Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
You've seen the movie. You've read the book. Discuss how the movie and the book are similar. Discuss how they are different. Discuss something you liked in the book but wasn't included in the movie.
Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
Family Theme
Family is important to us, so I thought this would be a good theme to use. Both Lily and Albert have lost parents, but they still have the love of a family. Describe Lily's family. What is her relationship with Poppy? What is Gram's role in the family? How does Lily's relationship with Gram change at the end of the novel? How does Albert gain a sense of family from Mr. and Mrs. Orban? Pick one of your family members and discuss your relationship with that person. What do you like and what do you dislike about that relationship?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Meg is one of the key characters in the book. What are Meg's faults? How do they help her in the end?
Who do you feel is the most courageous character?
If you had the opportunity to time travel, would you? If you could chose the time, what time period would you travel to? The past? The future?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Watch the film version of the book then compare and contrast the two. Did the film stay true to the book? Pick a favorite scene from the book and compare it to the movie version. Think about the characters in the book and then think about how the actors portrayed those characters. Did these match your vision of the characters?
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Please answer each question in a separate post.
Compare your life with Parvana's. Discuss things that are the same and things that are different as far as things like daily activities, school and education, local surroundings, clothing, relationships, politics, etc.
Some characters in the book are in a personal conflict between wanting a new lifestyle or a different place and their sense of duty and commitment to their family or country. Pick one of these characters and discuss this personal conflict and how she deals with it. What does she desire and why does she desire it? Where does her commitment lie and why? What choice or choices does she make?
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank, Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic; The Wave by Todd Strasser;
Remember to answer each in a separate post.
Think about the these three books and some of the themes they represent, such as racism, fear, power, intolerance, authority, resilience, etc. Both Anne Frank and Zlata Filipovic lived in difficult times where people were treated differently because of who they are. Pick 2 positive and 2 negative themes from each story and discuss why you think those themes are relevant to the those stories and how they affected you.
The Wave is a high school experiment that relates to the Nazis and the Holocaust. If your class did this experiment, describe how you think it might go. What kind of person do you think you would be during this experiment and how would you react to things?
Looking at all three stories and looking at yourself, write a short story with you being a character in a situation similar to the characters in these stories.
The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss
Jewish people did not have an easy time of life under Nazi rule in the 1930s and 1940s. This is just one of many books that highlight that period. Three questions for you on this one...please post each answer in a separate comment.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Wonderful classic! Only two questions for this one...both essay type questions. Make sure to put each in a separate comment/post.
Promised the Moon: the Untold Story of the First Women in the Space Race by Stephanie Nolen.
Wow! Another nonfiction pick! I didn't expect my kids to both pick nonfiction to start with. And here are your questions (answer each question in a separate post):
