Der Brief

BASIC INFO	LANGUAGE LEVEL	COMPREHENSION-AIDING FEATURES
Book Title Der Brief / The Letter Author(s) Theresa Marrama Illustrator(s) Interior art and art cover by Digitalhandart Other Contributors German translation and adaptation by Julie Young Genre Realistic Fiction Publication date December 3, 2019 #Ownvoices Unspecified You can find LLLAB’s review of the French adaptation of this book here. The book also exists in Spanish.	From the author/publisher’s website Novice-high Total Word Count 2,500 total words and less than 200 unique words	Illustrations YES Glossary YES Guiding Questions NO Context NO Other

IDENTITIES PRESENT IN THE TEXT		SYNOPSIS
Races, Ethnicities, and Nationalities White German Turkish Languages spoken German Sex and Genders Female Male Ages Teenager: 13-18 Mid-life Adult: 35-65 Social classes Middle Class	Sexual Orientation None explicitly named. Yasmin expresses attraction to a girl, Klara. Klara expresses attraction to Yasmin and may be expressing attraction to a boy named Alex. (Dis)Abilities and Neurotypes None mentioned Religions, Syncretism, and Spirituality Yasmin’s mother is described as being “very religious,” but it is not clear to which religion she belongs (p. 14). Relationship and Family Structures Heteroparental Body Descriptions Alex is described as “strong, sporty, and handsome” (p. 8), and his friend group is described as being “muscleheads” (p. 11). No body descriptions provided for the other characters.	From the author/publisher Yasmin and Klara have been best friends for a long time. But, the last week has challenged their friendship since Klara started to pay more attention to Alex, the popular boy in school. It is a confusing and emotional time for Yasmin. But through it all, Yasmin begins to better understand her feelings. As she considers the last week, she comes to a revelation about her friendship with Klara. Yasmin’s world is about to change when she gets an unexpected letter from her best friend. Why has she been incredibly secretive and avoiding Klara like the plague? Will Yasmin decide to gather up the courage to talk to Klara? She knows that she may be risking everything to reveal her truth, but she knows that the truth will set her free. Will it be worth it?

ILLUSTRATIONS	STORY	SOCIAL JUSTICE
To what extent do the illustrations present positive and thoughtful representations of identities? The protagonist (Yasmin), her friend (Klara), and the boy in their class (Alex) are represented in black-and-white illustrations. Yasmin has long, curly hair and Klara has long, straight hair. Alex has short hair. The illustrations show no clear differences in skin tones or hair colors between the characters.	We understand identities are complex and no single story represents the spectrum of identity-based experiences. Also, a text may address a stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization without relying on it. *Does any stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization affect any positive and thoughtful representations of identities in the text?* No	This section is for teachers who are working towards sourcing more texts within the four domains of anti-bias education. We are excited about reading all books and we understand that not all books are written for this specific purpose. *Does this text work toward goals within any of the* four domains of anti-bias education as defined by Learning for Justice? Yes: Identity: Promote a healthy self-concept and exploration of identity

LLLAB’s REVIEW
Der Brief tells the story of Yasmin and Klara, two best friends who attend the same school. When Klara begins to express potential romantic interest in a boy at their school, Yasmin realizes that she has been harboring her own romantic feelings for Klara. By the end of the book, Yasmin and Klara express their feelings for each other and, in the titular letter, Yasmin tells her mother that she loves Klara. Yasmin’s relationship with her friend Klara is positive and supportive throughout the story. The characters understand each other very well (p. 4) and remind each other to be kind to themselves. Klara tells Yasmin: “Yasmin, ich bin nicht perfekt. Niemand ist perfekt!” / Yasmin, I am not perfect. No one is perfect! (p. 5). Klara shows sensitivity when Yasmin doesn’t get along with Alex, with whom Klara has been spending more and more time (p. 18), and notices when Yasmin is “not herself,” asking what is going on with her (p. 27). Yasmin’s relationship with her mother is also positive and supportive, despite their differences. Yasmin thinks of her mother as “very religious” and “very traditional,” with her mother expressing the belief that a father must alway work to support his family while the mother stays home (pp. 14-15). While Yasmin expresses disagreement with how “traditionally” her mother chooses to live, Yasmin also describes her as “very friendly,” and expresses love for her (p. 14). They enjoy spending time together, and her mother notices when Yasmin is not being herself. “Yasmin, wie geht es dir? Du warst in letzter Zeit nicht du selbst. …Was ist los? Du weißt, dass du mit mir reden kannst” / Yasmin, how are you? You have not been yourself lately. …What’s wrong? You know that you can talk to me (p. 19). Though Yasmin is nervous that her mother will not understand her feelings for Klara, Yasmin’s mother expresses her love and support directly after Yasmin tells her that she loves Klara: “Oh, Yasmin. Ich bin nicht traurig. Nein, ich bin stolz auf dich. Du hast Mut. Du bist meine Tochter Yasmin und ich liebe dich. Ich bin nicht traurig” / Oh, Yasmin. I am not sad. No, I am proud of you. You are courageous. You are my daughter and I love you. I am not sad” (p. 33). Although the book provides a positive coming-out story, teachers may wish to point out the nuances of coming-out stories. For some, coming out can lead to family rejection, while others find support and reassurance from their families and communities. In Yasmin’s narrative, her mother is portrayed as deeply religious and adhering to traditional values, as well as hailing from Turkey. “Ihre Familie kommt aus der Türkei, und sie ist sehr religiös…Sie lebt sehr traditionell” / Her family is from Turkey and she is very religious… She leads a very traditional life (pp. 14-15). The text, however, lacks clarity on which religion Yasmin’s family practices, the extent to which Yasmin’s mother actively practices her religious beliefs, and what that might entail for her expectations for her daughter. This ambiguity raises questions about whether Yasmin’s hesitation to discuss her feelings for Klara with her mother is solely linked to her mother’s religious and traditional background, or to some other factor. The portrayal of Yasmin’s mother as “very religious” and “traditional,” without delving into the nuances of her beliefs, may inadvertently lead readers to make assumptions about her mother’s cultural and religious backgrounds, and to treat her stereotypically. These assumptions may oversimplify the complex relationships between cultural, religious, and personal beliefs. Teachers may wish to offer their students further information on people of Turkish origin living in Germany, their historical roots, and the lives of LGBTQ+ people in this community, centering voices of Turkish Germans. Teachers who are wishing to diversify their classroom libraries by adding books with LGBTQ+ characters might wish to consider how the “coming out” story may function as a trope. Teachers may wish to have their students engage with these characters as well-rounded people, and avoid reducing them to their sexual orientation. In 2024, as we write this review, available language learner literature in German featuring LGBTQ+ characters and written by LGBTQ+ authors is limited. Teachers may wish to seek out resources that include LGBTQ+ characters in a wide variety of situations, not only the “coming out” story, and to provide authentic resources written by authors who share the sexual identities of these fictional protagonists.

