The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

The Autobiography of
Miss Jane Pittman
by Ernest J. Gaines

From the publisher:
""This is a novel in the guise of the tape-recorded recollections of a black woman who has lived 110 years, who has been both a slave and a witness to the black militancy of the 1960's. In this woman Ernest Gaines has created a legendary figure, a woman equipped to stand beside William Faulkner's Dilsey in The Sound and the Fury." Miss Jane Pittman, like Dilsey, has 'endured,' has seen almost everything and foretold the rest. Gaines' novel brings to mind other great works The Odyssey for the way his heroine's travels manage to summarize the American history of her race, and Huckleberry Finn for the clarity of her voice, for her rare capacity to sort through the mess of years and things to find the one true story in it all."  -- Geoffrey Wolff, Newsweek.

"Stunning. I know of no black novel about the South that exudes quite the same refreshing mix of wit and wrath, imagination and indignation, misery and poetry. And I can recall no more memorable female character in Southern fiction since Lena of Faulkner's Light in August than Miss Jane Pittman." -- Josh Greenfeld,  Life ."

It is hard to rate or review a book like this. Did I like it? That is difficult to say. Did it have an impact on my life? Yes. I know it is a work of fiction and not an autobiography at all, but it has the feel of real life, and much of it is real life from a fictional viewpoint. So I'll ask myself the same questions I ask my students when they read autobiographies. 
"Did you learn something from reading it?" Yes, definitely - so many things. One small thing is that I never realized the importance placed in changing from a slave name after the abolition of slavery, but that would have been the first thing I did, too. 
"Did it make you think about your life and how it differs from the person/people you were reading about?" Totally and completely. When you are raised in oppression and have watched many people, including your mother, be killed and never knew your father (possibly a breeder from another plantation?), and witnessed all kinds of vice, your sensitivities are dulled and it is hard to know right from wrong. Several other reviewers have mentioned that they couldn't relate to Jane and that she was emotionless, but I think that is part of the story. Others have complained about the religious aspects towards the end, but that is also very plain to me. 
"What kind of character traits and attributes did you notice in the person/people that made it so they could overcome their difficulties?" She was obstinate, she was tough, she persevered. 

I'm glad I read this, it was a very gripping read. I didn't like the ending at all, but I guess this isn't the type of book to have a neat, wrapped up ending. 

Areas of concern:
*The "n" word proliferates in this book for obvious reasons. 
*This is a part of our 8th graders banned and challenged book unit. Here is what Marshall University said on their website, 
"Challenged as an eighth-grade district-wide reading assignment in the Puyallup (WA) schools because "racial slurs and stereotyping are used through the book, as well as scenes of sex, rape, and implied incest. The Puyallup School Board voted to uphold an earlier decision by a district committee requiring eighth-graders read the novel."

Suggested Ages:

Because this is an older book, the only suggested age I could find was "Upper Grades".

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious
Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart

From the publisher:
""Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" 

Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children-two boys and two girls-succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help."

I finally got around to reading this one after several students told me how wonderful it is. I'm glad some of my students love it, but I can't see all of my students loving it. I had to force myself to read it clear up until about 65% of the way through. And, oh my goodness, the suspension of disbelief that has to go on to read this! (Minor spoilers ahead.) Men from L.I.V.E. come to kidnap these children and take them to the school, and then a couple of days later the children are driven there and dropped off and no one notices? They even use their real names and no one bats an eyelash. And then they communicate by nighttime Morse Code transmissions from their bedroom window and no one notices? It is supposed to be a super secure place and they just flash lights out their window and then watch the mainland for signals back, which no one notices either. *Sigh* 

This book seems like it is trying to be like A Series of Unfortunate Events, but without the tongue-in-cheek wit and wonderful weirdness of those books. And about 3 times the length of one of them. However, once again I have several students who love this series, so it doesn't matter what I think. For middle schoolers this is a fun, semi-exciting start to a series. For adults, maybe not so much.

Areas of concern:
*Children being stolen and used for nefarious purposes.
*Children being punished severely for minor or no infractions.

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 11-13

School Library Journal - Grades 5-9

The Forgetting

The Forgetting
by Sharon Cameron

From the publisher:
"What isn't written, isn't remembered. Even your crimes.

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.

In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.

But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence – before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her."

There I was, calmly reading what I thought was a normal, run-of-the-mill, YA dystopian novel, when all of a sudden a twist hit that I was totally unprepared for. What?! So, while I enjoyed the beginning, it wasn't anything that I hadn't read a hundred times. But then, BAM, and all my perceptions were changed. 
This book pretty much has it all. Corrupt government, evil rulers, intense situations, sweet romance (with some pretty steamy kissing), strong heroine and funny, handsome hero, strong supporting characters and a surprising twist in the plot. I read and loved this author's book Rook , but didn't ever finish The Dark Unwinding . I think you just have to have patience at the beginning of her books, because they all seem to start very slowly. But believe me, they pack a punch later on. The premise in this one is so interesting and has so many facets. I was worried when I heard that there was another book in the series because I wanted resolution and ANSWERS in this one. Luckily the next book is just a companion book and not a sequel, so you don't have to worry about a big cliff hanger. 

Areas of concern:
*A scene of torture which is intense but not graphic.
*A pretty gruesome stabbing.
*An attempted suicide.
*Talk of floggings and a war in the past.
*A character witnessed some horrible events in the past and tries to describe some of it.
*Attempted mass murder.
*The afore-mentioned steamy kissing.
(All of that together sounds pretty terrible, but it was nothing worse than many other dystopian/science fiction books out there. They can get pretty violent.)

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 8+