Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Module 7- Split and Close To Famous




Summary
Split tells the story of Jace, a 16-year-old who has run away from home after years of abuse.  Showing up on his brother Christian's doorstep who left home years before, Jace is filled with a variety of emotions.  He is relieved to be out of his abusive home, but also feels guilty for leaving his mother, is angry at his father for what he has done, and is confused as to why he sometimes misses the situation that he has left.  As the story unfolds, Jace and his brother work through these feelings, sometimes stumbling along the way.  The two finally come to acceptance and an uneasy peace at the end of the book.

Avasthi, S. (2010). Split. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

My impressions
This was an incredibly hard book to read due to the graphic depiction of abuse that was present throughout the story.  However, Split offered a very real portrayal of domestic abuse and its effects.  I feel very strongly that this book should be recommended to older students, (Grades 11 and up), due to some disturbing scenes.  Reading such material at a younger age could have negative effect on readers.

Reviews

Carrillo, E. (2010). Split. School Library Journal, 56(3), 151.  After Jace Witherspoon is kicked out by his abusive father, he seeks refuge in Albuquerque with his older brother, whom he hasn't seen in six years. Their mother, also a victim of her husband's abuse, promises to leave him and join her children on Thanksgiving. Jace counts down the days while trying to start a new life and rebuild his relationship with Christian, but he's haunted by a terrible secret and the people he left behind. This gripping story is especially noteworthy because Jace is a victim who has also become an abuser: he hit his girlfriend during an argument the night he left Chicago. He is quick-tempered, proud, and charming, like his father. In contrast, Christian is more like their mother: restrained, deliberate, and humble. Their father's abuse has made Christian emotionally distant, but Jace's presence forces him to open up and confront his guilt about leaving his sibling behind. The brothers' growing relationship, as they turn to each other to escape from their father's shadow, is touching. Jace's narration is raw and intimate, dramatic and poetic; readers will feel his internal struggle keenly. The rest of the characters aren't as richly or skillfully drawn, however, and the plot occasionally lacks subtlety. The book contains graphic depictions of physical abuse, as well as adult language and underage drinking.

Split. (2010). Publishers Weekly, 257(4), 121.
This powerful, never maudlin debut paints a visceral portrait of a 16-year-old on the run from an abusive father. After being kicked out of his family's house in Chicago, Jace flees to his estranged older brother Christian's apartment in Albuquerque, N. Mex., but starting over isn't easy. An array of expected emotions surface, from Jace's hatred toward his father, to hope that his mother will leave her abusive marriage, and resentment over Christian's having abandoned the family years earlier. But it's the less anticipated side of Jace--gradually revealed over the course of the novel--that makes this story so gripping and heartbreaking. He still loves his father despite the terrifying abuse his family has suffered and is ashamed of his own violent tendencies; readers learn Jace attacked his girlfriend when he was still in Chicago, and both brothers fear that Jace could follow in his father's footsteps. When Jace finally turns his back on his past to forge a new future, readers will fully understand the difficulty of the decision. As Avasthi demonstrates, leaving a bad situation and forgiving those responsible is easier said than done. Ages 14up.

Suggestion for library use
Split would make for a good discussion of domestic abuse and the effects that it has on those involved.  The librarian could start by leading a discussion on each of the characters and the effect that the abuse has had on them.  It might also be interesting to discuss whether or not students think that the father himself was abused as a child.  Then, if the discussion lends itself to it, students could discuss their own similar experiences.
 



Summary
Foster McFee and her mother have just left Memphis, leaving behind the mother's abusive boyfriend.  They don't know where they are headed, and after a few days driving they end up in a small town in West Virginia.  Foster soon makes friends with some of the town's inhabitants, including a reclusive movie star.  Remaining steadfast in her dream to become a Food network star, Foster cooks her way into even the hardest hearts of the town. 

Bauer, J. (2011). Close to famous. New York: Viking.

My impressions
While this book felt a little cliché to me, I think that it would have great appeal to middle school or upper elementary-aged girls.  I liked the positive message of the story and the strength that the main character exhibited. 

Reviews

Close to Famous. (2010). Publishers Weekly, 257(49), 58-59.
Bauer (Peeled) tweaks a familiar recipe in this heartwarming novel about a determined girl who faces adversity with humor, heart--and cupcakes. A recent sixth-grade graduate (by the skin of her teeth), Foster McFee lands in tiny Culpepper, W.Va., with her mother after the two of them hightail it away from Mom's abusive, Elvis-impersonator boyfriend in Memphis. Foster has already known her share of tough times: her soldier father was killed in Iraq, and she's been struggling through school, unable to read. But Foster's dream of having her own show on the Food Network is a powerful force, and she takes comfort in baking and in emulating her favorite TV chef. With the help of kind and quirky locals, including a former movie star, Foster makes friends, earns fans for her cupcakes, and even begins to conquer her reading difficulties. Bauer skillfully brings readers to the heart of Culpepper with rich depictions of a contemporary small town and its residents and rhythms. The characters' eventual triumphs are the type that this author's fans eat up.

Gruver, K. E. (2011). Close to Famous. School Library Journal, 57(3), 154.
Sixth-grader Foster McFee is a supremely talented baker and dreams of being a famous television chef like Sonny Kroll, star of her favorite show on the Food Network, but she has already had to face some major challenges in her life. After her father's death in combat in Iraq, she and her mother, a talented singer, have had a hard time financially, and ultimately they are forced to leave Memphis in order to escape her mother's abusive Elvis-impersonator boyfriend. Worst of all, Foster is unable to read because of a learning disability. When she and her mother accidentally end up in Culpepper, WV, Foster finds some unlikely supporters among the tiny town's eccentric residents, including a boy with no camera who dreams of being a documentary filmmaker and a famous retired actress who lives in seclusion on the outskirts of the community. Thanks to them and to her own perseverance, Foster is able to work toward her dream of making the world a better place, one cupcake at a time. The story is fast paced, and readers will be rooting for likable and gutsy Foster, who expresses her views on life in baking metaphors. The quirky residents of Culpepper are equally believable and appealing. Youngsters will find this story tastier than a batch of Foster's triple chocolate cupcakes.
 
 
Suggestion for library use
For this book, it might be fun for students to make up their own Close to Famous-themed recipes.  Students could write out recipes, incorporating ingredients and titles inspired by the story.  They could then either share the recipes by making them, or simply by reading them to their classmates and explaining where they got their ideas.

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