The House of the Scorpion
*** Promotional Idea ***
*** Promotional Idea ***
Author: Farmer, Nancy
Title: The House of the Scorpion
Illustrator: No illustrator. Book design by O'lanso Gabbidon
Publisher / year: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, c2002
Physical Description: 380 p. ; 24 cm.
Genre: Fiction (Young Reader); Science Fiction; Dystopia
Recommended audience: AR UG 5.1; Target: 6.3; Grades: 5-8
Plot summary: "In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States." (Summary Note, LibraryWorld.com)
Book Promotional Ideas: Class Library Visit / Booktalk / Follow-up Written Questionnaire for Library Points and an Award -- Librarian will give a dramatic reading of passages from this book. Begin with a little bit of an introduction, read the selected passage or passages, then close with a book teaser in that the students need to read the book in order to find out what happens to the main character. This booktalk can be given by itself, in coordination with other books, and/or with a follow-on English class assignment or for the receipt of Library XXX Book Points for some type of reward.
In this example, English classes visit the library every other week, the librarian booktalks several dystopian books (genre for this week), highlights the library's catalog in how to search for these types of books and where to look on the library's shelves, and then the librarian points out the location of the book's follow-up written questionnaire (student telling the librarian about the book just read) for XXX number of Library Points redeemable for candy, extra time on a library computer, or other awards okayed by the principal.
Examples of booktalks for this particular book:
Booktalk #1
Matt isn't quite sure why Cecelia has hidden him away all his life but he knows that everything is about to change. Some kids from the main house have found out about him. He knows he should hide but he is also curious to know what other children are like. What he finds is that he is different from the others. He is a clone! Not just any clone. He is El Patron's clone. El Patron is the most powerful man in the country. As a matter of fact, he founded the country. Opium is a country that lies between the United States and Aztlan -- formerly called Mexico. The economy is entirely based on the sale of drugs. El Patron is now 142 years old and relies on clones to supply the needed spare parts to keep him going. It is the law that clones have their brains destroyed when they are harvested but Matt is an exception. As the years go by, Matt is educated and gets to live under El Patron's protection. But he is still a clone. No better than livestock. Harvested from a cow. Does El Patron have other plans for him? (taken from http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/farmer_house.htm)
Booktalk #2
In the Beginning, there were 36 of them, 36 droplets of life so tiny that Eduardo could see them only under a microscope. Water bubbled through tubes that snaked around the warm humid wall. Air was sucked into growth chambers. A dull red light shone on Eduardo's face as he scanned the glass dishes, each containing a drop of life. As Eduardo scanned the dishes with a microscope, the cells seemed perfect. Each furnished with all it needed to grow, so much knowledge hidden in that tiny world. Even Eduardo was awed. The cell already knew what color hair it was to have, how tall it would become, and even whether it preferred spinach or broccoli. It might even have a desire for music or crossword puzzles. All of that was hidden in that tiny droplet of life. The round outlines quivered and lines appeared, dividing the cells into two, Eduardo sighed and thought that it was going to be all right. As he watched the samples grow, he moved them to the incubator. But something about the food, or the heat, or the light was wrong and Eduardo didn’t know what it was. Soon half of them died, and now there were only 15. Eduardo had cold lump in his stomach. If he failed he would be sent to the Farms and then what would become of Anna and the children and his father who was so old. Lisa, a senior lab technician said, “It’s OK. The cells were frozen over a 100 years ago. They can’t be as healthy as samples taken yesterday. Some of them will grow.” For a month everything went well. The day came that they implanted the tiny embryos in the brood cows. The cows lined up patiently waiting. They were fed by tubes, their bodies were exercised by giant metal arms that flexed their legs as though they were walking through endless fields. Perhaps the cows hated what had been done to them, because one by one the infants, no larger than a minnow died, until there was only one. That infant grew until it was clearly a being with arms and legs and a sweet dreaming face. Eduardo looked through the scanners and said, “You hold my life in your hands.” Then the day came, the cow gave birth to the baby, Eduardo grabbed for the needle that would blunt its intelligence. Lisa stopped him saying, “Don’t fix that one, It’s a Matteo Alacrán. They’re always left intact. Eduardo wondered, “ Have I done you a favor. Will you thank me for it later? (taken from http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/farmer_house.htm)
Book Promotional Ideas - Audience: Librarian coordinates with the MS and HS English class teachers so that students are scheduled to come into the library on a specific day every other week. When the students come into the library, the librarian guides students to new readings via booktalks. The House of the Scorpion is one of the book selections highlighted for this particular day.
Book Promotional Ideas - Rationale: One of the vital roles of the school librarian is to assist learners in the exploration of reading. What better way to interest the student than by intrigue, which is a portion of this book's promotional idea. This type of activity not only expands students' reading skills and increases vocabulary, but it equally refines their writing skills which ultimately helps with their end-of-course English exams.
Book Promotional Ideas - Vehicle: Librarian maintains his/her personal 3 x 5 cards of book highlights. Librarian also maintains and makes new copies of written book reviews which students complete after reading a book and then submit to the librarian for Bonus Library Points. Librarian maintains Hershey's kisses or other small candy as a student reward for XXX number of Bonus Library Points.
Book Promotional Ideas - Marketing: Librarian coordinates with MS and HS English teachers via e-mail and in person to let them know the book genre of the week and books which will be highlighted. The English teachers may wish to incorporate any of this information into their teaching and/or assignments. The librarian also coordinates via e-mail and in person to find out what students are reading and brainstorm as to how the library may be of assistance (a tool). The Genre of the Week books are highlighted on a library or outside bulletin board, highlighted on the school's library's Web site, highlighted in the weekly faculty/staff e-mail about the latest Library News, and information about earning Bonus Library Points is advertised on posters both inside and outside of the library.
