“That mom is….I’m just going to say it….trash.” one of my students blurted out. We had just finished our class discussion about Lisa Fipps’s novel Starfish, where the main character Ellie is bullied for being overweight not only by her classmates but by her family as well. Fipps’s emotional verse novel portrays Ellie’s journey to body positivity, including the verbal and emotional abuse she faces from her mother. The events of the book hung heavy in many of my students' hearts, so it made sense why such a strong statement would be made.

This statement spurred a discussion about how parent-child and family relationships are portrayed in the books we had read. “Yea she was way worse than Xio’s mom” (The Poet X) another chimed in. “Darius’s dad was alright, he just didn’t understand him. Neither did his grandfather.” (Darius the Great is Not Okay) added another student. In this impromptu reflection, we recognized a pattern and found that family dynamics played a role in the plot development.

Over the course of spring semester, the preservice teachers in my young adult literature course read 11 novels that represented a variety of genres, formats and experiences (e.g., verse novels, graphic novels, banned books, classic YA texts, LGBTQ+ representation, body image, to name a few). In these books we found a spectrum of experiences; we saw teens wanting more independence, close relationships with grandparents, parents who misunderstood their children, cultural and religious differences between family members, the loss of parents, verbal and emotional abuse, the effect of drug abuse and sexual assault on a family, and the idea of a chosen family.

Although not all of the experiences included in young adult literature are picture perfect, many of them reflect the experience students in our K-12 students face at home. And for that reason my preservice teachers concluded that all of these portrayals of family dynamics (healthy or not) are an important for adolescents to read. Not only does reading about these experiences provide a possible mentor for how to deal with similar situations, but they also show that life can be messy and not easily fixed within 200 or so pages. In some of these the texts we read, the main characters found healing or understanding with their family members, while in others were still a work in progress at the end of the book.

In this blog post, my preservice teachers offer ways to hold space for discussion surrounding family dynamics using a few of their favorite texts from the course.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton 
by Shannon & Annabelle 

Summary of Text: Published in 1967, The Outsiders has become a classic young adult work of fiction. Centering on a group of boys called the “greasers” who have become a chosen family and their rival gang, the “Socs” are rich kids from the West side of town, providing them with endless privilege. After the death of a Soc at the hands of a greaser, the divide between the two groups becomes evident.

Using the text to think about family dynamics: The Outsiders is a novel that has been used in the classroom for decades, with hard-hitting concepts such as the cycle of violence and the reimagined family connection. The Greasers are young men forced to grow up in the absence of parents. With the knowledge and experience of a sixteen-year-old and the responsibilities of an adult, they each work to find their own path, and some struggle to make it out alive.

The following discussion questions can be used to discuss the idea a “chosen family” and family dynamics with students: 

• How does the reader gain an understanding of the Greasers relationships with their parents throughout the novel?
• Although there aren’t many interactions between the children and their parents in the story, what kind of relationships may readers assume the Greasers have with their parents?
• How does Darry take on a parental role for both Ponyboy and Sodapop? and maybe even Johnny.
• What about the relationship between the Greasers resembles a family connection?
• What do you notice about the family relationships within the Socs?
• What do we see happening to Darry when he takes on the role of a parental figure to the younger Greasers?
• What would happen if Darry and Dally switched positions and Dally was forced to take on the role of a caretaker?
• In the moment of Johnny's death, how do we see the Greasers come together and unite as a family?

​Additionally, students could consider family dynamics present in The Outsiders through the following writing prompts: 

• Consider the dynamics between brothers Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy and how they would be altered if their parents were alive and written into the novel.
• Would the presence of parents (both Johnny and Ponyboy) alter the lives of the Greasers and the level of freedom they possess?
• What differences do we see between the older Greasers, Dally and Darry, and how do they impact the lives of the younger boys?
  

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
By Gigi and Margaret 

Summary of Text:  Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (1970) by Judy Blume is a book about eleven-year-old Margaret, who is grappling with the challenges of adolescent life. After moving over the summer, Margaret has to figure out how she can fit in at her new school. She becomes friends with Nancy, a girl who knows a lot about puberty and is much more outgoing than Margaret. In her home life, Margaret is figuring out if she should be a part of a religion because everyone but her parents belong to a religion. Throughout the novel, Margaret explores all these questions about her beliefs, herself, and her place in the world.

