As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

Reviewed by Lori
As Easy As Falling Off The Face Of The Earth
Title: As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth

Author: Lynne Rae Perkins

Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 44333

Description: A teenaged boy encounters one comedic calamity after another when his train strands him in the middle of nowhere, and everything comes down to luck.

Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It

Why I Read It: Looking for a fun read that would be good for a boy.

Lori's Notes: A series of comedic events lead to the isolation of Ry from his family.  Trying to phone his grandfather Ry gets off his train and left behind in Montana, his parents are sailing in the Caribbean and his grandfather isn't answering the phone.  The dogs (who receive their own chapters in graphic novel format) are trying to make their way back to their old home and no one seems to be able to find each other.  There were moments that had me giggling but I have to admit that throughout the novel I was waiting for "something bad to happen" and while bad things do happen they're more of the inconvenient variety as opposed to the truly dangerous.  The overall message for me was how easily people are lost and found and more importantly how the more connections we have, the less likely we will "fall off the face of the Earth."  This book was an amusing exercise in Murphy's law!

Recommended Readers: Grade 6 and up.  Particularly good title for boys.  Good Novel for a Grade 9 or 10 applied level English Class.

Themes: Family, Isolation, Growing Up, Trust, Strangers, Travel, Journeys, Luck, Lost and Found, Murphy's Law, Accidents, Generations.

Cross-Genre Links: 
Definition of Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong"
Music: Life is a Highway performed by Tom Cochrane
Music: Roam performed by the B-52s
Music: Homeward Bound performed by Simon and Garfunkel
Comic: Garfield

Post-Reading Discussion Questions and Activities: 

  • What happens to each member of Ry's Family?  How are they found?
  • What would you do if you were lost like Ry?  Could you every "Fall off the Face of the Earth?"
  • Create your own graphic novel for your pet or another animal.  What are they doing? What are they thinking?
  • Would you help a stranger in trouble? 
  • Write your own Murphy's Law.  Ex. The more important the assignment the more likely you are to lose your homework.
  • Create a visual graphic that shows the connections you have.  Include your family, friends, school, work, and community.  Do you have very many connections?  How could you create more?


Also by Lynne Rae Perkins: 



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