"Sunrise Over Fallujah" by Walter Dean Myers

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers follows the story of Robin Perry, a young American man who enlists in the army in an effort to "do something" and "stand up for [his] country" after the tragedies of 9/11. During his deployment in Iraq, Robin works in the Civilian Affairs unit where he befriends fellow soldiers, Marla Kennedy and Charles "Jonesy" Jones, who in turn, give him the nickname, "Birdy." In the Civilian Affairs unit, the intended mission is to keep the Iraqi civilians safe and to assist them in stabilizing their country so that a new, better, democratic government can be established. As the war continues on, growing even more complex, what is asked of these soldiers shifts and changes so frequently and unclearly that the men and women working in the CA unit are left feeling confused, frustrated, and terrified.

This text is a companion book to the award-winning novel, Fallen Angels (1988), which followed the story of Robin's uncle, Richie Perry, as he eagerly joined the army straight out of high school to fight in the Vietnam War. In Sunrise Over Fallujah, Myers includes letters that Robin writes to his "Uncle Richie" in which he shares his experience of war with someone who can relate. While the two novels focus on different wars in which different generations are fighting, Myers highlights many of the same themes in both novels, suggesting that war is both universal and timeless in terms of its horrors and the devastating impacts it leaves on young people and their families.

I have to admit that in first reading this book, it was somewhat difficult for me to get into it and I found myself struggling to pay attention to what I was reading. For me personally, I think it was its narrative style that I was not connecting with strongly. I liked Robin as a character just fine (although he certainly grew on me the more I read), but Robin as a narrator was a little disappointing and boring. He just didn't seem like that great of a storyteller. I also think it was hard for me to really get interested in the novel because the was not a ton of investment or exploration into the other characters. While it makes sense that readers get to know the characters well at the same rate that Robin does, I still found it to be a bit of a downfall for the book. Furthermore, I worry that these factors that made it difficult for me to get interested would also prevent students from getting into the novel. As Kelly mentioned in class, teaching kids books that they don't find interesting is really just a headache for everyone involved.

That being said, I did enjoy the book by the time I finished it (it even brought on a couple of tears for me), so I think as teachers, we would just have to really emphasize to our students that they should stick it out. I think the novel would be particularly effective for older high school students, who maybe can commit more to finishing a novel once they begin it. I really enjoyed the novel's exploration of how truly confusing this war was. Because it is such a relatively recent part of history, I think students will appreciate some of the explanations and viewpoints on the Iraq War that the novel provides.

Some of the themes that I think would be especially worthwhile to look at with students:
1. Realities of War vs. Romanticized Notions of War- Robin often compares the expectations he and others had previously held about the war up against the actual events and circumstances that they encounter. Also, he often comments on the headlines and news coverage that does not truly or wholly reflect what is going on in Iraq.
2. Confusion of War- Frequently, Robin will mention that the thing that is getting to him and his fellow soldiers is that they do not know who exactly they are fighting against or how they should be fighting. Because he is part of the Civilian Affairs unit, this question of "Who is the real enemy?" comes up repeatedly as these soldiers try to help civilians but still remain out of harm's way.
3. "Winning" and "Losing" in War- Going along with the previous theme a bit, Robin often wonders what the point is to what they're doing in Iraq and if there are any real "winners" or "losers" in war.
4. Heroism- This is definitely a significant theme to discuss with students. I would ask students to give a definition for "hero," taking into consideration the way that Robin uses the word in the novel. I would also want students to identify which characters they view as heroic based on their definitions. Another aspect to this theme is the way that people keep up appearances of heroism.
5. Humanity- As part of the Civilian Affairs unit, Robin and his fellow soldiers try to do right by the Iraqi people and make positive change. Some soldiers jump to the defensive and show a willingness to kill whoever risks their lives, while others take a chance and trust the Iraqi people in hopes that they can extend compassion and humanity, ultimately carrying out their intended mission.

