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Defining Coming of Age...
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From: Clark Underbakke <clarku>
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 07:26:04 -0600
I have enjoyed the various postings of favorite coming of age novels and attempts to define the term. I work with young children, 7-year-olds, and know my opinion may be biased, BUT...
When I think of characters coming of age, I think of characters who have some how...in some way...successfully placed another piece into the proverbial puzzle of life. I think of Jess Aarons and the valuable lessons about life he learned from his relationship with Leslie Burke in Katherine Paterson's, Bridge to Terabithia...I think of Winnie Tuck and all she discovered about life and death from her stay with the Tuck Family in Natalie Babbitt's, Tuck Everlasting. More recently, I am reminded of Crispin and his travels and experiences with Bear in Avi's, Crispin: The Cross of Lead...I can see the two girls sitting on the roof as they desperately try to make sense of their grief...and their mother's grief...over the death of an infant sibling in Getting Near to Baby by Audrey Couloumbis.
In other words, I view coming of age novels as novels in which the character, through circumstances which are at times unbearable, becomes a more complete human being...one who understands on a deeper level, etc. I don't see coming of age always dealing with "taboo" topics such as drugs, relationships, etc. I see them as dealing with a broader picture...the broader picture of understanding life.
Looking forward to our annual discussion of FAVORITES! Until then...
Regards,
Clark Underbakke 2nd Grade Teacher Trace Crossings Elementary Birmingham, AL
Message----From: Steven Engelfried [mailto:sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us] Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 4:08 PM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: [ccbc-net] coming of age
One of the best coming of age books I've read is "True Believer" by Virginia Euwer Wolff. Lavaughn is such a strong and focused character at the beginning, but as things get more complicated
(crush on a boy, friends changing, mother considering marriage) she starts losing her sense of herself. She goes through some painful things, but some of the changes are positive. Instead of a sincere but vague commitment to go to college, she now has a more personal and specific reason to go...her crush on Jody was disastrous, but she emerges with the potential to appreciate a less obvious choice like Patrick. And as Arthur Slade commented about "Rats Saw God," here's another totally authentic teenage voice.
- Steven Engelfried, Head of Youth Services
Beaverton City Library
12375 SW 5th Street
Beaverton, OR 97005
503R6%99 sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us
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Received on Wed 05 Nov 2003 07:26:04 AM CST
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 07:26:04 -0600
I have enjoyed the various postings of favorite coming of age novels and attempts to define the term. I work with young children, 7-year-olds, and know my opinion may be biased, BUT...
When I think of characters coming of age, I think of characters who have some how...in some way...successfully placed another piece into the proverbial puzzle of life. I think of Jess Aarons and the valuable lessons about life he learned from his relationship with Leslie Burke in Katherine Paterson's, Bridge to Terabithia...I think of Winnie Tuck and all she discovered about life and death from her stay with the Tuck Family in Natalie Babbitt's, Tuck Everlasting. More recently, I am reminded of Crispin and his travels and experiences with Bear in Avi's, Crispin: The Cross of Lead...I can see the two girls sitting on the roof as they desperately try to make sense of their grief...and their mother's grief...over the death of an infant sibling in Getting Near to Baby by Audrey Couloumbis.
In other words, I view coming of age novels as novels in which the character, through circumstances which are at times unbearable, becomes a more complete human being...one who understands on a deeper level, etc. I don't see coming of age always dealing with "taboo" topics such as drugs, relationships, etc. I see them as dealing with a broader picture...the broader picture of understanding life.
Looking forward to our annual discussion of FAVORITES! Until then...
Regards,
Clark Underbakke 2nd Grade Teacher Trace Crossings Elementary Birmingham, AL
Message----From: Steven Engelfried [mailto:sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us] Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 4:08 PM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: [ccbc-net] coming of age
One of the best coming of age books I've read is "True Believer" by Virginia Euwer Wolff. Lavaughn is such a strong and focused character at the beginning, but as things get more complicated
(crush on a boy, friends changing, mother considering marriage) she starts losing her sense of herself. She goes through some painful things, but some of the changes are positive. Instead of a sincere but vague commitment to go to college, she now has a more personal and specific reason to go...her crush on Jody was disastrous, but she emerges with the potential to appreciate a less obvious choice like Patrick. And as Arthur Slade commented about "Rats Saw God," here's another totally authentic teenage voice.
- Steven Engelfried, Head of Youth Services
Beaverton City Library
12375 SW 5th Street
Beaverton, OR 97005
503R6%99 sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us
~ ~ ~ To send a reply to the entire CCBC-Net community,click on...
mailto:ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu To send a request to remove your address from the mailing list, click on...
mailto:ccbc-net-unsub at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
Received on Wed 05 Nov 2003 07:26:04 AM CST
