Ms. Marvel

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Out of all the books we read this semester, Ms. Marvel was the one I was least looking forward to. I didn't exactly dread it because I knew it would be a quick and easy read, I just figured I wouldn't get much out of it. On the contrary, I ended up enjoying the novel, and I think it carries with it a lot of merit for a variety of reasons. I'm not a big graphic novel fan or a fan of the superhero stories/movies. I enjoyed learning more about their background and about how most superheros are Jewish. After reading more about how superhero stories are often stories of an outsider trying to fit in, the decision to make Ms. Marvel into a young, Muslim teen made more sense. I liked that marvel was able to incorporate more diversity into their universe while still making it logically fit into the concept of the preexisting superheroes.

I think that this text has value in three major ways. Firstly, the main character, Kamala, deals with issues that are relatable to teens reading this text such as struggling to fit in at school and trying to form her own identity, all under the umbrella of her strict, overbearing parents. Secondly, this text brings more diversity to the Marvel universe and to students everywhere. Now Muslim students are getting a way to see themselves represented in YA literature. Other minority students have a character that they can empathize with and relate to. Non-minority students get a glimpse into Muslim culture and see it depicted in a very realistic, normalized way. I really liked that the white characters in the text were depicted in a negative light. I didn't find it overly offensive. I thought most of the jokes were really realistic. The text didn't necessarily outright damn all white people, it more played off of preexisting stereotypes. I thought the joke about white people's ignorant way of approaching other cultures was hilarious. Even the white people who make an attempt to be "nice" are just coming off as ignorant. Thirdly, this text is a graphic novel. It also falls under the realm of a large fandom and movie franchise that many young adults are already fascinated with. For these reasons this text is easily accessible for students, especially reluctant readers. The text has graphics on every page and very limited words. It moves fast and it's easy for students to get swept into the story. Even as someone who doesn't normally read graphic novels, it's still a quick and easy read.

Overall I don't think I would take the time to actually teach this text in a class. Had I been more interested in the Marvel universe or graphic novels I might consider it. However, I would definitely try to get a few graphic novels for my classroom library for reluctant readers.

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