to the schedule of readings and assignments
required texts:
JD Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (1951) Back Bay Books; Reissue edition (January 30, 2001)
Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958) Sandpiper; Reissue edition (January 10, 2011)
SE Hinton, The Outsiders (1967) Puffin; PLATINUM EDITION edition (April 20, 2006)
Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War (1974) Ember; 30 Anv edition (September 14, 2004)
Judy Blume, Forever (1975) Simon Pulse (April 24, 2007)
Chris Crutcher, Chinese Handcuffs (1989) Greenwillow Books (October 5, 2004)
Aidan Chambers, Postcards from No Man's Land (1999) Speak (June 17, 2004)
Philip Pullman, Clockwork (1996) Corgi Childrens (November 4, 2004)
An Na, A Step from Heaven (2001) Speak (January 13, 2003)
Angela Johnson, The First Part Last (2003) Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; 1 Reprint edition (January 5, 2010)
Meg Rosoff, How I Live Now (2004) Wendy Lamb Books (April 11, 2006)
Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese (2006) Square Fish; First Edition edition (December 23, 2008)
Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (2008) Scholastic Press; Reprint edition (July 3, 2010)
assignments: There will be thirteen (13) in-class essays, as listed in the schedule below. Each essay will ask you to do two things. First, summarize the novel you've read for that week, in a concise, balanced, and thorough fashion. Second, connect that novel to other things you've read for this course. (For the first essay, you'll be asked to connect the novel Catcher in the Rye to any other fiction you've read, for juveniles or adults.) Download Sample Essay
grading: A maximum of three points can be earned for each essay. One point can be earned for a good summary of the novel. One point can be earned for good connections to other texts. One point can be earned by coming to class on the relevant discussion night, participating in the discussion, and picking up your paper at the end of the discussion meeting.
Thirty-nine (39) points are possible in the semester. Final course grades will be assigned as follows:
academic dishonesty policy: It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." [Regents' Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter Vi, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22]
disability policy: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 93112—The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act – (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens. As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodation" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty at the beginning of the semester and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels.
schedule of assignments and readings:
18 Jan: Syllabus, introductions, policies
23 Jan: Overview
25 Jan: Some theoretical principles
30 Jan: ESSAY: Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
1 Feb: discuss The Catcher in the Rye
6 Feb: ESSAY: Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond
8 Feb: discuss The Witch of Blackbird Pond
13 Feb: ESSAY: Hinton, The Outsiders
15 Feb: discuss The Outsiders
20 Feb: ESSAY: Cormier, The Chocolate War
22 Feb: discuss The Chocolate War
27 Feb: ESSAY: Blume, Forever
29 Feb: discuss Forever
5 March: ESSAY: Crutcher, Chinese Handcuffs
7 March: discuss Chinese Handcuffs
19 March: ESSAY: Chambers, Postcards from No Man's Land
21 March: discuss Postcards from No Man's Land
26 March: ESSAY: Pullman, Clockwork
28 March: discuss Clockwork
2 Apr: ESSAY: An Na, A Step from Heaven
4 Apr: discuss A Step from Heaven
9 Apr: ESSAY: Johnson, The First Part Last
11 April: discuss The First Part Last
16 April: ESSAY: Rosoff, How I Live Now
18 April: discuss How I Live Now
23 April: ESSAY: Yang, American Born Chinese
25 April: discuss American Born Chinese
30 April: ESSAY: Collins, The Hunger Games
2 May: discuss The Hunger Games