Module 6: Keesha's House

Frost, Helen. 2007. KEESHA’S HOUSE. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. ISBN: 978-0-374-40012-5.

Living in an unnamed city, seven teenagers in high school narrate this novel in verse. The novel is divided into eight parts containing seven poems. Six of these parts are narrated by the teenagers, while the other two parts consist of poems from the adults who come into contact with them. The title of each part is taken from the title of one of the poems in the section, except in Part III, “On Their Own.” (The poem title is close enough, “On Her Own,” and is narrated by the mother of one of the teenagers.) The consistent structure of each section allows the teenaged narrators to tell their stories as equals. There is no main character with a supporting cast, and each story is unique and important.

At the beginning if the novel, the teenaged narrators are all in trouble, or they have recently experienced trouble. Stephie is pregnant, and Jason, the father of her baby, is a star basketball player who will lose his chance at a college scholarship. Dontay lives with a foster family while his parents are in jail, and Carmen has a problem with alcohol and ends up in jail. Harris is gay, and his plans to take another boy to a dance meet with anger from his father. Finally, Katie has escaped abusive advances from her stepfather and has ended up in her own room in Keesha’s basement.

The young people tell their first five stories in sestinas. For their final stories, and for the stories by the adults, Frost uses Italian and English sonnets. Her notes on each of these poetic forms at the end of this slim novel explain the specifics of each and how she adapted them to fit her purpose. Sestinas do not have a rhyme scheme, and each line does not have a fixed number of syllables as a sonnet does. The overall effect of the 39-line sestinas is that the teenagers have more space to tell their stories and are less constricted than they would be in a more rigidly constructed sonnet. Their confusion about their situations and their comments and observations about life have more time to develop.

As if to suggest a positive resolution, the teenagers’ final poems are sonnets, with the last line of one person’s sonnet becoming the first line of the next person’s. The first line of the section, “Keesha’s house is set back off the street,” is also the last line of the book. For the first time, Keesha’s house is mentioned by each of the young narrators. At this point in the novel, they have tied up their problems and are getting on with their lives. Of all the teenagers, only Katie and Harris look to be long-term residents of the house. Steph stays there a short time after becoming pregnant, Jason does not stay there at all, and Dontay and Carmen only say they are using the house as a place to which to escape, he from his foster family while he waits for his parents to be released from jail, and she from her old friends and their expectations that she will drink with them. Having lost her younger brother, Keesha seems to have lost the most, but even she is ready to “head uphill with all the life I’ve got—my own” (105).

One main idea is that everyone should have a safe place. Early in the poems, each of the characters uses the words “house” and “home,” but these words do not evoke comfort. Instead, these are the places of abuse and misunderstanding, of drinking and violence. Keesha’s “house” is not hers at all; it is owned by Joe, who according to his sonnets, was once a troubled young person taken in by his aunt. At some point, he did the same for Keesha, and she has repaid the favor by taking in others. Keesha’s house is a place of laughter, that safe haven.

Frost raises another theme through the use of “hurdles” as a metaphor, as Stephie mentions in her poem, “We Pass Each Other.” When she asks, “But how does someone face an unexpected hurdle like that?/That touches on what counts. And there’s no grade for that” (56), she is talking about all the young people (and even the adults) forced to make decisions based on certain circumstances. Frost is at her best here, and throughout she brings readers inside her teenaged and adult characters and does so with realistic language, memorable imagery and characters who wonder where they fit in and what they should do. “Revealing heartbreak and hope, these poems could stand alone, but work best as a story collection” (Reynolds). This is a short novel full of power where readers will see others dealing with situations that may or may not have been of their own choosing. They are just those “hurdles” life sticks in our way.

Reference List
Reynolds, Angela J. 2003. Review of Keesha’s House by Helen Frost. School Library Journal 49(3): 232. Library, Information Science & Technology (LISTA) database through TWU Library. Accessed 26 November 2011.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Grade 8 & up

Review Excerpts
In a long note, Frost talks about the poetic forms she has used, the sestina and the sonnet. But most readers will be less interested in that framework than in the characters, drawn with aching realism, who speak poetry in ordinary words and make connections. (Booklist, March 1, 2003)

In a surprisingly rigid format, the poems manage to seem spontaneous and still carry the plot easily. With a number of threads to follow, no one character is at the center, but there is great satisfaction in seeing the narratives gradually mesh as the isolation recedes and support is given. Impressive. (Kirkus Reviews )

With personal problems galore, these teenagers still find ways to reach out and help others in need. Spare, eloquent, and elegantly concise, Frost's novel will reach reluctant readers as well as those drawn to Go Ask Alice or work by Walter Dean Myers, Nancy Garden, Carolyn Coman, or Ann M. Martin. Public, private, or correctional educators and librarians should put this must-read on their shelves. (Voice of Youth Advocates, April 1, 2003)

What makes Keesha's House different from many out verse novels is Frost's exploration of different poetic forms from sonnets to sestinas which she talks about at the end of the novel. Frost is an accomplished poet and Keesha's House is an inventive first novel. (Books in Canada, August 1, 2003)

Teens may read this engaging novel without even realizing they are reading poetry. (School Library Journal, March 1, 2003)

In her first YA novel, Frost profiles seven teens in trauma, artfully revealed through sestinas and sonnets… Making the most of the poetic forms, the author breathes life into these teens and their stories, resulting in a thoughtfully composed and ultimately touching book. (Publishers Weekly, April 21, 2003)

Review Excerpts from Books in Print database, TWU Library, accessed 15 November 2011.

