Eleanor & Park

(Image taken from Google.com)

Eleanor & Park

Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor & Park. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin.

Awards: Goodreads Choice Awards Best Young Adult Fiction, 2014 Michael L. Printz Award Honor, and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction

Suggested Delivery: Individual

Lexile Reading Level: HL580L

Age Range: 12-16 years

Grade Level: 6-10

About the Book: Written in the two perspectives of the main characters, Eleanor & Park is about two young teenagers who celebrate the power of first love and the hardships of growing up. Eleanor is a forgotten about girl who no one seems to notice, while Park is a fish out of water because of his ethnicity and love for comic books. This is a powerful story of how they found each other when they didn’t even realize they were looking.

Keywords: Family Life, Growing Up, Relationships, Self-Esteem, Diversity

Electronic Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gafz1-oucU

This is a book trailer that could be viewed by the student before reading the book. It could provide a preview to what the story is about and will gauge the reader’s interest.

 http://www.rainbowrowell.com/eleanor-park/

The author’s website could be used as a resource. It has information on the author, other books written by the author, and pictures related to the book.

Vocabulary:

-Drabber: dull; cheerless; lacking in spirit

-Tape Deck: a component of an audio system for playing tapes, using an external amplifier and speakers

-Slurred: to pass over lightly or without due mention or consideration; to depreciate

-Statuesque: like or suggesting a statue, as in massive or majestic dignity, grace, or beauty

-Irrevocably: unable to be repealed or annulled; unalterable

-Trifling: of very little importance; trivial; insignificant

Reading Strategies:

-Before reading the text, students should complete an Anticipation Guide. The guide can have statements on it that the students can either agree or disagree with. The statements can be in relation to the themes and main ideas of the text. This will help the reader look for meaning throughout the text and grow their comprehension skills.

-During the reading of the text, students can keep track of the events that occur that change the relationship between Eleanor and Park. This is a cause and effect exercise that will help with comprehension.

-After reading the text, students can talk about the themes from the book. They can then look for evidence in the text that support their conclusions.

Writing Activity:

This book alternates between the two main character’s points of view. It can happen chapter by chapter, or multiple times in the same chapter. Have students think about why the author does this. Have them write about why they think the author does this and how it adds or takes away from the story.