Using the text to think about family dynamics: Through the course of the novel, Margaret’s relationships with her family is present; embarrassment of talking about puberty with her parents, her close relationship with her paternal grandmother, as well as her non-existent relationship with her mother’s parents. Students can discuss these ideas through a whole class or group discussion using the following questions: 

Questions related to Margaret’s paternal grandmother:

• Do you think Margaret has a better relationship with her grandmother than her parents? 
• What characteristics does her grandmother have that help Margaret confide in her so much?
• What differences do you see between the relationship Margaret has with her parents and the relationship with her grandmother?
• Does Margaret have a better relationship with her grandmother or her parents?
• Does the relationship between Margaret and her grandmother change throughout the novel?

Questions related to religion: 

• What does Margaret learn about religion in her family? 
• How do her parents' conflicted views about religion affect Margaret’s relationship with her parents?
• How do her parents' views about religion affect Margaret’s faith?
• Do you think Margaret should have the choice of religion? 
• What is Margaret’s experience with religion as she goes to different churches with her grandmother and friends?
• What does Margaret learn about other religions?
• Why do you think Margaret talks to God? Is she seeking comfort? Someone that she can confide in?
• How does Margaret confide in God during her experiences with adolescence?

Questions related to Margaret’s mom and her parents: 

• How do you think Margaret feels about her grandmother's argument over religion? 
• Should Margaret's grandmother have a say in which religion Margaret chose? 
• Are Margaret’s parents too lenient where her grandmother has to step in?  
• Why is choosing a religion important to Margaret’s grandparents? ​

Questions related to Margaret and her parents: 

• What are the dynamics between Margaret and her parents?
• How do Margaret’s parents support her during any of her struggles with adolescence? 
• What are some moments in which Margaret’s parents support her? Moments where they did not support her?
• Would Margaret’s life be different if her parents decided to practice one religion?
• Does Margaret’s relationship with her parents evolve throughout the novel?

The first video is Naz Katub introducing his book, The Loophole. 

This next video is a lesson idea to use with students.

The reading wars are back. 
Or maybe they never left.
 
But, when Lucy Calkins, makes the front page of the New York times, you know something is up. It is not every day that the debate about reading curriculums makes front page news.
 
But indeed, it did.
 
On May 22, 2022, the New York Times headline read “In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, this Guru Makes a Major Retreat.” The sub-headline reads, “Lucy Calkins, a leading literacy expert, has rewritten her curriculum to include a fuller embrace of phonics and the science of reading. Critics may not be appeased.”
 
Indeed, not.
 
Lucy Calkins, Robinson Professor of Children’s Literature at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the Founding Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, has developed state-of-the-art teaching methods and professional development programs to support teachers and policymakers across the country and around the world in teaching reading. In a classic Calkins classroom, teachers read aloud from children’s literature – then students select the ‘right books’ which fit their interests and ability. The focus is more on stories – theme, character, plot, - and less on sounding out words.
 
Calkins’ curriculum is framed around ‘Units of Study’ – a reading program based on a vision of children as natural readers. Children learn to read based on their natural desires – they gravitate towards their passion and gradually, build their literacy skills as they absorb reading material that appeals to their interest and ability levels.
 
In recent years, though, parents and educators who champion the ‘science of reading’ have fiercely criticized this ‘child first’ curriculum. Instead, they cite a half-century of research that shows phonics – sound it out exercises that are purposefully sequenced – as the most effective and efficient way to teach reading – along with books that help children scaffold vocabulary and depth to their understanding. Moreover, in recent years, more than a dozen states have passed laws advocating phonics instruction. In fact, in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams and School Chancellor, David Banks, are urging principals and educational administrators to select curriculums focused on teaching phonics – first.
 
To counterweight this trend towards a more regimented reading instruction, Professor Calkins has rewritten her reading curriculum – from kindergarten to second grade – to include for the first time daily structured lessons in phonics – accompanied by assessments to track students’ progress with decoding.
 
So, what does this have to do with young adult literature?
 
Everything.
 
Teaching phonics – and the transformative nature of reading instruction with an emphasis on prescribed reading instructional analysis and engagement – may not inspire political campaign ads the way critical race theory does – but the argument about how to teach children to read – is fundamental to motivating young people to read – especially, for teachers who advocate the teaching of young adult literature.
 
Unlike in many developed countries, the United States lacks a national curriculum or teacher-training standards. As we know, local policies – about what to teach and how to teach – in our nation’s public schools - change as swiftly as political office holders.  The values and beliefs of governors, superintendents, school boards, etc., often have more influence over what our students learn – and read – then, often teacher educators and teachers, themselves.
 
Yes, reading habits – the ability for children and teens to read – various from kid to kid – still one cannot dispute that ‘desire’ is the impetus for all reading instruction. Wanting to read – whether it be ‘twitter, Facebook, or the latest YA sensation’ – are all predicated on the notion that young people will gravitate naturally towards reading material – that appeals to both their hearts and minds.
 
