The INtersection of Genre & YA (12.13.2022)

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The INtersection of Genre & YA (12.13.2022)

12/5/2022

This novel is an example of "genre fiction" (as opposed to literary fiction) in addition to being YA. In your post to the discussion board this week, in 300 words, discuss how the conventions of this genre (fantasy) work with or against the conventions we see in YA. How could reading a novel like Barren Ground connect young people to the kinds of texts typically taught in a high school classroom? How could it connect young readers (or any readers) to our actual world?

THE TEXT
Barren Ground is certainly written for a YA audience. I think you will find many of the kinds of themes we've been talking about all semester long (a relationship to authority, like parents, often antagonistic, coming of age/loss of innocence, the experience of "firsts") . However, Barren is also an example of another genre--fantasy. As genre's go, this is a pretty popular one for all ages. Many of you are avid readers of the genre. I have to admit, I'm not really. I could barely get through The Lord of the Rings bbooks.

No, most of my high level nerd cred comes from an unflagging devotion to the original Star Wars. Though I've come to believe that Rogue One is the best Star Wars movie ever made (it wasn't a boy who saved the universe--it was a girl!).

Anyway, I'll be very curious what you have to say about this novel in terms of what fantasy allows you to talk about and connect to with students as readers and writers.

TEST CLASSROOM
You are working with 11th graders at Bridgewater Raynham. We taught a 9th grade class early on in the semester. Let's use the same profile for the class, but place them in 11th grade--I think that's a good age range for this novel. And, to be clear, there is a lot more going on in it, as you will see, than horror/fantasy.

37 Comments

Meaghan Cook

12/10/2022 10:31:46 am

I am definitely what you would consider an avid fantasy reader. It was Harry Potter that first sparked my love of reading. It was the Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas that got me firmly back into reading in 2020. That being said, it can be challenging to write fantasy for a YA audience. A lot of contemporary fantasy relies on political systems, war, violence and physical passion in order to tell a story. These things can be scaled back in order to fit a YA audience. With fantasy books, it can be a bit easier to nail down your themes and messaging, because the rules and lore of the universe are entirely up to you. For instance, if you want the novel to be about challenging authority, you can write a dystopian story like the Hunger Games or Divergent. In these worlds, the authors make all the rules. If you want a novel to be about found family and self-discovery, you can write stories like Six of Crows or Harry Potter.

Barren Grounds does something a little different. The novel takes a lot of traditional Indigenous folklore and writes it into a unique fantasy world. By making the choice to have the two main animal characters speak traditional English, the fantasy world becomes more accessible to a younger audience. By giving Morgan the main motivation of protecting her foster brother, you set the story up for a theme of connection and family. With the addition of Morgan learning her own history, the story becomes about self-identity.

Reading Barren Grounds would be a much more enjoyable experience for an 11th grade class than the traditional John Steinbeck, Jane Austen, or Charles Dickens novels they may typically read. This novel’s main characters are younger than our 11th graders, but not by very much. The students would be able to more easily connect to these characters, especially given the teenager’s general lack of respect for authority. They also live in a modern world, which makes it easier for the 2022 student to connect to the real-life experiences in the novel. Barren Grounds could also serve as a look inside the foster care system for students who may know very little about the inner workings and realities of such an existence.

I think it’s important to note that this story would be an excellent follow up or precursor to Firekeeper’s Daughter. These novels offer different perspectives on Indigenous culture. For one thing, Barren Grounds is fantasy, while Firekeeper’s Daughter is grounded more in reality. Also, Barren Grounds is told from the vantage point of a character who is not very connected with her Indigenous culture, whereas our main character from Firekeeper’s Daughter is more enmeshed in it.

Megan Moore

12/10/2022 12:29:14 pm

Hi Meghan, I agree that this novel is much more accessible to 11th-graders than some of the other books they typically read at this grade level. I believe "The Barren Grounds" is technically considered a middle-grade novel, which means it will be even easier to digest. However, because the words of the text are easy to read, you can do a lot with the thematic content of the novel. Like you said, there are a lot of opportunities to pair this text with discussions of the foster system and contemporary issues Indigenous youth face. A research project could be easily incorporated into a unit on this book, and students could even connect it to the issues facing local Indigenous communities.

