The Arrival

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Tan, Shaun. 2006. The Arrival. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books. ISBN 0439895293

PLOT SUMMARY

A man embraces his wife and daughter and departs for a journey on a steamboat to create a better life.  This book chronicles the man’s voyage and his experience in the new land.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This graphic novel is universally well-reviewed.  While searching for positive reviews to include with this post, I had a hard time limiting myself.  In The Arrival, Shaun Tan has created a story unlike anything I have ever read before.  This book is completely wordless.  Unlike wordless picture books, the story spans 128 pages.  The story is told through small frames and it allows the reader an experience similar to watching a still-frame movie.  The sepia-toned illustrations are both realistic and beautiful.

The main character of this story is the father, who leaves his family behind to immigrate to a strange new land.  Shaun is able to evoke emotion in the reader by creating pictures that show how distraught the entire family is over his departure.  Readers should be able to identify with the man’s love for his family and the feelings of hopefulness that his journey creates.

Like many fantasy novels, the plot of The Arrival focuses on a journey.  The plot is absolutely believable and many readers will be able to relate the story to familiar stories of immigration to the United States.  Unlike those historical stories, however, in The Arrival, the man encounters bizarre creatures in the foreign land.  The creatures sometimes appear like marine-life, but are created from Tan’s imagination.

Tan excels at creating a thorough setting for this story as the setting is very much the epicenter of the entire book.  I particularly enjoyed how the new world is not completely identifiable.  It could be any place.  It reminded me strongly of scenes from Ellis Island, but that is based on my prior experiences.  Readers from other places will be able to bring their personal background and identify with the setting in their own way.  Similarly, the characters do not have clear ethnic features.  This perpetuates the feeling that the story could be taking place anywhere.  By saying that the setting could be anywhere, I do not mean that it is unclear or under-developed; I mean that readers will be able to place the story in a setting that makes the most sense for them.  This feature makes the story more valuable as it will reach more people on a personal level than a book that is specific to a certain place and a certain time. 

At the heart of this novel is the theme of the importance of family.  Although there is no text, the love that the man has for his family is obvious through Tan’s illustrations.   The Arrival is arranged in a style that is distinct and unique to this piece of work.  Tan has created an atypical story and although there is no actual dialogue, the pictures speak more than I ever thought possible.

The strength of this story is that allows readers to experience what immigrant life was actually like.  The man moves to a foreign land where everything is unknown.  As readers turn each page, they are discovering the new world along with the main character.  Readers become immigrants as well and truly experience what it means to be an immigrant.  This book would be an excellent addition to a history lesson on immigration.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in School Library Journal: “Young readers will be fascinated by the strange new world the artist creates, complete with floating elevators and unusual creatures, but may not realize the depth of meaning or understand what the man's journey symbolizes. More sophisticated readers, however, will grasp the sense of strangeness and find themselves participating in the man's experiences. They will linger over the details in the beautiful sepia pictures and will likely pick up the book to pore over it again and again.”

Starred review in Booklist: “Filled with subtlety and grandeur, the book is a unique work that not only fulfills but also expands the potential of its form.”

CONNECTIONS

Readers who enjoyed The Arrival might also enjoy some of Shaun Tan’s other works such as:

Tan, Shaun. Tales from Outer Suburbia. ISBN 0545055871

Tan, Shaun. The Red Tree. ISBN 0734411375

Feathers

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2007. Feathers. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399239892

PLOT SUMMARY

There is a new student in Frannie’s sixth grade classroom.  He is white, unlike any of the other students, but insists that he isn’t.  The new student, Jesus Boy, impacts the other students’ lives, and especially Frannie’s, in unexpected ways.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The characters in this story offer unique experiences and viewpoints.  Child readers will be able to relate to the protagonist, Frannie.  As a sixth grader, many of her views will be relatable to other children.  Older readers will be able to understand deeper implications of her observations.  For example, it was obvious to me that her mother was pregnant when she complained of the exhaustion, which is something that younger readers would not understand. 

Woodson’s character descriptions are unique in that she is able to create a completely vivid image of characters without giving explicit details about their physical appearance.  As I was reading the story, I was able to picture all of the characters in my mind, very easily.  Upon further reflection, I realized that Woodson’s descriptions of the character’s mannerisms gave me more of a visual image than her descriptions of their appearances.  For example, Woodson writes about Frannie’s friend, Samantha: “She unfolded a tissue to blow her nose.  When she blew it, she leaned down and away from the table like I wouldn’t have thought of doing.  She even excused herself afterward” (11).  As a result, I pictured Samantha as a prim and proper girl.  Further description cemented this image.  Although Frannie is definitely the main character, the other characters are well-developed.

When Jesus Boy becomes a student in the classroom, he doesn’t fit in.  Any child who has ever transferred schools will be able to identify with this.  Frannie herself can identify with it because she was once a month late starting school because of the chicken pox.  Jesus Boy also knows sign language like Frannie.  Jesus Boy brings tension to the classroom and the climax and conclusion focus on Jesus Boy establishing his place in the classroom’s society.  There are secondary plotlines throughout the story, like Frannie’s search for religion and meaning, her mother’s pregnancy, and Sean’s attempts to fit in to a world where others can hear when he can’t.

