8 Lit

After nearly a month, our Personal Choice novel unit comes to a close early this week. The novel should be finished by Monday, April 4th. We will be working on an in-class assessment which will be due Tuesday, April 5th.

8th grade will be working through these two novels throughout the next few weeks: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys and Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larsen. Both novels connect characters to history, bringing those events into our consciousness.

Between Shades of Gray is set in Lithuania and Russia, beginning in 1941 as the Soviet Union is annexing the surrounding countries. It traces the lives of the author’s family as they were taken from their homes with only a suitcase. Some mature topics — historical facts — are presented, and as a class, we will address how we will read them — with the purpose of better understanding the characters and allowing ourselves to feel sympathy for their circumstances as well as gain a more thorough understanding of the time period. We will also recognize the incredible faith and strength Ruta Sepetys’s family displayed. Sadly, many events in this novel are currently being repeated in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Hattie Big Sky is set in Big Sky Country, Montana, in the early 1900’s. Hattie, an orphan raised by begrudging relatives, arrives in Montana after inheriting a homestead from her mother’s brother. She is alone and although unprepared for the realities of settling up a claim, she is determined. The United States becomes involved in World War I, and just as is the case even in today’s society, fear can sometimes turn into prejudice. Throughout all, Hattie learns that people are not always what they seem, that good can overcome evil, and that success can be defined in what is learned, not necessarily through what is gained.