Late to the blogging and I now feel like this post has to become a defense of why Traci Chee's We are Not Free should be our zombie pick!

We've had some meh selections this year - four books we didn't love. This bracket changed that. These are both great books. 

Although we're not all fans of multi-narrator books, we all agreed We are Not Free was well crafted. The different viewpoints drew us in and kept us reading. We enjoyed  that the narrators didn't retell the same parts but moved the story forward. The chart of characters at the beginning helped us to keep track of who was who. We loved how Chee experimented with different styles for the different voices - verse, letters, etc. The varying styles really mirrored how individual the experience was for internees. Some of us grew attached to the characters and wanted more from their perspectives. More than one reviewer was moved to tears by the powerful narrative. 

Although one can be intellectually aware of Japanese internment camps in Canada and the US, a book this well written shows us, emotionally, what it was like. The war sections were very powerful.  I will be recommending this one to my 9s next year when we talk about Canada's internment camps in WWI and II. The exploration of racism makes it an important book for any classroom.

We liked Me and Banksy too. It was well written and dealt with some important topics. A Canadian setting is a nice change. It's an interesting exploration of topic we probably don't give enough though to - surveillance. The exploration of the power of art and of Banksy in particular was interesting. We appreciate the interwoven nature of Banksy and how people can connect social movement/reform through multiple avenues such as art, There's a great lesson about the importance of using one's voice.

The main character is a strong female lead. The secondary characters were not as appealing to some reviewers. We wish the principal had been given a more unlikable back story - as educators, as moms, some of us felt sorry for her and couldn't root for her demise; young readers may not have that problem! Some of the surveillance aspects / security concept were a bit incredulous.

 I appreciated that the girls realized the problem was too big for them and went to the principal for help. I know it's a more exciting story when the young protagonists take on the problem without adult help, but I like that the author showcased that as a way to get help and then got around it to still write the exciting story of the kids having to fix the problem themselves.

Overall, our vote was for We Are Not Free. It's a great story; it's well-written, and the themes are so important. Maybe it has a future as a zombie pick.

Renee, Nikki, Kelly, Krystal, Evelyn

The King Was Our Jam

Well, befitting this frenetic time of year, we struggled to find time to get into any in-depth conversation about these two books, but it was very clear that it was The King of Jam Sandwiches that won the day for us, even though I think we all really liked The Land of the Cranes, as well. I am a sucker for books where kindness wins the day and that happens over and over in a novel with some legitimate darkness and sadness. You don’t have to teach very long before you get to know a few Robbies and Harmonys and those stories always stay with you, even if, and perhaps because, they aren’t quite so neatly packaged as these two characters. That isn’t meant as a criticism. This is a book for kids and I think Eric Walters fundamentally gets kids and knows that young people - and I could see this book being read right from upper elementary through to high school - will empathize with the characters he created. Our Robbies and Harmony don’t always speak as eloquently, but I think a book like this really inspires us to keep going in trying to draw out those stories and create that web of support and protection around our most vulnerable students.

 I think that last sentence is actually equally true of The Land of the Cranes. It is a poignant glimpse into a world that is every bit as troubling and debilitating as the world of poverty that Eric Walters explores. While I have no doubt that the book would have a different resonance for us were we living in the United States, it actually opens up a larger discussion about equity and immigration that should really be a part of any national discourse. I am not sure that the decision to present the novel in verse worked for me. Not because there weren’t moments of powerful imagery or lines that won’t stick with you, but I’m not convinced that it needed this structure to convey these ideas, with the possible exception of the interplay between the written poems and the picture poems. As in The King of Jam Sandwiches, I deeply appreciated the author note Salazar included at the end of the novel.

We feel fortunate to have a chance to read both books, but our vote here at QE goes to The King of Jam Sandwiches.

 

We Are Not Free competes against Me And Banksy

 

I was almost inspired to try my hand at poetry (like a group did earlier this week) but decided I will keep this short and simple.  Both books are worthy reads with themes that deserve exploration.  Me And Banksy highlights the chronic way we are "watched" in our current society and asks us to challenge the belief that we are safer through this surveillance.  Exploring what does it mean to be free through the book We Are Not Free is timely because of many recent national and world events.  The multiple viewpoints of the characters presented in We Are Not Free pulled me and kept the pages turning quickly.  My vote is for We are Not Free (I know it is not the same vote as others in the group).

Me and Banksy vs. We Are Not Free

 This was a tough choice for our group, as both texts were really engaging for very different reasons. We Are Not Free offered a unique perspective that hasn't had a lot of coverage in YA literature that I've read. For many students, reading about the Japanese internment in America would be an eye-opening experience, especially paired with discussions about similarities in Canada. The multiple narrators were interesting, and even though each of them only got a chapter, I felt that I really connected to many of the characters. Me and Banksy was engaging for entirely different reasons. The conflict in this story felt very topical and current and felt like it would be very easily relatable for students. The narrator, Dominica, was SO ENGAGING and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. In the end, we voted for Me and Banksy because we thought it would have a broader readership among our students, but we will definitely book-talk We Are Not Free and encourage everyone to read it! 

