I still really like Ben. I have no plans to wrap myself in a flag and bash his window in and sit at his desk - even though we argued on opposite sides of this Smackdown battle. In fact, Ben and I agreed on so many points:
- Both books could easily find a way onto our classroom bookshelves.
- The book we liked more was very exciting and more realistic than the other one.
- The book we liked a little less seemed more formulaic, more been there done that.
Nothing is more exciting to a nerd like me than a enthusiastic debate about books we've recently read. But seldom have I heard the same argument used on both sides. The usual location for an ABM discussion is a classroom or the library and everyone talks at once, voices are raised and you can count on Holly disagreeing with Lisa and Arlene disagreeing with me. This time we were on a Google Meet and showing my age here - our borders were defined in a very Brady Bunch way. People hit the hand up icon furiously and we were off.
Some of us really liked Stand on the Sky - the action started right from the beginning, the setting was unique and made almost all of us research the Mongolian eagle races. Strong themes of girl power, family obligation and destiny were all woven skillfully through. The cover, we all agreed, was poorly done making a book talk or a chapter read a necessity to get this in the hands of readers. Those that disagreed felt this book was formulaic. Protagonist saves family and they all live happily ever after. Some felt to would not be as easy a sell to students as the novel in verse - Being Toffee would be.
Those that really liked Being Toffee felt that the novel in verse in the skilled hands of fave author Sara Crosson would fly off the shelf for grade 8s and up. This realistic look at a teen runaway and dementia and neglect of the elderly resonated with the readers. Those that disagreed felt this was not the author's strongest work (which some said was not a fair way to judge). They also felt that even though it was realistic it was also formulaic. Protagonist runs away, helps herself and someone elderly and learns she is stronger and can face the future. It did not stick in their memory as Stand on the Sky would do.
Now it was time to vote. Those present voted 5 for Sky 2 for Toffee and 1(Arlene - because she will always vote thoughtfully) needed time to think. Two others were not done the books. Math tells us that with 3 outstanding votes we could be looking at a tie. Arlene voted the next day for Toffee (in part to keep our Dia/Arlene opposite alliance going and I salute that!) 5-3. Angela also voted for Being Toffee 5-4. Later yesterday Holly saved the eagle and the day (my opinion) by emailing this:
I'm throwing my vote for Toktar (the eagle) because he had me crying at the end when he came down the mountain. What is it about animals in books that make me cry every. single. time.?
And this is another bizarre event of 2021- I voted for the same book as Lisa.
Both were strong entries but Toktar flies higher.
In our book discussion last week, I likened our deliberations to Supreme Court Justices debating an important case. And if you imagine Dia as the Chief Justice, speaking fairly but ultimately in favour of the majority decision, I will act the rebel judge, putting forth the dissenting view, not swaying the current decision but forever recorded to perhaps sway future hearts and minds. That said...
ReplyDelete- I will fully admit that I enjoyed both books. Being Toffee gave me a unique and interesting perspective of a young girl experiencing abuse, neglect, and the need to feel like she belonged somewhere. And the randomness and sadness of having your life in pieces as a dementia/Alzheimer's patient. Stand on the Sky is very inspirational, and yes, something about animals gets you in the feels. But...
- Stand on the Sky reads like a "cookie cutter", young precocious youth overcomes hardships to realize her dream. Exotic locale and culture? Check. Believable yet cliche obstacles? Yuh-huh. Connection with animal to make you cry? You bet. I feel that I've read this story before...and that was the big thing that I maybe didn't quite articulate last week. This was a tale I've read in many different forms over the years. Does the relative obscurity of nomadic culture of the Kazakhs in Mongolia give this book more merit than is warranted?
- Being Toffee was unique, its pacing atypical, its story more rooted in the everyday (notwithstanding the stretch of the hiding in the mansion conceit--really, if that's one's only realism critique, we're doing pretty ok). I suppose it's also hard to separate this book from the bulk of Crossman's other works--Being Toffee apparently didn't quite make the grade--so I suppose I benefited from not being inundated with her past glories.
- A lot was said about, "you need to both read Stand on the Sky" AND watch the video--but is that a fair assessment, then? Should we not judge both books on its words alone?
- I know I hit a nerve about the possible cultural appropriation (white Western woman writes her fantasy tale about a foreign culture); though I appreciate that she did a bunch of primary research to add to the authenticity of the book, I would have liked to hear something more biographical--perhaps a book written in conjunction with someone literally OF that culture and lifestyle--how much more compelling and invested I would have been in THAT story!
- Plots with inspirational/aspirational/emotional connections to animals: an oft-used (overused?) trope meant to tug at the heartstrings and give an otherwise decent book an artificial boost? I believe there is an argument to be had there.
Hmmm... so how far do we take cultural appropriation, then? I am just finishing up We Are Not Free by Traci Chee. It is told from multiple perspectives all Japanese, both male and female, gay and straight. Traci is neither Japanese or gay, and she certainly didn't "live" this experience (whole other kettle of fish when you have people writing historical fiction, isn't it?). Is SHE allowed to write about the internment of Japanese Americans during the second world war when she wasn't "OF that culture and lifestyle"?? To say that she can not give life to a character or a story simply because she did not live that experience is simply not valid; these are STORIES. Giving life to stories is what art is all about. Is it okay because Traci is Chinese? Or is it just a "White western woman living out her fantasy tale about a foreign culture?" that is the problem? Where will it end, Benny Mak? Where will it end...
DeleteI'm glad to see Ben's response - when our team read Stand on the Skye we agreed it was more cookie-cutter and although everyone agreed it was the better book, some of us REALLY loved and some of us just liked it better. As we are a team of elementary teachers, Stand was also a chance for our students to read about a culture that is not represented anywhere else in our collection. We saw (and now see) our students really connecting with the characters in it.
ReplyDeleteI know we sort teams by school for ease of getting books out and having discussions but I wonder how these rounds would look if each team was a combination of schools, with K-12 represented across the board.