"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

In "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers, Steve Harmon, a sixteen-year-old boy, is on trial for murder after a drugstore is robbed and the owner of it is killed. The novel deals with themes of perceptions and judgments, which is clearly aligned with the context of the novel (a courtroom trial). Throughout the novel, Steve worries about how others view him, often encountering difficult and heartbreaking moments where others' perceptions of him are so vastly different from his self-concept. Words like "see" and "look" are used extremely frequently, which I think makes the theme of perceptions pretty obvious and easy to understand for adolescent readers. In introducing this novel as a teacher, I would probably advise my students to circle or highlight those words each time they encounter it so that they can see all of the ways in which they are used.

The novel is set up as a movie script, of which Steve is the screenwriter, and it depicts the courtroom scenes, occasionally including flashbacks to prior moments in Steve's life. Pieces that appear as Steve's journal while he is in prison are also woven into the novel, giving the reader a direct link to Steve's thoughts and feelings. The structure of the book in this way makes it very easy to read, without the need for much deep analysis. Because bits like the flashbacks and the journal entries are placed carefully in certain parts of the text, it would be simple to do a close reading of certain pages in order to get students to draw conclusions about Myers's purposes for putting those particular passages together and how they speak to the larger themes of the text.

For example, on pages 58 and 59, Myers juxtaposes a flashback scene with a journal entry in order to highlight the themes of power and powerlessness. In the flashback scene, Steve is talking with his younger brother, Jerry, who admires and trusts him. The brothers talk about superheroes and Steve says that he would want to be a superhero so that he could "kick butt" when "people would be messing with" him. Jerry affirms Steve by saying that he would be a "cool superhero." Because superheroes are strong and powerful, Myers draws attention to Steve's powerlessness and lack of control over his own destiny by including this interaction with his brother. On the following page, the journal entry includes Steve's thoughts on how he doesn't feel "involved" or like he has a "role" in the case that directly involves him. In this way, Steve comments on his frustrating powerlessness, which clearly opposes the power that he pictures himself having as a superhero. This close reading of these two pages would be a great way to get a discussion going with students about how much control they have over their own lives.

"The Red Umbrella" by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

In The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, the life of a fourteen-year-old Cuban girl named Lucia Alvarez is drastically changed when soldiers of the communist revolution enter into her village and begin to take over. Despite her parents' attempts to maintain normalcy and keep certain liberties intact, the revolution only grows more oppressive and dangerous, leading them to make an incredibly difficult decision. In order to protect Lucia and her seven-year-old brother Frankie, her parents choose to send their children to the U.S., where they are placed in a foster home with an elderly couple, the Baxters, in Grand Island, Nebraska. With only a little English under their belts and the slight knowledge they have acquired through the media about U.S. culture, Lucia and Frankie must adapt to life in the U.S. without the comfort of their parents' physical presence.

First of all, I just want to say that I really enjoyed this book and can definitely see myself using it in a classroom. It hits on many great themes and depicts Cuba's history in an interesting, adolescent-friendly way. One of the aspects of the book that I think will be the most meaningful for our students is the way Gonzalez illustrates the adolescent experience in a general sense. When I was an undergraduate, I took an Educational Psychology class that was on Adolescent Development and in reading this book, I was pleased and surprised to see how many areas that Gonzalez highlighted as part of Lucia's adolescent experience. Particularly, Gonzalez spends a lot of time exploring Lucia's desire not to be treated like a little girl and to be independent and free from her parents' rules. This longing for autonomy is prevalent for any adolescent, and so I think it will make Lucia as a character that our students can relate to easily. Furthermore, I think Lucia's desire for independence is mirrored beautifully with the text's study of how Cubans like Lucia's parents wanted independence from the communist regime.

Another area of adolescent development that Gonzalez stresses in the novel is a teen's desire to fit in and belong. In both Cuba and the U.S., Lucia ventures to blend in and make friends by doing what is popular among her peers, like wearing certain clothes and using specific makeup. Given the fact that the communist revolution in Cuba during the early 1960s depended largely on adolescent groups for recruiting and spreading the message that communism is "right" and capitalism is "wrong," I think the theme of conformity and belonging are particularly interesting to discuss. I think this novel provides a great way to discuss politics with our students in a way that makes them question the roles that they themselves play in politics as adolescents.

Lastly, because the novel deals with being forced to grow up quickly and losing innocence in that process, I think it would be really great to group this novel with others that depict how political forces require adolescents to assume responsibility before they should have to take it on. Some good books to group with it may include The Book Thief or Night.

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