The Misfits and Totally Joe

Stewig (1994) states, “Do we really want to encourage children to wonder about their world?  Do we value children asking questions about topics that interest them, or do we only want inquiry with which we as adults are comfortable?” (p. 190).  These questions truly resonated with me as I read the article Self-censorship of Picture Books About Gay and Lesbian Families.  The extent of my knowledge of the LGBT culture is limited to knowing a gay high school friend and a current gay classmate in one of my classes.   I wholeheartedly believe that children should be presented with information about their world and be able to make well-informed decisions about their world, but do I only hold this belief with information that I am comfortable presenting to the children?  These questions are causing me to pause and reflect on what I need to do in order to be prepared for my future students.

I could present my students with great young adult literature such as The Misfits and Totally Joe.  I greatly enjoyed both of these books because of their content and quick read.  I read both of them in one day.  The Misfits identified several key struggles that middle school students face on a daily basis.  It was easy for me to relate to both Addie and Kelsey because in middle school, I was a mixture of these two girls:  tall and incredibly shy.  Nearly every student should be able to relate to someone from this book.  Whether it is someone from the popular crowd such as Colin, a trouble maker such as Kevin, or one of the misfits, there is a character in this book for every student.  What a wonderful opportunity this book provides for class discussions, small group discussions, creative, and written assignments. 

           

I was pleased to learn that the No Name-Calling Week is actually in practice around the country during the week of January 23-27.  What an astounding idea generated from The Misfits in which students can become involved.  I would love to have my students read The Misfits a few weeks before the No Name-Calling Week and then become active participants in the week.  This book is definitely going on my list of all time favorites!

As Blackburn and Smith (2010) point out, “Nearly every school in the United States is heteronormative; that is, they are based upon the concept that heterosexuality is normal and homosexuality is not” (p. 626).  I do realize that the topic of covering LGBT is still highly controversial in schools, but that does not mean that students should be deprived the opportunity to become educated and informed of LGBT culture.  In the article From Queer to Gay and Back Again: Young Adult Novels with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-1997, Jenkins (1998) states, “…in the course of nearly thirty years of young adult ‘problem novels,’ fictional gay and lesbian characters have been beaten, shot, gay-bashed, drowned, sexually molested, kidnapped, framed on drug charges, or killed in car accidents” (p. 309).  If students were educated and informed, perhaps there would be less violent harassment and more genuine acceptance of all students.  Perhaps using a book such as Totally Joe in the classroom could help promote acceptance while encouraging students to end violence and hate crimes. 

Totally Joe would be great for the classroom because the journal-style writing is both refreshing and captivating.  It gave an open view into the private thoughts and life of Joe.  It is basic human curiosity at some point in time to want to know what another person is thinking and feeling.  Well, in Totally Joe you get just that, a personal glimpse into the life of seventh-grade Joe who openly admits his homosexuality to his family, school, and friends.  It was a book that I did not want to see end because I wanted to know more about Joe’s life, but I was left with a smile as the last life lesson by Howe (2005) points out, “Alphabiographies should be full of italics, CAPTIAL LETTERS, and exclamation points! (Just like life!) And they should never end with the words ‘The End.’  They should always end with:  TO BE CONTINUED!” (p. 189).  I LOVE THIS!  After all, we are all living, changing, learning, and growing each new day with lives that are to be continued with the next new day.  I thought that the alphabiography assignment was a creative twist on the traditional journal-writing assignment, and it is one that I would consider using in my future classroom.  

Blackburn, M. V., & Smith, J. M. (2010). Moving beyond the inclusion of lgbt-themed literature

            in english language arts classrooms: Interrogating heteronormativity and exploring

            intersectionality. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(8), 625-634.

Howe, J. (2001). The misfits. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Howe, J. (2005). Totally Joe. New York, NY: Anthem Books for Young Readers.

Jenkins, C. (1998).  From queer to gay and back again:  Young adult novels with gay/lesbian/  

            queer content, 1969-1997. Library Quarterly, 68(3), 298-334.

Stewig, J. W. (1994). Self-censorship of picture books about gay and lesbian families. New

            Advocate, 7(3), 184-192.