And, unfortunately, our country – indeed, the world, is filled with people – who can read, but choose not to…
 
And why?
 
There are infinite options. From Netflix to TikTok videos, children, adolescents, and adults can find innumerable ways to pass the time – without doing – what experts have all agreed upon is the most desired way to engage – simply enjoying ‘uninterrupted sustained silent reading’. Just reading for pure pleasure – for sheer enjoyment – to learn about the world and the ‘stuff’ that is not shared – often, openly, and honestly – in polite company – but can found in reading material and frequently, can be the most rewarding and fulfilling time spent by young people in their most informative years.
 
And yet, with the advocacy of reading instruction that is governed more by sounding out words and reading comprehension questions – and less on exploring individual passions for what interests and motivates young people to read – we will again find ourselves in a world where many can read – but sadly, choose other more immediate pleasures.
 
Yes, young people – and teens and adults – often need help sounding out words. Yes, each individual processes written language differently – some letter by letter, others sound by sound. And yes, human beings, often, have physical concerns and issues – dyslexia, vision or hearing loss, attention deficit disorder, etc., - which require special medical and psychological attention – but these issues should never stand in the way of real reading instruction. By allowing kids to naturally gravitate to reading material they want to read, we can magically turn young people into readers by motivating them to independently find a reason to read.
 
For many young people, though, - kids who grow up thinking reading is hard and difficult – and only done to pass a test – reading becomes a code word for work. And work – proving their intellectual efficiency by sounding out words and looking up definitions – is never a good enough reason to take up reading for pleasure. And sadly, reading for pleasure – for the sheer enjoyment of discovering new worlds, places, and people –– is often lost during their school years – and sadly, never retrieved.
 
Thus, our job as educators is to fight the urge to ‘regiment reading instruction’, and in turn, the reading experience. Whether it is phonics – or the great books movement – or the impetus to teach classical literature over young adult literature – we must always keep sight of our goal – to change the world by turning on ‘one kid a time’ to the joy of reading – for no other reason than they want and need to….
 
In her influential 2000 book, The Art of Teaching Reading, Lucy Calkins wrote that the simple way to build ‘lifelong readers’ is to allow children and adolescents to spend time with books they choose, regardless of content or difficulty. Too much sounding-words-out and reading comprehension questions, can turn natural readers into non-readers – kids who can read, but often, do not. 
 
I would like to think that Professor Calkins believes the same.
 
I know I do.
 
I believe that one of the most important things schools and teachers can do – is ensure students leave with a desire to read – to learn to nurture their natural instincts to become lifelong learners.
 
Here are some Simple Ideas to Get Kids to Read
 
Uninterrupted Silent Reading
 
Want to do an activity that kids will enjoy and remember forever? Try ‘Uninterrupted Silent Reading’ – Not for a whole class period. But for a good 20 minutes. Reading quietly, books that kids enjoy – or will learn to enjoy (or perhaps, not) for a solid 20 minutes in class can be good for all – you – your students. And their future as lifelong readers.
 
Let Them See You Read
 
Yes – you. As the teacher. Let them see you read – either silently or aloud. As you undoubtedly know, many kids don’t have the luxury of people in their lives who read. Too busy with the business of living, many adults and older brothers and sisters spend their days just getting by – and often, the last thing on their mind – is silent reading. By role modeling for them – reading silently – and reading aloud – you are providing your students a ‘sight’ that many often do not see.
 
Reading What Pleases Them
 
Kids should be able to read what pleases them – what motivates them – what arouses their interest and curiosity – with teacher guidance. Yes, in this age of censorship – far and near – kids still need guidance from caring teachers and parents – about what is appropriate for them – but that doesn’t mean, we should censor their choices. We should always keep in mind that as teachers, we are loco parentis – meaning, that parents can intervene on what they deem appropriate for their child – but not everyone else’s child. Kids should still be able to read what matters most to them – as minors – and parents should be able to weigh in on their children’s choices.
 
Stating Likes and Dislikes – When it Comes to Reading
 
Another good activity to get kids talking about reading – and what they like and don’t like – is to bring kids to the library – and ask them to select 3 books – one they have read (if any), one they would like to read (there are plenty) and one they would never read (the ones with the strange titles). Then, ask them to share their 3 choices – like, want to read, and will never read – to your class. You will be amused and bemused at their choices – and learn a little bit more about themselves.
 