Frannie lives with her deaf brother, Sean, and her parents in the black side of town. It is 1971, but the year is irrelevant to the overall plot of the story.  A majority of the story takes place in Frannie’s home and at her school.  Woodson is able to create a vibrant setting with her descriptions.  I found her descriptions of Frannie’s apartment building to be especially noteworthy (17-18).  By referencing the other side of the highway, the author effectively conjures up images of segregation.

The theme of this novel is hope, but other themes include religion and race.  The story begins with Frannie exploring a poem of hope that her teacher introduced in class.  Throughout the remainder of the story, Frannie seeks to explain the metaphor.

Woodson makes this story authentic to the 1970s by incorporating “jive talk” into the dialogue between characters.  This does not take away from the content, but gives important cultural context to the characters.  The dialogue seems natural in all parts of the book-- the way the children address each other, Frannie’s discussions with her brother, and Frannie’s interactions with her parents and grandmother.  Frannie’s internal dialogue is natural, as well and is endearing.  Woodson has the ability to write in a way that is not only believable, but absolutely lovely.

After reading this story, I can fully understand why Jacqueline Woodson won a Newbery Honor for it.  This book affected me in a way that no other story has before.  

I have never cried because of the sheer beauty of a book.  Until I read Feathers. 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in Publishers Weekly: “Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam War, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch.”

Starred review in School Library Journal: “The story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice.”

CONNECTIONS

Readers who enjoyed Feathers might also enjoy the following books by Jacqueline Woodson:

Woodson, Jacqueline. After Tupac and D Foster. ISBN 0142413992

Woodson, Jacqueline. Locomotion. ISBN 0142415529

Speak

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. Speak. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 014131088X

PLOT SUMMARY

Speak is the story of high school freshman Melinda Sordino.  While at a party the summer before high school, Melinda calls 911.  When the police show up, the party is dismantled.  From that point on, Melinda is treated as a social outcast.  Later, her classmates learn the real reason that she called 911—she was raped.  In this story, Anderson chronicles Melinda’s reactions to her rape. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Although Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was published nearly fifteen years ago, its popularity is still great.  Of all the books I read for this class, this was the only one that I purchased my own copy of because the request list at my local library was to long for me to receive a copy in a timely manner.

Speak remains popular in large part because of the appeal of the protagonist, Melinda.  While readers of all ages will be able to identify with the character on some level, female teenagers will be able to identify with Melinda the most.  Like other contemporary realistic fiction novels, the appeal of this book is the emotional growth that Melinda demonstrates throughout the story.  The other characters, especially Melinda’s classmates, behave in a way typical of high school students.  The varied dynamics between the characters will be familiar to readers and the characters are without question believable.  I found it interesting that Anderson never really describes Melinda’s physical appearance.  This allows readers to create their own images and relate to the character on an additional level.

The plot of this book follows Melinda’s reactions to her date rape the summer before high school.  The story is unique and original, but highly relatable.  Although there are obvious antagonists in this story (Andy and Melinda’s former friends), Melinda herself provides the most barriers for herself.  Melinda can only overcome these barriers when she learns to cope with the trauma and find the strength to speak up about the rape.  Like other works from this genre, the conclusion leaves the reader satisfied.

Mostly set in the school, Anderson has created a setting that is familiar for most people.  The school is generalized and nonspecific.  It could be any school in any community.  This increases the emotional value of this book as readers will recognize that terrible events like this could happen to their friends and in their schools, just like they happened to Melinda.

The major themes of this story include sense of belonging and personal strength.  Throughout the story, Melinda explores how she fits in to the social structure of the school as she is ostracized.  Most importantly, Melinda discovers personal strength in her abilities to speak up for herself.

Anderson has written this novel in a way that reads almost like a journal entry.  The internal dialogue not only engages readers, but gives them insight into Melinda’s thought process.  I especially like how Melinda’s comments are typical of teenage girls.  For example, according to Melinda “Gym should be illegal. It is humiliating” (18).  Comical quips such as that lend a lighthearted feel to otherwise difficult content.

This novel has been frequently challenged in libraries across the country because of the rape content.  In fact, Speak was listed as number sixty on the American Library Association’s Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009.  Despite a difficult topic, Anderson tells a story that is cathartic and engaging.  Although Speak has been challenged, its literary merit has been upheld time and time again.  Speak has won numerous awards including:

• 2000 Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year
• 2000 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
• 2000 Printz Honor Book

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal: “Melinda's pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.”

Starred review in Horn Book: “An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.”

Booklist: “Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.”

Library Journal: “A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose.”

CONNECTIONS

The following books are well-reviewed and deal with difficult topics similar to Anderson’s Speak:

Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. ISBN 159514188X

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Wintergirls. ISBN 014241557X