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Working with YA in Middle School Methods by Dr. Melanie Shoffner

4/19/2023

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Melanie Shoffner is a professor of English education at James Madison University, where she regularly teaches middle school methods, curriculum theory, and English literature - all of which include YA lit. Dr. Shoffner is the editor of English Education, the flagship journal of English Language Arts Teacher Educators (ELATE), and a former Fulbright Scholar at Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania). Her most recent book is Reconstructing Care in Teacher Education after COVID-19: Caring Enough to Change (Routledge), co-edited with Dr. Angela W. Webb.
Working with YA in Middle School Methods by Dr. Melanie Shoffner
As an “experienced” teacher educator, I feel confident in saying I’ll never be experienced enough. Education – for all its conserving nature – is constantly offering new challenges to address in my methods courses. Over the years, I’ve revised my syllabi to better engage students with issues of multimodality, cultural responsiveness, book bans, trauma and mental health, and current YA. 

I’ve taught middle school ELA methods for six years now – high school methods for many years prior – and the challenge of choosing YA texts each semester never gets easier. For every novel I read as a possible course text, there are 40 more possibilities waiting in the wings. So, I’ve developed a selection system that isn’t perfect but provides some direction. As a group, the YA novels chosen for methods need to be focused on middle grades adolescents, written by diverse authors, presented in different textual forms, published in the last two years – and not be read by me.

Yes, I’m giving up my secret here: I don’t read the YA for my methods courses before I put the titles on the syllabus. Surprise! I do my due diligence to suit the admittedly wide parameters but the books are as new to me as they are to my students. Sometimes that works out well: I finish a book, give it a hug, and can’t wait to see what my students do with it. Sometimes it doesn’t: I finish a book, give a heavy sigh, and can’t wait to see what my students do with it.

There is a pedagogical purpose here: My unfamiliarity with the texts means the students become the experts in the classroom. I’ve read the novels by the time we reach them on the course syllabus but I’m not relying on previous understandings or past teaching. I am a learner, just as they are, and I always learn something new from their discussions.

This approach also helps to keep me current in the YA world. I rarely include the same book twice on my syllabi, which means I can’t fall back on past favorites. That’s painful when you find wonderful texts like Lauren Wolk’s Wolf Hollow or Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls. But that also means I find wonderful new novels, like Kacen Callendar’s King and the Dragonflies, Rajani LaRocca’s Red, White, and Whole and Rex Ogle’s Free Lunch, that are likely being read (or should be!) by the middle schoolers my students are currently teaching.

The Pedagogical Part
So, what do I do with all this YA in methods? With the caveat that I constantly tweak, adjust, and fidget with my courses, I’ve used some version of the following three assignments, with a fair amount of successful student learning, for several semesters now. Below, I provide a brief overview of these assignments and excerpts from students’ submitted work. My goal isn’t to provide the “best” examples (although the students did quite well) but to show future ELA teachers’ engagement with middle grades YA novels. 

For context: I typically have three to five YA novels listed on the syllabus. While students are encouraged to read them all, they are only required to read one. I give brief book talks on the first day of class (really brief, since I haven’t read them!) and students rank their choices. I then create groups for each novel and the students work with that text – and their book group – for the entirety of the semester.

1. YA rationale 
To apply their understanding of curriculum and adolescents, students write a rationale in support of their individual YA novel to answer the overarching question, What does this text offer to adolescent learners? In their rationale, students address issues of adolescent engagement and connection, ELA teaching and learning, potential pushback, and issues of equity. 

Students frequently draw on their current experiences with middle grades learners in their rationales. The connections they make between “their” students and “their” novels often show their understanding and application of Bishop’s (1990) concept of windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors. 

​Red, White, and Whole

This book would appeal to MG students because…the chapters are short and digestible. I am currently in a 6th grade class and the students seem much more willing to read independently when the chapters are shorter…Some of my students have immigrant parents, mixed heritage [parents], or (at the very least) strict parents. They would relate to Reha’s situation of being “two”…her interest in music is certainly something my students can relate to. I could use this text as a basis to have students create their own mix-tape like the one Pete made for Reha’s Christmas present.

