Module 2

Abdel-Fattah, Randa. 2007. DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 139780439922333

Amal, a sixteen year old Australian-Muslim-Palestinian girl decides she will begin wearing the hijab fulltime as a badge of her faith. With that decision comes the reactions and questions of her parents, friends, teachers, and even some of the people in public places. Adding to her concern is the normal trials and events of being a teenager, looking attractive and fashionable, shopping at the mall, being accepted, having a boyfriend, reading Cosmo magazine, and phone conversations with her girlfriends. She is picked on at school for being religious and looking different. World events complicate her decision with the head covering when she says, “How naïve I was to ever think that I could find my place in my country and be unaffected by the horrors and politics in the world.” After attending a party with friends she states, “No one is free from prejudice, I guess.” Amal befriends Mrs. Vaselli, a difficult old Greek woman who lives next door whom she learns is lonely and estranged from her son. Amal becomes the catalyst to restore the mother/son relationship. She deals with her friend, Simone’s serious self-image problems, and her friend Leila’s parents who what her to be married more than educated. Through the experiences Amal acknowledged that “Putting on the hijab isn’t the end of the journey. It’s just the beginning of it.” She is challenged to embrace her identity as a young teenage girl coming of age.

The basis of this story is Amal’s journey to find her identity by choosing to wear the hijab fulltime. While she possesses a maturity toward her faith and beliefs, she fears if she can handle the taunts and prejudice of others. Along the way Amal will deal with others views of Islam, set against terrorism, having a place of prayer in school, fasting, religion and dating relationships, and sexism in the Muslim community. There is the struggle with her friend running away because of the friend’s difficult relationship with her mother. And there is the cranky old neighbor that Amal befriends. Author Abdel-Fattah introduces several complicated aspects to this story, but she is able to balance this thoughtful journey toward maturity with humor and teenage issues that any young reader can identify with like eating pizza, reading magazines, phone conversations, going to the mall, and shopping for stylish scarves.

This book takes a serious look at ethnicity through the eyes of a teenage girl. The names are authentic such as Amal Mohamed Narullah Abdel-Hakim and the Chadstone Shopping Centre is an actual location in Australia. The dialogue seems easy and natural to the teenage characters. Details are provided by the main character on how to put on the scarf as a head covering and wear it. Customs and sexism is revealed through Amal’s friend Leila as her brother is given preferential treatment simply because he is male, while the mother dictates to her daughter how she is to behave. The brother does drugs, drinks, and dates unseemly women while Leila is not permitted to have a birthday dinner celebration at a restaurant with her girlfriends. School Library Journal reports, "The details of Amal's family and social life are spot-on, and the book is wonderful at showing the diversity within Muslim communities and in explaining why so many women choose to wear the hijab."

The present day fear against terrorism is an issue that Amal encounters. This glimpse of the current political struggles in the world adds to the realism of the story. The reader learns of Amal arising at dawn to pray with her parents, her fasting, and seeking out a prayer place at her school adds to the authenticity. Outsiders to the Muslim beliefs have a sense of the meaning and demands of the faith through Amal’s character. It is an educational read using Amal’s cultural dilemmas that can be translated across cultural barriers for any reader who searches to know themselves. Booklist says, “…the funny, touching contemporary narrative will grab teens everywhere.” The author uses the Muslim teenage voice which is one that has not been heard, yet she also enables the reader to enter the world of the average teenage Muslim girl and see the ordinary struggles of adolescence. Horn Book Magazine writes, "Though the lengthy analysis on everything from female body image to Palestinian food give the book more message than momentum, the girls' thoughts and dreams are authentically adolescent, providing a bridge between cultures." The author is careful to never tell the reader what to think, but through the careful, detailed construction of characters allows the reader to come to their own conclusions.



