Annotations & Bibliography

Below are annotations of our two main texts, The Kite Runner and The House on Mango Street.  Also included is a list of other supplemental texts used.

The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner tells the moving story of two boys, Amir and Hassan, growing up in Kabul.  The boys are from entirely different social classes, but often run kites together.  One day, an unfortunate event occurs, forever changing Amir and Hassan's relationship.  They boys drift apart amidst feelings of betrayal and jealousy, and are separated after Hassan moves away.  Shortly thereafter, Afghanistan's monarchy falls, and Amir and his father flee to America.

Years later, Amir returns to Afghanistan to reconcile with his past and find a way "to be good again."

-written by Liz Gruver
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003.


The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros

Sandra Cisneros's novella, The House on Mango Street, details the life of Esperanza Cordero, a Chicana girl living in Chicago. The vignettes are written from Esperanza's point of view, as she matures from a girl to a young woman.  During this year, Esperanza stuggles with the issues she faces as begins to develop both mentally and physically as a young woman in an opressive society.  She creates her self identity and realizes what it essentitally means to be Latina.  However, as she and her family progresses throughout the stories, Eperanza realizes she is not progressing in the nature she would like to, and eventually wants to leave Mango Street.

-written by Liz Gruver

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences &           
           World Languages, 2000
.
 



I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

-Angelou, Maya. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." The Complete Collected
      Poems of Maya Angelou. New York: Random House, Inc., 1994.

The Accidental Asian by Eric Kiu

Kiu, Eric. The Accidental Asian. New York: Random House, Inc., 1998.

Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas

-Thomas , Piri. Down These Mean Streets. New York: Random House, Inc.,
          1997.

Smoke Signals by Alexie Sherman

Alexie, Sherman. Smoke Signals : A Screenplay. New York: Talk Miramax Books, 1998.

"A & P" by John Updike

"A&P- John Updike." A&P- John Updike. 20 July 2003. 12 Dec. 2008
        <http://www.tiger-town.com/whatnot/updike/>.