Summer Reading 2017

Maggot Moon,

by Sally Gardner (2013)

Living in a totalitarian state in an alternate version of the 1950s,  15-year-old Standish Treadwell and his best friend make a startling discovery: the "Motherland's"  mission to the moon is a hoax...

What to Know About the Book Before You Read It.

The setting is an alternate-history England.  The totalitarian regime is never directly named.

The main character has an un-named learning difference, and his language is shaped by the way he hears certain phrases.

The author is dyslexic, and used her experiences as a basis for Standish's character.

Special Note:  There is one particularly violent scene between a teacher and student in the book .

SEE BELOW for more background, relevance, etc.

• Standish has a learning difference that sometimes affects how he interprets certain phrases, and the words he uses to describe things. One example is  "Croca-cola" (instead of Coca Cola), how many other examples can you find?
• In what other ways does Standish's learning difference affect his actions and beliefs?
• What totalitarian regime do you think Standish lives under?  What contextual clues are given in the book?
• What is the meaning of the sequence of drawings that are found on the bottom of many pages in the book?

Theme-based Guided Questions for all Books

Consider these questions as you are reading your book. Having answers to them, with quotations from the book (cite page number) as supporting evidence will be very helpful when it is time to discuss and assess your reading.

1. When was your book written? When does it take place? How does that compare to 2017?

2. Who holds power or authority in your book?  

• What role does technology play in creating or maintaining that authority?  
• What role does communication or language play in creating or maintaining that authority?

3. How does technology affect the daily lives of the characters in your book?

• What role does technology play in communication between characters?
• Who has access to technology?
• How does the technology compare to today's technology?

4. What kinds of information or media is communicated in your book? -- News? Advertising? Entertainment? Education? Propaganda? etc?

• Who creates it, and for what purpose?
• Who controls it, and for what purpose?
• Who consumes it, and for what purpose?