Choose 1:
A) Imagine you are Harriet Jacobs writing a letter to Mary Lyons. What would you say to her? What would you want to tell her about her representation of your life? Would you thank her? Criticize her? Praise her? Would you have questions for her? You will need to try and put yourself in Harriet�s shoes (based on what you know about her after reading the book) to do a good job on this assignment. Also, make sure you include specific references to the events of the book. (4 pages minimum)
B) Or, imagine you are Mary Lyons writing a letter to Harriet Jacobs. What would you say to her? Would you praise her? Would you have questions for her? What would you want to tell her about your book and your reason for writing it? You will need to think about why Lyons might have written the book, and you will need to think about her concerns as an author writing about someone else�s life. Try to go beyond the obvious (i.e. �I�m so sorry about what happened to you, it must have been horrible to be a slave, etc.) and get into the really deep questions/comments you might have for her (not only about slavery, but about love and perseverance and being a woman at that time and . . .?) Also, make sure you include specific references to the events of the book. (4 pages minimum)
Choose A or B
A) Imagine that you are Max attending Kevin�s funeral, and you are asked ahead of time to deliver a eulogy for him (look up eulogy). What would you have to say about him? What fond memories would you recall? Would you mention things that you learned from Kevin? For this assignment, you must enter into Max�s character (i.e. talk like him, think like him, etc.) to speak about Kevin. You should make direct references to events of the book, but also go deeper and find meaning in them (don�t just retell the story). Your eulogy should discuss several of Kevin�s most important character traits, and should be 3 pages minimum. Then, as a tribute to Kevin, you are to write �Max�s dictionary to Kevin�, which should include at least 10 entries.
B) After watching the movie The Mighty (based on the book), write an essay in which you compare the strengths/ weaknesses of the movie to those of the book. You are to look for major differences (i.e. don�t say �This character has blonde hair in the book and brown hair in the movie). Think about major differences in plot, setting, character development, themes, etc. Did they leave some very important parts of the story out of the movie? What was the effect of this change? Did they add elements to the story in the movie? What was the effect of these additions? Be sure to support everything you say with examples. You must take notes on the movie and turn them in with your assignment, and you will probably want to watch the movie more than once. (Essay total=3.5 pages minimum)
Choose A, B, or C
A) Jamal is forced to cope with some difficult situations in Scorpions. You are to imagine that you are Jamal, and that you are keeping a journal/diary in which you write down your thoughts and feelings during difficult times. Choose two to three troubling situations from the book and write journal entries in response to them. You must try to put yourself in Jamal�s shoes. What might his emotional struggles be during this time and how might he write about them? The point of these entries will not be to retell the story (keep this to a minimum), but rather, to delve into Jamal�s mind/heart and communicate what he might have been thinking/feeling during these times. Total length=4 pages minimum.
B) Jamal is surrounded by many people who have taken the wrong direction in life and ended up in trouble. At the end of the book, it is unclear which direction Jamal himself will take. Will he take the right path and succeed, or will he follow in the footsteps of some of those around him who have failed? You are to write either an essay (3.5 pages minimum) or a continuation of the story (4 pages minimum) in which you suggest which path Jamal will take, based on his character in the book. You will first need to think carefully about who Jamal is (based on how he thinks and acts in the book) in order to have an idea of the types of decisions he may make in the future. If you choose to write the continuation, you will have to imitate Myers� style so it seems like you continuation could actually belong in the book.
C) Some parents might not like Scorpions being included on the list because it has violence and drugs in it. Imagine that you are teacher who has been asked by the principal to write a letter to the parents explaining why you think this book should be an option. What valuable lessons does it include? How is it well-written? What are its strengths? In short, give specific arguments (using specific support from the book) as to why kids your age should read this book. (4 pages minimum)