Korman, Gordon. 2002. SON OF THE MOB. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks.
ISBN 0-7868-1593-0

Gordan Korman’s SON OF THE MOB tells the story of Vince Luca, a teenager whose family has “a reputation in law enforcement circles.” The storyline offers chuckles and laugh out loud adventures. Publishers Weekly says it is, “Funny and unexpectedly affecting.” Vince realized at a young age his family was not like other families. His older brother, Tommy explained, “Dad’s mobbed up.” Vince mistakenly believed when younger that it meant his dad had a lot of friends. As the brothers grow into adolescence Tommy quits school to join the business, but Vince wants no part of it. Yet he keeps finding himself drawn into it despite his best efforts. The story begins with Vince discovering an unconscious body in his Mazda Protégé trunk on a date. Along the way the reader learns about diamonds hidden in his snack of Cracker Jacks, money discovered by preschool children stuffed in his jacket pockets, a 16th birthday gift of a stolen Porsche, and a delivery of cookies to the school that turns out to be “hot” watches. The Luca’s home is bugged by the FBI and all conversations must occur in the basement where his dad’s woodworking hobby drowns out their conversations.

Vince meets his first love, Kendra Bightly, whose dad is an FBI agent. Through a series of comedic events she becomes convinced that Vince is a loan shark. He says, “In the golden age of screw-ups, this will make the top-ten list. And the sad part is…there’s still nothing I can do about it.” Relationships become complicated as Vince tries to prevent Kendra from learning the truth about his family. In time he makes a discovery about his father, the mob boss, “Sure, I knew he was behind a lot of criminal activity, but I never thought he was intrinsically rotten. Until today.” But the father becomes just as exasperated with his son as he tells him, “You’re like crabgrass! Every time I turn around, you’re in another part of the lawn!” Vince’s brother, Tommy, who dropped out of school to work in the family business, begins using a website Vince created as a class requirement, for illegal activity. And then there are the uncles, lots of uncles: Uncle Fingers, Uncle Puke, Uncle Shank, Uncle Fin, Uncle Pampers, Uncle Exit, Uncle Big-Nose and Uncle No-Nose. Vince’s mother, portrayed as trying to be June Cleaver plays a surprising role in the story. At the end, Vince manages to find warm feelings for his Dad and refers to the breakthrough as a “Hallmark moment” to know his Dad really cares. Family and love manage to triumph, even if the family happens to be mobsters.

Korman has written a delightfully funny book. The characters are well developed and believable. The protagonist, Vince, struggles with common problems of growing up: a best friend, finding and keeping a girl friend, getting a car, athletics at school, is planning for college, and coming of age and standing up for one’s values and beliefs. Of course the idea of having a mob family lends the story twists and turns along the way with unique problems and adventures. Booklist calls it, “An expertly plotted escapade.”

But underlying the humor are themes about truth, friendship, and family relationships. Korman keeps the pace of the story moving with one adventure after another. According to The Horn Book it is, “A fast-paced, tightly focused story.” The dialogue and humor are never forced but flow seamlessly throughout. While the family belongs to the mob, the reader is able to identify and sympathize with their problems thanks to Korman’s rich descriptions. The style of writing results in a very readable book that is fun from the first page to the last.


Sonnenblick, Jordan. 2004. DRUMS, GIRLS & DANGEROUS PIE. New York: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN 0-439-75520-4

