Module 5
Other Award Winners
An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio
by Judith Ortiz Cofer
Bibliography
Cofer, J. O. (1995). An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio. New York, NY: Puffin Books
ISBN 0-613-01583-5
Summary
The book An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio consists of 12 short stories from teenagers living in the bario. They are the stories of Puerto Rican youth who live in the bario but yet their lives and dreams are different from one another. They are all very honest stories that many kids who are from other cultures but live in the American surroundings can relate to, they are stuck between their two diverse cultures. My favorite was the story of Sandra Beauty Lesson she had no self-esteem issues until a girl in class makes fun of her in front of the guy she likes. She wants something out of her life, she wants to go to college and become something instead of depending on a guy like many of the girls she knows. There are many other great stories too, and we see some of the characters in more than one of the stories. It’s a very fast, funny, sad, and entertaining book to read.
My Impression
It’s a great book full of short stories from the Barrio. They are all the same but also different, all of the characters trying to survive and overcome some of the challenges of living in a community that they are a part of but some want to live and make a different life for their future. I enjoyed it, it was very interesting, and I can relate to growing up in America but coming from a different nationality background, it can be hard. It's a great book for multi-cultural source.
Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Cofer's (Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood) 12 consistently sparkling, sharp short stories pungently recreate the atmosphere of a Puerto Rican barrio in Paterson, N.J. A different teenager is the focus of each entry, but the characters and the settings throughout are linked, often to great effect. In the poignant "Don Jose of La Mancha," Yolanda observes both critically and sympathetically as her widowed mother gingerly approaches a new relationship-with a man Yolanda considers a clueless hick; the reader has previously met Yolanda in "The One Who Watches," in which Yolanda's friend Doris describes the fear and anger she experiences as Yolanda goes shoplifting. In the surreally horrifying "Matoa's Mirror," Kenny gets high on a mixture of drugs and then watches himself in a mirror, as if he's on TV, while he is getting beaten up outside his building. The overarching theme-the struggle to transcend one's roots but never succeeding (nor really wanting to)-is explored with enormous humanity and humor. This fine collection may draw special attention for its depictions of an ethnic group underserved by YA writers, but Cofer's strong writing warrants a close look no matter what the topic. Ages 12-up.
The ALAN Review -
In these twelve short stories, Coffer explores ethnicity in Paterson, New Jersey, where these Puerto Rican teenagers live. They complain about parents and trapped lives but also discuss boyfriends and beauty secrets. Coffer shows how teenagers think and respond in stereotypes. She lets the reader see that stereotypical thinking also has affected the way the reader reads. Not only do these teenagers reject their grandparents, but they also reject retarded adults, unwed teen mothers, and their heritage. Coffer also utilizes local color and the Spanish language to validate the experiences of these teenagers, whether at the local pool, the school, or El Building. Most of the stories are told from a first-person female point of view. A couple are third-person with a male protagonist. Students will learn much about perspective. Reading Coffer's book is like living in El Building and getting to know the neighborhood.
Use in Library Setting
I think it would be good to have in public libraries and/or in middle and high schools it can be a good addition to any classroom in diverse neighborhoods, or just about any school that is learning about other cultures. I have it in my library at the school.
Review. (1995). An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio. [Review of the book An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio].
Amazon.com.
Available from
http://www.amazon.com/An-Island-Like-You-Stories/dp/1606864467/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354818727&sr=8-1&keywords=an+island+like+you+stories+of+the+barrio
Review. (n. d.). An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio. [Review of the book An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio].
Barnes & Noble
Available from
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/island-like-you-judith-ortiz-cofer/1101327431?ean=9780140380682
Image from
Image from
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/an-island-like-you-id-0545131332.aspx
First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Bibliography
Johnson, A. (2003). First Part Last. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books.
ISBN 0-689-84922-2
Summary
This is the story of Bobby and Nia and how the choices they made changed both their lives forever. Bobby was a teenager who liked to hang out with his 'boys' K-boy and J.L. and shoot hoops, play Game Boy, go to NY city neighborhood and have pizza. He also loved his girlfriend Nia, who told him she was pregnant on bobby's 16th birthday. The story goes back and fort between when Nia is pregnant (then) and when the baby has already been born (now). The two teenagers both come from a supportive families and they are there for them, which does not mean it is any easier having a baby at such a young age, they just came from good families. This is a very emotional story about the choices we make and the consequences they have later on in our lives. It lets us to know who Bobby is and what he will do for Nia, and we even meet their baby girl Feather.
My Impression
In my opinion this is a great book for teenagers, since it deals with things they go through and the decisions they have to make and how every decision comes with a consequence. It is the portrayal of a caring young man, Bobby, who had to grow up too fast. It is great since we rarely see teenage guys who step up to the plate and do what they have to do and become a responsible man and a father for their kids. It is a too real a wake-up call to our youth of today who are way more open with casual sexual relationships than they were before, it teaches them to be prepared for the responsibilities that will come with getting pregnant and the decisions they have to be ready to make.