Samantha Tyrrell

12/12/2022 04:49:49 am

Hi Meaghan,

I agree that Barren Grounds is a very accessible novel, especially to students who wouldn't consider themselves readers. The novel draws in even the most reluctant reader, and enables the reader to connect with its characters. I also agree that it would make an excellent follow-up to Firekeeper's Daughter. Both offer varying perspectives on Indigenous culture, and offer a different viewpoint than most students are used to.

Jenivieve D'Andrea

12/13/2022 11:49:34 am

Hi there Meaghan,

You seem to have a passion for the fantasy genre. I agree with you that fantasy can act as a door for the young adult reader to understand heavy, controversial issues that plague us as a society. The fantasy element helps these become easier to digest for the young adult reader, and can be connected to real world issues or representations in class discussions.

I think that generally fantasy keeps most students engaged. As you note, since this book tells Morgan and Eli's story in a contemporary setting students are more likely to understand the language, context, and background of the story. This read is achievable for most students, and could serve as an introduction to a love for reading if they continue to read this saga.

This would be an interesting book to pair with The Firekeeper's Daughter. How would you do that? Would you construct a Native literature unit, or would it have a theme?

Great job!

Meagan

12/14/2022 08:25:42 pm

Hi Meagan,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with all of us! Something that caught my attention about your post is the passion that you have for fantasy books. I think also that the beauty about fantasy is that it is able to introduce hard topics to readers while transporting them to a different reality. This novel, especially, does a great job presenting hard topics, such as the foster care system, that many of these students might relate to or even know what it is about. I think something very powerful can come from teaching this text in the classroom. I think the key is for educators to find connections between the text and students' lives for them to understand certain concepts if they are unknown to them.

Patricia Diaz

12/14/2022 08:26:54 pm

This was my comment! I put the wrong name by accident.

Megan Moore

12/10/2022 12:24:38 pm

"The Barren Grounds" is a very rich novel. Robertson blends fantasy and reality into a very nuanced discussion of land use vs. land rights, white saviorism, and found family. I think this would be a great novel to teach leading up to winter break, as the imagery used is very vivid and wintery. It would also give students a break from the more classical texts they often read. The words of the text are easier to read than other novels traditionally taught in 11th-grade classrooms, but the themes are just as complex.
Fantasy is a very varied genre, and a lot of young readers find it enjoyable to read. Escapism through literature is something we even see in our main character, Morgan, and I'm sure students in the class would be able to relate to her in this sense. "The Barren Grounds" is interesting to analyze, as the escape into fantasy is literal for our main characters. However, the fantasy world of Askí reflects the real-world problems our main characters face.
As is common in fantasy, the characters cannot simply escape their problems by traveling to another world. The issues that face many Indigenous peoples, especially our main characters who have been separated from their birth families, extend to the fantasy world. The concept could be interesting for the class to explore. I would have my students track the various contemporary issues discussed in the novel and analyze how they are allegorically (or explicitly) represented. Unlike many of the more "classic" novels high school juniors read, this novel discusses relevant, contemporary issues. Reading this novel could be paired with research into the Indigenous communities of the South Shore and a deeper look into the ways the conflicts discussed in "The Barren Grounds" are relevant in our own communities.

Megan Keller

12/11/2022 04:54:04 pm

Hi Megan,
I want to start off by saying your response was brilliantly written in my opinion, it made for such a pleasant read. In terms of your content, I really enjoyed how you specified when you would teach this novel. I feel like this was a very appropriate way to approach the conversation and unit as a whole. Additionally, I enjoyed how you stated the main commonalities within the genre of fantasy and applied them to the novel. Overall, I thought this was very well developed and I enjoyed reading it, great job!

Adam Fernandes

12/11/2022 09:47:13 am

To preface my response, I am not well-versed in fantasy. The following is an attempt to tie my limited knowledge of the genre with my hypothetical teaching style. As a deeply broad category that many young readers love reading, fantasy novels provide a means of escape for Such an escape through books is indeed shown in our protagonist, Morgan, and I'm certain my pupils may identify with her in this way. "The Barren Grounds" is an intriguing complex story to examine since our main characters' retreat into imagination is tangible. Nevertheless, the mythical realm of Ask echoes the big issues that Morgan encounters. The notion may be fascinating to further investigate. I would have my pupils trace the narrative's themes and assess whether they are abstractly (or concretly) addressed. Contrary to many of the more "quintessential" works that juniors read, this story addresses important themes.