DRUMS, GIRLS & DANGEROUS PIE introduces us to Steven, a thirteen year old who describes himself as a skinny geek, with mouse-brown cowlick-y hair, glasses an inch thick and braces making his mouth look like a train wreck. In contrast, his brother, Jeffrey, who is eight years younger, has perfect teeth, 20-20 vision, and little blond ringlets. The younger brother idolizes Steven. Following an accidental fall early one morning, Jeffrey is taking to the emergency room, and it is discovered the little boy is sick with leukemia. Steven views himself as Jeffy’s protector and will come to realize the full meaning of the label. Things begin to change for the Alger family. The mother must resign her job as a teacher to care for Jeffrey, financial problems beset the family, Steven’s grades begin to suffer in school as he deals with the sickness of his brother, and there are the frequent absences of the mother and Jeffrey as they visit the hospital out of town. Family emotions cause Steven to miss the companionship of his parents. He comes to see how the situation is affecting his parents, he thinks his mother looks older and tired, he sees his dad cry with worry of the hospital bills, and overhears angry words between his parents related to Jeffrey’s cancer. In trying to fix the problem, Steven makes promises to God. Drumming was his big escape. As the story unfolds, Steven must acknowledge his brother’s illness. He tells the counselor at school “…I can’t change all the ROOTS of the problems. I can’t change the basic situation.” She leaves him with something to think about, “Instead of agonizing about the things you can’t change, why don’t you try working on the things you CAN change?” Steven struggles to accept the unfairness of what has happened to his brother. In a touching moment, Steven shaves his head to give morale support to Jeffrey. Steven meets a girl, Samantha, at the hospital where his brother gets treatments and learns she too has cancer. It is a brief friendship that will have a lasting impression on the teen. He makes a promise to her that he will always be there for his brother. Steven’s school band has a fundraiser for Jeffrey to fulfill community service hours. The relationships and experiences grow Steven from a boy into a young man.

This is a poignant story that captures the emotional ups and downs of a family in crisis with a seriously ill child. Kirkus Reviews notes it is, “Readable and raw and heartrending…hysterically funny as well.” The plot revolves around the daily activities of the family and how the ordinary, everyday activities change as the medical needs of the child move to the forefront. The characters grow and change as they cope with this unexpected tragic circumstance. They are not portrayed as perfect but as individuals challenged to deal with a situation beyond their experiences, learning as they go. Fear, courage and perseverance are uniquely displayed in each character. This book may not be for everyone for there are points where it loses a bit of momentum as the medical procedures are described in detail. But for those who have lived the experience or known someone who has, this is the reality of dealing with this type of situation. The story is told through the protagonist, Steven’s English journal. Multiple themes surface such as finding encouragement in unexpected places as Steven did with Samantha, making sacrifices and serving others, persevering through trials, communication, family relationships, and working with professionals. It is a touching story that makes the reader appreciate the present not knowing what tomorrow may hold. Booklist says, “Sonnenblick shows that even in the midst of tragedy, life goes on, love can flower, and the one thing you can always change is yourself.”

Module 1

Zindel, Paul. 2005. THE PIGMAN. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN 0-06075735-3

The Pigman is told through the alternating voices of high school sophomores, John and Lorraine. Lorraine describes John as extremely handsome, he smokes and drinks too much, tells fantastic lies, and will do anything to stir up excitement. John’s response is, “Actually, I hate school, but then again most of the time I hate everything.” John has a troubled relationship with his ex-alcoholic father and a mother described as a “disinfectant fanatic.” Lorraine desires to be a writer and views herself as compassionate. She too has a dysfunctional family living with her mother, for her dad deserted them fifteen years ago and has since died. Her mother is a private nurse who often steals from her employers. At every opportunity, Lorraine’s mother reminds her daughter she isn’t beautiful. In Lorraine’s words, “It’s not exactly easy being her daughter, and more than once I’ve thought about what a good psychiatrist could do for her.”

Against this backdrop, Lorraine and John, with some friends, play telephone marathon as a practical joke. Through this game, they meet Angelo Pignati, whom they refer to as the Pigman, a lonely old man who lives alone. Over time their lives become entwined. In time, John and Lorraine confess their practical joke to Mr. Pignati explaining they are only high school kids. “We just had to be honest with you because we like you more than anyone we know.” This moment of honesty causes the Pigman to make a confession about his wife, Conchetta, whom he has said was away. When Mr. Pignati is hospitalized with a heart attack, he grants John and Lorraine permission to use his house. This privilege leads to the pair having a wild party at Mr. Pignati’s house where things are broken and destroyed and the police become involved. Feeling guilty about what happened, they talk the old man into going to the zoo to visit his only other friend, Bobo, the baboon. With peanuts in hand to feed Bobo, they learn the baboon died the previous week. Upon hearing the sad news, Mr. Pignati slips to the ground and dies. John said, “But when he (Mr. Pignati) died something in us had died as well.”

