Leap of Faith Leap of Faith. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007. Grade Level: 6-8 ISBN # and cost: 9780803731271, $16.99 Blanket Permission to Reproduce Book Jackets: Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Copyright © 2007. Used with permission of Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.
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Synopsis:
Forced to attend a Catholic middle school because of her conduct, Abigail discovers a talent for theater and develops a true religious faith.
General Review:
At the opening of the story, sixth-grader Abigail has been expelled from middle school, forcing her non-religious parents to send her to a private Catholic school. The author skillfully divulges the reasons behind Abigail's expulsion little by little throughout the story, revealing that Abigail used a knife to assault another student in the cafeteria. As Abigail tries to become “invisible” in her new school, she discovers a talent for acting in drama class, struggles to find a personal faith in God, and tries to break through to her parents to get them to really listen to her explain the reason behind her violent incident. The author effectively frames this serious subject matter for a middle school audience. This coming-of-age story does an excellent job of showing how Abigail seeks out information about Catholicism and struggles with what it means to have faith in something you can't see, but is never preachy or heavy-handed. This realistic story portrays a girl in crisis as she is able to work through difficult situations and issues to find peace with herself, her parents, and God.
Themes: Catholic schools; Faith in God; Religion; Bullying; Parent-child relationships; Drama and theater.
Author information:
• "Kimberly Brubaker Bradley." Contemporary Authors Online from Gale's Literature Resource Center . Available through free access to KanED Education Desktop/State Library Databases.
• Author's official Website
http://www.kimberlybrubakerbradley.com/
• A Conversation with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (author interview) http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/11/17/125322.php
Discussion Questions: (Standard 3, Benchmark 3)
• Why does Abigail attack Brett McAvery in the cafeteria? Is her attack justified? Why or why not? What other course of action might she have chosen in this situation?
• Do you think Abigail's parents are responsible for the attack in the cafeteria? Why or why not?
• Why does Abigail slap Chris during drama class?
• How is Mrs. Brashares (Chris's mom) important in the story?
• Describe Abigail's relationship with her parents at the beginning of the book. What is her relationship with them like at the end of the book? What caused the change?
• How does Abigail change and grow as a person throughout the story?
• Once Abigail learns the rituals and routines of the Catholic church services, she finds comfort and peace in them. Are there any special rituals or ceremonies that are meaningful to you?
• Abigail struggles with taking a “leap of faith” by believing in something she can't see. Who or what do you have faith in? How do you keep that faith alive?
Activities:
• Research different religions or faiths. How are they the same? How are they different? (Standard 2, Benchmark 4; Standard 3, Benchmarks 1, 3)
• Try some drama games or reader's theater. (Standard 3, Benchmark 4; Standard 5, Benchmark 2; Standard 9, Benchmark 1)
Drama Games:
• “Five Easy Drama Games for the Early Elementary Classroom” by Theresa Sotto
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3917/
• Creative Drama Lesson Plans
http://www.childdrama.com/lessons.html
• Theater Games
http://library.thinkquest.org/5291/games.html
• Drama Resource: Drama Games
http://www.dramaresource.com/index.php?/Drama-Games/
• Improv Encyclopedia has lists of drama games
http://improvencyclopedia.org/
Reader's Theater scripts (available free online):
• Aaron Shepard's Reader's Theater Page
http://aaronshep.com/rt/RTE.html
(my favorites are “The Legend of Lightning Larry” and “Three Sideways Stories from Wayside School”)
• Double Trouble in Walla Walla by Andrew Clements RT script (funny tongue twisters)
http://www.timelessteacherstuff.com/readerstheater/DoubleTrouble.html
• Reader's Theater Scripts for popular stories and children's books
http://www.timelessteacherstuff.com/
Similar Books for Further Reading
• Larger-than-life Lara by Dandi Daley Mackall
• The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
• No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
• Replay by Sharon Creech
• Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan
• Ruthie's Gift by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (the play they present in Leap of Faith )
