Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

HILARIOUS! Thought-provoking! An overdue answer to Golding's Lord of the Flies. 

Beauty Queens
by Libba Bray

Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0-439-89597-2
$18.99
Ages: 13-18

About the book:

Survival. Of the fittest. The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

                What’s a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program—or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan—or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

                Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of Going Bovine and NYT Bestseller A Great and Terrible Beauty. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

About the author:

Libba Bray is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing. She was awarded the Printz Award for her novel Going Bovine. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son. You can visit her online at www.libbabray.com

Pre-reading:

Have you ever read Lord of the Flies by William Golding? What is the premise of that novel? After reading the cover, what is the premise of Beauty Queens? Predict everything that could happen on a deserted island with teen beauty queens. Defend your answers.

Discussion guide:

1.       After reading the Prologue (AKA: A Word from Your Sponsor) make a list of everything you know about the characters, setting and conflict of the novel. What tone is established by the author in this part?  Who, do you think, is the The Corporation and what do they want?

2.       How do the girls organize themselves? Who establishes herself clearly as a leader? What must they accomplish to prepare for the pageant and their survival (and without fresh lipstick!)?

3.       What do The Lost Girls discover while exploring the wreckage? The girls seem to size each other up as if the competition were more important than survival. Do women do this to each other even without a beauty competition hovering in the wings? Why? Do you think men or women are more competitive?

4.       “In times of stress, she relied on her skills at accessorizing to calm her.” (p.18 Chapter Three) What calms you in times of high anxiety? Are there things that are truly universal for all young women or not? Why?

5.       We get to know the girls through their individual “Fun Facts Page.” Which one is your favorite? Why? How does it give an additional window into a character? Who is your favorite character? Do all of them have the same motives for the competition or not? With whom do you most identify? How do they identify a great deal of themselves while they practice the question and answer format for the pageant?

6.       Barry Rex says that “a system rewards girls for being pretty and it values compliance and conformity rather than the boldness and rule-breaking that we pride in our boys and which often help them feel entitled to success, to getting ahead in life.” (p. 57 Live on Barry Rex Live) How does high school expect conformity of girls? Are boys allowed to break the rules? Which rules?

7.       Explain how Jennifer Huberman and Sosie meet? What do they accomplish in the most {bleep} way?  What is unique about both of these characters? What do the footnotes add to the story? Which one, so far, has been your favorite?

8.       Describe what happens when the girls eat the red, star-shaped fruit?  How does it provide something each of them needed? How else do they end up getting enough to eat and drink? What would you most miss about civilization?

9.       What is the evil plot of The Corporation and who exactly is MoMo B. ChaCha, aka The Peacock? How does this complicate the world on the island? Why do you think the author added this nemesis to the story?

10.   When the surprising truth is revealed about Petra she claims, “ Everybody lies about who they are. Name one person here who isn’t doing that and I will drop out right now!” Do you agree with her or not? How do we lie in both subtle and obvious ways to get through our days and to get what we want? Does Petra’s storyline make you questions your assumptions about gender? How?

11.    “…when it came to love, the message for girls seemed to be this: Don’t. Don’t go after what you want. Wait. Wait to be chosen, as if only in the eye of another could one truly find value.” (p.125, Chapter Eleven) Do you agree? Why do you think society still allows boys so much more freedom in romance and sexuality?

12.   Taylor rewards the girls with goodies from her bag after they prepare for battle. What would you want to nab? Why?

13.   How does Sosie realized that she has “…rolled over and showed her belly, Like me and I won’t be any trouble at all?” Have you done this in your life too? What did she learn from the truly angry girl with cerebral palsy? How is she finally changed on the island?

14.   Why do the girls outlaw the word “sorry” on the island? Should it be outlawed in your own vocabulary? Why do women have a penchant for this word but boys seem unable to utter the two-syllable curse?

15.   At Girl Con which workshops would you be most excited to attend? What other panels and workshops would you like to add to the offerings? Could you sit on one of the panels? What for?

16.   What is Mary Lou’s backstory? How is she from a long line of cursed women? Does it sometimes feel like all women hold a curse? How do we curse ourselves and each other? How does Mary Lou move beyond her curse with Tane? Are there men that can accept women for exactly who they are? Have you ever found one in a high school?

17.   “Maybe girls need an island to find themselves. Maybe they need a place where no one’s watching them so they can be who they really are….They were no longer performing. Waiting. Hoping.” (p. 177, Chapter Fifteen) Do you agree? Why do girls act differently for the audience of boys and adults? Have you ever spent a significant amount of time alone?

18.   Which one of the “commercial breaks” or “word from your sponsors” is your favorite? Why? What do they add to the story?

19.   Why does Shanti make up interesting stories that people want to believe or hear? What is her motive for winning the competition? How is “…sometimes the truth did not set you free. Sometimes, it was a hard, lonely prison of a place to be” for Shanti? Have you ever been there?

20.   Describe what happens to Taylor Rene Krystal Hawkins over the course of the novel. Would you say she is the character who changes the most or not? Why? What is her story? How does she ultimately save the girls and herself?