Keeping a Reading Journal
 
Motivating kids to read – also means motivating kids to write. Better readers mean better writers – as kids will begin to imitate what they are reading – and that is a good thing. Have your students keep a running journal of what they are reading – what they like, dislike, and want to read next – all in the guise of ‘getting kids to talk about their reading experience and what moves them the most…
 
Getting Kids to Read – and Draw
 
Finally, lighting a fire to get kids to read – means that the possibilities are endless for getting kids to talk about their reading – and what better way – than to allow kids to draw – yes, draw – draw about their reading experiences. What images did the see in their mind as they read? What new worlds did they conjure? How would they re-design the cover of their book? What do the main characters look like? What is the setting of the book? What new images and ideas do the books inspire?  Art is a wonderful tool for motivating even the most reluctant reader to reimagine their universe
 
These are all good activities – and I am sure you can imagine a ton more – to inspire kids to read.
 
For reading saves lives.
 
My life was inspired – like so many of my generation – by J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. This wonderful coming of age novel – was considered brash and crude and controversial – at the time – for it spoke of a disaffected adolescent out to rid the world of phonies and hypocrites. And yet, today, it seems so tame – in comparison to what great books have come next.
 
But, for a young kid of 14 or 15, Salinger was a whole new world – a world where brutal and honest thoughts made for compelling and engaging reading. A world where self-realization and self-understanding came into play – like never before. And a world where I began to question everything and anything – that appeared be part and parcel of them natural order.
 
And for an adolescent, that is everything.
 
You begin to learn about yourself – and you begin to learn about others.
 
When kids read, they learn to empathize.
 
When kids read, they learn to sympathize.
 
When kids read, they learn to dream.
 
And to imagine who they are and who they will be.
 
They can do that without learning phonics.
 
They cannot do that without good teachers.
 
Teachers who take the time to allow reading to happen in their classrooms.
 
Our job is turn to good kids onto good books – openly, honestly, and naturally.
 
And to leave the reading wars behind.
 
References
 
Calkins, L. (2000). The art of teaching reading. Prentice Hall. https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Reading-Lucy-McCormick-Calkins/dp/0321080599
 
Goldstein, D. (2022, May 22). In the fight over how to teach reading, this guru makes a major retreat,” New York Times, A1. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/22/us/reading-teaching-curriculum-phonics.html

​Today's author: Jeffrey S. Kaplan, PhD, is Associate Professor Emeritus in the School of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership in the College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida, Orlando and Senior Adjunct Professor/Dissertation Chair/Methodologist for College of Doctoral Studies, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona. He can be reached at Jeffrey.Kaplan@ucf.edu 

The only thing more magical than teaching a rich text is pairing it with meaningful activities. One of my favorite assignments to pair with a class novel is Kelly Gallagher’s “Responsibility Pie Chart” (from his book Deeper Reading).
The Responsibility Pie Chart challenges students to divvy up the blame and decide which characters–and to what degree–are responsible for the conflict at hand. As students slice up the pie, they are challenged by the fact that there is no single correct answer. As they grapple with the question, they realize that the story’s conflict–like life–is not black and white, but rather a complex weaving of factors. 

I originally used this assignment with my middle school students after the climactic fight scene in Jason Reynolds’ When I Was the Greatest.

The past few years, I’ve incorporated the Responsibility Pie Chart into my unit on Sold by Patricia McCormick. Sold is the beautifully written novel in verse about the ugly epidemic of human trafficking. For my freshmen, it brings to life the story of millions of enslaved around the world by focusing on the story of one main character, Lakshmi. It’s a heavy story that leaves readers longing for change and asking “why?”. Why did Lakshmi have to suffer? Which people along the path of her life contributed to her being trafficked?

At the end of the novel I assign the Responsibility Pie Chart. I offer students a blank pie chart (an empty circle) and a word bank of the characters in the story. I ask them to divide the pie chart with the characters they think had a hand in forcing Lakshmi into sexual slavery. Consider her stepfather and Mumtaz; the first is the one who sold her and the latter is the one who kept her locked in the brothel and forced her to be with men. Is one of these guiltier than the other? There are no easy answers.  But as students mull over the story and draw their lines, they also write. Not only do I ask them to create the pie chart, but I also have them defend it, articulating support for their choices.

After they work independently, we discuss as a group. The pie charts students created act as a strong springboard for debate, as they exchange perspectives and text evidence. After reading the novel, this assignment and the conversation that follows help my readers further understand how complicated the problem of human trafficking is. 

