Which book has had the most impact on you this semester?

I think that The Invention of Hugo Cabret had the most impact on me this semester because I had never read a graphic novel before, so it made it a strikingly unique experience for me. I also have a connection to that book because I studied abroad in Paris and absolutley love it, so I could connect to that book especially because of that. I also think that reading that book first made me dive right into YA lit in a spectacular and exciting way, so I will always remember that.
Coming in close second to Hugo Cabret would be Sherman Alexie's novel. Again, it was nothing like what I had read before and its humor was incredible. I loved both these books and they will remain on the top of my YA list.

This course in general has introduced me to Children's and YA books in a way that I never thought would happen. I have such a different outlook on these books than I did before and now consider it a genre that I really want to read more of.

Intertextuality in Alexie's novel

As far as influencing and being related to other texts, I think that Alexie's book is very interesting, because it is the first book like it that I have seen. This is not to say that others like it don't exist, just not that I have heard about. In that way, I think this book has a connection to other books that tell stories of groups of marginalized, outcast, "weak", or otherwise suppressed groups. This doesn't necessarily mean other Native American/Indian stories, but any group that has faced similar problems. I know this is a broad statement about intertextuality, but I think that his book connects to other books in this way. As far as influencing, I think the boldness of his writing will affect other stories and books to emerge that tell a similar story about the sadness and hope that can come out of a struggle like Junior's. Alexie's novel repeats and reinforces the story of an underdog who overcomes suffering and difficulty to achieve his goals, and the idea that it is possible, to a certain extent, that if you don't give up, you can achieve great things. I think Alexie does a great job of "repeating" this story with biting wit that reminds us it's not always as easy as it may seem, and that there will be hurt and sadness along the way.

Scenes from The Giver

I can actually answer this as what scenes I remember from reading The Giver more than five years ago. The scene that stuck out most to me was the scene where Jonas and Asher are throwing around the apple and Jonas starts to see it in color. This was a turning point for me the first time I read it because that was when I realized they didn't see in color, at least not the way we do. Learning that their experience of the world is so bland and different from ours is a really important element of the book, and this moment in the book stands out so much because of that.

Another scene that I could always remember was when Jonas first sees the video of a release, in this case the one of the twins. As a younger reader, I didn't really have the impression that release meant death, and so that scene was horrifying and stuck with me until I just reread the book this semester.

Other than that, there is so much imagery from this book that has stayed with me and that I will always remember... for example, the red of the apple and Fiona's hair. This book has such interesting imagery in my mind, and it is one of my favorite YA novels for this reason. The picture that it paints in my mind is so amazing. I love utopic and dystopic novels, and this is a perfect example of this for young readers. it isn't that often that we come across a novel like this for this age group.