Paul Zindel has crafted a story that touches the emotions, dealing with complicated issues of addiction, difficult home environments, finding a sense of belongingness and acceptance, growing up, friendship that crosses generational lines, and the similarities in the needs of both the young and old, and death. Using two narrators provides a contrast of perspectives that extends the richness of the story. The characters evoke realism as we see both their flaws and strengths. The pace of the novel is steady with dialogue that will draw the reader into the story allowing the reader to experience the complexities and pain of growing up. Zindel chooses to use symbols for expletives and explains that he feels there is a difference between the spoken and written word and curse words do not add to the literary merit. While the story may seem simple on the surface, it is anything but, as the reader discovers the intricacies with which the relationships of the characters are woven.

In an interview with Zindel, Teri Lesene acknowledged this book was considered by many critics to be the “first truly young adult book” where the author depicted the teens dealing with real problems.

Publishers Weekly review calls it “Headline news…remarkable…Zindel has written a story that will not be denied.”
Young Readers’ Review says, “This is a shocker of a book. Startling and truthful and vivid.”
Awards for The Pigman:
Children’s Book of the Year, Child Study Association of America, 1968
New York Times Outstanding book of the year, 1968
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book, 1969
Maxi Award, Media & Methods, 1973
ALA Notable Children’s Book, 1940-1970
ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1966-1988



Engle, Margarita. (2006) THE POET SLAVE. Ill. Sean Qualls. New York: Henry, Holt and Company, LLC. ISBN 978-0-8050-7706-3

The life of Juan Francisco Manzano is told in narrative prose through the various character voices. The story begins with Juan’s first owners Dona Beatriz de Justiz, La Marquesa and Don Juan Manzano on the sugar plantation where as a six year old boy he is treated as a pet poodle. He is called upon to entertain with recitations at Dona Beatriz’s parties. She says, “The boy is a genius, a pleasure to behold, a wonder to hear.” His mother who was set free to marry is filled with rage at leaving him and vows to stay close. In time, upon the death of Dona Beatriz, he is given a new owner. He was to have been set free but finds himself trying to please a “mad woman, crazy, cruel.” His one desire is for reading books and writing words, but this brings him severe punishment. Often being blamed for trivial incidents of which he is innocent, his legs are locked in stocks; he is tied to a cross or to a ladder and savagely lashed. At one point, he is made to run in front of horses and hungry dogs, suffering a savage attack. Twice his mother paid for his freedom, and it was denied. Throughout his ordeal, he longs to write and secretly practices. Besides sewing like his father, he is famous for curing the ill, creating pastry delicacies and painting. Juan demonstrates how words are a source of hope. After his mother dies, knowing that she had purchased his freedom that was denied, Juan escapes on horseback.

The life of Juan Francisco Manzano is known only because some of his notes were smuggled to England. Little is known about his life after the escape. He lived for many years as a fugitive. Juan was eventually arrested on charges of trying to stir up a slave rebellion and imprisoned until 1845. The censorship in Cuba prevented poets from writing anything having to do with slavery. His life as a slave provides a powerful witness to the triumph of freedom. At the end of the book are an informative historical note and a couple of excerpts of his poetry. Illustrator Qualls captures the deep sadness of the slave poet. The artwork successfully complements the raw emotions often stirred as the reader is able to vividly picture the hardships and cruelty endured by Juan. Author, Engle, has written an intense book that portrays the violence and brutality of the time. In spite of the horrendous life experiences of the main character, Engle successfully keeps hope alive, inspiring the reader with a deep appreciation of the human spirit. Themes abound for discussion related to slavery and more specifically the emergence of slavery in Cuba, censorship, sacrifice, and the yearning for knowledge. This book is a compelling read.

