Characters todd strasser had a lot of characters aside from the protagonist and the antagonist. Todd strasser born may 5, 1950 is an american writer of more than 140 youngadult and middle grade novels and many short stories and works of nonfiction, some written under the pen names morton rhue and t. When a book is set in an urban setting where poverty, poor choices, and lack of opportunity are. Internationally bestselling author todd strasser has written his most impressive and personal novel to date, ruthlessly yet sensitively exploring the terrifying whatifs of one of the most explosive moments in human history.
Its my first todd strasser novel, and as much as i hate to say it, it will probably be my. When a book is set in an urban setting where poverty, poor choices, and lack of opportunity are prevalent, critics tend to call the book gritty. Strasser s fans will recognize and appreciate his mastery at creating a dangerously isolated atmosphere and setting that intensifies the lifethreatening situation facing deshawn and his community. Feb 24, 2009 if i grow up ebook written by todd strasser. In a gripping novel with a plot pulled from the headlines, todd strasser turns his attention to gang life in the innercity projects.
In fallout, which begins like realistic fiction but quickly turns semidystopian, author todd strasser imagines what would have happened if the unthinkable had occurred. Strassers fans will recognize and appreciate his mastery at creating a dangerously isolated atmosphere and setting that intensifies the lifethreatening situation facing deshawn and his community. Todd strasser books, author biography, and reading level. I do feel that its very nice that the 100th book happens to be fallout, since this is such a special book to me. See all books authored by todd strasser, including the wave, and give a boy a gun, and more on.
When every thing feels like its going down hill everything turns the other way and its a great feeling to feel for a person that grows up in. In a gripping novel with a plot pulled from the headlines, todd strasser turns his attention to gang life in the inner. If i grow up summary and analysis like sparknotes free book. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders.
Todd strasser is the author of more than 140 novels for children and young adults, most notably the wave and give a boy a gun, which are taught in classrooms around the world. Which would best suit boot campan ongoing series or a film of this story. They have all been forced into a life on the street and survive by panhandling and digging through dumpsters. Through the fictional characters of deshawn, his best friend, terrell, and the gang leaders in if i grow up, todd strasser gives the reader a vivid picture of the pressures people face living in poverty with gang members ruling the neighborhood in the innercity. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of todd strassers. Connecting boot camp to the common core toddstrasser. Strassers fans will recognize and appreciate his mastery at creating a. Everything is a hustle and people are trying get it the quick and easy way. The protagoniss and some of the antagonists were dynamic during the book. Boot camp, todd strasserder amerikanische autor todd strasser, 1950 in new york city geboren, ist in. Master storyteller todd strasser reimagines the classic tale of moby dick as set in the future and takes readers on an epic scifi adventure. In tackling the wellworn theme of a girl who aspires to enter the incrowd, strasser give a boy a gun, 2000, etc. Todd strassers past works on a system of teen detention, boot camp informs the well researched passionate purpose of this work, which he states in his if i grow up preface, are to alert readers to these social and economic gulags.
The book has a lot of interaction between family members and neighbors, who all cluster together for mutual support. Have the students work in groups or pairs to write up a short digital media proposal for boot camp. However, many of these books only feed off of press snippets and writer imagination of what the hood is really like. Sites like sparknotes with a if i grow up study guide or cliff notes. Nov 11, 20 like his main character, scott, strasser grew up with the threat of an attack by the redsthe communistshanging over his head. Connect if i grow up to the common core toddstrasser. He contributes articles to such periodicals as the new yorker, esquire, the new york times, and the village voice. Todd strasser is the author of more than 140 novels for children and teens, most notably the wave, which is taught in classrooms around the world. I thought that strasser did a great job of showing who were the main characters were and who were the people that opposed them. This, along with twodimensional characters and dated, unrealistic dialogue. He studied literature and creative writing at new york. Cant get there from here by todd strasser young adult. The supporting characters actually made the book worth while because if deshawn was just by himself then he wouldnt have had the gang involvement.
If i grow up by todd strasser young adult literature. Meet the author recording of cant get there from here. But they only allowed peoples live there if they know them. Strasser fallout endows other characters, including dans parents, with. Deshawns grandmother that takes care of him and his sister. Rance was trying to get william killed and deshawn set up so that he can take all the money for himself and keep any profit coming in. When seventeenyearold ishmael wakes up from stasis aboard the pequod, he is amazed by how different.
Todd strasser books list of books by author todd strasser. Stock characters the hard working grandma, the knockedup older sister, the good kid struggling to stay out of trouble while enduring peer pressure and oppressive poverty are all in place here, as well as stock ghetto situations like eating cereal with water, multiple sex partners, pregnancies, lack of male responsibility, and blingedout. Aug 17, 2012 todd strasser had a lot of characters aside from the protagonist and the antagonist. Further, the book spends a large amount of time looking into the gang life and how the different elements relate to one. Feb 24, 2009 todd strasser has written many critically acclaimed novels for adults, teenagers, and children, including the awardwinning cant get there from here, give a boy a gun, boot camp, if i grow up, famous, and how i created my perfect prom date, which became the fox feature film drive me crazy. But unlike scott, the author was never forced to abandon his home for a belowground shelter, where the grim realities of dwindling supplies, flaring tempers, and hidden prejudices soon threaten even the. Sexuality you could always look at your fathers playboys, ronnie said. Buy the paperback book if i grow up by todd strasser at indigo. Yes 2008 iowa award winner maybe lives on the street with several other teens. Ive just gottn done reading this book and honestly i didnt want it to end. The message in the book was very clear at the end of the book. If i grow up by todd strasser is a realistic fiction set in new york. Sep 10, 20 i do feel that its very nice that the 100th book happens to be fallout, since this is such a special book to me.
