Because they are essentially "made up" stories, novels provide a safe way for readers to enter discussions about diversity and identity. Novels build a shared experience and provide a bridge from "the issues" to more personal conversations. The list that follows highlights novels that provide a platform to discuss these issues.
1. Anthem by Ayn Rand. Self-determination is the central theme of this text. Written from the perspective of the main character, Equality 7-2521, Ayn Rand's novella, ANTHEM, depicts a future in which individuality has been replaced by group-think and unquestioned government rule.
2. American-Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. What is the price of straddling cultures? This graphic novel about growing up different is both a story of a Chinese-American childhood and a fable for the longing to escaping one's circumstances.
3. The Beggar Maid by Alice Munro. This series of interwoven short stories chronicles the class divide that occurs when the protagonist, Rose, leaves her hometown of Hanratty, Ontario after winning a scholarship to a prestigious university. Without preaching or judging, Munro illustrates the heartache, humor, and happiness that come along with straddling classes.
4. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This series of vignettes introduces readers to 11-year old Esperanza Cordero. Esperanza is a Chicana in a poor area of Chicago who dreams of becoming a writer.
5. The Pencil Test by James Guilford. What are the limits to self-definition? Is identity a choice? This novel puts forth these very questions. It also uncovers the perils and pitfalls that the yearning to belong can create. Kendry Clare, a white teen, transfers to an all-black high school. At her new school, Kendry tells a lie that catapults her into popularity and controversy.
Novels provide a great way to explore themes of identity and diversity. Use chapters from these novels to supplement your curriculum. Choose one novel as a book in common. Make one of these readings the center of discussion during Black History Month; or create diversity programming around the themes in one of these book. These books can be useful both in student curricula and in staff development.
1. Anthem by Ayn Rand. Self-determination is the central theme of this text. Written from the perspective of the main character, Equality 7-2521, Ayn Rand's novella, ANTHEM, depicts a future in which individuality has been replaced by group-think and unquestioned government rule.
2. American-Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. What is the price of straddling cultures? This graphic novel about growing up different is both a story of a Chinese-American childhood and a fable for the longing to escaping one's circumstances.
3. The Beggar Maid by Alice Munro. This series of interwoven short stories chronicles the class divide that occurs when the protagonist, Rose, leaves her hometown of Hanratty, Ontario after winning a scholarship to a prestigious university. Without preaching or judging, Munro illustrates the heartache, humor, and happiness that come along with straddling classes.
4. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This series of vignettes introduces readers to 11-year old Esperanza Cordero. Esperanza is a Chicana in a poor area of Chicago who dreams of becoming a writer.
5. The Pencil Test by James Guilford. What are the limits to self-definition? Is identity a choice? This novel puts forth these very questions. It also uncovers the perils and pitfalls that the yearning to belong can create. Kendry Clare, a white teen, transfers to an all-black high school. At her new school, Kendry tells a lie that catapults her into popularity and controversy.
Novels provide a great way to explore themes of identity and diversity. Use chapters from these novels to supplement your curriculum. Choose one novel as a book in common. Make one of these readings the center of discussion during Black History Month; or create diversity programming around the themes in one of these book. These books can be useful both in student curricula and in staff development.
