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Watch the Before I Fall book trailer!
Book trailer from www.laurenoliverbooks.com
Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 496
Sam's life is seemingly perfect. She is popular and has a free pass in doing whatever she wants with her peers' approval. Her friends are popular and rich. They get invited to the best parties, date the cutest boys, and always get the most roses on Cupid Day.
The story begins with Sam waking up and getting ready for school on Cupid Day (February 12). Her friend Lindsay arrives in her Range Rover, or the Tank as they refer to it, with coffee and bagels. And girl talk about Sam finally losing her virginity to her "to die for" boyfriend Rob Cokran. The day proceeds with girls competing against each other to see who gets the most roses and deciding they will attend a party hosted by Kent McFuller. Kent is no where near popular but his parents won't be there, and there will be beer.
Cupid Day is suppose to be the most exciting perfect day out of the school year. Sam didn't know it would also be her last. Now she is forced to relive her last day and forced to reexamine her life. She gets seven chances to make things right. Read Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and discover Sam's understanding of her death and how far she goes to rescue her life.
Before I Fall is the first book on CD that I have listened to. It was a different experience listening to a book and hearing how the narrator depicts different characters and emotions. I have to say that out of the four books I read for this project, Before I Fall was my absolute favorite. The plot was original, the characters cruel and obnoxious yet realistic, and the message--You just never know--hauntingly beautiful. I immediately fell in love with Sam's character. Yes, she is a "bitch," but she is a bitch out of necessity to preserve her popularity. She is young naive and clueless. . . like most teenagers. However, Sam soon realizes after her death that there are more important things than popularity and her character transforms to the type of person she should have been.
Run to your nearest book store or library and grab Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver!!
Overall Grade: A+
Awards and Reviews
"a must-have for public libraries and high school collections"- School Library Journal
- New York Times Bestseller
- Publishers Weekly Bestseller
- New Atlantic Independent
- Booksellers Association Bestseller
- ALA/YALSA--Best Fiction for Young Adults
- YALSA Teen's Top 10
Teachers' Corner
Related Resources
Odd Girl Out 2005 TV Movie
Odd Girl Out 2005 TV Movie
A well-adjusted
teenager becomes depressed when she's bullied and ostracized by her
friends at school.
Hate List.
2010. By Jennifer Brown. (0606151230).
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's
boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying
to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but
was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped
create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he
used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.
Thirteen Reasons Why. 2011. By Jay Asher. (159514188X)
Clay Jensen returns home from school to
find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside
he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his
classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she
decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll
find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with
Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain,
and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to
face.
Thirteen Reasons Why is the gripping, addictive international bestseller that has changed lives the world over. It's an unrelenting modern classic.
Thirteen Reasons Why is the gripping, addictive international bestseller that has changed lives the world over. It's an unrelenting modern classic.
Lesson
Plan for 10th Grade Students
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Teachers can use Lauren Oliver's Before
I Fall and related resources such as Hate List by Jennifer
Brown, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and the movie Odd
Girl Out to explore issues such as bullying, depression,
suicide, and choices.
21st Century Learner
Standards
4.1.2 Read widely and fluently to
make connections with self, the world, and previous readings.
4.1.7 Use social
networks and information tools to gather and share information.
Objective: Students will form an
electronic/social networking book club and discuss themes from the
resources selected. Students should use knowledge gained from the
literature as well as connecting it with their previous experiences.
Teacher will set up questions to guide student discussion.
Sample Discussion Questions:
What are similar themes we see in all
three novels?
How are the characters Sam and Lindsay
from Before I Fall similar to Stacey and Nikki from Odd
Girl Out?
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