Mary Viera

12/20/2022 08:12:56 am

Hi Adam! It’s interesting that you view the fantasy realm as a physical manifestation of her imagination. It would be interesting to have students start with that first and see if this would be a better way to address the themes that come up. It seems like a psychoanalytic approach. I think I took a similar approach but from a different direction. I started first with having the students imagine that the world is real. I think especially with fantasy, even though you know it’s not possible, suspension of disbelief allows you to become engrossed in this “imaginary world” so that the characters become real (even if they are talking animals). I would have students compare the imaginary world to our real one.

Megan Keller

12/11/2022 04:44:01 pm

When looking into the genre of fantasy and how it applies to an 11th-grade classroom, my initial thought was pure fear. The only fantasy books I truly remember reading and enjoying were when I was a young child, up until I read Barren Grounds. This novel provides a lot of insight into themes touching upon individual self-identity and the exploration to find that sense of self. In terms of the genre this piece falls under, I see a bit of fantasy in the atmosphere of the setting the author provides to the reader. The world of Aski provides a lot of fantasy aspects while still connecting to the main characters within the novel. The author's characters include two animal characters, which is wildly uncharacteristic of other genres of writing. For an 11th-grade classroom, I feel that this novel is appropriate because it brings the reader on a journey to find a sense of self. Along this journey comes the obvious bumps in the road, all of which are learning experiences. Students in the grade we are being asked to teach this content to can most likely relate to the characters by recognizing their hardships and battles. In terms of what I would use to teach this content, the language is not super difficult, so I would approach this novel with an essay assignment after reading the novel together as a class. I will have students go chapter for chapter and take notes while we read in the classroom. Once I ask the students to write an essay, their ideas and content matter will hopefully already be written down in their journals based on the notes they were actively taking during class time.

Meaghan Cook

12/12/2022 03:02:02 pm

Hi Megan,

I can certainly understand your fear about discussing fantasy novels. I think they have a reputation of being dense and hard to understand. I feel that Barren Grounds is a good introduction into fantasy, because there is a separate fantasy world in which the story takes place, but the characters themselves are still grounded in reality. I agree that the language can be intimidating in some fantasy novels and this novel doesn’t have that issue, especially with the language guide provided. I love the idea of a chapter-by-chapter journal, which will certainly set the students up for success when it comes time to write their essays. I think it’s so important to take notes throughout, especially with fantasy, because so many small details can slip your mind when it comes time to write about them.

Allie Gallahue

12/13/2022 09:24:50 am

Hi Megan!
I did not mention much about how this novel presents a journey to find your own sense of self, but I am really happy that you offered this perspective for me to consider. This type of writing is easily relatable for a group of high school students. I think that, for the most part, they are struggling with the realization of who they are, and this can be challenging. I think that it was really important that you mentioned how there will be bumps in the road leading to self actualization, but all of the students will eventually carve out their identity and overcome the struggles. I think that is a very important idea to teach to students in their time of confusion. Great work!

Samantha Tyrrell

12/12/2022 04:57:46 am

The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson provides an excellent entry into reading for reluctant readers. It is more accessible to this group than the classic novels usually taught in the English classroom. Young readers can connect to the novel because of its fantasy genre. The more imaginative world of Aski would appeal to young readers more than books that aren't in the fantasy genre. In theory, the novel would help reading to appeal to more students, and allow them to be more receptive to the classic novels that are usually taught. Because of its Indigenous characters, the novel also offers a perspective not usually taught in the English classroom. For assignments, I would divide the class into small groups to discuss the themes of the novel. I would then ask each group to talk about what they discussed, and identify a key theme of the novel. I would also ask the students to free write their thoughts on themselves as readers, and whether the novel appealed to them or not.

Linnea Fawkes

12/13/2022 06:31:50 am

Hi Samantha,
I enjoyed reading your post. I also believe that this genre can be much more appealing to YA readers, especially in an 11th grade. I think that having Indigenous characters is unique, as most standard English novels that we read in high school do not have this. Students that come from similar backgrounds would appreciate this and probably enjoy the novel. I think your idea for small group work discusses themes is a great idea.