21.   “All you had to do was introduce the scent of testosterone and perfectly capable, together girls were reduced to giggling, lash-batting, hair-playing idiots.” (p. 231, Chapter Twenty-One) How does this happen on the island or in your school? How do they lose ground, especially Adina? Who is surprisingly accepted for who she is?

22.    What happens between Jennifer and Sosie? Why is it ironic that Jennifer has difficulty accepting Sosie’s explanation of how she feels?

23.   How does The Corporation plan to discredit MoMo and gain power over his country’s natural resources? How is Ladybird Hope a part of this conspiracy? How do they find and “rescue” the girls? How do the girls foil their plan?

24.   “Mary Lou felt something she didn’t let herself feel often: She was well and truly pised off. Why do girls have to be all pure and innocent and good? Why don’t guys have to be?”  (p.299, ChapterTwenty-Nine) Do you allow yourself to be justifiably pissed? When? What really honks  you off? What set Mary Lou off? Why do we teach girls to suppress so much?

25.   In the end, how do the girls survive and rescue themselves? Who stays on the island? Do you think the changes they experienced on the island will be permanent or not? What about your own insights into beauty and being a girl?

Projects:

GIRL CON:

Plan your own Girl Con for young women in your community.  Brainstorm topics and workshops that you’d like to attend. See if you can find women leaders (and teens) in your community who care share what they know.

Writing:

Write a short advertisement inspired by the ones from the novel that show an ironic portrait of an aspect of being a teen woman today.

Art:

Create a piece of art (or perhaps a banner, inspired by Petra) that best represents what you will take away from reading the novel.  The medium is your choice, of course!

Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, an author and teacher, created this guide.

The Youngest Templar: Orphan of Destiny

TEACHERS:  If you're looking for high adventure for reluctant readers look no further!  The guides to the entire series are on this blog, too! Enjoy!  -TVZ


The Youngest Templar: Orphan of Destiny
Book Three
by Michael P. Spradlin

About the book:
Tristan and his companions—the fiery archer Robard Hode and the assassin maid Maryam—have escaped to England. But tragedy has occurred at Tristan's beloved abbey while he was away, and Robard's home in Sherwood Forest suffers under the rule of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Many obstacles still prevent them from delivering the Holy Grail into safe hands. Tristan must defeat the evil Sir Hugh in one final battle. And he must learn the secret of his birth, a secret Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine are willing to kill to protect!.

Praise for the series:
“This is a winner!”- KLIATT, starred review
“[A] stirring saga” – Booklist
“[M]emorable.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Brilliant” and “Riveting” School Library Journal

About the author:
In addition to penning the international bestselling Youngest Templar trilogy, Michael P. Spradlin is also the author of the Spy Goddess novels and several picture books. He lives for the day he can become a full-time writer. He was born in a small town in Michigan and grew up with a healthy and natural suspicion of all Hoosiers and Buckeyes. When he is not writing, he travels the world in his fully automated yacht, aboard which he enjoys cooking, water skiing and plotting Total World Domination. He’s just kidding about that last part. He really doesn’t enjoy water skiing.

Author Interview:

1.Did you map out the entire series from the beginning or did fate play a hand in any of the writing?

I use what I call the “Umbrella Approach.” I sort of know where the story starts and ends in a general way, but I then let the characters take over and tell the rest. It’s much better for me that way. A perfect example is the character Robard. Originally, I thought he and Tristan would meet briefly in Book One, then reconnect in Book Three. But the moment he stepped on the page he was so forceful he demanded to stay. And the series is so much the richer for it.


2.What have you learned about writing while creating this riveting series?

I hope I’ve improved as a writer from book to book and as always I’ve discovered that my characters are always oh so much smarter than me.


3.What can your fans look forward to next?

My next book is called The Raven’s Shadow. It takes place in Washington DC in 1825 and features a teenage Charles Darwin, Edgar Allan Poe and Abraham Lincoln who must team up and save the world from an ancient evil the world will someday come to know as Count Dracula.

Pre-reading:

Brainstorm a list of everything a reader should know or remember about Tristan, our young hero, and his companions Robard and Maryam. At the end of each chapter make a prediction about what you think will happen next and why.

Discussion guide:

