My personal belief is that this book is a little "too much" for seventh
graders--- not necessarily just because of the rape scene but also because
of the coming-of-age story that goes into great detail regarding
segregation, differences, and finally, acceptance of oneself. There's a lot
of great depth to this book which should not be exerted on seventh graders
who are just beginning their adventures into YA literature. (No teacher
should have to spend a great deal of time explaining the details of the
book, the history, and the fact that this book is a personal account of a
person's real life--- let this one wait until the freshman or sophomore
year, at least!)
Maya Angelou's books are outstanding and this book SHOULD be read by
students who are college-bound; however, there are hundreds of other YA
materials out there than could be used to illustrate segregation or "coming
of age" without going to the extreme.
Is it possible that your niece's teacher chose this book because the reading
level was only 6.2 (give or take a month)? The problem with choosing books
based upon reading levels alone IS that the content does not match the
maturity that most students have at that level. Many of these types of
works--- Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Harper Lee, William Faulkner, etc.---
look great when you check the reading levels, but the content does not
correlate. Even if students are in gifted and talented programs, the levels
of insight does not usually match that of the writer and this is one example
that needs more time for the reader to gain life experiences and
understanding.
I'm sending you a copy of a review from a source---Literature Resource
Center--- under a separate email so that you can read the reviews and see
what you think.
My personal choices for a book for a class-read might instead be:
Mildred Taylor's--- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Let the Circle Be Unbroken
The Road to Memphis
The Gold Cadillac
Angela Johnson's--- Heaven
Jacqueline Woodson's--- Miracle's Boys
Virginia Hamilton's--- Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush
These are only books that I've enjoyed that might have the same types of
problematic themes--- segregation, differences, coming of age--- however,
they also are more appropriate for this age group. Granted, these are not
the only books that I would choose, but I would let the high school teachers
take care of the more involved materials and let these students enjoy the
materials that are written specifically for them. (Sometimes, I think we
forget that our students--- regardless of what they look like, how they
dress, what they say, or where they come from--- are still very much
"children" when it comes to literature. Let's not forget to let them read
all that is so wonderfully written for them at this age. There's still much
more time for them to savor the writings that will be served at the adult
table of literature when they are older.
Just a thought.
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barbara Wall" <bawall@NORTHNET.ORG>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 5:25 PM
Subject: Help - I know why the caged bird sings
> Hello, dear colleagues,
>
> My sister in law ahs asked for help. Her 7th grade daughter has been
> asked to read as a required book Maya Angelou's I know Why the Caged
> Bird Sings. I have not read the book myself, tho have always meant to.
> My sister in law is concerned because she has read the book and thinks
> it is a little graphic for 7th grade. Any advice here would be
> appreciated. I would like to give her enough information to make an
> informed decision about the book without condemning it. Any help,
> reviews information you can give me would be appreciated. And thanks
> and Happy New Year.
>
> Barbara
>
> Barbara Wall
> Librarian
> Krieger Elementary School
> Poughkeepsie, NY
>
> bawall@northnet.org
> bwall@pcsd.k12.ny.us
>
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