Nicole Shepard

12/13/2022 09:34:34 am

Hi Samantha!

I enjoyed reading your thoughts to the discussion question this week. I definitely agree with you that that The Barren Grounds is a novel that would appeal to those students who don't particularly love reading. I especially liked the point you made that the Indigenous characters offer a perspective not typically taught in an ELA classroom. You are definitely correct in saying that as a lot of books taught in the classroom have characters who are white and come from a middle class household. Great job this week!

Patricia Diaz

12/14/2022 08:30:04 pm

Hi Samantha,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with all of us! Something that caught my attention about your post is the assignments that you were thinking about implementing in the classroom. I think a novel like this one is rich enough to provide students with an opportunity to have conversations among each other and to answer challenging questions that help them reflect both about the text and their personal life. Thinking about powerful assignments maybe having students answer to writing prompts in class related to the novel would be beneficial for them to keep thinking about the themes present and to keep reflecting on the material they just read.

Katie Rodrigues

12/12/2022 05:54:56 pm

I was never a big fantasy reader. The only fantasy books I have ever read were The Magic Treehouse books when I was a child and even that phase was very short lived. So that means that my experience and knowledge of this genre is limited, but also leaves me curious about what the genre has to offer. While this book also falls under the genre of fantasy, we see the YA aspects in the book, such as navigating relationships with peers and family and figuring out one's identity.

To teach this novel, I would have my students do prior research to gain some background knowledge of the Indigenous people so they have some prior information going into the text. For an assignment, I would want my students to participate in a low stakes assignment that I think would be fun to them. I would want them to get creative and create their own fantasy world that they would open a portal to. This could be connected to the students heritage and cultural background, or be the complete opposite. I think that this book would be a good opportunity to allow the students to explore their imaginations.

Linnea Fawkes

12/13/2022 06:24:33 am

I think that incorporating genre fiction in the classroom would be popular amongst an 11th grade English class. It’s an escape from reality and allows YA readers to really tap into their imaginations and curiosities. I have always enjoyed reading genre fiction as a teenager and now. I love the Divergent series, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Mortal Instruments, etc. Reading genre fiction novels in the class can be a break from the more formal classic novels, that are often based in the past and not up to date with the current times.Students might appreciate this type of book more and get more invested into it. I remember most of my friends and classmates enjoying watching these movies based on the books, so being able to read them in class would definitely be interesting and compelling to them. It’s also important that as English teachers, that we provide a variety of genres to our students, especially in an 11th grade classroom, where the students are used to reading the same standard classic novels. Those novels are just as important to read and should be respected, however students might be more interested and happy about reading genre fiction.

Reading the novel The Barren Ground would be great to teach and discuss in an 11th grade classroom. It offers something fresh and new to students that they probably haven't read in the regular classroom yet. It touches upon common themes in YA books such as growing up, family, first experiences, and having a role/place in society. The animal characters offer a different approach to normally having humans as the main characters. I think this would be really appealing to students. The book touches upon the foster care system, which students may be able to relate to. Normally novels we read in English classes do not often mention foster care systems or have main characters from them, so this is a great representation of this. This would be a great novel to read in a 2022 class, I would definitely want to incorporate this in my future classroom.

Chloe Tavernier

12/13/2022 09:36:27 am

Hi Linnea,

I really enjoyed reading your response! I agree with you that incorporating The Barren Grounds into a potential curriculum could serve as an excellent foray into the imaginative curiosities of the fantastical, while still maintaining contemporary merit within an academic environment. While it does utilize rather atypical elements and choice of characters, it will portray to students the intricacies of structure, and that not all novels necessarily need to be created in the same fashion.

Maddy Ames

12/13/2022 07:01:24 pm

I had completely forgotten about the Divergent series until I read your post- that has nothing to do with what I wanted to say, but I just had to get it out. Anyway, I liked your mention of the foster care system. In 301, we're talking about underserved students and kids in the foster care system absolutely fall into that category... your post made me think about how neat it would be to give students who are living in the foster care system an opportunity to feel seen, even in a small way.

