Dare to Disappoint: Growing up in Turkey

Dare to Disappoint: Growing up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, NY (2015); Paperback, 190 p.

Ages: Upper Grades (9-12)           Lexile: 570

Geographical Setting: Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey

Time Period: 1980s and 1990s

Awards:

• Amelia Bloomer Lists - Young Adult Nonfiction (2017)

• Middle East Book Award - Youth Literature (2016)

• YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens (2017)

Summary:

In this erratic, quirky, and laugh out loud graphic memoir the author narrates her formidable years in Turkey.  Both parents are teachers and want something better for Ozge and her older sister.  But her father won’t listen to what she wants.   While trying to listen to her own voice, and those of her parents and teachers, Ozge has to balance the religious and militaristic tensions of Turkey and frictions between the outgoing secular government with the incoming conservative one. She describes how she tried to listen to all the voices to please everyone, while it gets harder and harder to silence her own voice.  What will she end up doing?  Will she follow her inner voice?

Ozge’s graphic novel is set very differently from others. The first thing the reader will notice is the absence of panel borders;  the drawings seem to float on bright white pages. But it still captures the eye because of its various layouts.  The illustrations are cartoonish in a frivolous way which merged into elements of a collage.  Ozge rarely uses color, except for her bright blond hair and some other instances she wants to stand out.  She uses a small quick-witted bird to make puns or explain something in depth.

Through her constant failures and persistence to learn from her mistakes, both Ozge and the readers will discover what she wants to do with her life.  Due to the content of the memoir (a life alternating attempted rape (dealt very subtlety) and some political violence), this is a great book for middle and high schoolers.  While Ozge reflects on her personal life, she also depicts the larger issues that transformed her world, like the governmental elections, the subsequent political and economic turmoil, and the school system.

Ozge snuck into her sister's class and
her mother taking her home. (p. 10)

School Stencil showing the importance of
Kemal Ataturk and how he must be shown. (p. 40)

Class survey showing the students' mothers' occupations.
At this young age, Ozge was impressed with 'artist'. (p. 16)

Buying Corn Flakes off the black market
and keeping it a secret.  Only one TV
channel with very few children program.
(p. 60)

By the time she graduated from college,
Ozge decided what she needed to do. (p. 189) 

Nonfiction Read-a-Likes (Coming of Age, Turmoil, and Graphic Novel):

• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.  The author depicts her early years in Iran at the start of the Islamic Revolution until her parents send her to Europe.  Volume II is about the author’s years in Europe and her return to Iran.   (Grades 9-12)

• I Remember Beirut by Zeina Abirached. Growing up in war torn Lebanon during the 1980s and ‘90s, the author depicts her life in black and white illustrations.  (Grades 9-12)

• The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984 by Riad Sattouf. In his own unique style of illustrating, the author describes his early years of traveling back and forth from France, Libya, and Syria following his father’s whims and dreams. (Grades 9-12)

• Marzi by Marzena Sowa.  Through the humorous illustrations, the author describes her life in 1980’s Poland towards the end of Communist rule. (Grades 9-12)

Nonfiction Read-a-Likes (Coming of Age, Turmoil, and Female Protagonist):

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodsen. A memoir in verse about growing up in the South during the 1960s,  dealing with racism, divorce, religion, sickness, and death. (Grades 6-8)

• I am Malala: How One Girl Stood up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai. The Pakistani girl who fought for her and other girls’ education against the Taliban resulting in getting shot in the face.  She later went on to become the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. (Grades 6-8)

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. An eye-opening autobiography about the racial prejudice in America during the 1930s and '40s. (Grades 9-12)

• Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-Li Jiang.  The author depicts a direct and crippling portrait of the violent political movement that ruined many lives, including hers, as well as the profound effect on her family. (Grades 7-9)

For more Information:

• Digital Media Interview with Ozge Samanci

• WTTW's Chicago Tonight's Interview with Ozge Samanci

• Ozge Samanci's Website

Lesson Plans Materials:

This would be great to use in a Culture, Political Science, or Comparative Governments class in high school or college.  Students can compare and contrast their (or their parents’) lives growing up in the 1980’s and 1990’s in America and Turkey.  This book can also be compared and contrasted with the read a likes mentioned above.  It was difficult to find actual lesson plans, but those for Persepolis can be adapted and adjusted.  Below are two activities I did find for Dare to Disappoint.

• Crosswords and Word Searches

• English Plot Diagram and Project

Works Cited:

Samanci, Ozge. (2015). Dare to Disappoint: Growing up in Turkey. New York, Farrar Straus Giroux.