LLLAB’s REVIEW

Der Brief tells the story of Yasmin and Klara, two best friends who attend the same school. When Klara begins to express potential romantic interest in a boy at their school, Yasmin realizes that she has been harboring her own romantic feelings for Klara. By the end of the book, Yasmin and Klara express their feelings for each other and, in the titular letter, Yasmin tells her mother that she loves Klara.

Yasmin’s relationship with her friend Klara is positive and supportive throughout the story. The characters understand each other very well (p. 4) and remind each other to be kind to themselves. Klara tells Yasmin: “Yasmin, ich bin nicht perfekt. Niemand ist perfekt!” / Yasmin, I am not perfect. No one is perfect! (p. 5). Klara shows sensitivity when Yasmin doesn’t get along with Alex, with whom Klara has been spending more and more time (p. 18), and notices when Yasmin is “not herself,” asking what is going on with her (p. 27).

Yasmin’s relationship with her mother is also positive and supportive, despite their differences. Yasmin thinks of her mother as “very religious” and “very traditional,” with her mother expressing the belief that a father must alway work to support his family while the mother stays home (pp. 14-15). While Yasmin expresses disagreement with how “traditionally” her mother chooses to live, Yasmin also describes her as “very friendly,” and expresses love for her (p. 14). They enjoy spending time together, and her mother notices when Yasmin is not being herself. “Yasmin, wie geht es dir? Du warst in letzter Zeit nicht du selbst. …Was ist los? Du weißt, dass du mit mir reden kannst” / Yasmin, how are you? You have not been yourself lately. …What’s wrong? You know that you can talk to me (p. 19).

Though Yasmin is nervous that her mother will not understand her feelings for Klara, Yasmin’s mother expresses her love and support directly after Yasmin tells her that she loves Klara: “Oh, Yasmin. Ich bin nicht traurig. Nein, ich bin stolz auf dich. Du hast Mut. Du bist meine Tochter Yasmin und ich liebe dich. Ich bin nicht traurig” / Oh, Yasmin. I am not sad. No, I am proud of you. You are courageous. You are my daughter and I love you. I am not sad” (p. 33).

Although the book provides a positive coming-out story, teachers may wish to point out the nuances of coming-out stories. For some, coming out can lead to family rejection, while others find support and reassurance from their families and communities.

In Yasmin’s narrative, her mother is portrayed as deeply religious and adhering to traditional values, as well as hailing from Turkey. “Ihre Familie kommt aus der Türkei, und sie ist sehr religiös…Sie lebt sehr traditionell” / Her family is from Turkey and she is very religious… She leads a very traditional life (pp. 14-15). The text, however, lacks clarity on which religion Yasmin’s family practices, the extent to which Yasmin’s mother actively practices her religious beliefs, and what that might entail for her expectations for her daughter. This ambiguity raises questions about whether Yasmin’s hesitation to discuss her feelings for Klara with her mother is solely linked to her mother’s religious and traditional background, or to some other factor.

The portrayal of Yasmin’s mother as “very religious” and “traditional,” without delving into the nuances of her beliefs, may inadvertently lead readers to make assumptions about her mother’s cultural and religious backgrounds, and to treat her stereotypically. These assumptions may oversimplify the complex relationships between cultural, religious, and personal beliefs. Teachers may wish to offer their students further information on people of Turkish origin living in Germany, their historical roots, and the lives of LGBTQ+ people in this community, centering voices of Turkish Germans.

Teachers who are wishing to diversify their classroom libraries by adding books with LGBTQ+ characters might wish to consider how the “coming out” story may function as a trope. Teachers may wish to have their students engage with these characters as well-rounded people, and avoid reducing them to their sexual orientation.

In 2024, as we write this review, available language learner literature in German featuring LGBTQ+ characters and written by LGBTQ+ authors is limited. Teachers may wish to seek out resources that include LGBTQ+ characters in a wide variety of situations, not only the “coming out” story, and to provide authentic resources written by authors who share the sexual identities of these fictional protagonists.

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