Allie Gallahue

12/13/2022 06:28:07 am

While reading “The Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga,” I found myself not as able to easily relate to the text as I have been with other novels that we have read so far this semester. This is something that may make the text a little more challenging to teach, but there are still many takeaways that the students would be able to analyze and understand. For instance, this text reveals how some people use fantasy to escape from a harsh reality. Morgan is living a very difficult life as a child in the foster care system. She has been having a hard time making connections with families, as she has been passed around to new ones for a lot of her life. This is a real world issue that happens every day around us, even if we do not often realize it. I think that the purpose of this story being young adult, but also fantasy, is to show us the connections we can make between fantasy and reality. The portal was opened because of Eli’s art being hung on the wall. Art is Eli’s escape from the reality of his situation. He is new to the system, so he uses something he loves as a way to sort of “neglect” his problems. So, this passion being the way that the portal opens is a significant part of the story; it more clearly shows an active escape from one reality to another. Although a portal opening is unrealistic and difficult to relate to, the picture that it presents of the desire to escape your problems in the real world through an expression of oneself is a relatable topic that comes from the fantasy. Although I would not have paired these two genres together before reading this novel, I think that they really complement each other and work in a way to emphasize the main points in each genre.

Alexa Delling

12/13/2022 07:00:06 am

Hi Allie!

I like how you mention you could not easily relate to this story like some of the other stories we have read this semester. I felt a lot of empathy for Morgan, but I do wish her character was a bit older and more relatable in the sense of age wise and maturity. I liked how you also mentioned Eli's escape is through his artwork and although this makes the story fantasy, it does definitely reflect real world issues as those who feel like they want to or must escape from the life they are living. Great post!

Alexa Delling

12/13/2022 06:56:29 am

The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson offers insight to the world of Morgan and her younger brother Eli and when the reader deep dives into the story, they can see that there is more to the plot than the story first shows. One of the aspects I love most about this story is its ability to be fantasy but also in the YA genre. Morgan is a deep and senseful character as she her initial anger in the novel stems from her lack of self-awareness and separation from the culture that is a part of her identity. When her adopted parents gift her with moccasins, she is frustrated and upset by this because she has never known her true culture well enough to identity as Cree. I enjoyed Eli’s character as he tries to reassure Morgan that her true identity is still inside of her, and she can be in touch with her culture even though she was not raised this way. When putting this text in a high school setting, it offers the students the ability to relate and gain sense of their own self-awareness and what is it in their life that truly identities them. Another aspect that they could relate to would be the importance of family and specifically siblings here since Eli seems to pull Morgan out of trouble and open her eyes to her true identity and purpose. Morgan is working on gaining a sense of self-worth throughout the novel and I think her character could inspire any high schooler who is also working on finding their identity. It is safe to say readers on the younger side would enjoy the aspect of fantasy maybe more than taking a deeper look at the characters like Morgan and Eli so I think it would be important to break down the character traits and how they are adding immense amounts to the plot of the overall story.

Chloe Tavernier

12/13/2022 09:24:46 am

I would be lying if I claimed that I wasn't even slightly excited to start reading The Barren Grounds by David Alexander Robertson, as I have made no secret about my admiration with the fantasy genre. Very rarely will I find myself willingly reading a novel that categorizes under a genre that isn’t remotely related to fantasy, fiction, or even science fiction in some way. In addition, I find that these fantastical genres happen to coincide nicely with my other favorite genre, YA, as the fantasy genre has proven time after time how seamlessly it melds into the YA genre. Regardless of how grand or ambitious the plot may be, the author’s themes and intentions always manage to shine through in a noticeably palpable and candid manner. Nevertheless, I am aware that not all students will find the fixation on imaginative escapism in The Barren Ground to be particularly appealing, but it is essential the students are able to understand and are familiar with the varying nuances and complexities that novels have to offer. This awareness is impertinent to becoming a well-rounded reader and even an instructor. I think this novel will also make a great complimentary piece to the previously covered Firekeeper’s Daughter since they both center primarily on Indigenous heritage. I would ask students to identify and analyze the underlying themes and commonalities of these two novels. I would also allow free-writing assignments for students to express their own interpretations of the allegorical elements of the novel.

