It is an official new york city alternative high school, and has been in existence for fifteen. Maybe its a theme of bravery, perseverance, or undying love. Just when things couldnt get worse, martin gets caught in a fight between two. Martin is transferred to a part of rikers where inmates must attend high school. This film has been music composed by marc anthony thompson. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read. By turns bleak and funny, rikers high follows martins struggles with his overworked legalaid attorney, the bullying of his fellow inmates, a complicated home life and his own burgeoning anger at the unfairness of his incarceration. The school year had started the week before and most of the new teachers were already placed. The academys hope is that education will lessen the high rates of recidivism. These are books that i cant keep on my classroom shelf. Rikers high, on the other hand, did it without flair or real concern over what was happening.
Captivating and powerful study was directed by victor buhler. I would have been thrilled to get any kind of teaching job. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. International handbook of higher education part one. From 1992 to 1998, he taught adolescents on rikers island in new york city to read and write. Find books like rikers high from the worlds largest community of readers. For example the captain has complete power of what goes on at rikers, but when the captain is not around, then the cos have the power over the inmates on rikers. Lessons, poetry workshops and varsity sports all take place behind rows of ribbon fence. Young adult fiction ya is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. An unflinching story about justice, courage, and the life of one young man behind bars. With its judicious depth and brilliant blazes of writing that simmer, then nourish, with the fire on high is literary soul food. Five months after his arrest, 17yearold martin stokes is still waiting on rikers island for his sentencing.
Hes scarred forever, but one good thing comes from the attack. Rowlings sevenbook harry potter series, harry potter and the philosophers stone, was. Maccormick island academy, or, usually, just the island academy. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of rikers high by paul volponi. Hes picked up a few things during that time, including some ged coursework, many observations about the inequality of the justice system and a scar on his cheek from a slashing razor blade. A year in the life of three boys studying in new york citys most extreme high school. In my free time i like to hang out with friends and play videogames. The book rikers high, by paul volponi is a great book and its about a guy named martin who goes to jail at 15 years old because of a setup. Every morning at five oclock another officer came on duty and started to count. Rikers high by paul volponi is about a jail thats on an island for juvenile delinquents. Filmmakers follow three inmatestudents at the prison high school of new york citys rikers island penitentiary.
This is one of those brilliant ideas i wish id thought of. Nathaniel hawthorne wrote fantasy in a wonderbook for girls and boys. Boekverslag engels high fidelity door nick hornby 4e klas vwo. To encourage reading and writing, nick sometimes gives away books from the schools book room or buys books with his own money to give to his students. Paul volponi arrested on a minor offense, a new york city teenager attends high school in the jail facility on rikers island, as he waits for his case to go to court. Join emily godfrey, a librarian at twain middle school, and sarah pevner, a librarian at centreville high school, as they discuss rikers high by paul volponi. Volponis punchy, journalistic prose runs the gamut of emotions, propelling readers. Global themes and contemporary challenges, part two. He gets busted for telling an undercover cop where weed is. Whether youre reading your favorite disney book or working your way through the great gatsby by. The late late show with james corden recommended for you. Rikers high by paul volponi by conner robertson on prezi.
Six years later, i was sitting in a hiring hall on court street in brooklyn. As a star basketball player in her last year of high school, nancy takahiros. And five months later, he is still locked up in jail on infamous rikers island. This would not be the best book for younger kids to read because if some of the events that happen like fighting are only for teens and adults and also there is a lot of swearing in the book.
The novel addresses themes permeating adolescence, including introversion. I feel that even a younger audience would see through the skimpy characterization and general lack of interesting incidents to keep the plot moving forward. B for basically brilliant books which receive this rating are books that are repeat themes or arent unique in their own right. The perks of being a wallflower is a young adult comingofage epistolary novel by american writer stephen chbosky, which was first published on february 1, 1999, by pocket books. He is put in a jail for juvenile delinquents called rikers. Just when things couldnt get worse, martin gets caught in a fight between two prisoners, and his face is slashed. Seventeenyearold martin stokes has been imprisoned for five months. They had me for steering telling an undercover cop where weed was sold in my neighborhood. Martin is weeks away from being released from rikers island. The risk of didacticism is high, but the books rigor and crystalline. I did not like this book, and would find few ya readers to recommend it to.
One of them would drive in from someplace nice like long island, while another went home. Lord dunsany established the genres popularity in both the novel and the. Just when it seems things couldnt get much worse, martin is caught between two warring prisoners, and his face is slashed. The interactive book, aimed at readers from grades 612, also presents teens with the opportunity to create a meaningful and geographically appropriate name for their own sports franchise. Rikers high is about a teenager named martin who got arrested for steering an undercover cop to a place to buy drugs. Set in the early 1990s, the novel follows charlie, an introverted observing teenager, through his freshman year of high school. The theme of this book is to always follow what is right, avoid getting caught in the wrong situations and making right decisions as it can change in your life quickly. Latinautor, rumblefish publishing, latinautor peermusic, latinautor umpg, ascap, umpg. However, it was the advent of high fantasy, and most of all j.
Volponi homestretch recasts his adult novel, rikers black heron, 2002, for a teen audience that will likely be riveted. Rikers high by paul volponi author paul volponis reallife experience working with kids behind bars is the inspiration for rikers high. George pelecanos and the power of the prison library. There are 2000 juvenile offenders at the infamous rikers island prison. Martin was a young african american adult living in a rough neighborhood and ended up in rikers because he told an undercover cop where weed was sold. Also it is a book that you cant put down and you feel have to keep reading to find out what happens next. Martin is transferred to a different part of rikers where inmates are required to attend high. For instance, in the catcher in the rye, holden caulfields actions are motivated by his not wanting to grow up, so one of the main themes of this novel is the. Author paul volponis reallife experience working with kids behind bars is the inspiration for rikers high.
Rikers high book hennepin county library bibliocommons. Rikers high is a great title for those who need a bit of a wake call or for those looking for a gritty read about life behind bars. It started out as an innocent day for martin, but it quickly turned into his worst nightmarearrested for something he didnt even mean to do. Martin is weeks away from being released from rikers. Volponi worked at a day treatment center like daytop teaching students and helping them prepare for the ged. Challenged at the libby, mt high school 1983 due to the books contents. Rikers island prison school, in new york city i do not own this documentary for educational purposes only youtube kingme347 for more videos. Goodreads members who liked rikers high also liked. The film looks at island academy the high school for inmates of rikers island, the largest correctional facility in north america. Rikers high also known as lykeio rikers is a 2005 american and french documentary film directed by victor buhler. These incentive volumes include sister souljas the coldest winter, rikers high by paul volponi and the epic fantasy series already mentioned. Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real world.
The international handbook of higher education combines a rich diversity of scholarly perspectives with a wide range of. Arrested on a minor offense, a new york city teenager attends high school in the jail facility on rikers island, as he waits for his case to go to court. What exactly is a theme of a story, and how can i recognize it. Sometimes you can get through an entire book and not realize what the author meant. Challenged at the santa cruz, ca schools 1995 because of its racial themes. After 17yearold clays parents catch him smoking pot, they pull him from long island city high school and enroll him at a day treatment facility, where he gets counseling for addiction while working. Most fantasy uses magic or other supernatural elements as a main plot. I choose this picture to represent a theme in the book because there is a reoccurring display of power through out the book so far. A strikingly honest, raw account of a teenage struggle for redemption. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read rikers high. The novel spans just two and a half weeks, but those few days feel as long as a lifetime.