Young Adult Book Fun

Title: My Sister’s Keeper

Author: Jodi Picoult

Publishing:Atria; 1st Atria Books Hardcover Ed edition (April 6, 2004)

ISBN: 978-0743454520

Grade Level: 10-12

Awards: 2005 Alex Award Winner

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald is in for the fight of her life as she sues her parents for the right to make medical decisions about her own body, even if that decision kills her sister who’s dying of cancer and needs Anna’s kidney.

Comments: Picoult weaves together the stories and varying perspectives of Anna and all the members of her family in a heart wrenching Sophie’s Choice scenario in which the needs of one child are pitted against the needs of another.

Picoult is a gifted writer and the story introduces a number of questions about the right to one’s own body, the nature of the healthcare system in America (very timely), and the dynamics of family. Ethical, moral and legal questions will definitely pour from student’s minds with this book, which makes it especially useful as a discussion tool about perspective.

While the main character is 13-year-old Anna, the other characters are quite adult and while an older high school student may  be interested in this tale and even moved by it the subject matter may be lost on them. It’s certainly not written with young adult readers in mind, but may have an appeal to some.

Georgia Performance Standards:

ELA10RL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.

ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.

Extensions:

• Have students write an alternate ending from Anna’s perspective if there had been no accident.
• Have students debate whether Anna, as a minor, was truly fit to make her own decisions about her body?
• Have students discuss Sara’s motivation for having Anna. Was she playing favorites? Was she fit to make decisions about Anna’s care?