1.Who is speaking in the prologue? Why is he struggling? What are his problems and conflicts?
2.In the opening chapter Maryam is set to hang in the gallows. What happens? Why does the Queen offer a threat to Tristan? Do you believe her?
3.What happens to Tristan in Calais? Have you ever suffered a serious injury? What can be the effects? How does it change their journey throughout the novel?
4.In chapter three Tristan is delirious with pain and fever. What images appear to him? Who are Tristan’s enemies? Why do they want to stop him?
5.Where do the heroes finally land? Why does this make Robard so happy? Where are you happiest?
6.How has Dover changed from when Tristan was there last? What do you think happened to this thriving town?
7.What does Robard believe Tristan should do with Sir Hugh? Do you think his opinion is justified or not?
8.The troupe generally follows Tristan’s decisions. Would you? With whom do you agree with in the story: Tristan? Robard? or Maryam? In a battle whom would you want by your side? Why?
9.How is Tristan  able to turn the people of Dover against Sir Hugh and company?
10. What would Sir Hugh do with the Holy Grail? In modern times, is there an equivalent to this type of power? How is power wielded between nations and factions in modern countries?
11. Who is Little John? How do they come across him? Why does Robard object to him at first? How does he gain his trust and prove his worth?
12.Maryam tells Tristan concerning his feelings for Celia, “ You don’t choose love, Tristan, love chooses you.” (p.91) Do you agree? Does it seem that who we end up loving is somehow not quite under our own control?
13.Describe what Tristan discovers at St. Albans. What and who are left? What does he learn of his heritage?
14. Does he believe he could actually be from nobility? Who would be his father? How does this explain some of the troubles he has faced?
15. Describe the long journey to Robard’s home.  How does it compare to a long journey you’ve taken?
16. Explain why the trio makes friends with bandits. How did they turn to this lifestyle? What would it take to turn you into a bandit?
17. How is Robard’s early life not exactly as he described it? What has happened in his absence? Would you react more like Tristan or Robard? Why does Robard knock Tristan unconscious?
18. How does Tristan handle the situation with Shire Reeve? What does Robard do for his countrymen? How does this gain their loyalty?
19. How does Robard decide is the only long-term way to defeat the Shire and others like him? How does he ask for Tristan’s help? Predict how he will help others in the future (from what you have read in other books or films)?
20.List the steps Robard and Tristan design to defeat the Shire Reeve in the forest. What do they use to defeat them? Why do the people of Sherwood come to fight?
21.Why do Robard and Maryam insist on accompanying Tristan all the way to Rosslyn? To whom would you make this type of oath, if anyone? Why?
22.Describe their journey to Scotland. What does Robard discover after his tutoring? How do the locals treat them?
23. When they finally reach Rosslyn, what discoveries does Tristan make? Why must he finally face Sir Hugh?
24.Describe the final battle between Tristan and Sir Hugh. How does he deal with his nemesis? In the end, is his quest successful?
25. Discuss the ending: what are the heroes plans for the future? Where does Tristan decide he must go? Predict what he will be doing in five years.

Projects:

Language Arts:
Write three letters as you read the novel. One as Tristan (to Celia, perhaps?) as Robard (to his mother?) and Maryam (to a sister or cousin at home?) about what they have seen and discovered.

Reading:
Good readers always make predictions as they read about what they think will happen next. Predictions are not just grabbed from the air but are based on what they know about story, clues from the book itself, and what they know about the genre they’re reading. At the end of each chapter, write a prediction based on the evidence. Use page numbers to support your predictions. Remember: predictions are often wrong! Readers love to be wrong!

Art:
Design a movie poster, which is based off the series.

or

Draw, paint or sculpt your favorite scene from this novel or the other two Templar books.

History:
Research one of these topics from the novel: English history, Robin Hood, The Knights Templar, Scottish clan history, Holy Grail, the crusades, medicine in the middle ages, etc.


Guide created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes

Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes

An interview with Nikki Grimes

1. What first drew you to the story of Ishmael and Sam?

What drew me to this story was the story of Ishmael itself. Whenever I came across it in the Bible, it felt so contemporary to me. The issues of sibling rivalry, strained relations with a stepmother- or stepmother-figure, the complex dynamics of father-son relationships, or the lack thereof—these are all issues that many contemporary young men are facing. There is nothing dated about the story of Ishmael. It seemed fresh to me, and hopeful. I love that it ends with Ishmael and his brother coming together to bury their father. The implication we get is that they have, through the years, resolved their issues and restored their relationship as brothers. We also sense that Ishmael has forgiven his father, so the story ends on a hopeful note, and I always look for that in the stories I decide to tell—or retell, as the case may be.

2. How did you decide to intertwine the story of a contemporary son with a biblical one?

Originally, this novel was simply going to be the story of Ishmael. However, after the first draft was complete, I kept thinking that this story was so contemporary it would be interesting to create a parallel tale of a boy the same age living today. I tried writing the story both ways, then gave it to a then-seventeen-year-old to read. He was sold on the version with both boys, so I went with that. I was leaning in that direction in any case, but his unequivocal response was the deciding factor for me.

3. Describe the research you had to do to bring Ishmael’s story in particular to light.

The research was multilayered. I studied maps of the Old World, studied the lives of Abraham, Sarah, Ishmael, Isaac, and Hagar as they all overlapped. I studied the topography of the region and delved into the life and times of Abraham, from the homes people lived in to the clothes they were and the food they ate. I also interviewed Genesis scholars at Hebrew University in New York, and made copious use of their research libraries. There are so many aspects to bringing to life a story from another time and place, the research can be daunting. Sometimes you have to read hundreds of pages of a text to find one useful nugget of information in a single paragraph. When the story comes together, though, it is worth all the work.

4. You depict a relationship with God as tumultuous at times. Why did you want to show this struggle to young readers?

All relationships are dynamic, and that includes our relationship with God. There is nothing wrong with that. Every relationship has its struggles. God invites us to be honest with him about our struggles, to voice our frustrations, even our anger. He is God. He can take it! It’s important for us to know that so that we can maintain a vibrant, authentic relationship with him. To pretend that our relationship with God is all tea and roses would be disingenuous, and young readers deserve better.

5. What do you hope young adults take away from the story of Ishmael and Sam?

I hope young readers leave the pages of Dark Sons realizing that no matter how challenging the struggles they face in life, faith in a loving God can help to see them through. That certainly is the story of my life.