Haiku Review

 My kids know I love haikus. I like how it forces you to play with words, rearrange, come up with alternatives, figure out how to say the most you can within constraints.  So in that light I think we will some up ABMs response with the Haiku Review:

Heart lifts to talk books

Where women push boundaries 

Imposed by others

 I suppose I will also include the necessaries. Furia for the win...but not unanimous. Fantasy is a hard read for some of our teachers though we acknowledge many students love it. The Gilded Ones has many ultra violent sections that make some teachers hesitant to lend it out. Furia simply showed us a unique setting and what sealed the deal, even more importantly, was a unique character choice supporting this classic t-shirt quote: Feminism: the Radical Notion that Women Should have the Same Social, Economic & Political Rights as Men

Land of Cranes flies away with the vote....

 

LAND OF CRANES vs KING OF JAM SANDWICHES 

A Unanimous vote!

Vanessa: Both very quick reads and both very different. I loved King of Jam Sandwiches and can totally see kids at my school liking it. There were some laugh out loud moments in the beginning. It is going to be a classic upper elementary read. Land of Cranes, written in verse (admittedly not my favorite format), was an emotional journey that really showed the reality behind kids trapped at border crossings. For me, the story was compelling and heart-wrenching. I can see how both books moved forward in previous rounds but now. head to head, Land of Cranes is the clear winner for me.

Norma: I first read King of Jam Sandwiches and loved it. Great for elementary schools. I then read Land of the Cranes and also loved it. This format is definitely growing on me too. The more compelling story for me, and my choice to move ahead, is Land of the Cranes. The story is a timely one and provides a perspective that will be easily accessible to young readers.


Mel: I liked both of these but my winner is “Land of the Cranes”. This story reminded me of “American Grafitti” which I also liked. I loved the flow of the language and that it was written in verse from her perspective. She had big insights into the adults and issues around her and I loved how she understood them from a simple (but profound) place. Reminds us that kids DO get what’s going on around them even if they miss the bigger complexities. (I could argue a little for the Jam book too but feel like it’s theme is familiar already in other books we’ve read so far).

Steph: I too vote for Land of the Cranes. Although I thought King of Jam Sandwiches was excellent and would highly recommend it, Land of Cranes was absolutely beautiful. I actually enjoy verse because I think it takes special skill to paint these poignant images with so few words. The book made me cry on more than one occasion and there are images that will stay with me forever.

Rushmi: The King of Jam Sandwiches was a great read, but my vote goes to Land of Cranes. Both have few characters but the King was fairly simplistic. I enjoyed reading through to see how it ended. Cranes is a more intense topic, and leaves lots to think about, lots to be thankful for, and lends itself to more conversation around current events as well as diversity. The imagery is beautiful and the story tugs at the heart. My vote is for Land of the Cranes.

Emily: King of Jam Sandwiches is funny and heartfelt while still dealing with serious topics. I really enjoyed the story of friendship, and how topics of abandonment and neglect were dealt with in a respectful and age appropriate way.
Normally I hate novels in verse. The format irritates me, and I find myself wishing for a “regular” novel the entire time I’m reading. But with Land of the Cranes, after the first 15 pages I was sucked into the story of Betita and her family’s struggle. This book was painfully beautiful, and so powerful. I was unprepared for the emotional response I had to this book, and it has quickly become one of my favorites of the Smackdown so far.
My vote is for Land of the Cranes.

Jon: Despite how much I don’t care for book-in-verse, Land of Cranes is a story that not only needs to be told, but needs to be heard. It did not shy away from the horrors committed, but also delivered them in palatable pieces. The mixture of Spanish and English was also nice- someone clearly trying to retain who they are is a struggle felt by many. Jam Sandwiches was just okay…It’s downfall was playing too heavily into the trope

Renae (DDM) - I liked both books as well, and I’d include both in my classroom libraries for junior high. King of Jam Sandwiches reminded me a lot of another great book that was on last year’s YRCA list called No Fixed Address–either of these titles would be great read alouds for a grade 7 class. Land of the Cranes was a beautifully written book with strong imagery. I think it is an important story to be told and is my pick to move forward to the next round.

Dragon Hoops vs Electric Kingdom!

 Dragon Hoops drew me in immediately. This was a big surprise as I not only dislike sports but tend not to like many graphic novels. There was something about Yang's writing that made me care about this team and want to know more about his unique and unexpected journey with them. I learned so much about basketball and even a bit about history and found myself really rooting for the characters. The Electric Kingdom, however, was very confusing and hard to keep track of who was who. I often felt frustrated that I couldn't recall the back story of a particular character and who they were connected to as just too many characters were coming up. I also am so tired of the dystopic, end of the world, narrative so it felt tiresome at times. What I did like about Electric Kingdom was it's interesting spin on this apocalyptic world. Having said that, it honestly felt too heavy to read at times. I actually felt pained by it. Yet, I really needed to know how it ends (more on that in a minute) so I guess the author did a good job in pulling the reader in. However, much like the story, the ending was confusing and I'm still not sure what happened. Thus, our team's vote goes to Dragon Hoops.