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by Todd Tucker Kindle eBook
 * // Over and Under //**


 * Genre: ** Realistic Fiction

Tucker, T. (2008). //Over and under//. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN:0312379900
 * APA Citation: **


 * Award: ** Alex Award (2009)


 * Summary: ** Set in the 1970’s, this story of two fourteen-year-old boys involves the typical outdoor adventures that make growing up in the country so enjoyable. However, a strike at the local factory makes their ninth grade year of high school anything but typical. When curiosity leads the two boys to conduct their own investigation of the situation causing so much controversy in their town they sometimes find themselves learning more than they wanted to know. It’s a knowledge that tests their friendship with one another.

I really enjoyed this boy. Having grown up in the country I can relate to the adventurous side of the book, while understanding the politics of small rural communities. I think students in my community; especially the boys will be able to make personal connections to this book. Although strikes are not something most of the students have experienced, many of them can relate by comparing the way the current economy has affected their personal lives.
 * Critique: **

RL.9-10.3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
 * Curriculum Connection: **

Strategy #18 Connect to It Teachers will introduce and model the three connections good readers make in order to deepen understanding. These connections are text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world. As students read they will record their connections in a reading journal. After reading, students will share their connections as a whole group and discuss how the exercise helps them better understand the story.
 * Classroom Activity Developing Content Area Literacy: **

Antonacci, P.A., & O’Callaghan, C. M. (2011). //Developing content area literacy.// Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
 * Reference: **