Billy Creekmore Billy Creekmore ; Porter, Tracey; Joanna Cotler Books (division of HarperCollins), 2007.
Grade Level: 4-7 ISBN-13 (hardback) & cost: 9780060775704; $16.99 ISBN-10 (hardback) & cost: 006077570X; $16.99 ISBN-13 (paperback) & cost: 9780060775728; $6.99 ISBN-10 (paperback) & cost: 0060775726; $6.99
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Synopsis:
In 1905, ten-year-old Billy is taken from an orphanage to live with an aunt and uncle he never knew he had, and he enjoys family life until he has to work in the coal mines. When trouble starts with a union, he leaves and joins a circus, hoping to find his father.
General Review:
This tale of Billy Creekmore begins cruel and bleak at an orphanage. When a stranger claiming to be his uncle comes for him, Billy begins a journey from the coal mines of West Virginia to the world of the traveling circus, while looking for his past and seeing what's in his future. A strong historical novel told in a child-true voice brings the shocking facts about the lives of children at the turn of the century alive for the reader.
Themes: Self-reliance; Orphanages; Coal mines mining; Circus, West Virginia
Author Information:
http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/12608/Tracey_Porter/index.aspx
Discussion Questions: (Standard 3; Benchmark 5)
- Do you think Billy really can communicate with spirits? What in the story makes you think the way you do? How does your opinion about this affect the way you read the story?
- As Billy learns different things about his past, his birth, and his mother's death, how does this knowledge affect his future?
- Billy makes several hard choices. What do you think is the hardest choice he makes and why?
- If you could meet Billy Creekmore tomorrow, what would you tell him about the differences between his time and yours? What would be important for him to know?
- Compare and contrast Billy's various bosses, including Mr. Beadle, Mr. Newgate, the Captain, and Mr. Sparks.
Activities:
- As the students read, have them keep a list of towns, states, rivers and other places where Billy goes. Map out Billy's trip as best you can with this information. Discuss how students would feel about going on Billy's journey themselves. (Standard 3; Benchmark 4)
- Research what life was like at the turn of the twentieth century. Topics might include clothing, food, child labor, orphanages, United Mine Workers, or traveling circuses. Have the students share five pieces of information they learned either verbally or in a electronic presentation. (Standard 3; Benchmark 4)
- Examine the chapter titles. They are done with different fonts etc. Design an advertisement for the book following the design of the chapter titles. (Standard 5; Benchmark 3)
Similar Books for Further Reading
- The Journal of Otto Peltonen by William Durbin
- Fire in the Hole by Mary Cronk Farrell
- Breaker Boys by Pat Hughes
