Winger by Andrew Smith

The writing of Andrew Smith took me on a roller coaster ride of reactions to Ryan Dean West and his junior year at Pine Mountain Academy. And, he’s only 14 years old. While he may be a “genius” academically, psychologically, he's probably on the same level as many other boys his age, and he was not the teenage boy I was expecting to meet.

Ryan Dean has had to learn to stand-up for himself, and he’s become physically strong enough to take-down fellow players on the rugby team and he'll use that strength, when necessary, to defend a teammate when football players start to taunt and ridicule him.

     Often Ryan Dean calls himself a “loser,” and even a “pathetic loser,” and while he may not be the cool, confident guy he wants to be, Ryan Dean West is respected by his intimidating roommate and teammate Chas, considered a real friend by Joey, who doesn’t have many, and loved by Annie, his best friend.

     Within the first few chapters, I wasn’t impressed.  Yes, he was 14 and immature, but I was disturbed his remarks, insensitive comments, and certain behaviors.  I swayed between thoughts of "he's a 14-year-old boy; it's reality" to "Ryan Dean is "over the top," and I don't know that he's a good representation of his peers."  However, maybe that's the point.  Ryan Dean West may reflect the notion that American culture may not be where some of us think it is with respect to acceptance/compassion for diversity and simply for others. 

I continued to read the book, wondering when the repitition would end.  The repetition never really ends, the circumstances change, and I thought he was ok, Eventually, he made me laugh…out loud, and then what seemed to be a more genuine Ryan Dean West emerged the last third of the story.  This new "awareness" comes to be partly by tragedy, partly by maturity, and partly by what seemed to be a sincere concern for others. His words are real.  His thoughts unfiltered and reflective; his shock and loss is probably something to which most people can relate.  I was saddened by this tragedy, and I was disappointed that it came so late, and lasted only a few pages, in relation to the entire book. 

While the story moved, I spent a lot of time wondering what would happen (and why is this book so popular) to the ending being immediate and finite, with a lack of context about the perpetrators. 

The story is edgy, and the character one that I hope doesn't represent the "typical" teenage boy today.  He's a reason for a book discussion, since I think that Smith could be sending a message about what IS reality versus what some of us would like to believe and hope is reality in the 21st century. One bottom line for me, though, is if I will suggest this book to others or include it in a booktalk. I'm hesitant to do so. 

How it Went Down ... pulls you in

I will be enthusiastically booktalking How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon and look forward to sharing student reactions to this realistic title which pulls you in and doesn't lessen its grip on your emotions. Yes, How it Went Down does center on the shooting of a hooded African American youth, Tariq Johnson, by a white man and thus immediately makes one think of the Trayvon Martin case.  However, I believe this book does much more by relating the thoughts and feelings of multiple narrators over a two week period. This method allows award-winning author Magoon to show how even the people who were standing right there cannot consistently recall an event.  A literature circle or book group would find much to discuss.

In How it Went Down many characters are impacted by the shooting:  friends of Tariq, neighborhood gang members and their girlfriends, and, of course, his family. We hear the stories from over a dozen distinct voices and that can add some confusion at times, but isn’t it so reflective of the real world (think Ferguson) where everyone sees through his/her own lens?

This book should be considered for a summer reading assignment and we should expect to see it on future Abe Lincoln state award lists. Highly recommended.

Leading the Life You Want by Stewart Friedman

Leading the Life you Want: skills for integrating work and life is a “how-to” manual for all of us, describing ways to give “our projects the attention they require and our people the care they deserve.”  Friedman, a best-selling author (Total Leadership) and professor at the Wharton School of Business, draws on 30 years of research experience to lay out three principles:

• Be real – decide what’s important to you;
• Be whole – review how your needs mesh;
• Be innovative – be creative to improve performance at work, at home, in the community and for your private self (mind, body, spirit).

He then provides a self-reflection survey and profiles of six individuals whose lives model key traits. After sharing insights about these diverse entertainers (Bruce Springsteen is included), public servants and athletes, Friedman shares practical steps for the reader to use in developing these skills and ideas.

I think that this work will have a wide appeal to our faculty based on their interests and titles that they have actually been recommending to each other recently:

·         Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play when No One has the Time by Brigid Schulte

·         All Joy No Fun by Jennifer Senior and Maxed Out by Katrina Alcorn

·         New York Times on the Cure for Hyper Parenting and

·         Mashable on The ‘Work-Life Balance Misnomer’

Looking for additional resources and ideas? Explore Thinkers 50 for profiles on thought leaders, including Friedman. Plus try another recent title from Harvard Business Review Press: Leading Digital.  It discusses where to invest in digital capabilities and how to lead the transformation, all of  which should be if interest as we move forward with our own Mobile Learning Initiative.  Finally, I hope to shortly be posting a list of books recommended by our Business teachers.

My True Love Gave to Me ... YA Short Stories with holiday theme

This collection of holiday-themed short stories is an essential selection which will give students an opportunity to sample writing from Young Adult authors such as Rainbow Rowell, David Levithan, Holly Black, and Gayle Forman. I especially enjoyed the story “It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown” by editor Stephanie Perkins: in a Christmas tree lot, a girl finds the perfect video voice for her project, the perfect tree, and an understanding, supportive boyfriend. The romance was light and fun as it was in “Angels in the Snow” by Matt De La Peña featuring a Latino NYU student and also in “Star of Bethlehem” by Ally Carter which uses exchanged identities to start new traditions.  A few stories involve fantasy elements, including “The Girl who Woke the Dreamer” by Laini Taylor. Several of the others felt a bit long for “short” stories, but maybe I am just not quite in the holiday mood as of yet. 

Overall, My True Love Gave to Me will have appeal to fans of both holiday romance and YA writers. And this collection just may encourage readers to give themselves the "present" of a longer title by any of these talented authors.