Mazer, Norma Fox. (1999). When She Was Good. New York: Scholastic Press, 240 pp.

Grade Range: 10-12

Genre: contemporary fiction

Summary and Critique

In this enthralling novel, Em is trying to find her place in life. She lived fourteen years with her alcoholic father and depressed mother, and another three years with her abusive sister, Pamela. Em is forced to lie about her age to support her sister, only to come home to face both physical and verbal abuse. When Pamela suddenly dies, Em is left alone and confused. Haunted by her sister's words, Em does not know how to continue living without serving the demands of her sister. Utimately, by facing her fears she pushes forward to a new beginning.

When She Was Good gives vivid and chilling details of her sufferings, taking the reader on a journey with Em to rediscover herself through the hardship she has experienced. The novel pulls the reader deep into this young girl's life, making the reader cry and laugh alongside Em.

Awards

American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

School Library Journal Best Book

American Library Association Editors'Choice

Themes

Families

Friends and Enemies

Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

Challenges and Triumphs

The Individual vs. Society

Author/Illustrator/Editor Information

Norma Fox Mazer has published over twenty-five novels. She writes fiction that appeals to young adults with characters that encounter real-life situations and rely on their relationships with others to overcome the events in their lives. Her novels have won her numerous awards, including the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Taking Terri Mueller.

For more information on Norma Fox Mazer:

http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-mazer-norma.asp Web site offering information about Norma Fox Mazer with interview.

Media Connections

Movies

Homeless to Harvard Based on a true story, this lifetime original movie portrays Liz Murray, a young girl that has to overcome her struggles growing up with parents who are drug addicts. She is determined to redefine herself and is homeless while attending high school. Her inspiring goal is to attend an Ivy League school.

Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) This film portrays a young girl, Bone, who has succumbed to the growing physical and sexual abuse of her stepfather Glen. Her mother is forced to make a decision between the abusive stepfather and her daughter.

Ever After (1998) A Cinderella story of a girl who overcomes the abuse of her stepsisters to find her prince.

Shine (1996) This film is about a father who does not accept his son's special gifts and talents. The movie reveals the son's long path to recovery from years of psychological abuse.

Nixon A story about a man who lives his entire life without being able to feel any security because of his abusive past.

Forrest Gump (2001) This film portrays two separate lives that come together, Forrest and Jenny. Jenny grapples with overcoming molestation. As she gets older, she is faced with a recovery from her past that will not be easy.

The Color Purple (1985) This is a story about the inner strength of a woman named Celie. Celie overcomes a life filled with abuse and learns to love herself.

Television

7th Heaven – any episode (family relationships and teen issues).

My So Called Life- any episode (family relationships and teen issues).

Music/Audio Recordings

"Angel." Lyrics by Sarah McLachlan. From Surfacing. 1997. (a song about not feeling good enough in this world and searching for a way to overcome trials and hardships).

Online Resources

http://www.eduref.org/ This wonderful Web site provides a wide range of lesson plans for all subjects and all ages.

http://www.teenreads.com/index.asp This Web site allows Teens to find reviews on books and look up information on an b4teens_author. It also gives Teens a chance to rate their books and read what other Teens have written.

http://www.gettingunstuck.com/film/FRAMES/Abuse_frame.htm This Web site gives suggestions on how to watch films about abuse, family life, dreams, ambitions, guilt, etc. It also gives a list of movies that are about abuse.

http://www.marriage-relationships.com/family_relationships.html This Web site offers information on the importance of family relationships in one's life. It also provides links to information about other kinds of relationships (abusive relationships, teen relationships, etc.)

http://www.cooperativeadventures.com/tbiblio.htm An informative Web site about today's adolescent issues.

Related Texts

Voigt, Cynthia. (1994). When She Hollers. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 177pp. The story of a young girl, Tish, who has dealt with abuse throughout her life. To cope with this abuse and to feel protected, Tish decides to keep a knife with her. This novel provides a powerful way to explore issues of abuse.

Allison, Dorothy. (1992). Bastard Out of Carolina. New York: Dutton, 309pp. Ruth Anne Boatwright, or more commonly known as Bone, finds herself in an abusive situation that she cannot escape. Bone's stepfather, Daddy Glenn, takes advantage of his power in the household. As the novel progresses, Glenn becomes more and more physically and sexually abusive to Bone. The mother is caught between choosing her daughter or her standing by her husband.

Aguado, Bill. (2003). Paint Me Like I Am: Teen Poems from WritersCorps. New York: Harper Tempest, 128pp. The poetry in this collection was written by disadvantaged youth. These Teens express themselves in their poetry by addressing the issues of abuse, race, drugs, and self-image.

Pelzer, Dave. (1993). A Child Called It. Omaha: Omaha Press Publishing, 97pp. A young boy called "It" by his mother is subjected to unimaginable physical abuse by her. Beaten, burned, starved, he receives no protection from his father. The only person who pays attention to his sufferings is a schoolteacher who eventually saves him.

Gallo, Donald R. (1993). Join In: Multiethnic Short Stories. New York: Delacorte Press, 256pp. These short stories contain different issues that Teens face. The authors of the stories were not born in the United States and give an autobiographical feel to the stories.

Cart, Michael. (2003). Necessary Noise. New York: Harper Tempest, 239pp. This collection of short stories is written by young adult writers facing different family situations. Each realistic story attempts to understand the meaning of family and explores issues that families encounter.

Teaching Ideas

(1) "Family, Self, and Literature" Have students free write in their journals for about five minutes about how they feel about their family and what they would change about their families if they could. Then, have students write a definition of family along with ten things they know about families and five questions they have about families. After this is completed, divide students into groups to share their definitions of family. When the discussion is completed, try to come up with a class definition of family on the board. Next, give each group three sheets of paper and one marker. Have each group share their questions from the journal and pick three to write on each piece of paper. At the end of the day, post the papers on the wall. The next day, have a discussion over the questions, use literature to find answers, and begin to develop a thesis statement that can be used to write an analytical essay.

[Summarized from "Family, Self, and Literature" by Beverly Lewis in Ideas Plus Book 12. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, pp.31-32.]

(2) "Memories of Trips, Vacations, and Special Moments" Have students bring to class an item of memorabilia from a trip, vacation, or special moment (it is important to discuss in class what is considered memorabilia). Allow time for each student to informally present their piece of memorabilia to the class and talk about its significance to the particular memory. Students can ask the presenters questions or make comments at the end of the presentation. After everyone has presented, have students write about their memory and item of memorabilia. Students should be ready and eager to write because they have had time to think their topic through and have discussed it in their presentations.

[Summarized from "Memories of Trips, Vacations, and Special Moments" by Rose Reissman in Ideas Plus Book 14. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, pp.19-22.]

(3) "Inferring Character Traits" Before class, fill a travel bag with miscellaneous items (cassette tape, a foreign language dictionary, books, blank computer disk, toothpaste, earplugs, etc.). Take the bag to class and inform the students that they are going to be Sherlock Holmes today. Have the students determine what kind of person the bag's owner is by examining the contents of the bag. Students can imagine what the person's personality is like, and infer character traits from the contents. Then, have students write a description of the bag's owner. Have them include a picture of what the person looks like and the owner's personality and characteristics. This activity will prepare students for descriptive or creative writing assignments.

[Summarized from "Inferring Character Traits" in Ideas Plus Book 13. Urbana. IL: National Council of Teachers of English, pp. 23-24].

(Review written by Rebecca May and edited by Jennifer E. Moore)