Entrapment Abounds!

Two great reads: one about Japanese-American teenagers forced into incarceration camps after Pearl Harbor, the other about the Thai boys' soccer team trapped in an underground cave in 2018.

We Are Not Free - Traci Chee

Historical fiction that successfully incorporates true events as the backdrop to a colourful fictional story… This is what I needed after The Radium Girls! The telling of We Are Not Free is broken up into eleven (??) convincing first-person narratives, which gives the story depth and breadth, and emphasizes the interwoven nature of our lives. Ever changing, also, as we grow older and make different choices. My one complaint is that at times, the narrative came off as a little “tell” rather than “show,” particularly during some of the discussions or internal monologues about racism and discrimination. I’m trying to decide if, for the age group this book is designed for, being “on the nose” is perhaps not a bad thing, or if it narrows the opportunity for discussion in the classroom… 

Although focused on the trials and tribulations of adolescents through the adolescent eye, mind, and language, this novel did surprise me at times with insight that resonated with my own experiences as an adult. For example, the description of life as people coming together and drifting apart, repeatedly, until no one is left.. And the deep and emotional attachment a person has to their “home” place, or any place that has temporarily been “home.” The characters soak in the small moments, the small joys and beauties and in-betweens of a life that is full of hardship, with a maturity that I would be thrilled to see reflected by today’s adolescents. These characters have a knack for seeing the richness of life, and it is written beautifully by Chee. I would love to dwell on some of these passages with students and have them draw insight into their own lives.

All Thirteen - Christina Soontornvat

This was a blistering read, as in, I didn’t move from my spot from cover to cover. The true story of survival from a nightmare situation was told concisely, but with enough detail to keep me enthralled in every moment. Soontornvat organized and delivered an astonishing number of perspectives and pieces of the event, and wove them together into a coherent narrative that continuously emphasized the complexity and enormity of the task at hand. Even though I knew what the final result would be (from watching the news and… the title), the unfolding of the weeks-long story provided so many details that I hadn’t heard before, but will now never forget. Thematically, human resilience, teamwork, hope against overwhelming odds, and the power of the human spirit are very accessible to students, and I think the vast majority would be captured by the action-packed intensity of the story itself to remain engaged. Of course, I immediately dove into a google rabbit hole looking for pictures and video footage (especially of the famous moment that the rescuers found the team), which is always a good sign. 

The additional information interspersed throughout the story itself did come off as a bit school-textbook- “Did You Know?”-y and, I confess, I did skip some of them. But only because I couldn’t tear my attention away from the action! I can see most of them as being well-intentioned and useful blurbs to add cultural background for readers who are not familiar with Thailand, but some of them seemed like page fillers. Particularly the entire page dedicated to explaining the phrase, “Practice Makes Perfect.” At the height of the rescue, I did not have time for this!!

Actually.. I could totally see this book having a place in a Science classroom, during a unit that deals with weather/rainfall/erosion.. Perhaps even more so than the ELA classroom.

In conclusion… I found both of these to be engaging and historically-informative, but I am ultimately voting for We Are Not Free to move forward. The writing itself is richer and, IMO, offers more opportunities in the ELA classroom.