Allan Stratton
Allan Stratton is an award-winning and internationally published and produced playwright and novelist. His new young adult novel, Chanda's Secrets (Annick Press, 2004), tells the story of a sixteen-year-old girl whose family and friends are caught in the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
In preparation to write Chanda's Secrets, Allan traveled to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, where various agencies introduced him to those living with and working to fight HIV/AIDS. He was invited into homes, aid and education organizations, and mortuaries in city, village, and cattle post. The guidance and encouragement of the people he met there are what made this book possible. Allan is particularly grateful to individuals such as Solomon Kamwendo and his Francistown company Ghetto Artists, who do street theatre on HIV/AIDS testing and prevention; Patricia Bakwinya and Tebogoc Bakwinya who run the Tshireletso Shining Stars AIDS Awareness Group, an HIV/AIDS day-care centre; Rogers Bande and Anneke Viser of C.O.C.E.P.W.A. (Coping Centre for People Living with HIV/AIDS); Angelina Magaga of The Light and Courage Centre; Professor K. Osei-Hwedie of the University of Botswana; and the young people of P.A.C.T. (Peer Approach to Counseling by Teens). At later stages in the writing process, other frontline African HIV/AIDS leaders vetted his manuscript, notably Banyana Parsons of The Kagisano Women's Shelter Project. Allan is equally indebted to the on-going insight and expertise of a refugee friend from Kenya. A special note of thanks is due to The COADY International Institute for their support in the early stages of this project, their valuable feedback on the manuscript, and their assistance in marketing this book through the preparation of an important teacher's guide.
In addition to his personal research in Africa, Allan brings a wide range of life experience to Chanda's Secrets. He has lived across North America and in Europe, and has traveled to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. He has undergone Santerian purification rituals in rural Cuba, witnessed exorcisms in Botswana, slept between rail cars behind the former Iron Curtain, worked in a soup kitchen in Manhattan, and provided palliative AIDS home care.
Allan's work reflects his international perspective, his understanding of cultural diversity, and his commitment to social justice. His plays and novels have included settings as varied as Canada in the Great Depression, Italy in the 1940s, the Arctic in the near future, and pre-revolutionary Cuba. His writing explores themes as diverse as poverty and homelessness, stalking and date rape, minority rights, media manipulation, and celebrity and greed. In the words of Professor Ann Saddlemyer former Master of Massey College, University of Toronto, "Through [Stratton's] brisk dialogue and swift shifts of mood and tempo, runs their creator's commitment to equality, inclusiveness and individual responsibility."
Contributor: Annick Press
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Reviews
Chanda's Secrets
Allan Stratton
When Chandra's little sister Sara dies, it prompts Chandra to discover a horrible truth that must be kept secret: members of her family have AIDS. In the town where she lives in Africa, no one talks about AIDS. All the deaths in the community are instead attributed to cancer, tuberculosis, even hunting accidents. Everyone is affected by this epidemic, however: from Chandra's friend Esther, who has turned to prostitution to support herself and her siblings after her parents die, to Chandra herself, who was molested by one of her stepfathers years ago. When Chandra's mother disappears, leaving Chandra to care for her siblings with the help of a nosy neighbor, Chandra forces the community to confront the reality of the disease. While Stratton's depiction of AIDS in Africa is gripping and heartbreaking, the ending seems forced, overly happy, and, based on the rest of the book, unrealistic. Nevertheless, this book should become required reading in schools to educate children about the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Clark's line drawings at each chapter are sparse yet give a sense of a world that, otherwise, might be difficult for the average American child to comprehend. 2004, Annick Press, $19.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Amie Rose Rotruck (Children's Literature).
Chanda Kabelo, an extremely introspective and empathetic sixteen-year girl is struggling for independence while coming of age amid the horrific realities of the AIDS crisis in Africa. Her world is exceedingly challenging and complex. She has endured numerous hardships; the death of her father, and abuse by her mother's friend amid past family secrets that threaten to impact the present. With the death of a younger sister, AIDS silently wields its deadly force on Chanda's family. Her mother is emotionally unable to cope with life's cruelties and leaves the funeral planning and the future of the family to Chanda. Her stepfather also abandons the family through his self-medication via alcohol and other available drugs. Through this entire trauma Chanda thinks of AIDS/HIV, a forbidden topic in her house and community. She feels governed by tradition, ignorance, shame and stigma. However, as she deals with the subsequent death of her stepfather and mother, while coping with an AIDS afflicted friend, she feels ruled by her quest for continued acceptance by her community. Chanda emerges strengthened by loyalty, friendship and family ties. She is no longer consumed with keeping secrets but is fortified by the healing power of truth. Stratton brings the despair, overwhelming poverty and the impact of AIDS/HIV to life while at the same time depicting the strength of human character when faced with adversity. The audience can see and feel the power of this terrible disease on the physical body and are moved to look beyond mere statistics. They are also inspired to be enlivened by the triumph of the human spirit. Courage, honesty and commitment to oneself are qualities that are fostered in this fantastic text. Category: Fiction Grades 7-12. Thematic Links: World Issues - HIV/AIDS; Social Justice - South Africa - HIV/AIDS; Health & Medical Issues - HIV/AIDS. Resource Links Rating: E (Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!), Gr. 9-12. 2004, Firefly Books, 193p., Pbk. $11.95. Ages 14 to 18. Reviewer: Anne Hatcher (Resource Links, June 2004 (Vol. 9, No. 5)).
