The Misfits

By: James Howe

I can rembember my middle school experience, and it seems to be full of many memories that I would rather forget. It is such a precious age when you begin to decide who you are and at the same time, you are acutely aware of how others see you. You pick friend, pick sides and are likely to be picked on. The Misfits submerges readers in the reality of middle school and how cruel kids can really be. I felt that Middle School could have been possibly the worst experience of my life. Besides the fact that I was overweight, I jumped groups of friends, begging for anyone to sit with me at lunch. It still amazes me that I have friends to this day because every day in middle school, I was sure that I would turn out to be the friend that noone wanted to have. The Misfits spoke to me - I was Addie - outspoken, always looking for everyone to recognize me for something that I did right, wanting so badly to not be alienated. This book is what every middle schooler, regardeless of the social group they hang out in, needs to read. I can't imagaine that middle school has somehow become any better than when I was there. It seems to have become worse with texting, blogging and technology in general. Bullying is so hurtful at that tender age, when you are so unsure of who you are and so afraid that anyone might call attention to you. Any person can find themself inside of one of Howe's characters - Skeezie the outcast, Joe - who is very sure he is gay, and Bobby who is slighly overweight. The way that they pull together to be who they are and stand up to those who make fun of them reminds me of the courage I wish I had in middle school. It is a must read for all middle schoolers, to know that they are not alone and that labels are only labels and are far from defining any person.

In the Night Kitchen

Written and Illustrated by: Maurice Sendak
Much like "Where the Wild Things Are," Sendak takes the reader on a wild journey where a boy named Mickey travels into the night kitchen and is baked up into a cake and down in a big milk gallon. It is imaginative and creative with illustrations that look much like the very small beginnings of graphic novels at times. The pictures are abstract and include great detail in the background especially Many may see the book as controversial because Mickey is naked and exposed in a few of the pictures. It suffered great critisim in 1970 when it came out and was taken out of many libraries. I suppose this could stir up controversy, however as educators, it is important to ask ourselves if this book is really about a naked boy? In truth, it is about great adventure, dreaming and abstract thinking. There are so many types of literature that children are exposed to daily that are much worse and inappropriate - do we blindfold them? In truth, Sendak created an amazing book that all children should love and do love for reasons other than being naked.