My favorite part of this book was the three perspectives on the death of Faerry and Whimsy‘s siblings. Not only was this a crucial turning point in the narrative, but an important statement in guilt, forgiveness, and atonement. I was left wondering if their parents felt the same guilt Faerry and Whimsy did, and if they were able to finally forgive themselves (or at least remember) when the younger children returned home.
I was very impressed by the writing in this book, and the creativity the author brought to symbolizing the character‘s depression. However, I think it was a little too abstract for me to truly enjoy reading it. After finishing the book, I had to look up multiple summaries and analyses to make sense of it. I also just didn‘t connect with the characters at all, and I think I could have if there was more intentional character development.
With recommending any book, it‘s important for us to know our students so that we suggest the right book for them. Personally, I don‘t think I would ever recommend this book to a student. This is not because it isn‘t a beautifully written book, but because it addresses topics that can be very triggering for students. For some students, this could be just the book they need to feel understood. For others, it could be just a little too real.
In Cart‘s last chapter, he rationalizes young adult‘s dislike for reading by claiming “they regard it as a task”, like homework (Cart, 211). As he went on to cite not only the declining data for teens who read, but also a decrease in overall proficiency rates, I found myself both stressed and devastated by the data. I‘ve seen this data before, but it never fails to incite a frantic reaction that the education system is failing its students.
“Are they gay? Does it matter?”
These two questions summarize not only the plot, but the ideals of this book. I applaud Levithan‘s answer to these questions through the teacher, Mr. Howe, explaining the importance of these conversations. To eliminate representation about a group of people from literature does not eliminate the existence of those people, it just gives the impression that they have a reason to feel ashamed of their wonderful selves.
In a society that is seeing more and more books banned at all levels of grade schools, this is a very important topic to understand. I thought this story did a wonderful job of not only explaining what book bans are and why they happen, but why we must stay informed of the content people intend to censor. If we merely accept things as being inappropriate without understanding why, we risk eliminating crucial voices in the lives of our students.
At first, I struggled to keep up with the different story lines, specifically the purpose of Gideon and Roberto‘s story. I initially thought it was just an example of kids knowing who they are, proving the importance of diverse identities in books. That would‘ve been enough, but I loved the reveal that the two boys we watched fall in love were Mr. Howe and the author. This proved the importance of the book, and tied the three stories together.
As a teacher, I believe Pedro‘s interests as an adolescent can be used to understand our students. He loves reading comics, but often describes a disdain for school. For kids who express similar interests and dislikes, graphic novels, like comics, can be a great way for them to approach literature in a different way. Today, there are so many adaptations of classic texts we can use to better reach our students in English Ed classrooms.
With Cart‘s chapter on YA Literature, Mexikid demonstrates the awkwardness of adolescence. Pedro, the protagonist, is attempting to earn the respect of a man, while still learning from boyish mistakes. Throughout the story, Pedro wants to be included with his older siblings, but is still hesitant to step out of his comfort zone. From learning to drive, to being there for his family, to saving the deer, he learns that growing up isn't always easy.
Something that always impresses me about graphic novels is the author/illustrator‘s ability to develop characterization with so few words in a story. I loved Martin‘s introduction to the Martin family at the beginning, and how his description of each member was reinforced throughout the book. Even in brief interactions, readers can understand Pedro's relationship with different people in as little as a single sentence.
In Cart‘s chapter, he aptly describes young adulthood as “an ill-defined developmental space somewhere between childhood and adulthood” (Cart, 3). As a relatively new concept in the history of humanity, does the ambiguity of the young adult experience impact how controversial young adult literature is in today‘s classrooms? With no good definition of YA, how do we determine what is or isn‘t appropriate for students from all different backgrounds?
The short stories that make up this collection are a beautiful celebration of what it means to be human, in all of our diverse ways. The book, adeptly named, teaches students about themselves and their surroundings, and can help mentors discern how to best guide those around them. Through learning independence, how to stand up for oneself, how to be a good friend, and how to tell a good story, each story taught young adults a lesson in how to fly.
I love stories in verse. The short segments. The quick turn of the page. The fast pace. Verse contains so much potential to captivate audiences who struggle with rambling sentences that include so many extra details. For those with a short attention span, writing in verse is great. I also enjoyed the plot of “Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents”. I would love to use this as a mentor text for students looking to format a narrative uniquely.
The more stories I read in this book, the deeper my appreciation grows for the lessons present in each chapter. In addition to the rich diversity present in the backgrounds, there are different perspectives, issues, and forms of resilience present. For both students and teachers, these texts can be useful in finding authors giving a voice to different experiences, and encouraging us to challenge our understanding of the larger world.
“How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court Into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium” eloquently demonstrated that success cannot be left to talent alone. One must also put in the work. Additionally, mentorship comes in all shapes and sizes. Mentees can learn that you may receive the best life advice from someone you least expect. For mentors, it's helpful to see how one impacted another, even by speaking to them once.
