Entry 5: A Poetic Novel?

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade. This is the first novel that I have read or that I can recall reading that was written in verse, and I while the story was pretty good, I am not sure I liked the book that much. As you can see my feelings over this novel are pretty mixed. I can say that, however, that I find a novel written in this style to be very interesting in that the poetic style of writing helps emphasize the flow of the character’s thoughts and language. Moreover, I often forgot that I was reading poetry because the story, in a way, flowed. This is not to say I did not have any difficulties reading the novel because I did. In fact, I was did get confused due to the wording of the novel and I had to reread pieces over in order to ensure that I understood what was going on, causing me to feel sometimes as if the novel did not flow that well after all—the exact opposite of what I have felt over the course of the semester as we have been reading other works.

A novel written in verse is certainly new and sort of strange for me, in that, based on this one novel, I feel as if takes away from other aspects of the novel such as the development of the characters, the setting, and the overall plot, similar to what we discussed in class. Additionally, I did feel at times that the novel seemed a bit careless in comparison to other books we have read this semester; this make s me think that maybe verse-novels are sometimes written in such a manner simply due to the constant line breaks and the cutting of words out so that the style reflects that of poetry.

Despite both my criticisms and my acclaim for a verse-novel, I believe a book written in this manner says a lot about the author of that text. To me it says that that individual is aware of his or her targeted audience and knows how to creatively capture their attention. An author of a verse-novel makes the appropriate choice because they realize that in a way it creates strong images in the minds of the reader—they may not have much to go on so they are forced to come up with their own description and mental image of the characters or the setting. Also first person point of view is cozy; it allows the reader to get to know the narrator and even question things about him or her, leading to a closer reading of the novel or story in question. Based on Make Lemonade, verse novels seem to be realistic, revealing tough issues that young readers face daily, and that quality in a book is something that attracts young readers. Other characteristics that may attract young readers is that verse novels seem to focus on raw emotions and they are less intimidating due to the increase in white space that tends to cover the page. It is for these reasons that I feel verse novels are and will continue to be a hit with young readers.

Entry 4: Can I Get a Round of Applause for Ms. Heavenly Faith Simms?!

In my opinion, Heavenly Faith Simms (H.F.) is undoubtedlythe most awesome and dynamic character that has entered the young adult world of literature! In Finding H.F., Julia Watts' female protagonist is a very realistic and relatable character—someone who possess the characteristics of an individual that we all know or seem to have met. She is a very comical but strong-willed, wise and out-spoken protagonist. H.F. is a teenage girl who is going through her teen years very unsure and often times mystified—questioning the world around her and questioning love, similar to the way many of us did when we were teenagers. I could often relate to her character because I have often been in predicaments and situations where I felt as if I did not belong and as if I were an outsider to everyone around me—where I was the misfit. Thus, reading about H.F. and her life, as she appealingly reencountered the events of her life and shared her most inner thoughts, I often asked myself, “Where can I find myself an H.F.?” “Where can I find an individual like her?” I asked this because she is a very loving, loyal and witty character who seems to be anything less than an amazing confidant and friend. It is beacuse of these personalities traits and qualities that I loved the character of Heavenly Faith Simms and effortlessly became engrossed in her world.

Entry 3: Homosexuality in Teen Novels: Good Idea or Not?

Anytime a book can “speak” volumes to its readers by being that realistic representation of what that individual considers their reality, I believe it has served its just purpose. In this case, Finding H.F., is a book that speaks to those teenagers whose reality is living with being homosexual in a society where it may or may not be openly accepted. Finding H.F., to many, especially the religious “holier-than-thou” types, may seem a bit much for teenagers, for it may seem to be sending the “wrong” message—whatever that may be depends on the individual. However, I believe that by highlighting a young female lesbian, Watts hits home with many teenagers, both male and female, because they face many of the same internal and external struggles that the characters in her novel face; through this novel she explores several issues including tolerance of homosexuality in America and what it means to be "different" in our society.
Often homosexual teens are afraid to admit being homosexual and consequently they try to change themselves, live secret lives, or they even take drastic measures that they feel will “end” their feelings of inadequacy by doing such things as committing suicide. Thus, Finding H.F. teaches that it is okay to love and accept yourself even when others do not. This book teaches strength, character and respect. I admire this novel book because Watts’ is able to reach many adolescents who are at a place in their lives where things seem to be confusing and helpless, and Finding H.F. seems to be just the right little thing that may possibly change, or even save some lives.

Entry 2: Changing Thoughts?

Thinking back on my previous views of literature written for children and young adults, I must say that I stand corrected on many of my previous thoughts. I have always appreciated and noted the importance of all literature, yet I realize that I have been quite close-minded and bias in my ways of thinking, often unknowingly. But, first I must correct myself on my previous entry. While writing and responding to the previous prompt, I stated that, “children’s literature certainly lacked the complexity and verbal sophistication that most types of literature tend to contain”. Well as we have all come to find out, The Invention of Hugo Cabret refutes this statement in its entirety. While writing and responding to that topic, though, at many times I mentally equated children’s books to be short, picture books with relatively a few sentences, which is certainly only a piece of children’s literature; they do not define or encompass children’s literature. Thus, this leads me into this blog posting.

Previously, I only looked at children books from the perspective of only being short and simple books, which is certainly one way that my view has changed about literature. Only a month into the semester, I have already realized that there are a vast number of books that I have never even considered. I have always considered myself an avid reader, but I was certainly shocked when I realized that I had not been exposed to certain authors and titles that I definitely would have appreciated. Children and young adult literature have so much substance, they are little lessons wrapped in up in a mural of words that connect with their targeted audiences.

Prior to this course, I can only recall seeing and picking up what many people would refer to as “silly or simple” picture books; those books, that I mentioned below, that contain more pictures than words or that have single sentences per page. While there were undoubtedly exceptions to this type of book that frequently caught my eye, this seemed to make up the majority. It was for this reason that I often viewed the author’s of children’s books as individuals who were creative enough to leave behind their adult thought processes and dive into the imaginations and thoughts of young children. But that was it—to me, they really were not doing anything spectacularly besides providing children with a tool for enrichment. With this being said, I thought that, while children’s literature is an important art form, in that it appeals to young children, I did think that almost anyone could write these types of stories. Nonetheless, this thought was changed the moment we began reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret. It is a very intricate and complex children’s book that certainly opened my eyes and broadened my way of thinking; not only is it creative and has a unique storyline, but it also has the ability to draw readers of all ages.

Young adult literature, on the other hand, has always been one of my favorites. But, already, I have also learned something new about this genre of literature. A theme in young adult literature that I did not know was so popular is the theme of homosexuality in the teenage community. This has become a very popular topic in young adult novels, unbeknownst to me, yet it is extremely relevant and it serves to teach a lesson to all adolescents—both homosexual and heterosexual. The current book we are reading, Finding H.F., falls under this category and it is a very good read. It is comical and it embraces that sense of reality that most teens want to encounter and relate to in their readings.

This course have already taught me a lot and opened my mind up to broader aspects of literature forms that I thought I were already familiar to me. I must say, however, that my views have changed for the better and as a future teacher I will not make the mistake of not exposing my students to different types of literature. It is important that they are exposed to all literature so that they can form their own opinions and have the opportunity to appreciate its art as they grow and mature.