Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Lexile Measure: 570L

Age Range: 14-17

Bibliographic Information: Rowell, R. (2015). Carry on. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

#1 New York Times bestselling author. Named “Best Book of 2015” by Time Magazine, School Library Journal, Barnes & Noble, and NPR.

Summary: Carry On is a fantasy novel that transports the reader into a world of magic. Simon Snow, the Chosen One, must defeat the evil Humdrum, who is trying to destroy the magical world in the United Kingdom. The novel takes place during Simon’s final year at Watford School of Magicks. During the absence of his roommate and arch nemesis, Baz, Simon receives a message from a ghost, urging him to find the ghost’s killer. Simon believes that the ghost was seeking Baz, who is not at school. At first, Simon believes that Baz is plotting against the Mage, the leader of the magical world, hence his absence from school. However, Baz was actually kidnapped by troll-like numpties. When Simon tells Baz about the ghost, Baz is deeply troubled and determined to find his mother’s killer. Simon, Baz, and two other friends, Penelope and Agatha, join together to solve the murder of Baz’s mother. The story is filled with adventure, romance, and whole lot of monsters.

Learning Activity:

Readers will see the different characters in the novel face unique challenges. These challenges will force the characters to develop in certain ways. Students will read Carry On and use conflict to show how the author develops characterization. Students will focus on one character and create a literary timeline of how the character changes throughout the novel.

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.

Objective:

1. Students will consider the feelings of a character of their choosing and how their reactions to conflict help develop them into a stronger character throughout the book (A).
2. Students will use background knowledge of literary devices such as conflict and characterization (K).
3. Students will map out their character’s development on a literary timeline. This timeline will show how the character has evolved throughout the novel by using critical thinking skills and inference (S).