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​Free Lunch

This book gives multiple perspectives and utilizes figurative language to best target the reader’s empathy for Rex…I have heard some of my sixth graders use the terms “hobo” and “looking homeless” to describe when something or someone looks bad, (hopefully) not realizing that many of their peers face poverty and homelessness…Ogle’s book shows that every action is a reaction, giving MG learners an opportunity for growth in social-emotional intelligence.

2. Visual thinking 
Students apply understandings of text comprehension, multimodality, and adolescence to create a visual that addresses the question, How can images engage adolescents’ critical thinking? Using the medium of their choice, students convey an important theme, question, and/or issue from their YA novel that also encourages adolescents to read the novel. With the exception of the novel’s title and author, they use no other alphabetic text. 

The emphasis of the assignment is not on artistic ability but on interpretation and representation. Whether students use Canva or crayons, we focus on the use of image as text when we work with their creations in class. From a slightly different perspective, then, students are engaging with the what, how, and why of literacy in middle grades.
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3. Curriculum connections 
For this multi-part assignment, students are considering how they will organize, connect, and challenge students’ learning. They first develop an overview of a four-week unit that incorporates their YA novel in some way. Although they will not teach their unit, students use their concurrent practicum placement as the context for their instructional development. Students then create three assignments suited to the unit, using provided guidelines for objectives, standards, additional texts, non-ELA connections, and assessments.

As the culminating assignment of the course, students are applying multiple concepts and demonstrating different skills. Among those are adolescents’ interests, interdisciplinary connections, and learning as experience, all elements of Germán’s (2021) textured teaching. Given the complexity of these projects, I offer only snippets from students’ work here. Their YA novels are at the heart of their pedagogical thinking, however, offering some direction while maintaining the focus on middle grades learners. 

King and the Dragonflies
7th grade: First, pick a passage in the novel that has a description of a setting that is interesting to you. Draw a picture of the setting based on how you see it in your head. On the back of the picture, add at least three sentences from the book that directly quote the section of text that you chose to draw. Then, write a paragraph with a minimum of eight sentences about why you chose this specific passage. Next, write your own description of a setting from one of the five pictures provided in class. Write at least eight sentences describing what you see. Try to use as many sensory details as you can (touch, taste, smell, sound, sight) to help the reader put themselves in that setting, like King and the Dragonflies did for you. You will have 20 minutes to write. Then, you will find people who chose the same picture as you and share your writing with them.

The Sky at Our Feet
6th grade: After finishing The Sky at Our Feet and reading Since Hanna Moved Away, you will create a Venn diagram poster with your group explaining the similarities and differences between Jason in the novel and the narrator from the poem. Hint: Think about characters’ traits, conflicts they experience, and how they show bravery. Include at least five bullet points, with complete sentences, in each section of your finished diagram. Make sure your poster is legible with no spelling or capitalization errors. On the bottom of your poster, fill in this equation with either the narrator or Jason: Character + Conflict = has changed the character because it made them…

References
Bishop, R. S. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3), ix–xi.
Bruchac, J. (2022). Rez dogs. Dial Books.
Callender, K. (2020). King and the dragonflies. Scholastic. 
Germán, L. E. (2021). Textured teaching: A framework for culturally sustaining practices. Heinemann. 
Hashimi, N. (2019). The sky at our feet. HarperCollins.
LaRocca, R. (2021). Red, white, and whole. Quill Tree Books. 
Ness, P. (2013). A monster calls. Candlewick Press.
Ogle, R. (2021). Free lunch. Norton Young Readers. 
Viorst, J. (1981). “Since Hanna moved away”. In Poets.org. https://poets.org/poem/hanna-moved-away 
Warga, J. (2021). Others words for home. Balzar + Bray. 
Wolk, L. (2016). Wolf Hollow. Dutton Books. 
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Advocating Against Antisemitism through the Power of Young Adult Literature by Dr. Melanie Koss

4/5/2023

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​Dr. Melanie Koss is a professor of children’s and young adult literature at Northern Illinois University just outside of Chicago. Her research focuses on representations of diversity in children’s and young adult literature, as well as explores issues of teacher autonomy over the literature they bring into their classrooms. She is currently a committee member for the Sydney Taylor Book Award.