Title: The House of the Scorpion
Illustrator: No illustrator. Book design by O'lanso Gabbidon
Publisher / year: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, c2002
Physical Description: 380 p. ; 24 cm.
Genre: Fiction (Young Reader); Science Fiction; Dystopia
Recommended audience: AR UG 5.1; Target: 6.3; Grades: 5-8
Plot summary: "In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States." (Summary Note, LibraryWorld.com)
Book Promotional Ideas: Class Library Visit / Booktalk / Follow-up Written Questionnaire for Library Points and an Award -- Librarian will give a dramatic reading of passages from this book. Begin with a little bit of an introduction, read the selected passage or passages, then close with a book teaser in that the students need to read the book in order to find out what happens to the main character. This booktalk can be given by itself, in coordination with other books, and/or with a follow-on English class assignment or for the receipt of Library XXX Book Points for some type of reward.
In this example, English classes visit the library every other week, the librarian booktalks several dystopian books (genre for this week), highlights the library's catalog in how to search for these types of books and where to look on the library's shelves, and then the librarian points out the location of the book's follow-up written questionnaire (student telling the librarian about the book just read) for XXX number of Library Points redeemable for candy, extra time on a library computer, or other awards okayed by the principal.
Examples of booktalks for this particular book:
Booktalk #1
Matt isn't quite sure why Cecelia has hidden him away all his life but he knows that everything is about to change. Some kids from the main house have found out about him. He knows he should hide but he is also curious to know what other children are like. What he finds is that he is different from the others. He is a clone! Not just any clone. He is El Patron's clone. El Patron is the most powerful man in the country. As a matter of fact, he founded the country. Opium is a country that lies between the United States and Aztlan -- formerly called Mexico. The economy is entirely based on the sale of drugs. El Patron is now 142 years old and relies on clones to supply the needed spare parts to keep him going. It is the law that clones have their brains destroyed when they are harvested but Matt is an exception. As the years go by, Matt is educated and gets to live under El Patron's protection. But he is still a clone. No better than livestock. Harvested from a cow. Does El Patron have other plans for him? (taken from http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/farmer_house.htm)
Booktalk #2
In the Beginning, there were 36 of them, 36 droplets of life so tiny that Eduardo could see them only under a microscope. Water bubbled through tubes that snaked around the warm humid wall. Air was sucked into growth chambers. A dull red light shone on Eduardo's face as he scanned the glass dishes, each containing a drop of life. As Eduardo scanned the dishes with a microscope, the cells seemed perfect. Each furnished with all it needed to grow, so much knowledge hidden in that tiny world. Even Eduardo was awed. The cell already knew what color hair it was to have, how tall it would become, and even whether it preferred spinach or broccoli. It might even have a desire for music or crossword puzzles. All of that was hidden in that tiny droplet of life. The round outlines quivered and lines appeared, dividing the cells into two, Eduardo sighed and thought that it was going to be all right. As he watched the samples grow, he moved them to the incubator. But something about the food, or the heat, or the light was wrong and Eduardo didn’t know what it was. Soon half of them died, and now there were only 15. Eduardo had cold lump in his stomach. If he failed he would be sent to the Farms and then what would become of Anna and the children and his father who was so old. Lisa, a senior lab technician said, “It’s OK. The cells were frozen over a 100 years ago. They can’t be as healthy as samples taken yesterday. Some of them will grow.” For a month everything went well. The day came that they implanted the tiny embryos in the brood cows. The cows lined up patiently waiting. They were fed by tubes, their bodies were exercised by giant metal arms that flexed their legs as though they were walking through endless fields. Perhaps the cows hated what had been done to them, because one by one the infants, no larger than a minnow died, until there was only one. That infant grew until it was clearly a being with arms and legs and a sweet dreaming face. Eduardo looked through the scanners and said, “You hold my life in your hands.” Then the day came, the cow gave birth to the baby, Eduardo grabbed for the needle that would blunt its intelligence. Lisa stopped him saying, “Don’t fix that one, It’s a Matteo Alacrán. They’re always left intact. Eduardo wondered, “ Have I done you a favor. Will you thank me for it later? (taken from http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/farmer_house.htm)
Book Promotional Ideas - Audience: Librarian coordinates with the MS and HS English class teachers so that students are scheduled to come into the library on a specific day every other week. When the students come into the library, the librarian guides students to new readings via booktalks. The House of the Scorpion is one of the book selections highlighted for this particular day.
Book Promotional Ideas - Rationale: One of the vital roles of the school librarian is to assist learners in the exploration of reading. What better way to interest the student than by intrigue, which is a portion of this book's promotional idea. This type of activity not only expands students' reading skills and increases vocabulary, but it equally refines their writing skills which ultimately helps with their end-of-course English exams.
Book Promotional Ideas - Vehicle: Librarian maintains his/her personal 3 x 5 cards of book highlights. Librarian also maintains and makes new copies of written book reviews which students complete after reading a book and then submit to the librarian for Bonus Library Points. Librarian maintains Hershey's kisses or other small candy as a student reward for XXX number of Bonus Library Points.
Book Promotional Ideas - Marketing: Librarian coordinates with MS and HS English teachers via e-mail and in person to let them know the book genre of the week and books which will be highlighted. The English teachers may wish to incorporate any of this information into their teaching and/or assignments. The librarian also coordinates via e-mail and in person to find out what students are reading and brainstorm as to how the library may be of assistance (a tool). The Genre of the Week books are highlighted on a library or outside bulletin board, highlighted on the school's library's Web site, highlighted in the weekly faculty/staff e-mail about the latest Library News, and information about earning Bonus Library Points is advertised on posters both inside and outside of the library.