From the Desk of Zoe W: Week 2
Realistic Fiction, Book Banning, Author Interview, Discussion Q's
Special announcement! This February I am working with Brooklyn Book Bodega to bring access to books and reading resources to kids across NYC!! That means that for this month annual subscriptions are 50% off and if you subscribe, or donate a subscription $5 goes to support Brooklyn Book Bodega! Thank you for recognizing the value of this work and for supporting young readers and their love of words.
Picture of the author with her book
Today we’ll be covering chapters 9-18
Welcome back reader! Are you liking this book so far?
One thing I really admire about this book (among many other things) is how easy it is to read. Everything just flows so nicely and chapter after chapter just breezes by. But this book is a bit deceptive. While it has great readability, as we go along things become more and more complicated. Very expertly it brings up a lot of tough subjects like racial issues, and criminal justice, while bringing up very personal subjects like family, friendship and the ways those bonds get strained and get stronger.
Realistic Fiction
But there is also another thing that sets this book apart and that is its genre. Technically this book is Fiction. Meaning there is no one actually named Zoe Washington baking cupcakes and writing letters in Boston. However, this book is classified as Realistic Fiction.
“Realistic fiction is a story written about events that did not actually happen but could have happened; the people, events and places may be real. It is a classification of literature containing stories that could actually happen, in a time and setting that is plausible and contains realistic characters.”
So while there isn’t an exact person with the exact story as Zoe, her experience is very true to what actually happens. Which makes me wonder, why would the author decided to write a book about things that actually happen rather make them all up?
This is a tricky one without an easy answer, but I think this question gets to what is so amazing and important about storytelling. Stories can transport us to fabulous lands and imaginations, but they are also amazing at taking a difficult subject and making it understandable. Talking about racial inequality and being a minority growing up in this country is hard to talk about. Where do you even begin? Stories have real power and value because they can bring us closer to another’s experience that we would otherwise never know about. The ways we can relate to and understand people who are different from us are because of stories. After reading this book maybe you know how black parents talk to their kids about the police. Maybe you learn about what it’s like to be looked at by other people when you are with a father who is white. And if you understand what that can feel like for someone, then that means you have expanded your point of view, your intelligence, and your kindness. I mean, wow. There is real magic to that.
Book Banning
I think by now you know that I am obsessed with the creativity and the benefits of reading. And trust me, the last thing I want to do is beat you over the head with an idea. However, in the past few weeks there have been book bannings and book burnings in this country. It is scary and heartbreaking to know this. But man am I thankful to get the chance to talk about how important books are with you.
On a hopeful note I am sharing an article written by a former student of mine. And she so elegantly puts into words the harm of keeping books from children.
“I am nine years old, but I don’t shy away from books with demanding content. Important questions and issues should not be hidden from young people because they might find them challenging or confusing. All books worth reading require discussion; no book requires banishment.”
If you are interested in reading the full article you can find it here.
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