Best Books:
Best Books for Young Adults, 2005; American Library Association YALSA; United States
Booklist Book Review Stars, Jul. 1, 2004; United States
The Children's Literature Choice List, 2005; Children's Literature; United States
Editors' Choice, 2004; American Library Association Booklist; United States
Notable Books for a Global Society, 2005; IRA Children's Literature and Reading SIG; United States
Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2005; American Library Association YALSA; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, July 2004; Cahners; United States
Top 10 Black History Books for Youth, 2005; American Library Association-Booklist; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Children's Africana Book Award Winner 2005 Older Readers United States
Children's Book Award Notable Book 2005 Young Adult/Fiction United States
IPPY Award Winner 2005 Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction United States
Michael L. Printz Award Honor 2005 United States
Skipping Stones Honor Awards Winner 2005 Multicultural and International United States
Young Adult Canadian Book Award Shortlist 2005 Canada
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Snow Willow Award, 2005; Nominee; Saskatchewan
White Pine Award, 2005; Nominee; Ontario
ISBN: 1-55037-835-X
ISBN: 1-55037-834-1
Leslie's Journal: A Novel
Allan Stratton
Written in first person, this somewhat dark novel will have wide appeal to the older teen audience but is more suited to public library collections. Leslie, in grade nine going into grade 10, is in desperate need of attention. She is constantly in trouble in school and her home life is not much better. She seems angry at the world and deals with her feelings by acting out and keeping a journal for her English class with the assurance that no one will read her private thoughts. Enter Jason McCready, a totally cool boy who gives her a wink the first time they bump into each other. Soon Jason and Leslie are an item and she is now the envy of her classmates. But on their first date Jason does not take Leslie to the movies like he said he was going to do. Instead he takes her home and gets her drunk. Suddenly Jason is pulling her dress back on, giving her money, putting her in a cab and telling her to leave because his parents are on their way home. It isn't until later that Leslie realizes what happened but by then it's too late; Jason has full control of Leslie's life. One minute Jason is wonderful and caring; the next he is threatening and abusive. Then her English teacher gets ill and the substitute reads all the private journals detailing what Jason has done to her, and Leslie's world shatters. In the end Leslie has to make some tough decisions about herself and her life and what it means to stand up for yourself. KLIATT Codes: S--Recommended for senior high school students. 2000, Firefly/Annick Press, 196p, 19cm, $8.95. Ages 16 to 18. Reviewer: Jamie Lyn Weaver (KLIATT Review, January 2001 (Vol. 35, No. 1)).
For Leslie, trying to survive tenth grade is a constant struggle. Coping with divorced parents, trying to hold on to a best friend who seems to be growing away from her, feeling unpopular at school--all these problems make Leslie bitter and frustrated. She hides her hurt with "inappropriate" clothes and smart remarks. Then she meets Jason, the mysterious new boy in school. Handsome and poised, he seems the perfect candidate to be Leslie's first boyfriend. Leslie is thrilled with the attention, but when Jason at first is interested only in sex and then begins pushing her around, the thrill turns to confusion. Is it love to want to hurt someone with words and fists? Is it love to threaten to blackmail someone with photographs? The more Leslie learns about Jason, the more frightened she becomes. She realizes that she must stand up for herself and the other young women abused by Jason. When her journal describing Jason's abuse is discovered by one of her teachers, Leslie finds the courage to testify against Jason in court. Leslie's Journal reads more like a novel than a teenager's journal, but the format will not deter readers, who are sure to find Leslie an appealing protagonist. Her problems are real, and although Leslie seems very naive for a fifteen-year-old, her emotions ring true. Date rape and abuse are relevant topics for many teen readers. The cover for the paperback edition is compelling. Set in Canada, this first novel by an award-winning playwright offers hope that by placing trust in friends, adults, and one's own sense of right and wrong, justice will win. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2000, Annick Press/Firefly, 176p. Trade pb, $19.95 and $8.95. Ages 11 to 18. Reviewer: Judy Sasges (VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No. 6)).
Best Books:
Best Books for Young Adults, 2002; American Library Association-YALSA; United States
Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2003; American Library Association YALSA; United States
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2001; American Library Association-YALSA; United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Tayshas High School Reading List, 2002; Texas
White Pine Award, 2002; Nominee; Ontario, Canada
ISBN: 1-55037-665-9
ISBN: 1-55037-664-0
Added 09/30/05
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