Awards & Recognition
Michael L. Printz Honor Book, 2004

Module 6: Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon, and Dean Hale. 2008. RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN: 978-1-59990-070-4. Illustrated by Nathan Hale.

This graphic novel update to the traditional tale of Rapunzel is set in the American Southwest in the time of cowboys and miners. As expected, it begins “Once upon a time…” and is a story told by Rapunzel, who lives in a huge castle with servants who attend to her every need and desire. She has never seen the world beyond the castle and keeps having a strange dream about what lies out there. Her “mother,” the sinister Gothel, assures her that the only world she needs to know is the world of her huge house and legions of servants. Is that enough for Rapunzel, or will she have to see things for herself? On her twelfth birthday, she makes her decision, and that curiosity has far-reaching consequences.

This entertaining story follows Rapunzel as she makes a humorous foray over the wall and into the blighted land outside with the aid of a rope and her note to readers, “Call me a numbskull if you like” (11). Nathan Hale’s illustrations of the huge castle, its occupants and its plant life are colorful and rendered in specific lifelike detail, and his landscape just outside of it is arid, grey and smoky, its slave-like characters downtrodden as they haul dirt. It is here that Rapunzel finds and learns the truth about her real mother, with her flashbacks and memories recreated in gold-tinted panels. Her dream about her mother was real, and she confronts Gothel, who imprisons her in a “creepy tree…with a hollowed-out room high up…perfect for imprisoning a trouble-maker” (24).

True to the original, Rapunzel spends a long time imprisoned, and over time her red hair grows and grows and grows, eventually getting long enough to enable her to use it as a rope for another escape. She cannot return to her house and the cushy lifestyle she had before. Instead, she must use her wits to survive in a landscape controlled by Gothel and her magic. Gothel is everywhere, and her influence over the setting is simple: in the past she used her magic, “the ability to make things grow or dry up as fast as a bird flies” (86), according to old Jasper, a former town witch. Gothel, then, is a fairy-tale symbol of evil who controls the lives of everyone in “Gothel’s Reach,” a helpful map of which is included in the text. As might be expected, the farmers, miners and fishermen living there lead lives of misery.

Shannon and Dean Hale propel Rapunzel through a series of encounters with a lively cast of characters, some of whom are employed by Gothel and others who remember a better time before she conquered the land. Early on, she meets a thief named Jack, who just happens to have a goose. (His name and choice of pet evoke other fairy tales.) He helps her as she becomes embroiled in situations with cattle rustlers, kidnappers and coyotes on their journey to topple Gothel. When necessary, Rapunzel uses her hair like a lasso to free herself and Jack from the danger threatens to derail their quest.

Nathan Hale's design and illustration use different numbers of panels per page to show the rich, stylized settings, clothing and characters from the Southwest. Character close-ups reveal a wide range of emotions and feelings, from shock to calculation, from surprise to happiness, and from frustration to anger. The dialogue is always lively and riddled with humor, even when the action is at its most dangerous. Rapunzel’s narration in the yellowed text boxes adds to the humor by giving her another means of expressing her voice. She is sarcastic, jealous and descriptive of both the action and her feelings.

As is to be expected, the good represented by Rapunzel (and Jack and all the decent people they have encountered) triumphs over the evil as embodied by Gothel. At the climax of the story, things might look bleak, but they right themselves with a bit of luck, cunning, and magic. Overall, “the story is an enticing departure from the original” (von Wrangel Kinsey). With its artwork, dialogue and overall snappy storyline, this novel will appeal to readers of all ages, especially those who love modern versions of fairy tales. Jack has a trick or two to offer, and he and Rapunzel have that happy ending rife with romance. And his pet goose? That may show up in a sequel.


Reference List
von Wrangel Kinsey, Cara. 2008. Review of Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale. School Library Journal 54(9): 215. Library, Information Science & Technology (LISTA) database through TWU Library. Accessed 26 November 2011.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (Grade 5 & up)

Review Excerpts
Hale's art matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape. Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers. (Booklist, September 1, 2008)

Knowing that there are more graphic novels to come from this writing team brings readers their own happily-ever-after. (School Library Journal, September 1, 2008)

The Hale team creates an engaging heroine…This novel presents entertaining girl power at its quirkiest. (Voice of Youth Advocates, October 1, 2008)

Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action--Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless. With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody. (Publishers Weekly, August 4, 2008)

Review Excerpts from Books in Print database, TWU Library, accessed 15 November 2011.

Awards & Recognition
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
Young Reader's Choice Award

Module 6: Crank

Hopkins, Ellen. 2004. CRANK. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 978-0-689-86519-0.

More systematic readers usually read the Dedication and Author’s Note before tackling a particular novel. Often, they glean some piece of information that sticks in the backs of their minds as they read and helps them makes sense of why the author wrote that work. In this case, Hopkins informs readers that this chronicle of Kristina’s gradual addiction to methamphetamine (also known as “crank”) is “loosely based on a very true story—my daughter’s” (Author’s Note). That fact alone gave this story of a young girl’s fall into an abyss a larger importance, and readers feel it on every page.

Without knowing the background of the author, readers learn early on the intensity of the story. Narrating in the first person, Kristina is visiting her father, someone with his own life problems, during the summer. Even if she may not want to be there, she has to. Her parents are divorced, and the visit is part of the settlement. Her mother has remarried and is living in Reno, while the biological father is working in a bowling alley between and is subject to bouts of drug and alcohol abuse. He also lives in an apartment in a rough part of Albuquerque.

As a character, Kristina begins the novel as an inexperienced girl off on her own, seemingly for the first time. She is interested in her parents' divorce and tries not to harbor ill will toward them. Indeed, she shows an ability to forgive her father his sins, as long as “I could forever/stay his little princess” (39). When she meets Adam in her father’s building, her independence feeds her curiosity, especially because it is the first time in her life a boy has noticed her. Given her sheltered background, she is taken with him, and readers can easily understand how quickly she begins experimenting with him. After all, she is far away from her mother and her rules. Her new setting with her permissive (or distracted) father provides her the opportunity for something and someone new. With Adam, she takes on a new personality, telling him her name is Bree. Bree is unrestrained, a girl willing to take risks to satisfy her desires.

The tension between Kristina and her alter ego, Bree, drives the rest of the plot. Eventually, there’s a return to Reno, to her brother, mother (a writer) and stepfather in their suburban house. Kristina must fight with Bree, but Bree ends up winning. When school begins, Bree is in control, and her desires are unfettered. She has to find crank, and she will do whatever it takes to get it. The plot is somewhat predictable in this cautionary tale, as Kristina begins doing worse in school and placing herself in a number of dangerous situations in her search for drugs and dalliances with boys. Her family relationships are strained as she tries hide Bree from them and almost succeeds.

Hopkins writes this sad, gripping story in free verse. Often, when Kristina is caught up in questions or internal debates, or when there is conversation, the poems are written in two columns. Kristina and her father have such a conversation in “He hadn’t Changed After All” (67), and she and her mother engage in a conversation in “Grounded UFN” (258), when Kristina's “new” life is becoming clearer to her mother. These poems and the others like them can be read as one complete poem or as two different poems to isolate the arguments and responses of each of the character. Hopkins also writes in shaped poems, as in “I Even Spent Time at the Bowling Alley” (65), where the stanzas resemble lane markings, and in “Ecstasy Is Hard to Describe” (427-8), with its lines written and inverted as the bars of the letter “E.” “Snow Began to Fall” (514) reminds readers of falling snowflakes (and is one of the few descriptions of setting in the entire novel).

The titles of the poems all echo the schizophrenia of Kristina and Bree and do a fine job of establishing her descent into a world not easily understood. The poems are written in a variety of forms that capture the voice of a confused high school girl and “paint painfully sharp images of Kristina/Bree and those around her, detailing how powerful the ‘monster’ can be” (Korbeck). The language is simple and intense, and the whole story is worthwhile. Readers will find themselves hoping for the best for Kristina but sympathetic as she hurtles toward the worst.

Reference List
Korbeck, Sharon. 2004. Review of Crank by Ellen Hopkins. School Library Journal 50(11): 145. Library, Information Science & Technology (LISTA) database through TWU Library. Accessed 26 November 2011.

Highly Recommended (Grade 9 & up): Be forewarned, though, that this can be a very tough topic for everyone involved, teens and adults.

Review Excerpts
Although the author is definitely on a mission, she creates a world nearly as consuming and disturbing as the titular drug. (Publishers Weekly, November 1, 2004)

Although novels in verse are not new anymore, this one still works. Hopkins delivers a gritty, fast-paced read while effectively portraying the dangers of substance abuse without sounding pedantic or preachy. Teens will relate to Kristina's desire to experiment as well as her difficulty balancing conflicting feelings. (Voice of Youth Advocates, February 1, 2005)

The poems are masterpieces of word, shape, and pacing, compelling readers on to the next chapter in Kristina's spiraling world. This is a topical page-turner and a stunning portrayal of a teen's loss of direction and realistically uncertain future. (School Library Journal, November 1, 2004)

But Hopkins uses the spare, fragmented style to powerful effect, heightening the emotional impact of dialogues, inner monologues, and devastating scenes, including a brutal date rape. Readers won't soon forget smart, sardonic Kristina; her chilling descent into addiction; or the author's note, which references her own daughter's struggle with the monster. (Booklist, November 15, 2004)

Review Excerpts from Books in Print database, TWU Library, accessed 15 November 2011.