6. Besides writing, how do you express yourself?

In addition to writing, I enjoy a variety of textile arts: knitting, card- and bookmaking, and making beaded jewelry. I also have a passion for photography and painting watercolors. We all have a natural impulse to create, and I find that creating art enriches my life. Try it!

Discussion guide:

1. What is Ishmael’s immediate problem? What is Sam’s? How would you feel if you were Sam and/or Ishmael?

2. How are Sam and Ishmael’s situations parallel? How are they different?

3. Discuss how Ishmael’s birth seemed a blessing to one woman and an insult to another. Who do you mostly feel sorry for: Hagar or Sarah? Why? How did the law complicate these relationships?

4. Why do you think Sarah finally tries to accept Ishmael into the family? Compare his father’s home to his own with his mother. How does Sarah try to make him feel welcome? How do we make others feel welcome in our own families?

5. “No bond is holier/than father–son.” Do you agree? Do you think this statement is true today? What bonds are truly holy? Why?

6. Whose choices are most difficult to accept in Ishmael’s story? How is Ishmael stuck with the consequences of so many other people’s decisions? Are all children subject to other’s choices?

7. Despite the fact that baby Isaac, the promised one, may split Ishmael’s inheritance, how does he feel toward his brother? Would you have such generosity of spirit or not?

8. How is Sam coping with his father’s abandonment of the family? What questions does Sam ask about his mother? Where does he place the blame?

9. Do you think Sam’s religious upbringing makes his father’s betrayal easier or more difficult to bear? Why?

10. If you had to describe Sam’s feelings in one word, what would it be? Is he justified in his feelings? Is there any positive way to channel all this negative emotion?

11. Describe the difference in the way Ishmael and his brother, Isaac, are treated by their father. Is this fair? Are there always differences between how parents raise siblings? Why do you think so or not?

12. How does Ishmael’s life become a tug of war? How would you feel in his world? Ishmael decides “not to stay/where I am not wanted.” Would you come to the same decision?

13. Ishmael thought he was safe in his father’s love and protection, but he is guided to a new decision based on a dream from God. How would you feel if this happened to you? Would it make you question your faith?

14. Sam once trusted his father “to hear the voice of God more clearly/than anyone else.” Could there be anything positive about Sam losing this trust? Have you ever lost faith in a person? What did it teach you?

15. Sam’s mother encourages him to rebuild his relationship with his father. How hard do you think this was for her to do?

16. What new decision erases all the progress that Sam and his dad have made over the last couple of years? How does Sam deal with his disappointment and pain? What do you do with your own disappointment?

17. Despite his feelings for his dad, how does Sam feel about David? How does he show this? How is it rewarded?

18. In the end, Sam realizes he has “my own ball to bounce/my own shots to take./It’s me standing at/the free-throw line now.” What does this mean for his life? What promises has he made himself? What promises have you made for yourself?

19. How does Ishmael’s story give Sam strength and hope? Whose stories (both biblically or otherwise) inspire your own?

20. What have you learned by reading this story? What will you carry into tomorrow?

This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a children’s author and literacy specialist, visit her website to find hundreds of guides like this one.

Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman

Life, After

by Sarah Darer Littman

About the book:

Dani’s life will never be the same again. After a terrorist attack kills Dani’s aunt and unborn cousin, life in Argentina—private school, a boyfriend, a loving family—crumbles quickly. In order to escape a country that is sinking under their feet, Dani and her family move to the United States. It’s supposed to be a fresh start, but when you’re living in a cramped apartment and going to a high school where all the classes are in another language—and not everyone is friendly—life in America is not all it’s cracked up to be. Dani misses her old friends, her life, Before.

But then Dani meets a boy named Jon, who isn’t like all the other students. Through him, she becomes friends with Jessica, one of the popular girls, who is harboring a secret of her own. And then there’s Brian, the boy who makes Dani’s pulse race. In her new life, the one After, Dani learns how to heal and forgive. She finds the courage to say good-bye and allows herself to love and be loved again.

About the author:

Sarah Darer Littman’s widely praised first novel, Confessions of a Closet Catholic, won the 2006 Sydney Taylor Book Award. She is also the author of Purge. She lives in Connecticut with her family, in a house that never seems to have enough bookshelves, and loves dulce de leche.

Author interview:

1. What was the initial spark for Dani’s story? How did you bring it to life?

LIFE, AFTER started out back in 2004 as a book about a boy without Asperger’s Syndrome, a subject I’m intimate with because my son was diagnosed when he was five years old. My then editor turned down that book, but suggested perhaps I write from the perspective of the boy’s sibling. I'd just read the arc of my friend Cynthia Lord's book RULES, so I knew that had already been done, and brilliantly. But I started thinking how in elementary and middle school most of my son’s friends were from South America, and I wondered if it was because they, too, weren't "typical American kids".

I was also frustrated that for many Americans it seemed as if terrorism only sprang into existence on 9/11, and wanted explore the different ways people react to traumatic loss.

