Surviving+the+Applewhites

Surviving The Applewhites By Stephanie S. Tolan
 * Bibliographic data **
 * Ages 10 and up
 * ** Paperback: ** 240 pages
 * ** Publisher: ** HarperCollins (December 23, 2003)
 * ** ISBN-10: ** 0064410447
 * ** ISBN-13: ** 978-0064410441

This novel follows Jake Semple, a young teen who has bounced from school to school unable to behave. He is a rough and tough bad boy who is indifferent about everything around him. He is kicked out of the local public school and enrolled in the Applewhites' home school, The Creative Academy. The Applewhites, an eccentric and creative family, run the school. Each member is very creative except one, E.D., a twelve-year-old girl. E.D. is an organized and by the books tween. Due to their age similarity, Jake and E.D. are paired together for most activities, even school. At first the pair cannot stand each other but they ultimately work together and learn to respect each other's differences. The family is putting on the play //The Sound Of Music.// Jake is cast in the role of Rolf, an important singing part, which no one ever though Jake could sing and act. E.D. is put in the role of stage manager, as she is organized and enjoys order. There are a few problems while the play has its opening night due to the weather. E.D shows her inginuity to save the play after the power goes out by having the nuns hold candles. In the end the entire family including Jake come together to complete the play.
 * Summary: **

This 2003 Newbury Honor Book is an excellent coming of age story. The book uses appropriate vocabulary for young teens. The story is vibrant, detailed and unique. The author uses many literary devices to add interest to the story. The story is well written to only reveal the characters multifaceted personalities little by little. The author wrote the book with effective chapter breaks. The protagonists have strong voices which lead the reader to sympathy and understanding. Overall, Stephanie Tolan wrote a fantastic young adult novel with a clear message about being individuals and not judging a book by its cover.
 * Book Review: **

Stephanie Tolan was born in Ohio in 1942. She attended Purdue University where she received a Masters Degree in English. She and her husband currently live in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has written well over twenty children's books. Most recently she wrote //Wishworks, Inc.// in 2009. Tolan has recently finished a sequel to //Surviving the Applewhites, Applewhites At Wits End.// This book will be released on May 8, 2012. //Surviving the Applewhites// has also been adapted into a play.
 * Author Biography: **

//Surviving the Applewhite//s is an excellent novel to introduce the literary element of character development to a sixth to eighth grade class. Teachers could create character journals, character bios, and plot maps for the students to continually fill out as they read the novel. The teacher should focus on the descriptive words and actions used to illustrate the characters as opposed to the author just telling you the characters are brave, silly, or angry. Teachers could have their students choose a character to "shadow." The students will create character analyses for multiple points in the story depicting the character's attitude. The students should focus on how the characters change, why they changed, and how it affected the story. The students could also write a follow up story adding to their character's story and personalities.
 * Literary Element Analysis: Character Development **
 * Related Links: **

[|Amazon] [|Stephanie Tolan's Website] By Kimberly Osga