Dark Sons

Bibliography

Grimes, Nikki. Dark Sons. 2005. New York, NY: Hyperion Books ISBN #:0-7868-1888-3

Critical Analysis

Nikki Grimes poetically tells the story of Abraham and Ishmael making it relevant to today's young adults by juxtaposing it with the modern story of Sam, a teenager dealing with the divorce of his parents, the stress of a new stepmother and the jealousy of a new baby brother. Ishmael's story is told so convincingly from a teen's point of view that many readers won't even know they're reading a Bible story until they are half way through. 

Ishmael's faith in God pushes him through his familial trials, though sometimes he questions Him and even gets angry with Him. Sam does the same as he deals with his new family life. This faith and their similar situation bridges the time gap between the two young men and by the end of the book the reader strongly feels their connection as "brothers, two dark sons." 

Emotions run deep throughout the book and both characters show young readers that frustration, anger, doubt, confusion and jealousy are all natural feelings, while also showing that you can overcome them to better yourself and your situation. Even readers who are not religious can find the plot of Dark Sons intriguing, the poetry well written and the emotions genuine. Dark Sons is a great read for grades 6 and up. 

Book Group Discussion Questions

1. Sam and Ishmael have a lot in common despite living in two different times. What are some of the similarities between their situations?

2. What about between their personalities?

3. What are some similarities between Sam's mother and Ishmael's mother? What about their fathers?

4. How do you think the stories would be told if narrated through Sam and Ishmael's little brothers?

5. What do you think Sam's relationship with his brother will be like when they are older?

External Assessments

Coretta Scott King Honor Book

*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. "Why does he have to run off? / To start some new family? / With her?" Teen-age Sam can barely contain his fury and hurt when his father gets married again, this time to a young white woman, who gives Sam a new baby brother. In a parallel, first-person narrative that draws on Genesis, young Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, rejected by Abraham, wander in the desert, after Sarah bears Abraham's child. Grimes' clear, free verse speaks with immediacy and lyricism about both boys' feelings of betrayal and loss. The real focus, though, is on Sam, who complains to his high-school friends ("It's my stepmom, man. / My dad wants me / to give her a chance / But I can't") and talks to and screams at God--until he's able to ask God to help him let his anger go. The simple words eloquently reveal what it's like to miss someone ("I've stopped expecting / his shadow in the hallway / his frame in the doorway"), but even more moving is the struggle to forgive and the affection each boy feels for the baby that displaces him. The elemental connections and the hope ("You made it / in the end / and so will I") will speak to a wide audience."-Hazel Rochman, Booklist

What My Mother Doesn't Know

Bibliography

Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know. 2001. New York, NY: ISBN # 0-689-84114-0

Critical Analysis

The idea of an entire novel written in poetry form might sound a bit daunting for some readers but Sonya Sones' What My Mother Doesn't Know is the book to change young adults' minds about poetry. Written in free verse, Sones has the reader hanging on to every word through the humorous main character Sophie. Sophie's thoughts, views, and daily occurrences  are detailed through short one to two page poems making the poetry easy to digest. 

In every poem Sophie's voice comes through crystal clear. Girls of all ages will be able to relate to her insecurities, daydreams and relationship woes. Sone explores all types of relationships that are important to adolescent girls in the book. Sophie breaks up with one boyfriend to date Dylan, whose smile is almost like "a religious experience" to her. As so often young love does, Sophie and Dylan's relationship goes from hot and heavy to nearly nonexistent and the time comes for them both to move on, and Sophie does, to someone that surprises herself and the reader alike. Beyond the boyfriend relationships, Sones also emphasizes the bond between Sophie and her two best friends, Rachel and Grace, showing just how important a girl's friends can be. 

Interestingly Sophie's relationship with her mother is probably the most indirectly developed relationship in the book. Sophie's mother seems to spend most of her time watching TV and making Sophie feel the type of guilt that only mothers know how to make you feel, yet there is something charming about their relationship. As distant as they are, when Sophie really needs someone to talk to, her mother is there. 

The simplistic beauty of the poetry in What My Mother Doesn't Know makes it a great read for grades 6 and up. Girls will especially enjoy the book because of the subject matter. Another perk to suggesting the book to young readers is that Sone describes Sophie's feelings and actions in the book from an adolescent girl's point of view so convincingly that parent's don't have to worry about young readers stumbling on more adult perspectives on relationships that they may not be ready to handle yet.

Book Group Ideas

Have readers go through the book and find a poem with a humorous tone, a poem where Sophie feels guilty, a poem where Sophie is worried and a poem where Sophie is happy. Discuss the differences between the poems. What elements in the poem make it come across funny? Guilty? Worried? Happy? What word choices set the tone of the poem? Encourage them to try and change a few words in the poem to see if it changes the tone.