Nicole Shepard

12/13/2022 09:51:49 am

I have never been a big fan of fantasy novels like a lot of my friends around me were. The only fantasy book series I can say I tried to get into was the Harry Potter series, but this type of literature just wasn’t for me. However, the conventions of this genre work with the conventions we see in YA. Reading a novel like The Barren Grounds would appeal to the group of students who don’t typically have an interest in reading as this book offers elements, such as an imaginary world, that might appeal to a specific type of student. Some readers will find that they can easily connect to this book while other students might struggle, as I suppose I would’ve in high school. Students are particularly drawn to the fantasy genre as it allows for the opportunity to image a world outside of reality. Even though all the elements of literature apply to this genre, they are introduced in a more creative way.

In the classroom, I would have my students read The Barren Grounds and actively take notes about the different themes they notice throughout the story. One element of the story I would ask them to pay particular attention to is the Indigenous characters and the difficulties they face. After we have finished reading the novel, I will have my students spend a day in class discussing what they read and took notes on. I will open up the floor for a whole class discussion before having my students then work in pairs of groups. At the end, I will assign an open-ended essay where I will ask my students to analyze only one aspect of the story. I will invite my students to pick the aspect of the story that they are most interested in exploring.

Jenivieve D'Andrea

12/13/2022 11:42:06 am

Although an accessible read, David A. Robertson's story "The Barren Grounds" is a book the holds complex, real world issues that Native American communities face. Robertson carefully crafts this novel to use elements of fantasy to discuss heavier topics such as relocating of Native communities, land sovereignty, the foster system, and identity's intersection with community, culture, and family.

While I usually am not the biggest fan of the fantasy genre, Robertson's story is one that I will use in my future classroom. For one, the pages of this story come alive with the addition of fantastical characters and elements which is stimulating for adolescents with wide imaginations. Secondly, since taking a college course on Native American literature, writing, and rhetoric, I feel strongly that students should be informed on the presence of Natives in our contemporary society. Many students have internalized the belief that Natives are a community of the past due to the perpetuation of the erasure narrative.

This story would be a refreshing change of pace compared to the other traditional YA novels that students read. Moreover, this is a saga, so students could really take off with independent reading if this book is carefully taught.

Additionally, the fantasy elements of this text can be connected to core Indigenous beliefs. One of which is learning from the lands, and those that are experts; listen first, watch, mimic nature and its followers. This is exactly what Morgan and Eli do as they meet fantastical characters throughout their journey.

Catie Mullen

12/13/2022 04:09:33 pm

Hi Jenivieve! The information you learned in your Native American literature course must of connected very nicely with this book. I think you have some great ideas about sharing this book in your future classroom. I agree with you as well, that combining fantasy with YA literature is allowing students the freedom to explore and be exposed to material that may be more interesting to them than classical YA literature such as The Catcher in the Rye.

Maddy Ames

12/13/2022 06:45:25 pm

I liked how you brought up the integration of Indigenous beliefs in your reflection. That was my favorite part of "The Barren Grounds." I felt like it was an engaging, but respectful incorporation of those beliefs/stories. That's such a tricky line to walk, and Robertson did it really well in my opinion. The guise of fantasy gives Robertson the ability to address typically taboo topics, as you mentioned- and after reading BG and thinking on this idea, I realized that several of the texts we have read do something similar which was really interesting to me.

Catie Mullen

12/13/2022 04:05:29 pm

The genre of fantasy and YA fiction combine well with one another and the genre of fantasy works well with the conventions of YA fiction. When writing fantasy, authors have the freedom to choose what happens in the world around the characters, meaning the experiences these characters face may never be able to happen in the modern world. This freedom gives writers endless possibilities for characters to meet the frequent thematic elements of young adult literature. By pairing fantasy and YA fiction together it also allows for greater interest from a wider crowd. For instance, if someone prefers to read fantasy over classical literature, then this pairing will work well in a classroom and exposing young adults to the elements of young adulthood, while adding fantasy characteristics.

