a link for further reference.