Download Review of Prep by Cecily von Ziegesar: Novel on Adolescent Insecurity and Unbelonging and more Papers History of Education in PDF only on Docsity!
APA citation Sittenfeld, C. (2005). Prep: A novel. Random House. Number of pages 403 Genre Fiction Age range Not appropriate for school-aged students Brief summary Prep is the memoir of a boarding-school student who spent 4 years of her adolescent life observing the habits and mannerisms of a world in which she never quite felt she belonged among people with whom she could never quite identify. Lee Fiora arrives at a New England prep school (Ault) from her hometown in Indiana on scholarship. She spends her high school years in the shadows of the Ault community, hiding from her background and social status, all the while silently observing her classmates and studying their way of life. Prep references very strong, very real issues of sexuality, academic pressure, social class, race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. However, Sittenfeld did not address any of these issues in great depth and received some criticism for her failure to give them adequate attention. As an adult reading the story, I think the effectiveness is within the plot itself, a tale of unabashed insecurity and adolescent angst. The almost casual way in which Sittenfeld handles these issues only enhances the character development – when bombarded with any number of heavy issues and obstacles, adolescents feel confused and often don’t completely explore or understand them. However, while I thoroughly enjoyed the novel at this point in my life, I would not recommend it for a high school aged audience due to its explicit depiction of sex and the overwhelming number of issues that are not handled in an effective manner for the age group Brief evaluation 10/
Sittenfeld’s debut novel was a poor choice for the intended age group. An entertaining read for an adult, just not appropriate for school-aged students.
Literature for Children & Young Adults EDST 6301 NA Rubric for Book Title Evaluation
Criteria for Evaluation
Does not meet curriculum standards
Acceptable but not a first choice
Satisfactory
Right on target!
Plot The plot is not interesting.
The plot holds the reader’s attention and engages the reader.
The plot is intriguing and enjoyable.
The plot is engaging and provides a story line that invites the reader to turn to the next page! Issue/Theme The issue/theme is not pertinent to and/or inappropriate for the intended age group.
The issue/theme is engaging but is not handled in an impressive manner and/or does not thoroughly address the issue/theme.
The book carefully and effectively addresses a critical issue/theme for the intended age group.
The book appropriately covers relevant matters and enables the reader to critically think about his/her position on the issue/theme.
Characters The characters are undeveloped.
The reader gets a sense of the characters and is somewhat able to get inside their thoughts and motivation but character development could be stronger.
The characters are well-developed. The reader is able to understand their motivation and behavior.
The character development is strong. The reader is able to empathize with their situations, understand their actions and reactions, and critically think about how s/he would behave in the characters’ situation. Dialogue The dialogue is not effective and does not flow.
The dialogue strengthens the story and character development but is, at times, misplaced and overused.
The use of dialogue is appropriate and effectively provides character attributes, motivation, and assists with story development.
The dialogue is strong and the author makes careful word choices, effectively telling the story while letting the story tell itself.
Writing Style The writing style is poor, the story line unclear. It is difficult to follow the progression of events.
The writing style and fluency is acceptable. The reader may be confused on occasion as to sequence of events.
The writing style is enjoyable and the story flows in a natural, coherent progression.
The book is well-written, clearly relays critical information, and exemplifies exceptional mechanics of writing.
Reaction & Response
The book does not provide insight or provoke independent thought, opinions, or ideas.
The book causes the reader to think about the story, characters, and theme but may send conflicting messages that are too confusing for the intended age group.
The book effectively evokes a personal reaction to the text.
The book elicits some sort of a strong emotional reaction while provoking further contemplation of the theme and guiding the reader to independent thought.
