Lunch+with+Lenin+and+Other+Short+Stories



"Award-winning author Deborah Ellis explores the lives of teens affected directly or indirectly by drugs. Harrowing, inspiring, and often suprising, these ten short stories are set against backdrops as diverse as the remote north and small town America to Moscow's Red Square and an opium farm in Afghanistan." (Synopsis at the back of the book)

WHAT is the resource: Lunch With Lenin and Other Short Stories By Deborah Ellis (2008)

WHY I would take it/use it: First off, the text tells the stories of teenagers, and from their point of view. If nothing else, this text offers teenagers' voice, from different walks of life, in various parts of the world. As a result of this, it is both diverse in content and would speak to inclusive classroom communities. Also, the text raises, often controversial and touchy topics, including drugs, alcohol, etc. These stories then, provide a platform from which further discussion and inquiry can be ignited. From my experience, it is the very nature of these stories that make students engage (i.e. drugs).

Also, I do not forsee any principal having an issue with using this text in the classroom, however, one would have to be mindful of the students which make up his/her classroom. Some stories might hit too close to home for some students, and as such, may be problematic using it in the classroom.

HOW you would use it: As I witnessed at my first practicum placement, students loved to be read to. Having said that, I would use one short story at a time, as a means to introduce a unit (ex. a unit on a hero's journey. Students can be read, or read together in small groups, "Pretty Flowers" and discuss the protagonist's choice as heroic, selfish and stupid) or as simply a daily journal activity (students will listen to one of the short stories and in 20 mins, write a steam of consciousness based on their reaction and/or questions they have have about the story). As these stories are so rich with ideas, I doubt it would be difficult to generate a discussion, essay topic, etc.

Finally, as Literacy is a major area of focus for York Region District School Board (as with other school boards I'm sure), I found short stories to be an effective way to get students reading and more importantly, thinking. In my search for relevant, and intriguing short stories, at the FESA workshop on Sat. Feb 27th, 2010, I purchased Deborah Ellis' "Lunch with Lenin and Other Short Stories".

While I have not read the text in its entirity, the few stories that I have read thus far are extremely thought provoking. While one story recounts a teenaged boy buying and rolling marijuana for his grandma, living in a nursing home, another story tells of a teenanged girl's sacacrifice to solve her family debt problem, after her family's opium farm is destroyed.

Ultimately, an excellent text to be utilized in any English class (as it has simple language with big issues/themes) and perhaps social science and philosophy classes as well. Unquestionably a great $15 investment!