My Life as a Book

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. One of the central themes of My Life as a Book is The Power of Alternative Approaches to Learning. What do you think an “approach to learning” is? What do you know about conventional versus unconventional (common versus uncommon) learning approaches? Is it important to you that teachers include the option to learn in different ways?

Teaching Suggestion: Connecting to the novel’s theme The Power of Alternative Approaches to Learning will prime students to look for evidence of such approaches as they begin reading. These questions are phrased to slowly gauge students’ knowledge of alternative approaches; if they don’t know what learning approaches are, clarify that before moving to the second question. The third question encourages students to reflect on the importance of differentiation strategies in their personal learning process and can help students develop empathy for the novel’s protagonist as he struggles and rebels against the idea of reading books without pictures.

• “Evidence Based Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers with Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disorder” – an academic study on the effectiveness of various alternative reading strategies for elementary students who struggle to learn to read
• “Using Differentiated Instruction to Support All Learners” – a student-friendly video explaining differentiated instruction and why it’s important that students have access to various alternative approaches to learning

2. Imagination and creativity shape protagonist Derek’s life and passions. Alternative Approaches to Learning require creativity and the willingness to think outside the box. If you could design a question or assignment based on an alternative approach to learning, what would it be? How would your approach address a need in different types of learners, and what would be necessary for your approach to be used?

Teaching Suggestion: You may choose to have students write their answers down, discuss them with the class, or work with a partner to brainstorm ideas. It might be beneficial to begin by having students recall 5-6 specific learning activities they completed within the last week and then create an alternative approach for one of them.

• “Teaching Strategies for Learning Disabilities” – a list of examples of possible issues that students may have with learning, as well as strategies that can be used to mitigate these setbacks
• “Learning Styles and the Importance of Critical Self-Reflection” – a Ted Talk discussing the myth of learning styles and studies that show that learning styles do not exist outside the realm of preferences

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who are inclined toward visual learning can draw a short comic of their alternative approach and the results they think it would garner.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

The protagonist of My Life as a Book faces challenges with learning, the idea of growing up, and his own behavior. Reflect on your life so far. When have you had to overcome an obstacle that posed a great challenge for you? What key factors led to your success in achieving your goal?

Teaching Suggestion: In the novel, Derek must learn to overcome his aversion to reading, his guilt over Susan’s death, and his fear of growing up. Overcoming Obstacles is a universal theme that many students can relate to; encourage your class to consider not only what their obstacle was but how it made them feel, who or what supported them through it, and how they managed to persevere in the face of difficulty.

• “If” by Rudyard Kipling – a poem about perseverance Overcoming Obstacles that humans experience every day

Differentiation Suggestion: Advanced learners can include an example of a historical figure or group of people who overcame obstacles and how this person or group inspires them.