Young Adult Literature

Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 2.01: A Vignette Is Not a Salad Dressing

The thing about The House on Mango Street is that it reads like—

Okay, we're going to use a word here that may cause you to shut down, but we're asking you to keep an open mind. Just for a second. All right?

This book reads a little bit like—poetry.

Phew.

The secret's out and maybe—just maybe—you actually like that word. But if we remember high school at all—and we do—poetry wasn't exactly at the top of everyone's reading list. Why? Does this scenario sound familiar?

You read a poem, you read it again, and you still have absolutely no idea what it's about. And then, after dissecting every word, every syllable, every object mentioned to discover what it all might really mean, it comes down to a sentiment that could have been expressed in one simple sentence. So why didn't the author just say it? Well, maybe they want you to do a little digging. They can't pull all the weight, right?

Take heart in the fact that The House on Mango Street isn't poetry. It just reads a little like poetry, partly because it uses rich descriptive language, and partly because it doesn't tell a story straight through from beginning to end. Instead, the chapters are a series of vignettes.

Maybe you want to know what your old costumes reveal about you. Maybe you want to utterly erase them from your memory, like this kid.
(Source)

Vin-whats?

Think of them this way:

You're talking with a friend when a VW drives by, which makes you think of the epic punch-buggy battle you and your brother had in the backseat of your parents' car on the way to Disney World.

That reminds your friend of the year she and her sister dressed up like Disney princesses for Halloween—

—which makes you recall the awesome stormtrooper costume you wore every day for a month back when you were five. Or fifteen—there's no shame in loving a good costume.

All of these scenes you and your friend keep relaying to one another? They're vignettes—short episodes that capture a moment in time (while leaving out the larger story).

And that's what you're going to find in The House on Mango Street. Each chapter is a vignette that reveals a little more about our narrator Esperanza and her neighborhood. But these vignettes aren't straightforward stories, so—as with poetry—sometimes you'll have to dig a little to figure out exactly what's being revealed.

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 2.2.01: The Beginning of the Street

When you're done contemplating your past costume choices—pirate? cat? giant crayon?—check out this video about a particular kind of YA book: The bestseller.

Done? Sweet. Get ready to travel to Mango Street. You'll need to get a copy of the book from your library or your local bookstore, or you can purchase it online here.

As we mentioned before, these chapters are short—like, crazy short. In fact, you could probably read the whole book in one sitting, and if you do, more power to you. But if you do, come back and read it again—a little slower this time.

Why? Because these chapters epitomize the old Hershey's Kisses slogan: Big things come in little packages.

Which is why we're dividing the reading into several sections, with follow-up questions and activities for each one. We want to help you process as you go.

Here are your first six chapters to knock out today:

• The House on Mango Street
• Hairs  
• Boys & Girls  
• My Name  
• Cathy Queen of Cats  
• Our Good Day

What, no numbers? 'Fraid not. Must be a kooky modern author thing, because we know Herman Melville numbered the chapters in Moby Dick—all 135 of them.

Numbered or no, give each of these six vignettes a good long read before starting this lesson's activity. When you're done, hop over to the Shmoop summary pages to catch any details that might've slipped through the cracks. That happens sometimes with new books. It's cool.

Be sure to check out Shmoop's Intro to the book, as well, and make sure you read both the "In a Nutshell" and "Why Should I Care?" sections to be as prepared as can be for today's activity.

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 2.01: Reading Into the Reading

Yeah, yeah. We know. It can be a drag to answer a bunch of questions in one of those "Check for Understanding" sections you always find in textbooks. But like we said, these chapters are loaded, and these questions will help you to think about what you just read and really process it all. Isn't that what reading's all about?

Here's what we're looking for.

If we gave you the question, "What circumstances led to the family moving to Mango Street?" you might respond:

Esperanza explains that the family moved to Mango Street because a water pipe at their old flat broke and the place flooded. Even worse, the landlord wouldn't fix the pipe.

Get it?

Dive in, and write one to three sentences in response to each of the following: