Saturday, February 11, 2012

Hengel, Katherine Before The Snap (District 13)


Hengel, Katherine Before The Snap (District 13)  
Saddleback  2011  48p   5.50  978-1-61651-581-2  
ms/hs VG-BN Realistic Fiction     

    The District 13 series provides 1.0 to 2.0 reading level stories that ring true for high school students. This title focuses on a high school boy who hears from his former girlfriend that she is pregnant and that everyone will think he is the father. Grades 7-10.   Derrick has problems with another football player who keeps taking cheap shots at him on the field. The coach has told him that he will take care of the other player. After practice Derrick’s former girlfriend tells him she is pregnant and because they just broke up a couple of months ago, everyone will assume the baby is his. She asks him to keep the secret of her pregnancy. However, word gets around and sure enough Derrick endures sly comments at school and on the football field.  He finally tells the girl that he will not keep her secret nor take the heat for being the father. Good character development and believable situations unfold in this slim book with short chapters and easy vocabulary. Discussion can revolve around Derrick’s decision and his subsequent actions. Perfect for English language learners as well as those students struggling with reading.       District 13 provides believable plots and characters for young adults who struggle with reading. Reading level is 1.0 to 2.0 and the books all are around 48 pages with large font size. Teen Pregnancy from Male Perspective      Lois McNicol

 

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