Late yesterday afternoon, Jean and I went to our monthly Young Adult literature group at one of our local schools. When the group was all seated in the library but the meeting had not yet started, there was quite a lot of discussion at the various tables. The subjects were varied but continually circled back to what was happening in our schools. As the participants of this group come from different school districts around the capital area, the details of the stories differed but general theme was the same - the cuts. One of the most highly regarded local districts is facing the loss of 79 jobs. The leader of our discussion group mentioned to us that at a recent meeting in her school, the teachers appeared to be totally demoralized. A woman at our table told us, "None of this [cuts, budgets talks, raising test scores] is about the students [her emphasis]!" On our way home when it was just the two of us, Jean and I were able to say what we both had been feeling, "Thank goodness we are retired!"
It seems that every generation of teachers goes through a time like this; we did, too. But now it seems that education and teachers specifically have become the target of our politicians. Our politicians see educators as an easy fall guys and point fingers at them when the public calls for cuts in spending at the state and national level. If you think about it, local communities generally support their schools. But look what has happened in this state and what our governor has done for or about schools and teachers. Where is the forethought for raising future leaders, plumbers, scientists, retail employees, doctors, secretarial staff, and cooks?
Ah well, I really intended to spend more time on the books than on the politics in educating our children. So on to books! Our genre this month was dystopias (the opposite of utopias) and steam punk (sci-fi based on technology). I may have said before that science fiction and fantasy aren't for everyone, but they are two of my favorite genres. Since I am no longer in the classroom and don't have to think about recommendations for students, I read mostly those more appropriate for the older students. Some of the books are definitely for adolescents so take note if you have any middle-school or high school students in your family. Others bridge the high school-adult gap and are great reading for both.
One of my favorites in this group of books is I am Number Four by Pitticus Lore. It's about John and his guardian who escaped from a planet destroyed in war and came to Earth. Their hope is eventually to overcome the enemies responsible for the death of their civilization and return to their planet. However, their enemies have followed them to Earth and are trying to find them to kill them. It's an action filled book with a bit of romance. The characters are believable and behave realistically even as John develops his super powers (yes, you read that right!). Having grown up wanting to be invisible, to be able to do magic, or move objects with my mind, I like that part a lot and think others will, also. Oh, it's the first in a planned series; the second book will be The Power of Six.
Divergent by Veronica Roth is the best of the books. The setting is a dystopian Chicago and where people are divided into 5 factions to limit destructive competition. When children reach their 16th birthday, they are tested as to which faction they should join based on their abilities. It is expected that each child has only one ability that will guide her or him to only one faction. However, the main character is divergent. She has abilities that would make her a candidate for any of the factions, and that is seen as being very dangerous. The action is fast-paced and the main characters will appeal to both male and female readers. The plot is imaginative and complex though not perfect (some in the group liked Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins better), and the book is planned to be one of a trilogy.
James Dashner's The Scorch Trials is another good read. It's the second in a series (Maze Runner was the first). In a post-apocalyptic world, Thomas and his group have to survive in a brutal climate. Earth has been burned by sun flares and is a wasteland. The government is testing the ability of this group to survive both the climate and the Cranks (those who have fallen victim to a terrible infectious disease called Flare and are insane). Sounds terrible, doesn't it? But if you are able to suspend your disbelief (necessary when reading sci-fi or fantasy), you will find this an engaging book. I think both boys and girls will enjoy this.
You might also try Enclave by Ann Aguirre and Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (the latter was a favorite of several in our group). Happy reading!
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