Advocating Against Antisemitism through the Power of Young Adult Literature by Dr. Melanie Koss
Several things have happened recently that have made me a lot more outspoken about my experience as a Jewish person and my frustration that books by and about Jewish people are largely left out of the diversity conversation in young adult literature.

First, I had a group of students who stayed after class one day to ask me what a Jew was. I teach an exploration of diversity in children’s and young adult literature and am open about my diverse heritage and being Jewish. Their small group had been talking, none of them really knew what a Jew was, but they all had negative connotations about Jewish people. They were trying to reconcile what they thought they knew about Jewish people to me, someone who they told me did not match their assumptions.

Then, a colleague and dear friend of mine was visiting me. Over dinner, the conversation included discussion about my growing unease as a Jewish person in the U.S., and she asked me what I was afraid of. That question stopped me in my tracks. That was the very day Kanye West made his antisemitic rant on Twitter that spurred on the “Ye is Right” Antisemitic Campaign. Kanye has more Twitter followers (over 30 million) than there are Jews in the world (14.8 million). Encouraging antisemitic hate and violence poses a very real risk in my world. There’s a lot that I’m afraid of.

These are two experiences, among many, that have made it clear to me people have little knowledge and a lot of misconceptions about who Jewish people are, and even less understanding of the dangerous position we are in, both historically and today.

Antisemitism, simply defined as a hatred of Jews as individuals and/or as a group, is on the rise. According to the Anti-defamation League, there has been a 36% increase in incidents in the last year with 128% rise in the Midwestern state where I live. It is very scary to be a Jew in the U.S. these days, especially because we are few in number and so many misconceptions about us exist.

Unfortunately, there are few YA books that address antisemitism. People don’t want to talk about antisemitism, but silence allows for violence and erasure. We talk about hate and bias toward other marginalized groups, and it’s time to include Jewish people and Jewish topics into the conversation.

Please share books with Jewish content with your students and encourage learning and conversation. Some things to think about include:

  • Humanize Jewish people
  • Make sure you have books with Jewish people that are about more than just holidays, history, or The Holocaust.
  • Portray a variety of Jews, as we’re a very diverse people. Not all Jews are White and descents of Eastern Europe. There are Jews of color; LGBTQ+ Jews; Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi Jews; Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Atheist Jews; interfaith Jews; biracial Jews; the list goes on.
  • Separate American Jews from Israel. That is a separate and complex issue, and one not all Jews in the U.S. agree on.
  • Separate Jews from religion. Some Jewish people practice Judaism, but many identify as Jews who are not religious.

