Annotated Bibliography Multicultural, Diversity, and Identity

Annotated Bibliography

Multicultural, Diversity, Identity

The Joy Luck Club (930L)

Tan, A. (2006). The Joy Luck Club. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

            Amy Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club follows the life journey of four women who become immigrants to San Francisco from China. They come together to talk about their pasts and their present lives. They called their group, the Joy Luck Club. These four women continue meeting over the years and talk and play mahjong. Then they continue their club even with their daughters who are born in America. The lives of these women become more and more connected as the years go on. They talk about their secrets and lives with one another every time they meet.

            I really enjoyed this novel. It was interesting to see how the connections were being made from each of the women and how they kept in contact all those years. I enjoyed how they created this group to stay in touch with their Chinese culture and heritage and stories from their past.

            The themes in this novel are coming of age, faith, family, freedom, friendship, heritage, love, loyalty, mothering, obligation, parent-child relationships, pride, secrecy, seizing the moment, the road not taken.

Monster (670L)

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Amistad.

            Walter Dean Myers’s novel Monster follows a sixteen-year-old who is on trial for murder. Steve Harmon is rumored to have been serving as a lookout to the murder of a drugstore owner who had been shot. Steve is trying to figure out his life. He faces time in prison for his crime, which may or may not have happened. As everything is happening to him, he decides to start writing everything down in the form of a script. He writes down all of the events of the trial and his life after being charged with murder.

            I enjoyed reading this novel. Steve is an interesting character. I enjoyed the way he wrote the trial and his life in the form of a script.

            The themes in this novel are abuse of power, coming of age, faith, fear, freedom, innocence, justice, manipulation, peer pressure, quest for knowledge, revenge, survival, the overlooked, and winners and losers.

Fallen Angels (650L)

Myers, W. D. (1989). Fallen Angels. New York, NY: Scholastic Paperbacks.

            Walter dean Myers’s novel Fallen Angels follows a young teenager who volunteers to join the war in the 1960s. He had tried to go to college but they refused him. He ends up in Vietnam during the war. Perry, the main character, is sent to the front lines in Vietnam. Throughout the novel, Perry is trying to come to terms with why the war is even going on over in Vietnam and why the troops of color are being given the most dangerous missions and areas to fight.

            I enjoyed this novel because it is interesting to see how the Vietnam War was portrayed and envisioned by these young soldiers.

            The themes in this novel are coming of age, corruption, effects of the past, faith, fear, friendship, freedom, greed, hate, heroes, justice, loyalty, manipulation, need for change, peace, perseverance, prejudice, quest for knowledge, survival, the overlooked, the road not taken, and war.

When the Moon was Ours (920L)

McLemore, A. (2016). When the Moon was ours. New York, NY: Thomas Dune.

            Anna-Marie McLemore’s novel When the Moon Was Ours follows two best friends who are inseparable and full of secrets. Miel has roses that grow from her wrists. Sam paints moons and hangs them from the trees, and has a secret past. A group of sisters, who may or may not be witches, want Miel’s roses.

            I really enjoyed this novel because of its magical and secretive aspects. It is interesting to see how everyone was reacting to Miel and Sam’s friendship and secrets.

The themes from this novel are abuse of power, beauty, coming of age, corruption, courage, family, fate, friendship, greed, hate, love, loyalty, quest for knowledge, revenge, secrecy, survival, and the overlooked.

Willful Machines (700L)

Floreen, T.  (2015). Willful Machines. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

            Scientists created a new form of human, an artificial form and named her Charlotte. Charlotte escapes and her cognizance is transmitted to the Internet and is terrorizing the country. Charlotte begins to target the president’s son, who is closeted and crushing on a new boy in school. The president’s son is trying to keep his secrets from coming out.

            This novel is really interesting. I found it to be an interesting topic that is spread across a few genres.

            The themes from this novel are abuse of power, beating the odds, coming of age, fall from grace, fear, freedom, friendship, honesty, justice, love, loyalty, secrecy, and seizing the moment.