“A love letter to the process of research, the experience of writing poetry, and Iceland.”—School Library Journal
Owen has always done well, even without trying that hard. He gets As in school, is an avid photographer and knows he can count on his family’s support. But then Owen makes a mistake. A big one. And now he must face his fear of disappointing his entire family.
A last-minute trip to Iceland, just Owen and his granddad, seems like the perfect way out. For Owen’s granddad, the trip is about paying tribute to a friend with Icelandic roots. But Owen has a more urgent reason for going: he must get back the notebook his granddad accidentally sent to the Iceland archive. He can’t let anyone read the things he wrote in it!
The pair gets on a plane, excited to leave their prairie town for a country of lava fields, glaciers and geysers. However, as they explore Iceland, the plan to recover Owen’s notebook starts to spiral out of control. Why does Owen’s granddad seem so confused and forgetful? And can Owen really hide the truth of what’s in his notebook?
Key Text Features
author’s note
historical context
dialogue
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
“A love letter to the process of research, the experience of writing poetry, and Iceland.”—School Library Journal
Owen has always done well, even without trying that hard. He gets As in school, is an avid photographer and knows he can count on his family’s support. But then Owen makes a mistake. A big one. And now he must face his fear of disappointing his entire family.
A last-minute trip to Iceland, just Owen and his granddad, seems like the perfect way out. For Owen’s granddad, the trip is about paying tribute to a friend with Icelandic roots. But Owen has a more urgent reason for going: he must get back the notebook his granddad accidentally sent to the Iceland archive. He can’t let anyone read the things he wrote in it!
The pair gets on a plane, excited to leave their prairie town for a country of lava fields, glaciers and geysers. However, as they explore Iceland, the plan to recover Owen’s notebook starts to spiral out of control. Why does Owen’s granddad seem so confused and forgetful? And can Owen really hide the truth of what’s in his notebook?
Key Text Features
author’s note
historical context
dialogue
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Oct 1, 2017 |
| Specifications | 176 pages | 5 in x 7.5 in |
| Keywords | grandparents and grandchildren; ethics; plagiarism; expectations; travel and adventure; first experiences; growing up; self awareness; dementia; alzheimers; family and family issues; courage; honesty; forgiveness; integrity; pride; figurative language; metaphors; simile; symbolism; third person; inferring; predicting; questioning; Common Core aligned; grade 6; middle grade fiction; adventure story; author's note; historical context; dialogue; Iceland; Stephan G Stephansson; Canada; Alberta; |
|
Supporting Resources
(select item to download) |
Excerpt |
| Written By | Jessica Scott Kerrin is the author of the newly launched Lobster Chronicles series and the best-selling Martin Bridge series. She lives in downtown Halifax, Canada, and once owned a nutty Springer Spaniel who inspired this book. |
| Written By |
| Jessica Scott Kerrin is the author of the newly launched Lobster Chronicles series and the best-selling Martin Bridge series. She lives in downtown Halifax, Canada, and once owned a nutty Springer Spaniel who inspired this book. |
| Audience | ages 9 to 12 / grades 4 to 7 |
| Reading Levels |
Guided Reading V
Lexile 760L Fountas & Pinnel Text Level V |
| Key Text Features | author's note; historical context; dialogue |
| Common Core |
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 |
“A tender and affecting coming-of age story.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An unusual and moving novel.” —School Library Journal
“. . . deftly written and well-paced.” —Quill & Quire
“Scott Kerrin has written an intriguing and thoughtful treatment of the onset of dementia through one boy's eyes.” —Canadian Children's Book News
“A quietly powerful gem, this novel will find a special place in readers' hearts.” —Atlantic Books Today