Below,  I share some titles that tackle antisemitism and invite critical conversation.
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Based on a true story, The Assignment by Liza Wiemer portrays events that occurred after a high school teacher assigned students to debate the Final Solution, the Nazi plan for exterminating Jews. Seniors Logan and Cade were uncomfortable with the assignment and disturbed that some classmates began giving the Nazi salute. With both support and opposition from their classmates, faculty, and the community, Logan and Cade used various strategies to have their concerns heard as they worked to get the debate canceled. Given that this book was written in response to an actual assignment given a few years ago, it is a powerful reminder that Holocaust bias and acts of curriculum violence against Jewish people occur and must be called out. It allows teachers to examine their own lessons for possible unintentional curriculum violence, and aids in teaching students how to speak up when they see injustices perpetrated in their world. A curriculum guide and link to a crowd-sourced teaching idea doc are available on her website.
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Sarah Darer Littman’s book Some Kind of Hate is a powerful novel about how easy it is to become radicalized online, believe conspiracy theories, and align with hate groups. The novel is told from the alternating points of view of the two main characters, best friends Declan and Jake. After star pitcher Declan suffers a career-ending injury, he spirals into a severe depression and allows anger to rule his world. He gets indoctrinated and radicalized online and becomes a member of a white supremacist, neo-Nazi group involved in planning acts of domestic terrorism. Declan is taught to hate all Jewish people, and internally struggles as Jake is Jewish. This book is a must read but is a hard read. Extensive resources, including a glossary, educator links, and links to media bias and fact checking sites are available on Sarah Darer Littman’s website.
The UK’s first YA novel on antisemitism, What We’re Scared Of by Keren David, tells the story of Evie and Lottie, twins who could not be more different. Although their mother is Jewish, their heritage was not a large part of their upbringing, and they lived a secular life. When their mother, a morning radio show host, begins denouncing antisemitism on air, a combination of events result that force the twins to learn about their Jewish heritage and confront the dangers of antisemitism head on. A wide cast of Jewish characters portray different aspects of being Jewish, alongside characters who promote antisemitic conspiracy theories and express Jewish hate. Toward the end of the novel, David includes the words of a Holocaust survivor, linking historical and contemporary acts of hate. Readers will see how easy it is for secular Jews who may not even consider themselves Jewish to become targets of hate. Outright and subtle forms of antisemitism are included, allowing for nuanced research and discussion of stereotypes, myths, misconceptions, and inaccuracies.  
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Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed is a romance between two teens, Jamie who is Jewish and Maya who is South Asian and Muslim. The two are paired together to canvas for an upcoming election, and neither is looking forward to working together. As antisemitic memes appear simultaneous to the proposal of Islamophobic laws banning Hijabs, Jamie and Maya unite to fight bigotry targeting both of their identities. Set in today’s sociopolitical world and based on the Georgia special election, the novel centers on political activism. It allows for rich discussion of political advocacy alongside fighting hate against Jews and Muslims. The authors include authentic elements of both Jewish and Muslim cultures and highlight cultural differences to present rounded characters.
Another contemporary romance, Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Today Tonight Tomorrow, follows Rowan and Neil, two Jewish high school rivals, who competing in their school’s senior scavenger hunt. When they learn that others are out to beat them, the two reluctantly team up. Although this novel is light and fun, there is a subplot of causal antisemitism that provides fodder for discussion. Authentic Jewish content is embedded, and the novel dispels stereotypes that all Jewish people are White and wealthy by portraying Rowan, a Jew of Mexican heritage with an immigrant parent, and Neil, whose parents are struggling financially. The perils of being Jewish in contemporary society is an underlying theme, with the teens sharing the different ways their Jewish identities have impacted their lives.  ​
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Some additional titles that positively portray contemporary Jewish experiences:
  • Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds
  • Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
  • Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
  • Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
  • The Last Words We Said by Leah Scheier

Resources
  • Sydney Taylor Book Award 
  • Sydney Taylor Shmooze blog
  • Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel
  • The Book of Life podcast and blog with resources for speaking up and promoting justice
  • Evaluating Jewish Representation in Children’s Books guide
  • 90 Ways to Respond to Antisemitism list​​

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    Dr. Gretchen Rumohr
    Chief Curator
    Gretchen Rumohr is a professor of English and writing program administrator at Aquinas College, where she teaches writing and language arts methods.   She is also a Co-Director of the UNLV Summit on the Research and Teaching of Young Adult Literature. She lives with her four girls and a five-pound Yorkshire Terrier in west Michigan.

    Dr. Steve Bickmore
    ​Creator and Curator

    Dr. Bickmore is a Professor of English Education at UNLV. He is a scholar of Young Adult Literature and past editor of The ALAN Review and a past president of ALAN. He is a available for speaking engagements at schools, conferences, book festivals, and parent organizations. More information can be found on the Contact page and the About page.

    Co-Edited Books

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    Meet
    Evangile Dufitumukiza!
    Evangile is a native of Kigali, Rwanda. He is a college student that Steve meet while working in Rwanda as a missionary. In fact, Evangile was one of the first people who translated his English into Kinyarwanda. 

    Steve recruited him to help promote Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media while Steve is doing his mission work. 

    He helps Dr. Bickmore promote his academic books and sometimes send out emails in his behalf. 

    You will notice that while he speaks fluent English, it often does look like an "American" version of English. That is because it isn't. His English is heavily influence by British English and different versions of Eastern and Central African English that is prominent in his home country of Rwanda.

    Welcome Evangile into the YA Wednesday community as he learns about Young Adult Literature and all of the wild slang of American English vs the slang and language of the English he has mastered in his beautiful country of Rwanda.  

    While in Rwanda, Steve has learned that it is a poor English speaker who can only master one dialect and/or set of idioms in this complicated language.

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