True Hauntings: Deadly Disasters

True Hauntings: Deadly Disasters 

by Dinah Williams

Publisher: Scholastic Press, NY (2020); Paperback, 96 p.

Ages: Upper Elementary/Middle School (4-7)           Lexile: 1020

Geographical Setting: Japan, England, and America

Time Period: primarily late 1800s to early 1900s

Summary:

As an established ghost writer, Williams analyzes the stories and professed hauntings of ten fatal disasters in history.  While the majority of the catastrophes in this book occur between 1860 and 1911 in America, one story is about the Black Plague of 1665-6 in England and another from the 2011 Japanese tsunami.

Although each story contains plenty of quotes from survivors and local papers, these are not documented as either footnotes or endnotes.  The author does include a few statistics and definitions regarding hauntings and ghosts based on psychic research.  Depending on the type of disaster (natural, structural, or areal), Williams gives its historical backstory.  She also includes plenty of historical black-and-white photos or drawings within the text and one additional resource in the ‘Further Reading’ section for each disaster. The sidebars for each story are not only educational but frightening as well, making readers recognize  fact can be scarier than fiction.

Many of these disasters could have easily been prevented.  However, at their time of occurrence, safety precautions, rules and regulations were either not in place or ignored to cut costs and expenses.  Other disasters were due to nature.

Nonfiction Read-A-Likes (Ghosts):

• Creepy and True: Ghosts Unveiled! by Kerrie Hollihan. A witty, yet well researched look at ghost appearances, unsolved mysteries, and spine-chilling hauntings from around the world. (Grades 5-9)

• Haunted Battlefields by Alix Wood. Readers will learn about 12 historic conflicts and the battles that took place at each that may have led to their haunted status. (Grades 4-6)

• 12 Notorious Ghosts by Kenya McCullum. In this book ghosts from all over the world are narrated. They haunt hotels, castles, toy stores and more. Each ghost is intricately tied to each place and haunts in its own way. (Grades 3-6)

Nonfiction Read-A-Likes (Disasters):

• A History of 50 Disasters: From the Minoan Volcano to Climate Change by Gale Eaton.  The author explains how civilization not only advanced in spite of disasters but because of them. (Grades 7+)

• Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown. A graphic novel adaptation of one of America’s worst natural disasters. (Grades 7-9)

• The Science of Natural Disasters: When Nature and Human Collide by Diane Taylor. An informative and absorbing book about the science and man made side of natural disasters.  Includes hands-on research activities and projects along with real-world examples that will motivate readers towards further research. (Grades 7-9)

• Any of the I Survived (True Stories) Series and several titles in the What Was the…? Series (Grades 2-7)

Quotes and Insights:

• “In a recent survey, nearly 20 percent were convinced that they have seen or been in the presence of a ghost” (p. ix). No citation for this given.

• “According to psychic research, earthbound spirits are often caused when someone dies unexpectedly.  Their death comes as a shock, so they may not know or accept that they are dead. They become stuck where they died or where they spent their lives” (p. ix-x). No citation for this given.

• “The bodies were falling all around us and they were afraid to let us go out because we would be killed by the falling bodies” (p. 15). 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York.

• “Ninety-six men, women, and children were killed by the avalanche, the deadliest in US history. The bodies were buried so deep, some as much as forty feet, that it took until the end of July for the last to be dug out (p. 26). (February) 1910 Wellington Avalanche in Washington.

• “In less than twenty minutes, nearly 600 people - mostly women and children - died, some from the flames, some from the smoke, and others from being crushed by those trying to escape” (p. 41). 1903 Iroquois Theater Fire, Chicago.

Shirtwaist Factory Building (p. 13)

Bodies of those who jumped from the Shirtwaist Factory (p. 15)

Example of a sidebar (p. 91)

Police measuring the theater exit. (p. 38)

 "Death Alley" - 125 victims (p. 39)

Lesson Plans for Natural Disasters and Ghosts:

• Common Sense

• Teacher Vision

• Study.com

• Teaching the Epic through Ghost Stories

• Fresh Plans Blog

• Teaching Ghosts

Works Cited:

Williams, Dinah. (2020). True Hauntings: Deadly Disasters. New York, Scholastic Press.

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-Li Jiang

Publisher: Harper Collins, NY (1997);    Hardcover, 285 p.

Ages: Upper Grades (9-12)           Lexile: 780

Geographical Setting: China

Time Period: 1966-1968

This book was read in my son's 7th grade ELA class this last quarter. (I read what my kids read in class just to keep abreast and be able to help with questions. It also makes for great discussions that then lead to my other kids wanting to read the book.) I'm really glad they read it. It opened their eyes to how others are treated, even children their own age, how people in lead positions can abuse that power, and how governments are different. It's unfortunate that many of Ji-Li's lines about what happened to her over 50 years ago still happens in China and elsewhere around the world.

