Classtweets285

@AlexiaGalloro @BlazeWelling I think you make a good point, the book introduces the concept of tweens without any kind of supervision or protection from adult figures and this leads to horrific circumstances for them #285WLU10

The texts we’ve read thus far had the role model/helper adult figure. Ole Golly, Mandy, Silas,& Uncle Tommy in Beah’s novel. The tween seems to rely on this figure to mediate their liminal state & help navigate the corruption of other adults/the adult system #285WLU10

#285WLU10 I think stories like Beah's are told on such a removed basis, at the UN for example, that it can be hard to fully understand the extent of it. I think putting this book in the Tween genre opens kids up to a deeper sense of compassion and understanding of these issues

@BlazeWelling I totally see the connection - I think both books really speak to the inherited history (and maybe baggage) that comes with race and living in such a race-oriented society and the way that can traumatize an entire family #285WLU9

When I was reading Woodson’s text I kept drawing connections to Lawrence Hill’s Any Known Blood. Would highly recommend anyone who is enjoying Brown Girl Dreaming to read Hill’s text to understand the inter generational experiences of Black Americans. #285WLU9

I think it was really interesting that the poem about her birth started with the history of the civil rights movement, that she wasn't just born with her racial identity but this civic history as well #285WLU9

I think it's interesting that so much of the novel emphasizes education, generally and in reference to Bod's magic, as far as I can tell he isn't just given talents - he has to work for them #285WLU8

@EN285jess I think it's really interesting that a subject that would normally be deemed inappropriate, or taboo, or something then becomes a really useful tool for kids as they grow up instead #285WLU8

@mansijxswal That's a really interesting point, I think it's also a way to easily and visibly raise the stakes for young characters - a lot of 'tween problems' get written off as insignificant and the loss of a caregiver is one that can't be easily underestimated #285WLU7

the contrast of the language with the graphics was really interesting because the language (and subject matter) seemed relatively advanced for tween lit (comp to Snicket for example) but I think pictures in books make them seem like they're for an even younger audience #285WLU7

#285WLU6 I think it's interesting (generally and in this week's readings) how much children and tween's media become a tug-of-war between different value systems. The MacLaren article introduces itself by discussing these influences before almost anything else.

@aminach285 I think this is an issue that comes up in a lot of discussions about women (esp. famous ones) - it becomes a competition rather than a uniting discussion of the issues women and girls face #285WLU6

i thought the widdicombe article was a bit hypocritical. her excessive use of exclamation marks while quoting teenage girls comes across as her purposefully trying to portray them as immature, and the fact that she puts down countless female stars who have gone thru #285WLU6

@nonameforyou I think that's actually such a sophisticated message for tweens, that love is about the acceptance of all elements of a partner and that no one is ever just good or just bad #285WLU5 #285WLU

“I trust you to find the good in me, but the bad I must be sure you don’t overlook.” - Char. An important reminder to tweens that healthy relationships involve loving the good and bad traits we all have. Ella was accepted by Char for who she was. Imagine that! #285WLU5

I was shocked by the contrast between the movie and the book because the movie is much more anti-young-girls, probably because this is what appealed to mass audiences in a shorter amount of time, whereas the book had more space for nuance #285WLU5 #285WLU

I think it's interesting that Ella Enchanted provided a story for children where behaving and obedience weren't good qualities for a child to have, I think it then puts a lot of importance on the act of making a choice and the consequences a child's actions can have #285WLU4

@BlazeWelling I had the same thought, it's also surprising people weren't able to figure out what was happening given that they all live in a world with regular magic use... maybe just meant to be part of the suspension of disbelief🤷‍♀️#285WLU4 #285WLU

#285WLU4 - my mistake!

#285WLU3 #285WLU I thought it was interesting to think about how tweens approach and interpret loss and the truly terrible parts of the world, especially in relation to the way the book deals with it so casually

@BrooklynEn285 I found that while the definitions would enhance reading for tweens it might alienate any older audiences at a higher reading level that didn't require as much explanation. Although the books were meant for tweens so I don't really have anything to complain about lol #285WLU3

I liked how Lemony Snicket included definitions for the difficult terms throughout the novel such as standoffish, incentive, pandemonium, nuptial, revulsion, insipid, posthaste and fitfully. The definitions didn’t take away from the storyline as they were…. (1/2) #285WLU3

I wonder how much Harriet's "professional" spy routine is meant to emulate her parents and their focus on work (sometimes to the detriment of Harriet). work is the most mature thing she can imagine because that was all she was shown from them... #285WLU #285WLU2

@ChrisXu_ Same! I think this is probably part of why parents had issues with the book when it came out - her behaviour doesn't really get corrected properly #285WLU #285WLU2

I thought it was interesting to see the way Harriet and Sport interacted with characters like Ole Golly's mother. I think the author did a good job showing the confusion that kids see the world through. #285WLU #285WLU1

@JeffCho41130361 I thought the same thing! I found half of what Harriet wrote so shocking it almost took me out of the book entirely haha #285WLU

One of the first things that I noticed while reading Harriet the Spy was that one of the things you learn as you age is to gain a filter on what you say. Harriet definitely didn’t have one at her age and said/wrote whatever came to her mind. I hope I wasn’t like this. #285WLU