The Barren Grounds reminds me a lot of the Chronicles of Narnia. By having the portal in the attic, hidden from adults, it reminds me of the wardrobe in which the children played hide and seek in. The Barren Grounds is a great pairing of YA fiction and fantasy because it shares with the readers the same conventions of YA literature such as, coming-of-age, family connections, finding yourself, and first experiences. Even the main character, Morgan, is fluent in fantasy novels and the thematic content within them as that is something she refers back to throughout her journey. This novel also opens up conversations about Indigenous people's cultures, heritages, traditions, and the problems that frequently surround them. This can create great educational conversations within the classroom, which is especially appropriate for the age group of high school eleventh graders. Students can share how they were brought up in their own cultures and if they are exposed or not to life within their culture. Pairing this book with another book on Indigenous peoples and researching other novels that promote this discussion, which is appropriate for an 11th grade classroom, especially a classroom that is primarily white students. This could also be paired in a lesson about finding yourself and where you belong. Students could also read Harry Potter. I just recently read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for my Sociology course and there were many instances that even though Harry is exposed into this magical world, he is coming-of-age and finding himself and his family's history. There are endless possibilities for lesson ideas with the text!

Sydney Blair

12/14/2022 05:00:48 pm

Hi Catie!
I really enjoyed reading your response. I feel like bringing in more modern day fantasy novels such as Harry Potter could really intrigue students and motivate them to read these fantasy novels. I feel like to add to your lesson you could even incorporate something along the lines of a book club, similar to what we do in this class! You could give students different prompts to discuss and compare different ideas between the two novels while also creating a sense of classroom community! Really great job!!

Maddy Ames

12/13/2022 06:40:49 pm

I LOVE fantasy (the good stuff, anyway). From Star Wars (the OG stuff) to Percy Jackson to every last Lord of the Rings book, I read them all. There’s something to me about the blurring between the lines of reality and something else that has always fascinated me. I appreciated The Barren Grounds a lot for that reason. I ended up doing some external research on it because I am in fact rather nosy and do enjoy a little bit of context. Someone who reviewed it likened The Barren Grounds to The Chronicles of Narnia, which I found interesting. I also noticed a lot of similar themes to the other stories we’ve covered in class so far, such as: culture, heritage, alienation, identity/belonging. I think it’s so neat how these themes bridge across every book we’ve read so far, regardless of when it was written and who it was written by.

Another aspect of BG that I enjoyed was how Robertson breathed life into old Indigenous stories. He made them accessible and lively, which was exciting to me as a reader. I think it was a really special nod to a different culture, and in a way, it also reminded me a little of something like Percy Jackson and Riordan's use of Greek mythology/folklore. I think that teaching fantasy in a classroom could be great, even though it can be a daunting genre. In an 11th-grade classroom, I think I’d use it as an opportunity to talk about what elements make something “fantasy” and talk about why it can be a useful genre to bring something like old folklore back to life.

Celeste Barbosa

12/13/2022 08:33:33 pm

Hi Maddy!
I thought your response was really interesting as you expressed your interest for the fantasy genre. I am actually the opposite and I don't really like this genre but I really liked The Barren Grounds. I thought the theme of different cultures is really strong and is a great theme for a high school classroom. I also really liked how you mentioned the connection to Greek mythology/folklore. This would a perfect way to intertwine different folklores into a unit, like an entire unit on folklore. I didn’t really think of this, but after reading your response it got me thinking about all the different things that could be done. Great response!

Celeste Barbosa

12/13/2022 07:55:07 pm

I have never been a fan of the fantasy genre except for the A Court of Thorns and Roses series which my best friend got me into, but I have never been opposed to the idea of teaching it in the classroom. I think fantasy does more than get kids thinking. I think that the fantasy genre is a great example that shows students how to use their voices to be heard. It allows them to see that artistic expression can be done in any way they want. I was surprised by my enjoyment for The Barren Grounds. I felt as though it was a very easy read and could be easily read in all classrooms, even at the middle school level. I felt like there was a very strong sense of a family connection as well as a self-discovery theme that shined throughout the novel. This is something that could be very beneficial in all classrooms, especially during the time of adolescence.

Looking at how it could be taught in classrooms, I think it would be a perfect novel to discuss self-discovery while also discussing different cultures. The Barren Grounds is the perfect Young Adult novel to get students entuned with their own self-discovery. I would approach this in terms of some free write journal activities I think it would be really important to have a journal dedicated to this book, where students can respond to some meaningful prompts surrounding how they feel. I would also use this opportunity to have students interact with each other in terms of their culture. I think it would perfect to have students create a poster with an outline of their head, where half would be their identity, and the other half would be the identity of a character of their choice. This will give them the opportunity to express themselves while also using their critical thinking skills in terms of characterization.

