Little Brother

Bibliography: Doctorow, C. (2008). Little brother. New York: Tor Teen.

Genre: Adventure

Reading Level/Interest Age: 16-18

Reader's Annotation: After terrorists destroy the Bay Bridge, 17-year-old Marcus Yallow is captured, beaten, imprisoned, and interrogated by the Depart of Homeland Security for nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As the DHS increasingly restricts the freedom of his fellow San Franciscans, Marcus decides to fight back, hacker style.

Author: Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, journalist, blogger, co-editor of Boing Boing, and the author of several novels, including bestselling Little Brother. He is the former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group, among many, many other things. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in London with his wife and daughter. (http://craphound.com/)

Plot Summary: "Marcus, aka 'w1n5t0n' is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works – and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school's intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.

But his whole world changes when, having skipped school, he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison, where they're mercilessly interrogated for days.

When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state, where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

Can one teenage hacker fight back against a government out of control? Maybe, but only if he's real careful . . . and very, very smart." (jacket flap)

Critical Evaluation: Marcus grabs our attention from the novel's first page. He is intelligent and informative without being overly didactic. Doctorow achieves the perfect tone for a teen-age know-it-all, and I found myself accepting the authenticity of Marcus's voice long before he had my sympathy, which he earns when he breaks down in the port-o-john in the DHS truck. Doctorow reminds us that despite his brains and skills, Marcus is still a teen, and the pressure he's under in that situation would be enough to crack anybody. Furthermore, Marcus's anger with his father and teachers over their complicity with the DHS also rings true and gives Marcus the opportunity to vocalize strong arguments in favor of the preservation of civil liberties and to examine important historical precedent for fighting for them. In addition, Doctorow tackles some other pretty heavy issues, including racism and the need for acceptance. The novel is fast-paced and thought-provoking. I couldn't stop reading it, and I’m sure it will have me thinking twice about what I put on the Internet and who’s watching me in major cities.

Curriculum Ties:

Book Talk Ideas:
• focus on Marcus's description of his school and its surveillance
• focus on Marcus's arrest
• focus on Marcus's exchange with "severe-hair cut lady"
• adapt a scene of Treasure Island detainment and Marcus's shame
• adapt Marcus's speech at the key-exchange party

Challenge Issues: disobedient and independent teens / untrustworthy adults, cursing, sex

Challenge Defense:
• Be familiar with the context of the issues
• Explain library selection policies
• Provide reviews of the book from reputable sources
• Explain library challenge procedures
• Offer challenge form

Why was this text included in this project? Required reading for LIBR 265 class.