Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
Title: Eight Keys
Author: Suzanne LaFleur
Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 52693
Description: When twelve-year-old Elise, orphaned since age three, becomes disheartened by middle school, with its bullies, changing relationships, and higher expectations, keys to long-locked rooms and messages from her late father help her cope.
Rubric Rating: Level 4: Love It
Why I Read it: I was looking for a book for middle school that would appeal to girls. I liked the two kids on the cover.
Lori's Notes: Things all change for Elise when she starts middle school. Her locker partner is a hurtful, name-calling, bully who makes Elise question her friendship with her best friend Franklin and worse her own self-worth. Elise's story is complex; her mother died the day she was born and her father dies just three years later of cancer. Aunt Bessie and Uncle Hugh raise Elise. They are very compassionate and mostly understanding to her situation. Every year on her birthday she receives a letter written by her father before he passed away. The last letter, received on her 12th birthday, leads her on a search for Eight Keys. Each room these keys unlock has been designed especially for Elise, but she needs to discover for herself what everything all means. Elise is not a perfect character. She begins to treat Franklin differently when she thinks it will make the bullies leave her alone. She struggles with school. She stops liking "what" Elise is. However, the mystery of the eight keys and her discoveries help her to understand the type of person she wants to be. Friendship is a key to understanding this novel as well - it's interesting to see how the relationships between characters change - making new friends, leaving old friends, losing friends, keeping friends. Whether it's Elise and Franklin, Amanda and Caroline, Elise and Caroline, and even the adult characters in this novel, friendships can influence the type of person that we become and can play just as an important role in our lives as family. This book was easy to read and quick. The characters were believable and there were many moments in the story that had me in tears. The ending was satisfactory.
Recommended Readers: An excellent story for any girls in junior/intermediate dealing with friendships, bullying, self-identity and worth. This is also an excellent story for whole class reading or reading circles. Grade 5 and Up.
Favourite Passages:
"It didn't matter how many new kids there were at school. It took only one to ruin my life." (Page 8)
"Really, though, the worst thing would be if they didn't like me because of me." (Page 48)
"What if the third room isn't empty, but full of invisible things?" (Page 124)
"And you will keep growing. You will change without me." (Page 131)
"But in life people come and go. We don't always have control over it. But we can control how we respond. We can keep going, keep living the best we can. We can love the people we have instead of shutting them out. We can do our best to get to know them in the time we have." (Page 135)
"Maybe that was a big deal. Maybe it was a big deal to decide to walk away from your friends, whatever the reason." (Page 167)
"A good friend is one of the hardest things to keep in this life. Don't forget that sometimes you have to work at it." (Page 179)
"Do you like what I am?...The better question is, do you like what you are?" (Page 180)
"I was for me to decide. It coud be whatever I needed it to be, whatever I wanted it to be. And the truth, I suddenly understood, was that so could I." (Page 197)
"You can make you whatever you want" (Page 214)
Themes: Friendship, Bullying, Death of Parents, Cancer, Families, Aunts and Uncles, Extended Families, Secrets, Mysteries, Identity, Self-Worth, Understanding, New Friends, Best Friends, Growing Up, Deciding who you are going to be.
Cross-Genre Links:
Movie: My Girl (1991)
Movie: Simon Birch (1998)
Movie: The Mighty (1998)
Music: You've got a Friend by Carole King
Music: With a Little Help from my Friends by the Beatles
Possible Discussion or Essay Topics:
Listening for Luca
Love, Aubrey
Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 52693
Description: When twelve-year-old Elise, orphaned since age three, becomes disheartened by middle school, with its bullies, changing relationships, and higher expectations, keys to long-locked rooms and messages from her late father help her cope.
Rubric Rating: Level 4: Love It
Why I Read it: I was looking for a book for middle school that would appeal to girls. I liked the two kids on the cover.
Lori's Notes: Things all change for Elise when she starts middle school. Her locker partner is a hurtful, name-calling, bully who makes Elise question her friendship with her best friend Franklin and worse her own self-worth. Elise's story is complex; her mother died the day she was born and her father dies just three years later of cancer. Aunt Bessie and Uncle Hugh raise Elise. They are very compassionate and mostly understanding to her situation. Every year on her birthday she receives a letter written by her father before he passed away. The last letter, received on her 12th birthday, leads her on a search for Eight Keys. Each room these keys unlock has been designed especially for Elise, but she needs to discover for herself what everything all means. Elise is not a perfect character. She begins to treat Franklin differently when she thinks it will make the bullies leave her alone. She struggles with school. She stops liking "what" Elise is. However, the mystery of the eight keys and her discoveries help her to understand the type of person she wants to be. Friendship is a key to understanding this novel as well - it's interesting to see how the relationships between characters change - making new friends, leaving old friends, losing friends, keeping friends. Whether it's Elise and Franklin, Amanda and Caroline, Elise and Caroline, and even the adult characters in this novel, friendships can influence the type of person that we become and can play just as an important role in our lives as family. This book was easy to read and quick. The characters were believable and there were many moments in the story that had me in tears. The ending was satisfactory.
Recommended Readers: An excellent story for any girls in junior/intermediate dealing with friendships, bullying, self-identity and worth. This is also an excellent story for whole class reading or reading circles. Grade 5 and Up.
Favourite Passages:
"It didn't matter how many new kids there were at school. It took only one to ruin my life." (Page 8)
"Really, though, the worst thing would be if they didn't like me because of me." (Page 48)
"What if the third room isn't empty, but full of invisible things?" (Page 124)
"And you will keep growing. You will change without me." (Page 131)
"But in life people come and go. We don't always have control over it. But we can control how we respond. We can keep going, keep living the best we can. We can love the people we have instead of shutting them out. We can do our best to get to know them in the time we have." (Page 135)
"Maybe that was a big deal. Maybe it was a big deal to decide to walk away from your friends, whatever the reason." (Page 167)
"A good friend is one of the hardest things to keep in this life. Don't forget that sometimes you have to work at it." (Page 179)
"Do you like what I am?...The better question is, do you like what you are?" (Page 180)
"I was for me to decide. It coud be whatever I needed it to be, whatever I wanted it to be. And the truth, I suddenly understood, was that so could I." (Page 197)
"You can make you whatever you want" (Page 214)
Themes: Friendship, Bullying, Death of Parents, Cancer, Families, Aunts and Uncles, Extended Families, Secrets, Mysteries, Identity, Self-Worth, Understanding, New Friends, Best Friends, Growing Up, Deciding who you are going to be.
Cross-Genre Links:
Movie: My Girl (1991)
Movie: Simon Birch (1998)
Movie: The Mighty (1998)
Music: You've got a Friend by Carole King
Music: With a Little Help from my Friends by the Beatles
Possible Discussion or Essay Topics:
- If you had an empty room, how would you fill it?
- What makes your best friend the best? What makes you a good friend? What do you look for in a friend? Write a top ten list to explain.
- Why does Elise start calling Franklin names? Is Elise a good friend? Is Franklin?
- What type of person do you want to be?
- Caroline walks away from a longtime friendship she has had with Amanda when she finds out how she is treating Elise. What would you do if your best friend started being mean and hurtful?
Listening for Luca
Love, Aubrey
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for Reading!