This 2006 Pura Belpre medal Book Author Award is a tragic biography depicting Manzano’s ability to maintain his dignity in the face of a brutal existence. The School Library Journal, starred review, says, “An absolutely lovely book…that should be read by young and old, black and white, Anglo and Latino.”
Horn Book, starred review, claims it is, “A work of literary imagination. Engle’s skillful portrait will spark readers’ interest in Manzano’s own poetry.”
Booklist, starred review, asserts, “Readers will hear the stories and never forget them.”


Myers, Walter D. 1999. MONSTER. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0064407314

Steve Harmon, a 16 year old black youth,is incarcerated at the Manhattan Detention Center, accused of felony murder during a failed robbery attempt in Harlem where the drugstore owner, Alguinaldo Nesbitt, was shot and killed with his own gun. He was one of four persons involved in the conspiracy to rob the store with Steve’s role being to go into the store prior to the robbery to check it out and make sure there were no police in the store.

Steve tells his story from his journal entries written as a screenplay. Steve says it is thinking about his movie that keeps him from going crazy. “All they talk about in here is hurting people.” Steve says, “I want to look like a good person. I want to feel like a good person because I believe I am. But being in here with these guys makes it hard to think about yourself as being different. We look about the same, and even though I’m younger than they are, it’s hard not to notice that we are all pretty young.” Steve continues to emphasize that he is not a bad person. He knows with certainty that in his heart he is not bad. Steve’s lawyer cautions him that there are bad guys he knows taking the stand, and the jury may not see a difference between the bad guys and him. Sadly, Steve believes his own dad thinks the same thing. The lawyer tells him her job is to make him different in the eyes of the jury. While hearing this, he thinks how he wanted to be tough like the bad guys. Steve fears being hit or raped while locked up, but the fear grows as the reality of getting 25 years to life takes over his thinking, realizing he will have to serve at least 20 years. Surrounded by violence or the talk of violence he yearns for his life to be normal again. He admits to thinking like all the other prisoners, trying to convince himself that everything will be all right, that the jury can’t find him guilty. “We lie to ourselves here. Maybe we are here because we lie to ourselves.” Thinking of his younger brother, Jerry, he desires to caution him to “think about all the tomorrows of your life.”

Monster is a novel written in a screenplay format with Steve’s journal entries mixed in throughout. The character in Monster is a composite character created by the author after interviewing many young men with similar stories. Myers is able to make the character, Steve real, and the reader is able to get into his thoughts and experience his feelings. The overriding emotion is fear. Fear of the loss of a normal life. Fear of being surrounded by violence. Fear of a life spent behind bars. Fear of being perceived as a bad person. Fear of the loss of family. Fear of the loss of hope. Fear that becomes so palpable the reader can taste it. The main character, Steve struggles with confronting the fear that he is a monster.

The reader is pulled into the courtroom drama and experiences a sense of the raw reality of the inner workings of the courtroom. We see that crime never touches one life but it ripples throughout the lives of those involved. It is not just the perpetrators and victims but families of mothers, fathers, younger siblings, teachers, citizens of neighborhoods, lawyers, and the ripples continue. The dialogue can be edgy, keeping the reader turning pages, searching for answers. Finally, the reader may find him/herself doing just what the jury must do – make a decision about guilt or innocence. The ending of the story takes a twist that leaves the question of Steve’s guilt or innocence unanswered. This plotting strategy keeps the reader thinking about the themes of the story and grappling with the complexity of finding truth. Myers has written an intelligent book that makes one think long after the last page has been read.

Publishers Weekly says, “This riveting courtroom drama will leave a powerful, haunting impression. An insightful look at a teenage suspect’s lost innocence.”
ALA Booklist finds it, “A fascinating portrait of a terrified young man wrestling with his conscience. The tense drama of the courtroom scenes will enthrall readers, but it is the thorny moral questions raised in Steve’s journal that will endure in readers’ memories.”
Kirkus Reviews writes, “A riveting novel. A taut and moving drama.”
The Bulletin said, “The drama and ethical questions raised will keep the audience not just reading but thinking.”