I have recommended this book to simply every person I have spoken to about young adult literature since I started reading it, and I know my review cannot possibly do it justice. I fell in love with the main character, Isabel, within the first few pages, and her gripping story took such strong hold of me that I was sad to put it down whenever I ran out of time to keep reading it. In the middle of the book, I was horrified at the events (teachers, you should definitely read the book before giving it to students so you are ready to discuss the events with them) and was literally moved to tears. At one point, I thought I couldn't possibly read it aloud to my sixth graders because it might be too overwhelming and tragic for some to handle; by the end I thought I wouldn't be doing my classes justice if I didn't read it to them.
Following weeks of anticipation from the kids (I couldn't stop talking about how good it is ~ and they knew and loved Laurie Halse Anderson from a previous read-aloud, Fever 1793) I began Chains as our new read-aloud at the end of April with my 3 sixth grade reading classes. Within the first few chapters the majority of students were hooked, although a few students in each class (2-3 in two of my classes, as many as 5-6 in my right-after-lunch-kids-are-hyper class) never gave the look of enthrallment save the three chapters in the middle of the book when Isabel is caught and punished. The comments, questions, and predictions after each day's reading were the highest quality that I had heard of any of our read-alouds for the year, and many students showed a real understanding of the time period for the first time.
I sincerely hope Anderson writes books 2 and 3 in the series SOON and the 7th and 8th grade teachers at my school even promised to read them aloud to the kids if they are published in the next 1-2 years! Now that I'm moving down to 5th grade reading, and I know I can't read Chains to such young students, I might try to recommend it to the 7th or 8th grade English or history teachers as opposed to 6th.
Following weeks of anticipation from the kids (I couldn't stop talking about how good it is ~ and they knew and loved Laurie Halse Anderson from a previous read-aloud, Fever 1793) I began Chains as our new read-aloud at the end of April with my 3 sixth grade reading classes. Within the first few chapters the majority of students were hooked, although a few students in each class (2-3 in two of my classes, as many as 5-6 in my right-after-lunch-kids-are-hyper class) never gave the look of enthrallment save the three chapters in the middle of the book when Isabel is caught and punished. The comments, questions, and predictions after each day's reading were the highest quality that I had heard of any of our read-alouds for the year, and many students showed a real understanding of the time period for the first time.
I sincerely hope Anderson writes books 2 and 3 in the series SOON and the 7th and 8th grade teachers at my school even promised to read them aloud to the kids if they are published in the next 1-2 years! Now that I'm moving down to 5th grade reading, and I know I can't read Chains to such young students, I might try to recommend it to the 7th or 8th grade English or history teachers as opposed to 6th.
