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How Far Is Too Far?
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 11:47:25 -0500
I'm a huge fan of Makus Zusak's new novel I AM THE MESSENGER. In it, a 19-year-old slacker named Ed Kennedy (it's how he would describe himself) who has no direction in life and no plans for the future, begins receiving mysterious mailings.The first envelolpe contains an ace of diamonds from a deck of cards. On the ace is written three address and three times of day, presumably times when he is to visit each address. Ed has no idea who lives at each address, and no idea who has sent him the card. He both resents and is fascinated by the whole siuation. He does go to the first address listed. He is supposed to arrive at midnight. He arrives and has no idea what to do and just observes.
Eventually a man arrives home and he proceeds to brutalize a woman living inside the house. While this is happening, a child comes out and sits on the porch until it is over. It is clear to Ed that this has happened before, and it is clear to him that he has been "sent" to do something, but what? It takes Ed awhile to forumulate a plan, and the plan he comes up with is, in its own way, as disturbing as the events already taking place. Does this book push boundaries? Absolutely--at least I know it did for me. But I appreciate its courage, for many reasons, not the least of which is addressing things that are happenign in the world, and challening the role that we as individuals can play in doing something about them. The actions that Ed takes are ethically and morally questionable. But that's one of th things that makes the book so very rich for discussion with teens. And it is an example of a boundary-pushing book that, by its very boundary-pushing, offers the opportunity for rich exploration of literature and its connection to the world in which young adults inhabit.
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
ph: 608&2?03 fax: 608&2I33 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Wed 22 Jun 2005 11:47:25 AM CDT
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 11:47:25 -0500
I'm a huge fan of Makus Zusak's new novel I AM THE MESSENGER. In it, a 19-year-old slacker named Ed Kennedy (it's how he would describe himself) who has no direction in life and no plans for the future, begins receiving mysterious mailings.The first envelolpe contains an ace of diamonds from a deck of cards. On the ace is written three address and three times of day, presumably times when he is to visit each address. Ed has no idea who lives at each address, and no idea who has sent him the card. He both resents and is fascinated by the whole siuation. He does go to the first address listed. He is supposed to arrive at midnight. He arrives and has no idea what to do and just observes.
Eventually a man arrives home and he proceeds to brutalize a woman living inside the house. While this is happening, a child comes out and sits on the porch until it is over. It is clear to Ed that this has happened before, and it is clear to him that he has been "sent" to do something, but what? It takes Ed awhile to forumulate a plan, and the plan he comes up with is, in its own way, as disturbing as the events already taking place. Does this book push boundaries? Absolutely--at least I know it did for me. But I appreciate its courage, for many reasons, not the least of which is addressing things that are happenign in the world, and challening the role that we as individuals can play in doing something about them. The actions that Ed takes are ethically and morally questionable. But that's one of th things that makes the book so very rich for discussion with teens. And it is an example of a boundary-pushing book that, by its very boundary-pushing, offers the opportunity for rich exploration of literature and its connection to the world in which young adults inhabit.
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
ph: 608&2?03 fax: 608&2I33 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Wed 22 Jun 2005 11:47:25 AM CDT