I’d lived in England during the IRA bombing campaigns of the early 1970's, and terrorist threats were part of our way of life. It's not that we let it dominate our existence, but as an eight-year old riding the Tube to school, I was always vigilant and aware. I wanted to try to put terrorism in a global context. So I chose Argentina as the native country for Dani, because it had a history of terrorist incidents, and the economic crisis there had a dramatic impact on the middle class, almost overnight. I wrote a synopsis and some sample chapters but didn’t get the voice right, and ended up putting it in a drawer in early 2006 to write PURGE.

LIFE, AFTER would probably never have seen the light of day if it hadn't been for a wonderful and courageous woman, Claudette Greene, to whom this story is dedicated. I met with her mother/daughter book group, who had read my first book, CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC. She wrote to thank me afterwards and told me that her daughter had become interested in writing after she lost her father on 9/11 (Claudette’s husband Donald was a passenger on United Flight 93). Claudette asked if I'd ever considered writing a book on the subject, because at the time there wasn’t much available for kids. Profoundly touched, I dug my synopsis out of the drawer and e-mailed it to her. With Claudette’s encouragement, I spoke to my editors at Scholastic. Having met Claudette and heard her story, I felt a much deeper connection to the characters and returned to the manuscript with renewed passion.

2. How do you know when an idea will sustain you through the novel writing process?

That’s a terrific question. I have to admit, there have been times where I’ve had false starts. I’ll do research, start writing, and maybe get even 10,000 words into a book and gradually start to feel like I’m beating my head up against a wall. One time it got to the point where I was depressed about going into my basement lair to write every day. I finally had to admit that it wasn’t the right book for me to be writing. With great trepidation, I called my agent, told her I had another idea, and asked if it okay to work on that instead. Two hours later, I had a synopsis written for the new idea and felt more energized with a clearer idea of where I was going than I had after five months of working on the previous novel. The new idea was my upcoming novel, WANT TO GO PRIVATE? coming from Scholastic in July 2011.

Having a strong character voice is usually a good indicator. If my characters are speaking loud and clear, they’ll usually guide me in the right direction.

That being said, it’s important not to confuse the situation I’ve described above with the usual “I’m in the middle of my book and I’m freaking out about where it’s going” phase of novel writing. That’s something you just have to get your butt in the chair and work through. I find dark chocolate helps.

3. What advice do you have for young people who want to write?

Read, read, read, read, read and then read some more. Read in different genres. Challenge yourself with your reading. Read the news. I don’t just say that because I’m a political columnist and I think it’s important for young people to be informed, but you can find ideas in those news stories.

And then…WRITE. As Jane Yolen says, it’s all about Butt-in-Chair. Be disciplined about writing consistently, not just when you feel “inspired”. Try to set yourself word count goals, even if they’re small. I keep track of my daily word production in a spreadsheet. Some days the words pour from my brain faster than my fingers can type. Other days, I have to force myself not to check Facebook and Twitter every five minutes because they won’t come and I’m struggling to focus. But that word count goal keeps me disciplined, and the spreadsheet gives me a sense of accomplishment as I see those numbers gradually add up to a novel.

Discussion guide:

1. After reading chapter one, summarize Dani’s life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. What challenges does her family face? Who are the main characters in Dani’s life story?
2. Make a list of Dani’s life before and after the terrorist attack. How has her life changed? Are there any events in your life that are marked by a particular event? How do people survive such a loss?
3. What opportunity puts a rift between Dani’s parents? How is it resolved? Would you want to leave the only place you’ve ever known as home if the economic situation was similar or not? Why?
4. What will be the most difficult for Dani to leave behind? Will she see Beto ever again? Why do you think so or not? What would you miss most about your home if you had to emigrate?
5. What things and people must Dani leave behind? Why is she “ scared of staying in Argentina but scared of leaving, too” (p.80) Have you ever felt a similar ambivalence about an important decision? How do you get past it?
6. Describe Dani’s first day in America. Compare her hopes with the reality of Twin Lakes. What is surprising?
7. Describe Dani’s first few days in her new school and home. What is it like compared to her life in Argentina? Who does she meet? How is she humiliated?
8. Discuss Dani’s relationship with her father. Would you characterize him as depressed? How would you cope with him? Do you think Dani is a good daughter and sister? Why?
9. Would you characterize the treatment that Dani faces from Trevor and his friend, Derek, as racism? How do they connect Dani and her friend Rosalia to the events on 9/11? Do you think the events of 9/11 changed America, especially concerning immigration?
10. Describe Dani’s new friend, Jon Nathanson. How does this relationship land her in the principal’s office? Do you think her actions were justified? How does this change her relationship with Jess?
11. How does Dani try to maintain her relationship with Beto? Do you think it’s possible in this age of instant communication to maintain a long-distance romance? Can chat and texting convey the emotions needed to maintain and build a relationship or not? Why?What does Dani eventually discover about Beto’s new life in Miami?
12. “….anger layed on top of guilt like frosting on a cake.” (p. 174) Have you ever felt like this? Why are Dani’s emotions so intense?
13. How do Dani’s parents react to her fight at school? Do all parents assume the worst of their kids? Why? How is their reaction tempered finally?
14. How does Jess prove that her intentions and attitude toward Dani have changed? Would you want to be her friend or not? Why? Explain how their relationship grows and how they are connected by tragedy.
15. How is Dani’s “exploration of the social habits of the American teenager” (p.233) enhanced by Brian? How does he help her adjust to life in America? Describe the dance through Dani’s eyes.
16. What does Dani discover about Jon through reading his notebooks? How does he understand far more than people believe?
17. How does Dani finally confront her father about his behavior? How does this begin his path to recovery? If you were depressed what would you want someone to do for you?
18. Although Dani is proficient with the English language she stumbles on all the idioms that pepper American speech. What else does she find difficult to understand about living in America? If you were her friend, how could you help?
19. “We all knew that there was a Before, which we could never return to, and an After, where we had to learnt o find joy again” (p.276) How is this true for most everyone? How do we move past events that shatter what we once knew, once loved?
20. Which scene in the novel is your favorite? What can you learn by studying the dialogue, scene-building, and action sequences? How can you apply this to your own writing?

