Committment to Learning

I cannot express how much I loved Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. It was so funny and so sad and so hopeful and triumphant all at once...much like life itself. I think a large part of the YA appeal of this book lies not only in the humor but also in the sadness and fear that Junior feels. He's so honest about being scared and nervous about life and that's the way we all feel sometimes but especially so during those teen years. He overcomes these tremendous obstacles and there are always going to be obstacles for him but you know that in the end he's going to be ok, that's he tough and a survivor. Junior actually has a lot of support even though he's bullied on a regular basis. He's got the teacher who tells him he has to get off the reservation, he has his parents and his dad's best friend, Euguene. He has his basketball coach at his new school (Hooray for a good coach) and he even starts to make friends at the new school like his transulucent, semi-girlfriend Penelope. I also really loved his friendship with Rowdy and how even though Rowdy was so furious and hurt at Junior for leaving, he knows that Rowdy still loves him.

Sherman Alexie has great descriptions: Rowdy's avalanche laugh. I love that line. *sigh* I could go on and on about how great this book is. :-)


Frankie Landau-Banks is a great character. I liked her smarts and attitude. I really liked that she knew she was smart and used that to her advantage. I read a book called Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher which all about how girls suffer in their teen years and how often they dumb themselves down either to fit in or impress boys and whatnot so I really appreciated Frankie's intelligence and quick wit. YAY for smart, funny girls. Frankie is fiercly independent. She has support in her older sister, Zada, but seems to reject the support of others like her roommate, Trish.

Both Junior and Frankie put an enormous value on education. They know it's their key to open doors in life. They're both very self and socially-aware. I think they're relatable characters as well.

So, Superbad was SO funny. I have a totally inappropriate crush on Michael Cera plus I <3>Freaks and Geeks!!! I love that we watched it in class...not enough people appreciate that show.) I think that this is a glimpse into the teenage male mind. It's very funny and crude and gross but it also has a lot of heart and is very sweet. It made the anxiety of going away to college and being separated from your best friend funny. I think a lot of people feel the same way Evan and Seth did in the movie. (Total side note but I thought this movie was kind of like Swingers for the teenage guy.)