The Responsibility Pie Chart is a simple but powerful tool that can be used not only with many, many novels, but also with nonfiction historical texts and current events as teachers guide students to develop their critical thinking skills.
​

Maria Copp is a graduate of the Vanderbilt Reading Education M.Ed. program and is currently a Reading Specialist at Nathan Hale High School in Oklahoma.
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What better way to start the year than with a young adult novel in verse? It is no secret that Emily and I love verse novels—we are deeply passionate about what they do to capture readers’ imaginations. Novels in verse push storytelling boundaries—they use rich language, create engaging and complex characters, and develop powerful stories often about deeply personal and socially complex issues.  The narrative structure of verse novels looks different; the plot is developed across verse rather than chapters and the visual elements of graphics and white space become important tools in the storytelling.  The verse novel is a hybrid genre incorporating elements of verse, drama, and prose to tell engaging stories.

Ode to a Nobody by Caroline Brooks DuBois (2022) is a verse novel set in Nashville. On one level, it is a story about Quinn, a tornado, friendship, survival, and family. On another level, it is a love letter to English classes and poetry month. On yet another level, it is a story about how writing can help someone find her voice. It is all of those things and more.  As one of my teacher candidates said, “This book is about writing and seeing kids.”  Another said, “I found 27 poems that I could use as mentor texts tomorrow with my students and I am only halfway through the book!”

I shared this book as a read-aloud to a small group of 4 middle school students.  We started with an activity called “Judge a book by its cover.” Using a picture of the cover, the students do the following:

1. Identify what they notice about the cover.
2. List the “things” that stand out about the images on the cover.
3. Break apart the title.
4. Make an educated guess.

The four students studied the picture of the cover of the book.  The students listed the things they notice on chart paper:
Noticings of things on the cover:

1. I notice the back of a girl’s head and her hair is blowing like it is windy.
2. I notice that there is a house and trees.  The trees are blowing like it is a windy day.
3. I notice a hamster and a game controller flying around. A teddy bear and a skateboard too.
4. I notice that the colors are blues and pinks and salmon colors.  They seem “moody.”  
5. The trees and swing are blowing a different direction than her hair—like it is rotating.

Breaking apart the title:

1. The title is Ode to a Nobody.
2. The two words that stand out are ODE and NOBODY.
3. Ode is an English class word. I think it is a type of poetry—maybe one when somebody died or is real famous.
4. Nobody is a word everybody knows.  It’s common—it often is a negative word. Kind of.

Educated Guesses

1. I think the book is about a girl who writes a poem about somebody who dies in a storm. 
2. I think the book is going to be a book about a tornado because of the wind images.  I think the girl is the main character and she loses her house and her stuff in the tornado because I see stuff blowing in the wind.
3. I think the book is a mystery about a girl who finds someone’s stuff that gets blown away during a storm and she has to find the “nobody” the stuff belongs to and give it back.

 
The educated guesses are based on evidence the students found on the cover; their predictions are close but not exactly what they will find. They are now curious about the book and look forward to figuring out who was the most “right.”  We move on to one more introductory task—figuring out the title and more about the book by focusing on the word “ode.”
We begin by talking about and defining the word “ode.” I start by asking them where they might have heard the word “ode.”  We talk about what it sounds like (owed) and what we think this word means. One student reminds us that he thinks it is “an English class word” and another student says that she thinks she heard it in a video game.  I read them three of the poems from the book “Ode to the Dogwood Out My Window” (pp. 23-24), “Ode to a Stationary Ollie” (p. 32), and “Ode to My Bedroom (and Pumpkin)” (p. 33). 

“I didn’t know you could write a poem about skateboarding!” One student says.  The students nod.  “I thought it had to be about nature and big stuff.”  More nodding. We talk more about the poems and what they mean to us.  Then I ask, “Based on these three poems, what do you think an ode does?”  The students list what they notice about the three poems.

1. Each poem talks about what is special about the thing its about.
2. It seems like the poem wants us to think it is as special as the author does.
3. The poems have details that make it seem real.

The students decide that an ode is a poem that celebrates how special something is and uses details to make the reader believe it.  We then look up the definition of “ode” to discover how close we are.  The Cambridge online dictionary defines “ode” as “ a poem expressing the writer's thoughts and feelings about a particular person or subject, usually written to that person or subject.” The students then wonder, “So this book is an ode to a nobody? Can an author do that?”

The students and I are just beginning our journey together reading this book. They are already excited about reading it.  I look forward to the discussions and writing projects they create! 

Ode to a Nobody is a book that both Emily and I love.  As reading and writing teachers, we are excited about how we are seeing students respond.  As teacher educators, we are thrilled with the responses from our teacher candidates. 

Happy Reading, 
Melanie and Emily

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