He goes to school for a while but then by middle 7th grade year he looks as his family struggles,his sister taking care of 2 kids his grandma has the shingles,and the welfare check just isnt enough. Read if i grow up online by todd strasser books free 30day. If i grow up is one of an actionfilling book that was written by todd strasser. No place book by todd strasser official publisher page. If i grow up by todd strasser by jawan graves on prezi. Laurie from the beginning doesnt like the wave, so she teams up with another kid to try to stop it by writing an article in the school newspaper. At twelve years old, deshawn is the kind of character i could instantly relate to. Lauren, who spends lunchtime with her overweight friend tara, longingly watches the popular girls table as celeste, a new girl, joins the. If i grow up by todd strasser character analysis deshawn the protagonist. Todd strasser uses his literary aspect by having protagonists deshawn, terrell, and marcus and antagonists jamar, rance, and willam.
This is a painfully onedimensional novel that could be used as a script for any afterschool special, crime drama, or urban movie. I brought this book for my daughter and she loved the book so much, she couldnt put it. Browse author series lists, sequels, pseudonyms, synopses, book covers, ratings and awards. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the.
Deshawn lost his mom to crossfire from gang shooting. What is the theme for the book fallout by todd strasser. If i grow up by todd strasser in a gripping novel with a plot pulled from the headlines, todd strasser turns his attention to gang life in the innercity. I ve just gottn done reading this book and honestly i didnt want it to end. Ask the students to sum up strassers message what in the first few chapters appears to be strassers themecentral idea in this work and how he is using the unfolding of the plot, its setting, and characters to communicate and to alert them as readers to that theme. He lives in westchester county, new york, and he grew up on long island, where his. Unfortunately, problems arise in form of plot and theme. Several of his books have been adapted for television, and his novel how i created my perfect prom date became the feature release drive me crazy. The main characters in the book are laurie, david, ben ross, and amy. The wave is loosely based on an essay by ron jones that appeared in a whole earth catalogue some time in the early 1970s. If i grow up is a novel about a boy in the projects named deshawn. Lives in the projects, has a sister named tia, lost his mother at a young age and dates tanisha which is the mother of his two sons.
What is the theme for the book fallout by todd strasser answers. Strasser had supporting characters like lightbulb and big d. In tackling the wellworn theme of a girl who aspires to enter the in crowd, strasser give a boy a gun, 2000, etc. Yes the author of this book cant get there from here is written by todd strasser. Aug 15, 2012 todd strasser uses his literary aspect by having protagonists deshawn, terrell, and marcus and antagonists jamar, rance, and willam. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read if i grow up. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of if i grow up by todd strasser. What if the cuban missile crisis had turned into nuclear war like his main character, scott, strasser grew up with the threat of an attack by the redsthe communistshanging over his head. Todd strasser is not just an author but a writer in the fullest sense. From being called queer to looking for playboys the boys in this book are eager to talk about all things sex.
It is a mystery book that takes place in soundview, a very safe place in new york. The events in if i grow up have a lot to do with themes of race, family, friends, power, and hopelessness. He writes for television, too, and has adapted novels from movies such as free willy and tv films such as the wave into wellcrafted novels that. This book is about teenagers who live in the hood they were poor no one want to go nearby because is danger is full of gangster. Todd strassers past works on social issues such as the wave, no place, cant get there from here, give that boy a gun, and if i grow up, inform the well researched passionate purpose of this reality based boot camp system. The main character is a high school student named madison archer. Todd strasser is the awardwinning author of more than 120 books for children and teenagers, including give a boy a gun, if i grow up and the wave, which sold seven million copies worldwide. Laurie from the beginning doesnt like the wave, so she teams up with another kid to try to stop it. In this superficially compelling but heavyhanded book about gang. At three in the morning on sunday, tyler, the new high school student, and her drive a girl named lucy cunningham home from a party.
Dec 12, 2011 the events in if i grow up have a lot to do with themes of race, family, friends, power, and hopelessness. I was impressed that strasser was able to keep profanity and graphic violence out of the story, given its setting. When dan and his family go from middle class to homeless, issues of injustice rise to the forefront in this relatable, timely novel from todd strasser that voya calls poignant, darkly humorous, and exceptionally thoughtprovoking. If i grow up book by todd strasser official publisher page. Todd lives in a suburb of new york and speaks frequently at schools. Bestselling author todd strasser has written a novel that explores the terrifying whatifs of one of the most explosive periods in human history. Through the fictional characters of deshawn, his best friend, terrell, and the gang. The book the wave by todd strasser writing as morton rhue the novel won the 1981 massachusetts book award for childrensyoung adult literature. Further, the book spends a large amount of time looking into the gang life and how the different elements relate to one another. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
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