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Recommended by Robbie Bond @RobbieBondEng
Author: Toni Morrison
Form: Historical Fiction Novel
Length: 146 pages
Brief synopsis: Follows the story of Vietnam War Veteran Frank Money who ,whilst in the search of his sister Cee, begins to also look for his own identity and masculinity.
Age recommendation and challenging content: Contains offensive language, racism, sexual abuse and themes of suicide. For mature Y10 and above.
Notable reasons for recommending this book: The text includes harsh themes but themes that are important for students to read and understand. The text has a non-linear structure and fragmented narrative that is a challenge to follow (great practice for students who are analysing structure). Morrison uses language in the most perfect way and presents a story that is real, harsh and beautiful.
Other information you think a teacher should know: There are themes of sexual abuse on a child that is a difficult read. However, it isn’t written explicitly so you can choose how much focus you wish to take.