Extending the novel:

Writing:

Write a scene between Beto and Dani when they happen to run into each other at an airport over the summer.

Language:

Collect the idioms (or brainstorm a list of your own) that Dani struggles with while learning American English. Create an idiom dictionary, which defines these terms in an understandable way, and provide illustrations. Share with your ESL class!

Reading:

As you begin the novel create a character web about Dani adding facts, descriptions and details as you read along.

History:

It irritates Dani that the only information Americans seem to know about her country is from watching the movie “Evita.” Instead of relying on this movie, research at least ten facts that every American should know about this country instead.

This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and children’s author, visit her website and blog to find hundreds of guides like this one.

Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs

Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs

by Ron Koertge

About the book:

In this much-anticipated sequel to Shakespeare Bats Cleanup, fourteen-year-old Kevin Boland has it pretty good. He’s got a cute girlfriend named Mira, his baseball team is headed to the playoffs, and he seems to have a real knack for writing poetry. So why isn’t he happy? Maybe it’s because his cute girlfriend can’t tell a sonnet from a sestina, and doesn’t show up to any of his games. So when Kevin meets fellow poet Amy at an open mike reading, it’s love at first refrain. But Amy has a boyfriend. And Kevin has Mira. What’s a budding poet to do?

Ron Koertge is the author of many acclaimed novels for young adults, including Stoner & Spaz (winner of the PEN Literary Award), The Brimstone Journals, Strays, (also winner of the PEN Literary Award) and Shakespeare Bats Cleanup. A faculty member for more than thirty-five years at Pasadena City College, where he taught everything from Shakespeare to remedial writing, Ron Koertge also writes poetry for adults and currently teaches at Hamline University, in the MFA in Writing for Children Program. He lives in South Pasadena, California.

Discussion guide:

1. After reading the first five poems list everything you know and everything you suspect you know about the main character, Kevin Boland. Do you think the poetry format makes it easier or more difficult for the reader to get to know Kevin? Why?
2. How does Kevin compare poetry to a bully in “Poetry 101?” Can you find any perfect mistakes in the poems in this book too? How has Kevin’s poetry changed from the first book?
3. What things, people and activities are most important to Kevin? Why is his glove really important to him? Is there anything that is that important to you? Why?
4. Compare Longfellow’s original poem to Kevin’s parody of it set in school. Does this sound like your school or not? Why?
5. How do Kevin and his dad deal with their grief? How does he personify grief in the poem, “I Know What Dad’s Going Through” 
6. Who is Mr. B? Would you like to be in his class or not? Why? What does he teach Kevin about poetry?
7. Write your own nightmare poem inspired by “Nightmares About Different Kinds of Gals” How does this reveal what Kevin thinks about his dad dating again? What would be the hardest part of this for you?
8. Kevin admits, “I take refuge in poetry.” What or who gives you refuge? Do you think this changes over time?
9. Describe Kevin’s relationship with Mira. Is it enviable? What makes a good teen romance? What requirements are necessary? Which ones are optional?
10.  Explain how Kevin becomes friends with Amy. What does this relationship offer that his one with Mira does not? How do things progress between them?
11. What does Kevin love about baseball? Do you think poetry or baseball gives him more confidence? Why?
12. How does Amy’s haiku reveal a lot about her in only seventeen syllables? Can you write one that does so?
13. How do Amy and Kevin’s poems go public? Would you put yourself out there at a reading or website? Why or why not?
14. How does Kevin plan to use “hard work, cold water and no girls” to advance his career? Is this plausible? How much time would you have if you could give up thoughts of romance?
15. Does Amy love dating Trevor? Why? Would you want to be involved with someone that everyone else admires? What could be difficult about it? What would be nice?
16. What poetry forms are discussed in the novel? Have you tried any of these forms before? Which one do you think is most difficult? Interesting?  Which of all the poems that Kevin and Amy write is your favorite? Why?
17.  Does creating and sharing poems seem more important even intimate than the relationship that Kevin shares with Mira? How? What can poetry reveal that other things cannot?
18. Who is Morton Gluck? What is the best way to deal with a bully like him? Are there bullies in every school? How can schools help deal with them?
19.  Do you think Kevin should’ve revealed to Mira that he was going to the monster movies with Amy? Would it be worse to find out or just be told?
20. In the end do you think Kevin is better off? Why does Amy, at first, want to remain friends? Is it a valid concern? Predict what you think will happen between them.

