We Were Here

This novel is…an interesting one. It really bothers me that during the discussion some students made statements that implied they would not teach this book because students most likely could not relate to it, or the demographics of the characters pushed them away from the novel. I think if that is the case then you as a teacher would constantly be teaching your students the same kind of material, and that is cause for a biased world.

This book tells the story of Miguel. He is a Mexican-American teenager who has been put in a home for juvenile delinquents. It tells the story through his eyes. (Which I really liked because I felt more connected to him.) It is up to the interpretation of the reader if they believe Miguel is a good or bad person. I struggled with this book at first because of the language but

eventually got used to it. I really enjoyed reading this book. It, unlike a lot of YA titles, was not so predictable. We don’t know upfront why Miguel has been sent to the home but we do know that his mother resents him for it. I was so extremely anxious to find out what his foul deed was I found myself peeking ahead in the book.

Miguel comes across some…I will use interesting, for lack of a better word, characters on his journey. Rondell, an African American teen that Miguel believes is dumb as the come. Also Mong, an Asian teenager who Miguel can’t figure out. These three boys, having nothing in common, form a special kind of bond; a brotherhood. It is very amazing to see the things they go through and how they each handle the situation in different ways.

I really like the book and felt that it should have been a reading that was not characterized as “unheard voices” but as teen struggle or teens finding themselves (self-reflection). I think when you read a book like this after reading books about teens ALL from mainstream society it is inevitable race will be a main topic of conversation. For this reason, as well as MANY others, I wish this book could have been integrated into the course without the title of the unit being something specifically about race.