Sisters by Gary Paulsen

1

December 8, 2012 by rgullans

Sisters, by Gary Paulsen, ISBN: 0-15-275324-9, 1993, Harcourt Inc.

Plot Summary

Sisters by Gary Paulsen is the concise novel and story of two fourteen year old girls; Rosa and Traci.  The story takes place over the course of one day in their lives at the end of which they have a chance encounter.  Rosa wakes up in her hotel room and proceeds to go through her daily routine in preparation for night job.  Rosa works as a prostitute at night.  She works as a prostitute because she has no choice; she is young, has no family in the U.S. and is unable to get a legitimate job.  She also speaks almost no English.  Traci on the other hand has grown up with everything she has wanted or needed.  Traci’s mother has instilled in Traci a deep desire to be perfect, beautiful and successful.  Traci works very hard at these things and in the novel the reader is taken through one day in her life in which she is preparing for cheerleading try outs.  At the end of this day the two characters will meet and both will be impacted greatly by their meeting.

Critical Evaluation

Sisters by Gary Paulsen is a wonderful short novel that can easily be read over the course of one hour.  It is the tragic story of two girls who are living a hard life in very different ways.  Paulsen successfully ties these two girls together through the theme of sameness.  And despite their drastically different circumstances, they are the same on many levels.  Traci has all the material needs she could ask for, but her mother has pushed from a very young age to be the best and the most beautiful.  Traci has successfully been indoctrinated into cultivating her mother’s version of a perfect life.  Rosa on the other hand is cultivates the perfect life in a completely different way.  She moves to the USA for that purpose.  Unable to get a legitimate job Rosa does what she needs to do to survive, she prostitutes herself.  But despite her dire circumstances Rosa too fully believes that she will attain a perfect life centered on beauty.  She believes she will be a beautiful model with all her heart.  Paulsen’s novel is a masterpiece; although it is short in length it is extremely rich in depth of character and thematic timing.  This novel is recommended to use in the classroom, both to expand students understanding of peoples similarities and to tune student’s comparison skills.

Readers Annotation

Rosa is a Mexican immigrant who must prostitute herself to survive.  Traci is a pageant winner who strives to be a perfect beauty.  They are the same.

Information About the Author

According to Scholastic.com, “A chance visit to a library on a cold day was the turning point in young Gary Paulsen’s life. A librarian gave him a library card and a book, and the teenaged Paulsen discovered that books could provide excellent companionship. His resulting passion for literature has stimulated a wealth of published works for both children and adults.”

“The product of a difficult childhood, Paulsen ran away from home at the age of fourteen. His experience in diverse jobs and a wide range of interests have provided the basis for much of his written work. His stories are woven from his personal experiences, and many of them feature outdoor settings and the harmony of nature. Several of his books deal with the theme of survival and human endurance. Hatchet, which has become a modern-day classic, won him the Newbery Honor Award.”

“Paulsen’s interest in dog sledding led to his participation in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The impact of this experience on his life is brought to life in several of his outstanding books, including Woodsong and Dogsong, another Newbery Honor Award winner. His close relationship with his dogs and all of nature is delicately blended into his stories about the race, allowing the reader to experience the true feeling of being out on the trail.”

“Paulsen lives in New Mexico with his wife, artist Ruth Wright Paulsen, who has illustrated several of his books.”

Genre

Young adult multicultural book

Curriculum Ties

English- comparison of Traci and Rosa.  Write a paper where the writer explains Traci’s connection to Rosa.

Book Talking Ideas

Write a letter from Traci to Rosa where she explains her connection to her.

Make a display that has Rosa on one side and Traci on another, with pictures and descriptions of what their life is like.

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Ages 12 and up.

Challenge Issues

This book might be challenged because it portrays a young prostitute girl.

If this book were challenged I would show the challenger the libraries selection policy and written rationale for the inclusion of the book in the library.  I would also provide the challenger with book reviews for them to consider. If they were still not satisfied I would suggest the fill out a request for reconsideration form.

Why Included

This book was included because it is a well-written multicultural book.