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Re: The F-It List
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From: Emily Townsend <etownsend_at_wisc.edu>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 08:30:52 -0500
Yes, I was struck -- in a positive way -- by the portrayal of sexuality as part of the characters' lives as well as Alex's emotional interactions. These teens, Becca and Alex, are sexual beings and this sexuality is a seamlessly integrated, expected part of their lives. In my experience, this is such a realistic (and healthy) portrayal of teen sexuality. I especially appreciated Alex and Becca's matter-of-fact (to use Megan's terms) conversations about their own sexual experience, desires, and enjoyment.
As for Alex's emotional landscape and interactions... Alex's less-than-empathetic interactions aren't limited to her boyfriend candidate. This is part of who Alex is. When one of Alex's comments sends her mom into tears, it is her middle-school brothers who chastise her for her insensitivity. Like Megan wrote, Alex's isn't broken and she doesn't need to be fixed. This is who she is. I found it so refreshing that Alex wasn't labelled in any way and that this did not become an "issue" book. Once again, like her sexuality, this is one part of Alex and it seems, to me, amazingly realistically portrayed. I would love to hear if or how this book resonates with teens.
On 03/23/14, Megan Schliesman wrote:
>
> We're launching this week's discussion of “The
> F-It List” by Julie Halpern (Feiwel & Friends, 2013) tonight since we'll be at a conference for much of tomorrow.
>
>
>
>
>
> I hope you've had a chance to read "The F-It List." It's a book I found notable for a number of reasons, but
> certainly one of the things that stood out for me in the novel was the refreshing
> matter-of-factness regarding sex. Main character Alex is grounded about sex in
> a way that was striking to me in terms of young adult literature. She isn’t portrayed as desperate or looking
> for affection; she isn’t out there looking for sex; but she enjoys it when the
> right situation presents itself.
>
>
>
> Put simply, Alex, who has agreed to help her best friend,
> Becca, carry out items on her “Bucket List” after Becca is diagnosed with
> Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, finds sexual activity pleasurable, and we see this play out
> in several ways, from a masturbation scene early on to a wonderful sex-in-the
> English-Department storage-room closet scene.
>
>
>
> The relationship aspect of things are a little more
> challenging for Alex. And this was something I thought was terrific about the characterization
> of her. She doesn’t know how to give
> emotionally. It’s not that she doesn’t care about Leo, her boyfriend, it’s that
> she doesn’t know how to show it. She is
> angry when Leo says, “I love you.”
>
>
>
> I found this dimension of the story—Alex’s emotional
> landscape, her discomfort with expressing herself emotionally—wonderfully done.
> She is grieving her father’s death, but this is deeper; this is about who Alex
> is and how she relates to those around her. She isn’t broken; she doesn’t need to be fixed, but she does need to see
> and acknowledge when she has hurt someone because of it.
>
>
>
> And like so much else in the story, how this plays out is funny
> in the delivery, but deeply resonant emotionally.
>
>
>
>
>
> Midweek, author Julie Halpern will join us to take
> questions. In the meantime, I hope those of you who’ve had a chance to read “The
> F-It List” will share your thoughts.
>
>
>
> Megan
>
>
>
>
> --
> Megan Schliesman, Librarian
> Cooperative Children's Book Center
> School of Education
> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290
> Madison, WI 53706
>
> 608-262-9503
> 608-262-4933 (fax)
>
> schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
>
> www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
>
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Received on Tue 25 Mar 2014 08:31:39 AM CDT
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 08:30:52 -0500
Yes, I was struck -- in a positive way -- by the portrayal of sexuality as part of the characters' lives as well as Alex's emotional interactions. These teens, Becca and Alex, are sexual beings and this sexuality is a seamlessly integrated, expected part of their lives. In my experience, this is such a realistic (and healthy) portrayal of teen sexuality. I especially appreciated Alex and Becca's matter-of-fact (to use Megan's terms) conversations about their own sexual experience, desires, and enjoyment.
As for Alex's emotional landscape and interactions... Alex's less-than-empathetic interactions aren't limited to her boyfriend candidate. This is part of who Alex is. When one of Alex's comments sends her mom into tears, it is her middle-school brothers who chastise her for her insensitivity. Like Megan wrote, Alex's isn't broken and she doesn't need to be fixed. This is who she is. I found it so refreshing that Alex wasn't labelled in any way and that this did not become an "issue" book. Once again, like her sexuality, this is one part of Alex and it seems, to me, amazingly realistically portrayed. I would love to hear if or how this book resonates with teens.
On 03/23/14, Megan Schliesman wrote:
>
> We're launching this week's discussion of “The
> F-It List” by Julie Halpern (Feiwel & Friends, 2013) tonight since we'll be at a conference for much of tomorrow.
>
>
>
>
>
> I hope you've had a chance to read "The F-It List." It's a book I found notable for a number of reasons, but
> certainly one of the things that stood out for me in the novel was the refreshing
> matter-of-factness regarding sex. Main character Alex is grounded about sex in
> a way that was striking to me in terms of young adult literature. She isn’t portrayed as desperate or looking
> for affection; she isn’t out there looking for sex; but she enjoys it when the
> right situation presents itself.
>
>
>
> Put simply, Alex, who has agreed to help her best friend,
> Becca, carry out items on her “Bucket List” after Becca is diagnosed with
> Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, finds sexual activity pleasurable, and we see this play out
> in several ways, from a masturbation scene early on to a wonderful sex-in-the
> English-Department storage-room closet scene.
>
>
>
> The relationship aspect of things are a little more
> challenging for Alex. And this was something I thought was terrific about the characterization
> of her. She doesn’t know how to give
> emotionally. It’s not that she doesn’t care about Leo, her boyfriend, it’s that
> she doesn’t know how to show it. She is
> angry when Leo says, “I love you.”
>
>
>
> I found this dimension of the story—Alex’s emotional
> landscape, her discomfort with expressing herself emotionally—wonderfully done.
> She is grieving her father’s death, but this is deeper; this is about who Alex
> is and how she relates to those around her. She isn’t broken; she doesn’t need to be fixed, but she does need to see
> and acknowledge when she has hurt someone because of it.
>
>
>
> And like so much else in the story, how this plays out is funny
> in the delivery, but deeply resonant emotionally.
>
>
>
>
>
> Midweek, author Julie Halpern will join us to take
> questions. In the meantime, I hope those of you who’ve had a chance to read “The
> F-It List” will share your thoughts.
>
>
>
> Megan
>
>
>
>
> --
> Megan Schliesman, Librarian
> Cooperative Children's Book Center
> School of Education
> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290
> Madison, WI 53706
>
> 608-262-9503
> 608-262-4933 (fax)
>
> schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
>
> www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
>
> ==== CCBC-Net Use ====
> You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: etownsend_at_wisc.edu.
>
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> ==== CCBC-Net Archives ====
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> topics (including month/year) is available at...
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>
> To access the archives, go to...
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>
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Received on Tue 25 Mar 2014 08:31:39 AM CDT
