Final Novel Assessment
For your final assessment over The Book Thief, I am offering a few different options for individual projects.
The objective of this assessment is for you to engage with the novel in a different way, demonstrating your grasp of the novel and the author's style, in addition to engaging in critical thinking. This assessment requires you to reflect on your reading and to think about it in a new and different way.
Below are options I have developed to allow you to show me that you are engaged with the novel and are applying your own perspective and thoughtfulness. I want you to consider tapping into your creativity for these assignments, but I also want you always to be mindful of the novel and of the style used by the author, Markus Zusak.
1.Creative Coda
A creative coda is a short creative piece of writing that you insert into the text. In this case, you would find a spot in the novel where you wish there had been more information. Perhaps you wanted to learn more about Liesel's time in Frau Hermann's library or you were craving an additional scene in which Liesel and Max talk in the basement. You would find a spot in the text that makes sense to break in and add your scene. The final draft of a creative coda begins with the last line of original text, builds with your added text, and finishes with the next line of original text. The creative coda should match the original text closely, using the same text features and style of writing used by Zusak. The creative coda must be at least three pages long.
2.Book Autobiography
In the beginning of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak explains that Liesel's books (stolen and gifted) tell the story of her life. If you choose this assessment, you must create a slideshow or other presentation using at least ten books to tell your story. Besides providing a visual for each book, the presentation should be arranged in order, from the beginning of your autobiography to now (and the future, if you come up with one!). The book autobiography must include a detailed description of the book, an explanation of the period of time it reflects in your life, and an analysis of the connection between the book and your own personal growth. The book autobiography is an honest and personal look at your life through literature.
3.Essay
If you prefer a more analytical and reasoned activity, you can choose to write an essay over The Book Thief. This essay must be at least five paragraphs long, must include direct quotes from the text, and should answer one of the twelve questions posed in the Readers' Guide or a question of your choosing (with my approval).
4.Storyboard
When books are made into movies, directors and producers create storyboards to mock up (or illustrate) the scenes they will later shoot. These storyboards (which are large-scale sketches, usually in black and white, organized kind of like a comic strip, with cells laid side by side) include details of the setting and characters. They also contain text that will be spoken while the shot is taken. The attention to detail included in storyboards provides valuable guidance for movie-makers, allowing them to visualize everything they will need for every shot of the movie. If you choose this activity, you will create at least fifteen highly detailed storyboard cells that reflect one scene from The Book Thief.
5.Retell a Scene from a different perspective
This assessment provides you with an opportunity to play with the point of view of The Book Thief. Recall that the novel is told in the first person by Death, the narrator. Death is a first-person omniscient narrator. He tells the story as a character in the story, but he knows the thoughts and feelings of every character in the story. The perspective it unique, and this is a chance for you to rewrite a scene in the novel using a different perspective. Select your favorite scene or a scene that made a big impression on you. Then, analyze the scene to determine the character through whom the scene is told. Next, select another character in the scene, and rewrite the scene completely, from the new perspective. For example, if I select the scene when Liesel brings snow to the basement, I would retell the scene from Max's point of view, explaining how he felt at the sight of Liesel carrying buckets of snow and describing the feel of ice crystals on his bony hands, etc. The point of this assessment is to apply what you know about the characters and to consider their behaviors, actions, thoughts, and feelings during a single scene of the novel.
6.Rewrite the Ending
The end of a book brings closer for the reader (usually!). The end of The Book Thief features the tragedy of loss and the wonder of a fulfilled life. If you select this assessment, you are tasked with rewriting the ending of the novel. You must choose different fates for the major characters and keep your writing style cohesive with Zusak's. This means using his text features and patterns of speech to enhance your creative interpretation (or wishful thinking!) of the end of the novel. This assessment requires you to consider everything that has happened in the novel and to creatively apply the plot in a new climax and resolution.
Regardless of the choice you make, this assessment requires you to closely read the novel and to apply larger concepts to the story. If you select a creative approach, you must pay extremely close attention to Zusak's writing style and the format of his novel and find ways to mimic both. Your work must flow seamlessly with the existing text, including an original line or two at the beginning to “ease into” your added or rewritten piece. If you choose the book autobiography, be prepared to invite your listeners into your life through literature. If you choose the essay, your analysis and writing ability must shine.
Enjoy this final assessment over The Book Thief. You have worked hard to get to this point; make it count, and apply your creativity and analysis to this fantastic novel.
