The Perks of Being a Wallflower

(Opens up an envelope, pulls out a letter, and begins to read…)

Dear friend: I read this amazing book, and I think you would really enjoy it. It’s about this kid named Charlie, who is fifteen and has just started high school. His friend has just committed suicide, and Charlie begins to write letters to an unidentified person-that’s how Charlie tells us his story. He is quiet, and he keeps mostly to himself, until he meets Patrick and his stepsister Sam at a football game. Patrick is the opposite of Charlie-he’s outgoing and funny-but they become fast friends (while sister Sam becomes the girl of Charlie’s dreams). Through his friendship with Patrick and Sam, Charlie discovers both the joy of first love and the cruel realities of discrimination. He also begins to remember the big secret he’d repressed so long ago. So, does Charlie get the girl? What’s this big secret he’s been hiding? Who is he writing all of these letters to? Why am I asking all of these questions? Answers to all these questions-except maybe that last one-can be found in (holds up book) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It’s waiting for you in the media center. Love always, Ms. Olson.

Thirteen Reasons Why

(Pulls out mini cassette recorder, then reads quote from book)

“You can’t stop the future, you can’t rewind the past, the only way to learn the secret is to press play”

(Presses play…)

(Prerecorded) My name is Hannah Baker. I used to have a normal life, just like you.
I was popular-everyone wanted to be my friend. I was pretty-at least that’s what everyone told me. I did well in school and got good grades. Then everything changed. You know how fast rumors travel? I do-pretty soon everyone in school had heard about me. Well, guess what? I’m dead now. Yeah, that’s right-I swallowed a bunch of pills. I was thoughtful to the end, though-I made it look like an accident. But it wasn’t. Before I did it, I recorded my suicide note…OK, maybe note is the wrong word…I recorded the circumstances that lead to my death. The tapes are being passed around right now: Clay Jensen has them: he’s reason number nine. He’ll stay up all night, following the map I left and listening to my story. I have thirteen reasons why-don’t you want to know what they are?

(Turns off tape, and holds up copy of book)

You can read Hannah’s story in Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, available in the media center.

Paper Towns

(Displays a map of Orlando with several locations marked, such as downtown Orlando, Sea World, Baldwin Park, and Winter Park High School)

Orlando’s a big place. There’s a lot to see and do here, that’s for sure. Quentin, who goes by Q, has lived here his whole life, and he’s seen it all. He knows this town like the back of his hand. He wishes he were as familiar with his neighbor (and one true love) Margo. She’s just perfect. He’s felt a kinship with her since they found that dead body, but you’ll read about that. As it always does, school got in the way- Margo went one way, and Q went another. So he is surprised when, shortly before graduation, Margo enlists him (and his not-so-cool minivan) to exact revenge on several classmates whom Margo feels have wronged her. Wait until you read what they did to Jase, Margo’s ex-boyfriend. After a wild all-nighter where they visit all of these places (refer to marked map), Quentin is excited to continue their relationship both in and outside of school-but she doesn’t show up for school. She is absent the next day as well, and on the third day, her parents report her as missing. After Quentin finds what he thinks is a clue to her whereabouts, he embarks on a search for her that eventually leads him to the truth-and a grim reality. I didn’t see the end coming, and I’ll bet you won’t either. (holds up book) Come and pick up a copy of John Green’s Paper Towns from the media center.

Reflection

I had a difficult time choosing books for this assignment. I wanted to choose young adult books that I hadn’t read, but that were appropriate for the intended audience. These book talks are written for an audience of readers in the eighth or ninth grade (ages fourteen to fifteen). While the above book talks are intended for a heterogeneous group of students, I personally believe that these books appeal more to a female sensibility. Since there are very few realistic opportunities to speak only to one sex or the other, the talks are designed with both sexes in mind.

Young adults of this age display an elevated sense of self-consciousness. No matter how trivial, they believe that every move they make is scrutinized by their peers. This, coupled with the belief that their feelings and emotions are unique only to them, make for an anxious, frustrated, and perhaps turbulent adolescence. The characters found in these book selections are relatable, and their ‘Sturm und Drang’ will ring true with readers.

While these books may share certain plot elements among them (suicide, physical and emotional journeys, and misplaced adoration, to name a few), I’ve grouped them together as coming-of-age narratives. Certainly the main characters in each work experience “developmental changes and life experience [which] combine to inform individual perceptions of the self in terms of identity” (Latham & Gross, 2014, p. 15). All three main characters exhibit one or more of Steinberg’s psychosocial issues: establishing an identity, establishing autonomy, establishing intimacy, becoming comfortable with one’s sexuality, and achievement (Ruffin, 2009). Charlie, the protagonist in Chbosky’s Wallflower, experiences all five in the course of a year. Surviving these issues through the eyes of an empathetic figure may provide the reader with valuable insight into their own circumstance.

When deciding which type of book talk to demonstrate, I vacillated between those based on character, and those based on mood (Latham, 2014). I also did not intend for every book talk to have some sort of a gimmick-Paper Towns was to be the only talk that included a prop (the highlighted map of Orlando). However, when I began to work on the Wallflower talk, I found myself struggling to compose a compelling narrative. It was only when I moved to another task that I had the idea to present the talk as a letter, in the style of the book itself.

Once two of the three talks included some sort of ‘hook’, I then had the thought to use the narrative style of Thirteen Reasons Why, and to deliver the talk via taped message. I feel the book talks are compelling, and definitely capable of piquing the students’ interest. I included some simple stage directions in order to further illustrate the presentation. I am aware, however, that the use of too many gimmicks might dilute the efficacy of the device. If I were presenting these book talks, I would not present them together-there are myriad young adult novels depicting a character’s coming-of-age. As previously mentioned, these books have other, more specific material in common; each one of these works could easily be included in another themed book talk.

There are several methods to evaluate the success of a book talk. Perhaps the most reliable is observation: monitoring if the books are being checked out. Circulation statistics are reliable and immediate. Another option is to speak to the students to whom you delivered the book talk. Were they compelled to read the books you shared? If not, ask the students what they are interested in, and select comparable works more suited to their tastes.

While composing these book talks was time-consuming, a real-life book talk in my media center would be a bit more off the cuff. Reading from written material tends to make the presenter seem unprepared and less than versed in the work. If you truly believe in the literary merit of a book, the promotion of it should be nearly effortless. I look forward to introducing students to books they might not have considered otherwise.

References

Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen reasons why. New York: Penguin Group.
Chbosky, S. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower. New York: Gallery Books. Green, J. (2008). Paper towns. New York: Penguin Group.

Latham, D. (2014). Booktalking and other programming for teens [PDF document]. Retrieved from https://campus.fsu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-6773730-dt- content-rid-38732529_2/courses/LIS5565.fa14.web_cohort1/Prof.res% 26prog.ppt.pdf

Latham, D., Gross, M. (2014). Young adult resources today. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.

Ruffin, N. (2009). Adolescent growth and development. (Publication No. 350-850). Retrieved from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia Cooperative Extension website: http://www.nvc.vt.edu/mft/mft2_files/ Huebner/Adolescent_Growth_and_Development.pdf