There are families that love to read, and there are families that barely crack a book unless required to do so. Our household happens to be a group of avid readers. We looove to read. We rarely leave the library without a minimum of thirty books (not kidding). A trip to the bookstore is like a trip to Disney World, okay not quite, but close! In short, we love our books. Not a day goes by where I'm not picking up a random book or two that has been left around the house somewhere. When an opportunity for a new read comes along, we are ready and available. Are you getting the message? We love to read.
Progeny Press graciously provided us with the The Scavengers - eGuide to review, and when I took an initial peek at the book and its storyline, I was confident that my 14 year old would find this engaging. I ordered the book, and the day that it arrived, my girl snatched it up and had it devoured with a day. Did I mention we love to read around here? That's alright. While I had intended to do it differently for once, and have us read the book at a slower pace as we worked through the study guide, I figured it was good for her to get a general overview. That's how I'm spinning it anyway, ha.
The basic plot line:
Maggie is a girl living in a dystopian world with her family. They live in what are called the Bubble cities, which are divided into two sections, the InBubble, and the OutBubble. Basically, the InBubble people have greater government control, but they enjoy more comforts, whereas those living in the OutBubble have more freedom, but struggle for their basic needs. After a series of events, Maggie, (who has now changed her name to Ford Falcon) discovers that her family has gone missing, thus beginning a tedious search to find them. Now, I'm sure that you realize that there are a lot of details missing here, but I wouldn't want to steal your opportunity to read the story for yourself.
This eGuide is 73 pages long, so in case you were wondering, yes, there is plenty of material here to make a thorough study of The Scavengers. By the way, this is a middle school book study, but for high school students, the guides are worth 1/4 of a credit for their transcript. I know that I found that information helpful. Anyway, this study begins with a summary of the book, and some information about the author's background. There are also ideas for activities to do before you even begin reading the story. This study is written from a Christian perspective, so you won't need to worry about offensive material presented. Having said that, it's always a good idea to read through the book and study guide prior to working through them with your kids, as certain events can still be disturbing to some.
Activities and worksheets are grouped into about 8 chapters each, so there will be 6 pages or so of vocabulary, crossword puzzles, and discussion questions. You'll also find sections that encourage students to dig into the story and unpack it. It speaks of the way the author used various writing skills, for example, alliteration, mental images, flashbacks, and such. The end of each section offers optional activities. Upon completion of the study, there are additional resources and ideas to stretch the material, and you'll also find an answer key.
This is a great study guide. It appeals not only to me, but to my teen, because of its link to an engaging story. It speaks to my daughter's love of literature, and as she related so well to the material, she was interested in the activities. I'm sure that can be said of most kids, and people in general really, if you have an interest in the topic, you'll be more likely to want to participate and engage in the corresponding activities. I found the discussion questions were really good for her, and she would discuss in detail with me the various aspects of the storyline. I love to listen to my kids, and watch as they learn to process and then explain their thoughts about different subjects, and to see how this resource has helped her along on that journey has been a privilege. As she continues into high school, I plan to include Progeny Press in our curriculum. I hope that you'll take a few minutes and visit their website, and see if it may work for you as well.
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