Module 5: A Step from Heaven

As I mentioned in my previous post, Module 5 dealt with award-winning novels in children and young adult literature.  The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature is given by the Young Adult Library Services Association each year for the best teen novel.  I read one Printz Award winner - A Step from Heaven, written by An Na.

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A Step from Heaven is the story of Young Ju Park and her family.  At the beginning of the novel, the Parks immigrate from Korea to the United States, where they settle in California.  As Young Ju grows up, she faces challenges in life, including an alcoholic and abusive father, living as a low-income immigrant, and being "different" from the children she attends school with.  Young Ju wishes her life was different - at one point she tells her elementary school classmates that her infant brother has died, and later continuously lies about where she lives due to embarrassment.  It is a poignant tale of growing up, and in the end Young Ju experiences a glimmer of happiness and hope.

I thought this was an excellent novel for young adults.  It is not a happy tale, but it is one which I believe teens can identify with, regardless of whether they come from the same background as Young Ju.  The novel deals with identity, domestic violence, alcoholism, and other social issues in a very real, sometimes painful manner.  I can definitely understand why this book won the Michael L. Printz award - it is well-written and impactful, but still highly relatable.

Deborah Stevenson of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books wrote:
"Even as a little girl, Young Ju understands that there are family tensions, that her father is an unhappy man, and that his wife and his mother are hoping for better things... This is a quietly but effectively told story, with the first-person present-tense narration broken up into brief titled sections that are more vignettes than chapters; they’re sufficiently connected to create a poignant overview of a life undergoing extraordinary change... Na has a streamlined, unaffected style that offers childlike focus without being babyish... A contemporary and personal immigrant tale, this will make an affecting counterpoint to well-worn stories of Ellis Island."

I think this book could be used in a display on immigration and citizenship, as both of those ideas are explored in this book.  Although this can be a hotly debated political topic, I think the social aspects of immigrating as a young person would be an interesting spin to put on the display, which could also be incorporated into a discussion group, particularly if your library is located in an area with a high percentage of immigrants or second-generation Americans.

References:
Na, A.  (2001).  A Step from Heaven.  New York: Speak.  
Stevenson, D.  (2001).  A Step from Heaven.  The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 54(11).