Sydney Blair

12/14/2022 10:20:31 am

Like Dr. Torda, I have never been huge on Fantasy novels. In fact, until very recently I have never been the biggest reader… I know shocking for an English major! I have always gravitated more towards the dystopian side of YA Lit usually picking novels such as Divergent over Harry Potter. But Barren Grounds was a nice change for me and I think that this would also be a nice change of pace for students in the high school setting as well.

By creating this sense of fantasy and animals communicating with one another in an English tongue brings up different ideas, topics and storylines of Indigenous cultures in a way that students have heard them before. As a few of my other classmates have said I feel that this story would be best taught either before or after A Fire Keepers Daughter as they both discuss similar themes and topics. I think this would leave a lot of room for cohesive and collaborative activities between the two novels. This text would be beneficial in an 11th grade classroom as it is a nice change of pace from the typical novels that they would be reading in the classroom surrounding human characters.

Something that I feel that could be a fun way to dive into this story would be to have students create their own story. By this time students should have a strong understanding on what makes a YA text and understand what the meaning of folklore is. I would have students conduct research on an Indigenous tribe of their choice and then have them write a folklore of their own using the history of that tribe. I feel as though this could be a great creative writing activity and one that would be different from formal writing assignments that students would be used to. I would also have them dive deeper into the characters and different point of views throughout the story as well putting an emphasis on the idea of close readings and perspective.

Patricia C Diaz

12/14/2022 08:22:09 pm

I have never been a habit fantasy reader. The only collection that I ever read entirely was Harry Potter. I tried reading The Hobbit once and I left it unread after the first few chapters. However, I will confess that Barren Grounds by David Roberts is a fascinating novel that many students will be able to identify with. This is because it explores issues such as identity, family, foster care system, and community meaning that many students will feel connected to if not identified after living or seeing other people living those experiences. I think at this age and grade, many students are already asking questions about their life, such as the person they want to become, the place they would like to one day live in, or even what will happen to them after college. I think this novel might offer them some insight into how to navigate certain issues and trust the process.
Although I am not an avid fantasy reader, I do recognize that the beauty of fantasy is that it helps students navigate hard issues while transporting them into a different reality. This means that students are able to connect to the themes and characters in the novel while immersing themselves in a different reality—it’s like seeing the Kardashians on Hulu. You are part of their story and are able to sometimes relate to their common struggles. One thought I have about this novel is how it would go well paired with Firekeeper’s Daughter or even the Chronicles of Narnia even if the instructor just present students with an excerpt of key passages or chapters. I think that there are many topics that overlap, such as the indigenous culture or even navigating an identity that will be good for students to compare and analyze in each text.

Mary Viera

12/20/2022 08:04:56 am

The genre of fantasy works with YA because it often follows the hero’s journey path which could be argued to be similar to adolescence and what growing up feels like. The imagining of another world becomes a metaphor for the real world. When adolescents, like Morgan, feel stuck and angry at their reality the genre of fantasy works well to take her out of the place she is so resistant to so that she can grow. Her foster parents try to reach out and help her, and although maybe a part of her recognizes their kindness she is too blocked mentally. Fantasy works well for these kinds of characters.
It can connect young people to the kinds of texts typically taught in a high school classroom because it is a multilayered text. There are several elements (Morgan’s character development, Native American culture told from a fantasy perspective, the foster care system, etc.) that students could explore based on what they’re interested in. Typical high school texts like Shakespeare and Fitzgerald are just as multilayered but I think are more complex because they are so outdated (which doesn’t mean we shouldn’t teach them it just makes it more challenging as a reader). I think this text would help prepare students to help practice reading critically because it is a slightly easier text for high schoolers while still having complex and mature themes. It also was written more recently so it would be a better text to start because of it’s readability.
A novel like Barren Ground can help young people connect to our actual world because it gives voice to two identities that are not often heard in literature (foster children, and Native American culture). A fantasy world is sometimes easier to compare to reality because of it’s symbolism and use of metaphors. I could get students to think about these connections by looking at the erasure of the Misewa community compared to other Native communities. The white man is reason for this erasure of a culture and people. Knowing this what could the summer birds represent?

The INtersection of Genre & YA (12.13.2022)

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