Mayday
by Karen Harrington
About the Author
Karen Harrington describes herself on her website as ¨writer, mother, dog-lover, coffee drinker, book hoarder and proud Texan.¨ She was born in Texas and grew up writing. She worked many different jobs before publishing her first novel: waitress, bank teller, and speech writer. She has two daughters and still lives in Texas. She also written Sure Signs of Crazy and Courage for Beginners.
About the Book
Lexile: 590 Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards:
Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2016
AIR & SPACE magazine Best Children's Book of 2016
2017-2018 Texas Lone Star Reading list
2017 Maine Student Book Award List
Georgia Children's Book Award List
2017-2018 Dorothy Canfield Fisher List
Reviews:
"A compelling exploration of life after a disaster." - Publisher's Weekly, starred review
"A fine character-driven tale that slowly grows to a crescendo of satisfaction." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Wayne's is an authentic, funny, and sometimes sarcastic teen voice, .... in this sweet tale of survival, heroism, and the search for strength." - School Library Journal
Resources/Teaching Ideas
Participate in National Novel Writing Month. Karen started a novel during this month of writing.
Share the FAQ from Karen Harrington's website and then challenge your students to write like she does (from 500 to 1,000 words a day and develop a playlist for their character.)
Read Courage for Beginners. Wayne from Mayday is a supporting character in this book.
Tie in some nonfiction reading and learn more about Karen Harrington and her motivation to write Mayday in this Parade magazine article or this article from Bookpages.
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