Reading Bowl: True Notebooks

1) What are the themes of the book? What ideas and/or opinions is the book exploring or discussing?

In True Notebooks the major theme is acceptance, understanding, and hope. Mark Salzman, the author and the main character, undergoes his own journey while teaching his students at the County Juvenile Detention Center. He teaches his students how to be true people instead of embracing the cold acceptance of the street gangs. He does this through writing. Most of the prisoners have turned away from a good life because of the hardships they had to face as children: missing parents, dead siblings, and receiving no good education or love. When this happens a shell is replaced around them. Mark teaches them to release that shell and become loving, understood, and hopeful children.

2) Consider the main character of the book: what does he/she learn over the course of the narrative? How does he/she change? What is the final plot event that causes the character to change?

Mark, the main character, goes on a huge journey through this book; maybe even larger than his students. He first attends the jail to get inspiration on his book. But he keeps coming back, even after the book is done. He learns that the small things in life don't matter; it’s the love and inspiration that you give to others. He learns to focus more on the people and less on the indefinite problems in life. The final point when he fully changes is when Kevin, his star student and friend, leaves for state high security prison. Mark realizes the love he has for Kevin, but he can't get to him. The last few lines are a poem, by Kevin, and it ends, "Though the road may seem long and far, eventually I'll make it. Dear old friend, North Star." The North Star is the only star that doesn't move in the sky based on the earth’s rotation. Mark is Kevin's lifeline, the friend who will not move, or change while everything else is in chaos.

3) What are three sections/events/elements of the book that you find the most memorable or interesting?

1. When Mark first attends the writing class in the M/N unit (his class is K/L). One of the students writes about clouds, "..I look out this window, which is covered with gang engravings, and I see a nice puffy white cloud just slowly floating by, and I think to myself, 'where will this could go? Where does it come from? Why is it that it that it floats so perfectly like a boat on water, yet there is nothing to support and hold up this could? Whose will or power lets this cloud continue to cross this beautiful blue sky?...” This is meaningful because I think the cloud represents hopes and dreams. Who is there to hold them up for a convict?

2. Another profound moment was at the writing retreat. This was meaningful because until then the only thing that mattered to the kids was the gang life, and being out; but at the retreat they finally learn more about life. At first none of the students want to share, but as soon as Nathaniel, a star writer, reads, everyone wants a shot. This ends up being meaningful because the director of probation comes to the stand and talks about how meaningful this was for him.

3. The most powerful part of the book is at the end when Kevin is writing to Mark. He includes his poem about the North Star. As I said earlier, the North Star doesn't move around like the other stars, it's always there. To me this was a great message on the true meaning of friendship.

4) How does the book's subject and themes connect to the rest of your junior high curriculum (what you've studied or been exposed to over the past year and a half)?

The easiest thing I can think of is RCG. All the kids in the prison are either: Black, Hispanic, or some other person of color. The prisoners talk about being discriminated against, and how their race affects their life. Also there is a profound amount of sexism in the jail. Class serves a big role to. Most of the prisoners had little to no money on the “outs” and that’s what drove them to commit their crimes.

5) Did you enjoy the book? Why? Would you recommend it for next year's Reading Bowl?

I thought that this book was great. The fact that it is nonfiction was even better, that it showed a real life experience. It was very powerful showing the life and experiences of someone completely different through writing, to me that was the best part. I would definitely recommend this book to stay on the reading bowl list for ever. It is an incredibly powerful book that should be shared with everyone.