** WARNING: This book has been banned by some Middle Schools and is being challenged in others, but we are sharing this post for the schools who are open to this book. **
Why I Picked It Up:
When I decided to check this book out from our local library, I honestly did not know what it was about, but I had seen it everywhere. I felt like no matter where I turned, I would see it in a kid’s hand, on a book list, or in a store. THUG, as the book is referred to by its the die-hard fans, has been on the New York Times’ Young Adult List for 45 weeks and counting, and a movie is already in the works. As a librarian who believes there is not a single book made better by a movie, I always have to read the novel before I will even peek at a trailer for a film adaptation. I also hate being the last one to the party when it comes to books, so when I got the chance to check out The Hate U Give, I jumped at it. I felt really behind on the hype.
It’s not surprising that The Hate U Give has been such a hit among teens and adults alike. It deals with a controversial, yet extremely relevant, topic: the Black Lives Matter Movement. Starr Carter, the novel’s main character, is a black girl growing up on the “wrong” side of town. After her best friend was shot and killed right in front of her during a drive-by when she was ten, Starr’s parents decided to send her to a private school on the “right” side of Garden Heights, hoping to give her a better shot at her dreams.
Now as a 16-year-old, Starr is forced to navigate the two very different worlds of her neighborhood and her prep-school, and she often struggles to make sense of her own identity. The central problem of the story comes to light when Starr is the only witness to a traffic stop that causes the death of her childhood best friend and first crush by a police officer. Starr is faced with the dilemma of testifying against the police officer while still maintaining some semblance of normalcy with her private school friends who don’t know the truth about her connection to the shooting.
Why I Finished It:
Reading THUG pushed me into a world that I will never truly experience. I am not black. I will never be able to completely empathize the frustration of being judged by the color of my skin. I do not, and never have, lived in a dangerous neighborhood where I had a reason for fear for my safety. This book pushed all of my boundaries in the best ways, forcing me to confront my own biases and prejudices. This is the best kind of literature.
Who I Would Give It To:
Anyone! Everyone! This book should be required reading for all Americans. It will validate the feelings of students of color while opening up the eyes of white students.
Integration Ideas:
Social Studies: Social Justice
It seems to be that there are three choices to be made here; as teachers, we can choose not to teach this subject matter at all, we can specifically teach what is going on with Black Lives Matter, or we can broaden the topic to times when groups of people suffered from oppression. The direction chosen should depend on your own personal beliefs, the beliefs of the community you serve, and the readiness of the students. One decision isn’t necessarily better than the other.
Links – Lesson ideas for teaching Social Justice:
- Teaching For Change – Amazing list of lessons and ideas
- Teaching Tolerance Lesson on teaching race
- Literary Fusions review of Diverse Book Finder
- Teaching Tolerance lesson on finding out about our identity (no joke – love this idea!)
- Cult of Pedagogy post on teaching social justice
Links – Lesson Ideas for the book:
- A Read-Write-Think Lesson plan labeled 9-12
- Links from Teaching Books
- Lesson plan from Connected Teaching and Learning
- Discussion Questions from The Reading Agency – also information on the author.
[box type=”bio”] About the Author
Bridget Jarrett is a teacher librarian at Jarrell Intermediate School in Jarrell, TX. Before becoming a librarian, Bridget taught middle school ELA and social studies. She is passionate about books, teaching, and chocolate (in no particular order).
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