External Assessments

"*Starred Review* Drawing on the recognizable cadences of teenage speech, Sones (Stop Pretending) poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy. The author keenly portrays ninth-grader Sophie's trajectory of lusty crushes and disillusionment whether she is gazing at Dylan's "smoldery dark eyes" or dancing with a mystery man to music that "is slow/ and/ saxophony." Best friends Rachel and Grace provide anchoring friendships for Sophie as she navigates her home life as an only child with a distant father and a soap opera-devotee mother whose "shrieking whips around inside me/ like a tornado." Some images of adolescent changes carry a more contemporary cachet, "I got my period I prefer/ to think of it as/ rebooting my ovarian operating system," others are consciously clich‚d, "my molehills/ have turned into mountains/ overnight" this just makes Sophie seem that much more familiar. With its separate free verse poems woven into a fluid and coherent narrative with a satisfying ending, Sophie's honest and earthy story feels destined to captivate a young female audience, avid and reluctant readers alike. Ages 12-up."- Publishers Weekly

"*Starred Review* Gr. 6-10. In a fast, funny, touching book, Sones uses the same simple, first-person poetic narrative she used in Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy(1999), but this story isn't about family anguish; it's about the joy and surprise of falling in love. Sophie, 14, thinks she has a crush on handsome Dylan, but she discovers that her most passionate feelings are for someone totally unexpected, a boy who makes her laugh and shows her how to look at the world. And when they kiss, every cell in her body is on fire. Meanwhile, she fights with her mom--who fights with Sophie's dad--and she refuses to wear a pink flowered dress to the school dance, secretly changing into a slinky black outfit with the help of her girlfriends. Their girl talk is hilarious and irreverent in the style of Naylor's Alice books. The poetry is never pretentious or difficult; on the contrary, the very short, sometimes rhythmic lines make each page fly. Sophie's voice is colloquial and intimate, and the discoveries she makes are beyond formula, even while they are as sweetly romantic as popular song. A natural for reluctant readers, this will also attract young people who love to read."- Hazel Rochman, School Library Journal

Persepolis

Bibliography

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. 2003. New York, NY: Pantheon Books. ISBN # 0-375-42230-7


Critical Analysis
Persepolis is an intriguing approach to a memoir. Marjane Satrapi tells her experiences growing up as an adolescent in Tehran through an entertaining and eye-opening graphic novel. Because of the graphic novel format, the limited space for text forces Satrapi to use her words wisely and concisely. The direct and to the point style of the narrative echos her quirky and determined childhood personality. Stories are relayed through short topical chapters which make the often serious subject matters easier for young readers to digest. 


Even if young readers don't fully understand the political aspects and themes of the book- the war against Iraq, communism, religious extremism, etc.- they will still enjoy the spunky personality of Marji as she has one-on-one conversations with God, dreams of being a dictator and stirs up imaginative trouble at school. Satrapi's telling of her own life as preteen in a seemingly oppressive culture gives new insight and a few surprises, such as her love of Michael Jackson and desire for western clothing, like Nikes and a denim jacket. 


Satrapi's progressive parents also play a major role in the memoir. They encourage Marji's outspoken personality, keep her abreast of the political happenings and even take her out protesting with them once. Their approach to parenting shows a different perspective of the Iranian family and culture. This new perspective shown through Satrapi's life experiences in a humorous, yet enlightening way, makes Persepolis a great read for grades eight and up. 


Book Group Ideas
Have students bring in newspaper and magazine articles about current events in Iran. Provide information about the current required dress for women and political standing. Discuss the differences between Iran when Marji lived there and now, how she would have grown up if she was ten and in Iran now, what role her parents played in her life and in the political movements in Iran, her conversations with God, and whatever other questions that spur from the conversation.


External Assessments
"Satrapi's autobiography is a timely and timeless story of a young girl's life under the Islamic Revolution. Descended from the last Emperor of Iran, Satrapi is nine when fundamentalist rebels overthrow the Shah. While Satrapi's radical parents and their community initially welcome the ouster, they soon learn a new brand of totalitarianism is taking over. Satrapi's art is minimal and stark yet often charming and humorous as it depicts the madness around her. She idolizes those who were imprisoned by the Shah, fascinated by their tales of torture, and bonds with her Uncle Anoosh, only to see the new regime imprison and eventually kill him. Thanks to the Iran-Iraq war, neighbors' homes are bombed, playmates are killed and parties are forbidden. Satrapi's parents, who once lived in luxury despite their politics, struggle to educate their daughter. Her father briefly considers fleeing to America, only to realize the price would be too great. "I can become a taxi driver and you a cleaning lady?" he asks his wife. Iron Maiden, Nikes and Michael Jackson become precious symbols of freedom, and eventually Satrapi's rebellious streak puts her in danger, as even educated women are threatened with beatings for improper attire. Despite the grimness, Satrapi never lapses into sensationalism or sentimentality. Skillfully presenting a child's view of war and her own shifting ideals, she also shows quotidian life in Tehran and her family's pride and love for their country despite the tumultuous times. Powerfully understated, this work joins other memoirs-Spiegelman's Maus and Sacco's Safe Area Goradze-that use comics to make the unthinkable familiar."- Publishers Weekly

"Marji tells of her life in Iran from the age of 10, when the Islamic revolution of 1979 reintroduced a religious state, through the age of 14 when the Iran-Iraq war forced her parents to send her to Europe for safety. This story, told in graphic format with simple, but expressive, black-and-white illustrations, combines the normal rebelliousness of an intelligent adolescent with the horrors of war and totalitarianism. Marji's parents, especially her freethinking mother, modeled a strong belief in freedom and equality, while her French education gave her a strong faith in God. Her Marxist-inclined family initially favored the overthrow of the Shah, but soon realized that the new regime was more restrictive and unfair than the last. The girl's independence, which made her parents both proud and fearful, caused them to send her to Austria. With bold lines and deceptively uncomplicated scenes, Satrapi conveys her story. From it, teens will learn much of the history of this important area and will identify with young Marji and her friends. This is a graphic novel of immense power and importance for Westerners of all ages. It will speak to the same audience as Art Spiegelman's Maus (Pantheon, 1993)."- Susan H. Woodcock, School Library Journal