Summary:

This is the story of Ji-Lii as she takes the reader through two years of her life during the start of China’s Cultural Revolution. When Mao Ze-dong decided to start the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s, most of the Chinese citizens were on board with it, especially the younger generation. However, the reality was that their everyday freedoms were slowly being taken away and the younger generation ‘brainwashed’ by Chairman Mao’s sermons. Heartbreak and destruction were everywhere, as homes were raided, the elderly were beaten and forced to work in the streets, and children were constantly pressured to denounce their parents, family, and ancestors. All this was done in the name of one person’s beliefs for advancement.

Ji-Li writes about all the struggles she and her family goes through once her community finds out that her grandfather was a landlord.  Even though he had died when her father was young, the family can’t ‘get away’ from their ‘black’ class status. Because of this she had to be ‘reeducated’, was sent to the country to work in the rice fields, and her father was arrested and forced to ‘attend’ struggle sessions where he was constantly insulted, beaten and ‘asked’ to confess to ‘crimes’ he hadn’t committed.

It’s scary to see the parallels to the political issues then to what today’s world faces. “It was only after Mao’s death in 1976 that people woke up. Our leader had taken advantage of our trust and loyalty to manipulate the whole country.” (p. 266)

Powerful & Thought provoking Quotes:

“Chairman Mao told us we would never succeed at building a strong socialist country until we destroyed the ‘Four Olds’ {old ideas, culture, customs, and habits} and established the ‘Four News’.” (p. 21)

“The world had turned upside down. Now it was a crime for students to respect teachers. I couldn’t keep calm.” (p. 36)

“Well, you know the old saying. ‘The wheel of fate makes a full turn every sixty years.’ It’s their turn now.” (p. 146)

“They use psychological pressure.” 'Leniency to those who confess, and severity to those who resist’.” (p. 175)

“He is being remodeled through labor.  We have evidence that he committed a serious counterrevolutionary crime. But he is very stubborn and refuses to confess.” (p. 189)

“I was totally confused.  I had only wanted to break with all those landlords in my family, not with Mom and Dad. Would changing my name mean breaking off relations with them?” (p. 215)

“To us Chairman Mao was God. He controlled everything we read, everything we heard, and everything we learned in school. We believed everything he said. Anything bad had to be the fault of others. Mao was blameless.” (p.265)

“This is the most frightening lesson of the Cultural Revolution: Without a sound legal system, a small or even a single person can take control of an entire country.  This is true now as it was then.” (p.266)

Members of the Red Successors paint da-zi-bao (propaganda posters).
These were used to attack and humiliate people.

Rice patty farm, similar to where Ji-Li was sent for a few weeks.

A member of the Red Guard saluting
to Chairman Mao.

Chairman Mao Ze-dong

Nonfiction Read-A-Likes (Memoirs about growing up during the Cultural Revolution):

• Little Green by Chun Yu. Written from the point of view of a ten year old, complete with a curriculum guide. (Grades 5-9)

• Snow Falling in Spring by Moying Li. Describes her life spanning 10 years from the age of 12 to 22. (Grades 9-12)

• China’s Son by Da Chen. Adapted for young readers, this memoir is about how the author dropped out from school because of his ‘family’s crimes’, but then turned his life around after the Revolution. (Grades 9-12)

• My Name is Number 4 by Ting-Xing Ye.  A teenager’s perspective of how life was for her family. (Grades 9-12)

• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Although not in China, this has many parallels. A graphic novel memoir about the author’s childhood years in Iran during its Revolution from 1979 to 1984. (Grades 9-12)

 Fiction Read-A-Likes:

• No Knives in the Kitchen of this City by Khaled Khalifa. The story of a single family’s lives in Syria under tyranny and the disintegration of society between the 1960s and 2000s under tyranny. (Grades 9-12)

• 10 Fictional Books about Real Revolutions

To Learn More about the Cultural Revolution or Mao Ze-dong:

• Cultural Revolution - Facts & Summary

• What was the Cultural Revolution?

• All You Need to Know about the Cultural Revolution

• NPR's Fresh Air Interview with author Frank Dikotter

• Biography of Mao Ze-dong

• Mao Ze-dong

• Shadow of Mao Still Lingers

Works Cited:

Jiang, Ji-Li. (1997). Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution. NY, HarperCollins Publishing