Historical Fiction
Chapter Book
This novel is set during World War II in the Dutch West Indies. 11-year old Phillip loses his sight after being aboard a freighter that is struck (torpedoed) by a German submarine. Phillip wakes up on a raft with a West Indian man named Timothy. The two characters end up on an island where the story becomes a tale about friendship, survival, and overcoming racism that may have been a part of one's upbringing.
When reading this novel in 4th grade, I did not realize that it was historical fiction. Having read it at the college level, I can easily see the historical information that it provides and the lessons that it has the capability of teaching. This would be a great book to use in a 4th or 5th grade upper-level reading group. It would also be a nice novel to use as part of a social studies lesson about WWII. Students would also benefit from determining what makes this novel fiction despite its historical facts.
No comments:
Post a Comment