Sitting on the front porch, or hanging out at the neighborhood meeting spot, or meeting somewhere else with friends to swap stories about the latest happenings in your life and the neighborhood you all share. Does this bring to mind pleasant or not so pleasant memories from the past? Though you shared the same neighborhood and surroundings with these people what was it about your lives that led you down different paths; and yet what was it about the neighborhood you shared that kept you connected to one another? You may see similarities in the fifteen short stories that Myers tells with those from your past.
The lives of the characters in each of the stories Myers tells center around the sights, sounds, and other familiarities of life on 145th Street in Harlem, New York and the theme of love. Harlem isn’t typically a place that evokes thoughts of love, companionship, perseverance, or triumph. That’s exactly the image that Myers desires to dispel in this book. Myers interweaves the lives of the characters with love- what it is, what it isn’t, how to know, where to find it, or if you should even look for it. Myers’ introduces us to diverse characters with dissimilar backgrounds but all hoping to find the same thing- love in or around the same neighborhood- 145th Street. We meet a recent widow and her two daughters who own the neighborhood beauty salon and decide to hold a grand opening/bar-b-que/memorial/fashion show to the dismay of some in the community. We also meet a local entrepreneur whose prosperity origins are questionable, a soldier on his way to fight in Iraq, a budding artist, and a sixteen year old single mother struggling to make ends meet.
Some of the stories in this compilation are longer than others. Some seem more complete in that they bring closer to a story. I expected that the end of one story would lead into the other, but that is not the case. Though the characters share the same neighborhood and the central theme is the same, each story is different. Characters from one story may be mentioned in another, but there is no consistent continuation of plot. The majority of the characters are in their late teens (17-19) so I would recommend an audience of readers ages 17 and up. Many will see themselves in these tales or someone they know. Many will be able to relate to the shared circumstance of growing up in a neighborhood full of diverse individuals, in that they take different routes in search of the same thing. This would be good required reading for a high school literature class. Teachers would be able to expound upon the text-to-world connections that students will surely make, as the stories tell the lives of teens from different vantage points.
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2008 Nominations
2 comments:
Janine, I really enjoyed reading your posting. I thought that this was another one of WDM's novels, however was pleased to find out they were short stories. Before I read your review I was thinking this would be a great recommendation for my students to read since they love WDM, however after I read your recommendations I am not so sure I would. I teach middle school students and your review made me wonder if they could handle or even appreciate the content of the short stories. Thank you for giving a brief yet informative overview that helps teachers identify potential must reads with their students.
Thank you so much for the encouraging post Barb!
Are your students reading Monster or something else? I've seen it in the middle school library and the hands of a kid who doesn't really like to read (I was very pleased). I recommended it to the teacher of the advanced language arts class as a break from Shakespeare, and Zora Neale Hurston.
You're very thoughtful in taking your students abilities and interests into choosing material for them. I agree that they may not appreciate this novel at such a young age. Unless they are in similar situations they may have difficulty relating to most of the material.
Thanks again!
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