Hamlet

Hamlet by John Marsden

About the book:

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, but Hamlet can’t be sure what’s causing the stench. It emanates from the royal palace, and his family seems to be the problem, not the solution. Horatio thinks his friend is acting strange, but Hamlet’s uncle has become his stepfather, and the prince’s rage at his mother’s infidelities, together with his greed for the beautiful Ophelia and the all of his dead father to revenge a “murder most foul,” Have his mind in chaos. Hamlet wants to be the size of a king, man enough for anything, but can he believe his own eyes? Was it really his father’s ghost that night on the castle ramparts—or a hell-fiend sent to trick him?

In this dark, sensual, and beautifully crafted novel, John Marsden brings one of Shakespeare’s most famous and intriguing characters to full-blooded life in a narrative of intense psychological complexity.

About the author:

John Marsden grew up in Australia and decided at age nine to become an author. Though it took him another 28 years to achieve it, his books have sold millions of copies in both Australia and across the world.

Discussion Questions:

1. How would you describe Hamlet after reading the first two chapters of the novel? Would you want to be his friend or not? Defend your answer.
2. Do you think Hamlet is justified in his anger and humiliation toward his mother’s quick remarriage to his Uncle Claudius? Do you think he would be as disturbed if she had waited a more seemly amount of time or would he be as upset regardless? How would you feel in his shoes?
3. A spirit claiming to be his father visits Hamlet. Would you believe the message of this spirit or doubt it? Why? Do you believe in ghosts or not? What does Hamlet believe in?
4. Horatio is upset that Hamlet does not confide in him what the spirit revealed. Should best friends always reveal everything to each other? Why or why not? Do you believe Horatio is a loyal confidante?
5. Despite their obvious intentions to silence Hamlet do Queen Gertrude and King Claudius’ advice for Hamlet to move past is grief have any merit? How do people move on with their lives when they have suffered a great loss? Why are some people better able top pick up the pieces of their lives and go on while others seem to suffer greatly?
6. Describe Ophelia. What are her desires? How are they thwarted? Do you think Hamlet should act on his impulses for her or would it cloud his thinking further? Is it possible that a romance with Ophelia could distract Hamlet from his grief? Do you think they are a good match? As a friend, what advice would you give him in this matter?
7. Would you consider Polonius and Laertes an example of a good father and good brother or not? What qualities make a good sibling? a good father? Are they protecting Ophelia from herself? What might happen if she were given the opportunity to slake her desires?
8. Do you think Hamlet would be considered insane by today’s standards? How does Marsden reveal his fragile state? Hamlet often reveals himself to be a deep and philosophical thinker despite slips with reality. Can you find statements which are more thoughtful and provocative than the other players in the scene realize? Discuss which ones are your favorite.
9. What are the “four lines” of Hamlet? What do they reveal to us about his character and his state of mind? What would be your four lines?
10. Do you think Hamlet’s feelings match Ophelia’s or are they made of different stuff? Does the sensual portrait of Ophelia surprise you?
11. How did Hamlet test the conscience of the king? On whom does he rely to help him with the plan? On whom would you turn to for this? Do you think guilty people always reveal themselves with their actions or not? Are you able to tell when someone is being honest with you?
12. Discuss the events that unfold because of the play. How do things become even more complicated for Hamlet and his family? Do you think Gertrude is ultimately to blame for the events or is Claudius the more culpable party? When are you certain of whose treachery caused the events to domino?
13. Describe what happened to Polonius. Was he somewhat to blame for his fate by always playing the role of the fox? How does Ophelia take the news of her father’s death? How does Laertes? Should Hamlet have to face the consequences of his actions or was it a mistake due to his ill mind?
14. What is the fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Is it worth bits of luxury topu t up with the treachery and madness of the situation? How are their fates also sealed by the family? Do you consider them innocent or not?
15. Why does Hamlet say that worms are democratic? Do you think Hamlet is out of his senses when he delivers his tirade about Polonius’s body? Do you think Claudius is a serial killer or just had his morality unraveled by his greed and lust for power?
16. What happens to the fair Ophelia? Ultimately, who do you think is to blame for her fate? Hamlet regrets his scene at the grave but feels compelled to outdo Laertes in his demonstration. Why do people feel the need to out suffer each other? Who do you think ultimately loved her more? Would you consider Ophelia’s life a waste or not?
17.  What plan do Laertes and King Claudius concoct to rid themselves of their “problem?” Is either one of them justified? How an one sin unravel an entire life or even a kingdom?
18. Hamlet says to Horatio, “ I’m not God…This way I don’t create a new world; I just tweak it a little. As it flows along, I move a rock or take away a dead branch. I’m not in charge of the world. That was a conceit on my part.” (p. 204) Do you think most people have this conceit?
19. King Claudius was intent on power while Laertes on revenge. How is their plan foiled? Do they both get what they ultimately deserve or not? Does Hamlet? In the end, who remains innocent? What are we to learn from the tragedy of Hamlet?
20. Compare the novel to the original Shakespeare play. What do they have in common? How are they different? How is reading a novel a different experience from a play? Which do you prefer? Why?

Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior

Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior

by Chris Bradford

About the book:

For the past two years, twlve-year-old Jack Fletcher has been a rigging monkey on a British vessel. Jack’s father, the ship’s navigator, has been teaching him all that he knows, through his rutter, an invaluable book of maps and notes on the world’s unchartered oceans.

When a storm forces the ship into an unfriendly bay, it is attacked by ninja pirates who have been sent to steal the rutter. Helpless against the powerful ninja the entire crew, including Jack’s father, is slaughtered during the ensuing fight.

Washed up on the shores of a mysterious land known to the British as the Japans, Jack is wounded and left for dead. He is soon rescued by Masamoto-san, one of Japan’s greatest samurai. At first Jack is terrified; he cannot communicate, nor does he know anything of Japanese customs. He becomes friends with Masamoto’s niece, the graceful and powerful Akiko, who teaches him the language and how to fit in. Soon, Jack is deemed ready to join Masamoto’s household and is sent to samurai school where he will learn the Way of the Warrior.

Life at samurai school is fraught with difficulty, and Jack is bullied for being a “barbarian.” He begins the grueling physical and psychological traning required of all the students. While guarding the only thing he has from his father, the rutter, and hoping it will help him get home one day, Jack needs all the courage he can muster to prove to his fellow students that he has what it takes to be a samurai.

Pre-reading:

List everything you know or have heard about samurai.

Discussion guide:

1. What dangers does Jack Fletcher face as he crosses the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as a rigging monkey?  What qualities do you think are necessary for a good sailor and rigging monkey in particular?
2. What happens to the Alexandria in route to Nagasaki? How does it change the fate of Jack and his father forever? What happened to Jack’s father and the other crew members?
3. What is Jack’s only possession? Why is it so important? Do you think he should reveal its importance to Masamoto or not? Defend your answer. What about after the attack?
4. What do you think would be the most interesting and most difficult aspects of being dropped inside a different culture?
5. Make a list of all the people Jack is meeting in the “Japans.” What do each of them teach him?
6. Who is the man with the scarred face? Why does he take such an interest in Jack? How is he accepted into the family?
7. As a reader how do you come to understand the importance of the Prologue? Why do you think the author chose to start the novel this way? How is it related to jack’s story?
8. Who is Father Lucius? Would you trust him? What does he want from Jack? Why does he consider Jack a heathen?
9. “The key to the Japanese is their language…It reflect their whole way of thinking. Understand Japanese, and you understand them.” (p. 99) What does this mean? How does Jack learn to think like a native person? What are the similarities and differences between Jack’s culture and the Japanese culture?
10.  How do the young men jostle for dominance and control of each other in the novel? Do similar spars still happen between modern young men? Why?
11.  How does Jack earn Yamato’s respect? Why doesn’t it last at the Butokuden? Have you ever denied a friend due to peer pressure?
12.  Why does Jack decide to share the truth of the rutter with Akiko? How is she more than what she originally appeared to be? Are you surprised that women were samurai?
13. What does it mean to “lose face” in this culture? Is it similar in our culture today? How is it restored for them? Who loses face in the story? What are the effects?
14. “In order to be walked on you must be lying down.” (p. 188) How is this quote more than its literal interpretation? Are you more likely to walk on or to be walked upon? Why?
15.  How does Jack prove his stamina and willpower with the bokken? Have you ever been able to do more than you thought physically or psychologically possible?
16. Explain the different aspects of training at the Butokuden. Which would be most interesting for you? What do you think would be the most difficult? What fans Akiko’s passion for the kuujutsu?
17.  Why does Jack face even greater trials at the school than the other students? How does this force him to grow? Who, in particular, has difficulty with his presence? Why?
18. Describe what happened during the Hanami festival? Why does Masamoto choose Akiko, Jack and Saburo to fight in the Taryu-Jiai? What happens to Yamato?

How do they prepare for the match? What special skill does Jack learn from Sensei Yamada?

19.  Describe the results of each part of the tournament and the tie-breaking conclusion. How are things ultimately resolved?
20.  Predict what you think will happen next for Jack and his friends.

Projects:

Reading:

As you read create a cause and effect chart like the one below for each major event in the story:

       CAUSE:                                             ACTION:                                      EFFECT:

           

Good readers make predictions as they read. They are also able to summarize the most important events as they read. Fill out the following chart as you read the novel and use it as a springboard for discussion. Remember: predictions do not have to be correct (so don’t fill it in after-the-fact) It would be boring to always know the end!

Chapter:	One sentence summary:	A prediction in the form of a question:
Prologue	Tenno, the oldest son of Masamoto is murdered by a Ninja as a message to his father.	I wonder if Tenno will somehow survive this attack and take revenge on the ninja.
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Art:

Create a piece of art inspired by something in the Japanese culture that is new for Jack (food, music, gardens, clothing, festivals, etc.)

Social Studies:

Research and create a poster, Powerpoint or web page on one of the following topics from the novel:

Samurai

Sensei

Martial Arts

Zen meditation

Toba, Japan

Nagasaki

History of ocean navigation

Trade route of the 1600’s

Japanese language

Festival of the Hanami

Japanese gardens

Japanese architecture

Food and diet of Japanese people