Books are my ADVIL

Text: “Chasing Lincoln’s Killer” by James Swanson

 

Plot description: This informational book covers the death of President Lincoln and how his killer, John Wilkes Booth, was tracked for twelve days before being caught in the forests of Virginia. It is fast-paced and fact-filled, and is told in such a vivid manner as to bring this age-old story to life for young readers.

 

Theme description: The theme of this story is basically that running from a crime never pays, but also that there are real details about such a commonly-heard story that often get swept under the rug. Since the story is told from the perspective of someone who considers himself to be a history and Lincoln geek, it shows that history can be fun and entertaining if one delves into these lost details.

 

Reason for appropriateness: This story relates to our Essential Question of change in that students could be prompted to discuss the change in the United States as a result of Lincoln’s assassination. In relation to our lens of privilege, the students could try to understand the motivations behind Booth’s actions, as an actor who espoused ideas of slavery and was vehemently opposed to Lincoln’s agenda. The story can be read with a lens of Booth’s own privilege and how he felt he and those like him deserved to have slaves, as well as developing an understanding of Lincoln’s pre-presidency life and how this affected his desire to fight for the extermination of slavery.

 

Links to critical article:   http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/09/books/09masl.html?_r=0

https://prezi.com/wopmzyojghrz/chasing-lincolns-killer-literary-analysis/