It was refreshing to read this unique middle grade novel. Owen is a likeable character and I enjoyed the mystery of wondering about what he had written in his journal that made him want it back so desperately. I also loved the idea of a spontaneous adventure to another country! This is a quieter story with interesting details about Iceland, but it also brings out some of the feelings Owen experiences as he realizes his granddad’s memory is starting to fail.
Connections: Iceland, anxiety, grandparents, elder care, poetry
Activity Ideas:
Literacy – Make your own journal page about a place you’d
like to visit (or a place you’ve been). Do some research to add “little known
facts.”
Literacy/Poetry – Choose an object from a place you’ve
visited. Make a list of words and feelings you associate with the object. Use your
list to create your own poem.
History/Geography: Choose one of Canada’s northern lands,
such as Nunavut, Yukon or the Northwest Territory. Find a map and trace or print
it. Mark key features of the land. Research the kinds of buildings and animals
you might find there.
Literacy Discussion – What do you think about Owen’s terrible
secret? Record your thoughts or discuss the resolution to the story. What are
your thoughts about using AI to help with writing an essay or assignment?
Description from the publisher:
Owen
has always done well, even without trying that hard. He gets A’s in school, is
an avid photographer and knows he can count on his family’s support. But then
Owen makes a mistake. A big one. And now he must face his fear of disappointing
his entire family.
A
last-minute trip to Iceland, just Owen and his granddad, seems like the perfect
way out. For Owen’s granddad, the trip is about paying tribute to a friend with
Icelandic roots. But Owen has a more urgent reason for going: he must get back
the notebook his granddad accidentally sent to the Iceland archive. He can’t
let anyone read the things he wrote in it!
The
pair gets on a plane, excited to leave their prairie town for a country of lava
fields, glaciers and geysers. However, as they explore Iceland, the plan to
recover Owen’s notebook starts to spiral out of control. Why does Owen’s
granddad seem so confused and forgetful? And can Owen really hide the truth of
what’s in his notebook?
The Things Owen Wrote, written by Jessica Scott Kerrin was published by Groundwood
Books/House of Anansi Press in 2017.
You can find out more about this book, as well as connections to core standards, by visiting the publisher’s webpage HERE.