Reviews
Grade 8 Up-Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant. Bobby, 16, is a sensitive and intelligent narrator. His parents are supportive but refuse to take over the child-care duties, so he struggles to balance parenting, school, and friends who don't comprehend his new role. Alternate chapters go back to the story of Bobby's relationship with his girlfriend Nia and how parents and friends reacted to the news of her pregnancy. Bobby's parents are well-developed characters, Nia's upper-class family somewhat less so. Flashbacks lead to the revelation in the final chapters that Nia is in an irreversible coma caused by eclampsia. This twist, which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. Bobby, the teenage artist and single-parent dad in Johnson's Coretta Scott King Award winner, Heaven (1998), tells his story here. At 16, he's scared to be raising his baby, Feather, but he's totally devoted to caring for her, even as she keeps him up all night, and he knows that his college plans are on hold. In short chapters alternating between "now" and "then," he talks about the baby that now fills his life, and he remembers the pregnancy of his beloved girlfriend, Nia. Yes, the teens' parents were right. The couple should have used birth control; adoption could have meant freedom. But when Nia suffers irreversible postpartum brain damage, Bobby takes their newborn baby home. There's no romanticizing. The exhaustion is real, and Bobby gets in trouble with the police and nearly messes up everything. But from the first page, readers feel the physical reality of Bobby's new world: what it's like to hold Feather on his stomach, smell her skin, touch her clenched fists, feel her shiver, and kiss the top of her curly head. Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again. The great cover photo shows the strong African American teen holding his tiny baby in his arms. Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association.
Use in Library Setting
It should be at any library that the teens go to to get books. This should be available to our YAs in public libraries or in school libraries.
Review. (n. d.). First Part Last. [Review of the book First Part Last].
Amazon.com.
Available from
http://www.amazon.com/First-Part-Last-Angela-Johnson/dp/product-description/1442403438/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
Image from
First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Bibliography
Johnson, A. (2003). First Part Last. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books.
ISBN 0-689-84922-2
Summary
This is the story of Bobby and Nia and how the choices they made changed both their lives forever. Bobby was a teenager who liked to hang out with his 'boys' K-boy and J.L. and shoot hoops, play Game Boy, go to NY city neighborhood and have pizza. He also loved his girlfriend Nia, who told him she was pregnant on bobby's 16th birthday. The story goes back and fort between when Nia is pregnant (then) and when the baby has already been born (now). The two teenagers both come from a supportive families and they are there for them, which does not mean it is any easier having a baby at such a young age, they just came from good families. This is a very emotional story about the choices we make and the consequences they have later on in our lives. It lets us to know who Bobby is and what he will do for Nia, and we even meet their baby girl Feather.
My Impression
In my opinion this is a great book for teenagers, since it deals with things they go through and the decisions they have to make and how every decision comes with a consequence. It is the portrayal of a caring young man, Bobby, who had to grow up too fast. It is great since we rarely see teenage guys who step up to the plate and do what they have to do and become a responsible man and a father for their kids. It is a too real a wake-up call to our youth of today who are way more open with casual sexual relationships than they were before, it teaches them to be prepared for the responsibilities that will come with getting pregnant and the decisions they have to be ready to make.
Reviews
Grade 8 Up-Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant. Bobby, 16, is a sensitive and intelligent narrator. His parents are supportive but refuse to take over the child-care duties, so he struggles to balance parenting, school, and friends who don't comprehend his new role. Alternate chapters go back to the story of Bobby's relationship with his girlfriend Nia and how parents and friends reacted to the news of her pregnancy. Bobby's parents are well-developed characters, Nia's upper-class family somewhat less so. Flashbacks lead to the revelation in the final chapters that Nia is in an irreversible coma caused by eclampsia. This twist, which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. Bobby, the teenage artist and single-parent dad in Johnson's Coretta Scott King Award winner, Heaven (1998), tells his story here. At 16, he's scared to be raising his baby, Feather, but he's totally devoted to caring for her, even as she keeps him up all night, and he knows that his college plans are on hold. In short chapters alternating between "now" and "then," he talks about the baby that now fills his life, and he remembers the pregnancy of his beloved girlfriend, Nia. Yes, the teens' parents were right. The couple should have used birth control; adoption could have meant freedom. But when Nia suffers irreversible postpartum brain damage, Bobby takes their newborn baby home. There's no romanticizing. The exhaustion is real, and Bobby gets in trouble with the police and nearly messes up everything. But from the first page, readers feel the physical reality of Bobby's new world: what it's like to hold Feather on his stomach, smell her skin, touch her clenched fists, feel her shiver, and kiss the top of her curly head. Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again. The great cover photo shows the strong African American teen holding his tiny baby in his arms. Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association.
Use in Library Setting
It should be at any library that the teens go to to get books. This should be available to our YAs in public libraries or in school libraries.
Review. (n. d.). First Part Last. [Review of the book First Part Last].
Amazon.com.
Available from
http://www.amazon.com/First-Part-Last-Angela-Johnson/dp/product-description/1442403438/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
Image from
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailBook.asp?idBooks=1594
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