Vocabulary Enricher 2

sharply (142 Par. 3) - Acute/sensitive. [use of the word]

coloring (149 Par. 1) - Applying a substance to a visual. [use of word]

depressing (155 Par. 1) - A cause of dejection. [relation to story]

compensate (165 Par. 3) - To recompense/repay a loss. [possible other uses for the word]

oracle (178 Last Par.) - A medium of advice. [discuss why the word was used]

Investigator 1

Investigation

• Side Effects May Vary was her first book.
• The book reflects on how she felt as a teenager.
• She aimed to write the book through the voice of a teenager.
• In accordance with the last bullet point, she aimed to make the story feel as if in a realistic teenage setting, and she felt high school was the most relevant setting for her goal.
• The time of the story is supposed to inspire mental growth.
• The author knows that Alice is unlivable, but aimed for her to be written the way she to show strength and weakness.
• The book was meant to be told from "then" and "now" from the start.
• She believes that the story is comparable to the Fault in Our Stars.

Side Effects May Vary

Reading Schedule

March 17) Pages 1 - 65

March 24) Pages 66 - 135

March 31) Pages 136 - 195

April 14) Pages 196 - 259

April 17) Pages 260 - 330

Discussion Idea

In order to make discussions fun, I suggest that we will all need to make one prediction per person in each discussion. In subsequent discussions, we could brush up on if our previous predictions were correct.

Grading

1) Everybody stays on top of reading.

2) Everybody talks at least twice.

3) Everybody makes at least one prediction per discussion.

Predictions for Side Effects May Vary

Something That I Know

1) Alice is diagnosed with leukemia and wants to right her wrongs.

2) Harvey is chosen to help Alice, and he has feelings for her.

3) Alice expects to die soon because of her condition.

What I Think Will Happen With That

1) Alice will succeed in her initial plan, but some event will occur causing her hardship that she can't do anything about.

2) Harvey will help her, and she will realize feelings for him in return, but something bad will happen to him.

3) Alice will be given a second chance on life somehow, but at that point she might not want it.

Passage Reflection

The Book Thief - Last Page

"I am haunted by humans."

This is the very last line of "The Book Thief, and these words were spoken by death himself. The fact that Death referred to his duty as "work", resonates with me. Finally, the fact that he speaks to the Book Thief at the end of the book, and says these words, really gives me something to ponder.

The Book Thief - Pictures

Another Failed Artist (Page 223)

"He was well educated enough to get by, but he was certainly no writer, and no artist."

Max Vs. The Champion of the World (Page 251)

"He was twenty-four, but he could still fantasize... Around him, it all materialized."

The Wolf Searches for the Rabbit (Page 343)

"Does he know? Liesel thought. Can he smell we're holding a Jew?"