Written by Laura Ruby
Published in 2015 by Balzer & Bray
Grades 8 and up
ISBN 978-0-06-231762-9
Book Review
Bone Gap
by Laura Ruby is a unique combination of realism and fantasy. A National Book
Award finalist and winner of the Printz award, it is highly recommended. The
story centers on the mysterious disappearance of Roza, an equally mysterious
newcomer to the town of Bone Gap. She shows up one day, clearly injured, in the
barn of two young brothers, Sean and Finn. Over the course of the story, an important and
misunderstood aspect of the younger brother, Finn, is uncovered by his beekeeper
girlfriend, Petey. Equal parts magic, fantasy and realism, the disappearance of
Roza is eventually solved, but only when Finn comes to understand himself. The story
is beautifully written with rich characters woven throughout the story. While
parts of the story are not thoroughly explained by the author, the book itself
is engaging. Teachers and librarians will want to add this to their shelves,
particularly when looking at issues of character development and identity. Highly recommended
Who is the scarecrow? (English)
Work with an English teacher to investigate the symbolism of the Scarecrow man. Who is he? Is he real? Who does he represent in our society? What is his weakness? Students will use the Opinion-Proof strategy to guide their thinking and discussion.
SOL 11.4 The student will read, comprehend, and analyze relationships among American literature, history, and culture. d) Analyze the social or cultural function of American literature.
Roza - will she return? (English )
Roza disappears and is lost to Sean, until his brother Finn figures out where she is and how to get her back to Bone Gap. She plans to return to Poland for a little while. Will she return to Bone Gap? Why or why not? Investigate the qualities of her character and compare it to other universal characters in literature. Work with an English teacher. Use the library database to search for other universal characters in literature.
SOL 11.4 The student will read, comprehend, and analyze relationships among American literature, history, and culture. c) Discuss American literature as it reflects traditional and contemporary themes, motifs, universal characters, and genres.
The importance of bees (Science)
One of the main characters, Petey, is a beekeeper. Bees are extremely important for our ecosystem. Students will study the impact of bees on our environment. They will focus on how crucial they are to our ecosystems. They will also investigate threats to bees. Collaborate with the science teacher to search for resources on bees and their impact on our ecosystem.
SOL BIO.8 The student will investigate and understand dynamic equilibria within populations, communities and ecosystems, including d) the effects of natural events and human activities on ecosystems.
Become a character (Computer Technology) Students use an online chart to match the character traits in a book they are reading with specific actions the characters take. In this case, students should focus on either Finn, Petey, the Scarecrow, Charlie Valentine or Sean.Work with the technology teacher or an English teacher to select an appropriate online chart for use by the students.
SOL CT 9-12.13 Demonstrate organization and persistence when completing personal and group assignments, activities, and projects. A) use digital resources to assist with project planning.
Investigate Poland ( Geography) Focus on Roza's homeland. Work with an English teacher to support the gathering of information about the language and culture of Poland. Why did the author choose to make Roza from another country? How did this impact the storyline?
SOL WG.6 The student will analyze past and present trends in human migration and cultural interaction as they are influence by social, economic, political, and environmental factors.
Further Explorations
Visit a beekeeper Learn about the ins and outs of beekeeping by a hands-on visit to a local one. Field trips tend to help students, particularly struggling students, develop background knowledge about a subject. It also adds to their enjoyment and motivation about learning in general.
Difret (movie) Like Bone Gap, a young woman is kidnapped against her will. This intense Ethiopian film makes the case for girls/women's rights. However, this movie goes beyond the book as it is based on real events and is significantly more violent. It's important focus on minority women should be noted.
Face Blindness Learn more about Finn's affliction. Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/living-with-face-blindness/279898/.
This is a resource to help educate the general population about an often misunderstood affliction.
Face Blindness Part 1 (TV- 60 minutes report). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxqsBk7Wn-Y. This is a resource to help educate the general population about an often misunderstood affliction.
Face Blindness Part 2 (TV - 60 minutes report). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8cXus7SNQY. This is a resource to help educate the general population about an often misunderstood affliction.
Testing Face Blindness (World Science Festival) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s6kQdyyxOE. This is an interesting resource that students without face blindness may find intriguing.
Living with Face Blindness (news report) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vQGPcYfIAoP. Another interesting perspective on living with face blindness.
Partner Titles
Harry Potter (movie) Incredibly popular movie that weaves magic and self-identity together. Like Harry, Finn moves between reality and the netherworld without any parents for guidance. Harry Potter's may appeal is its incredible popularity and creativity. It may encourage even the most reluctant student.
The Memory Trees (book) Protagonist Sorrow returns to her family's home in Vermont to heal from the loss of her sister. Family dynamics and mystical forces are a focus in this book. This book adds value to the collection as a result of its intriguing story line.
A Fierce and Subtle Poison (book) A story with a heavy Caribbean influence, mystery and magic. Again, this book adds value based on its interesting setting and engaging story line.
The Odds of Lightning (book). The story of four teens who are brought back together by a seemingly random, perhaps magical, lightning bolt. This book is an appropriate title for teen readers due to its curious plot.
A Million Junes (book) A story that relies on magical realism to tell the story of two feuding families.
Lost (TV show) - Like Bone Gap, Lost fluctuates between realism and fantasy. There are complex characters and lots of questions as the show progresses, not unlike Bone Gap. A high interest show for teens and families. Lost has also won numerous awards, including the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2005.
References
Abrams, J.J. (Executive Producer). (2004). Lost [Television series]. United States: Bad Robot Productions.
Chowan, S. (2013, Sep). Living with face blindness. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/living-with-face-blindness/279898/.
Davies, J. (2016). The odds of lightning. New York, NY: Pulse/Simon & Schuster.
Finkelstein, S. (Producer). (2012). Face blindness, parts 1 &2 [Television series episodes]. 60 minutes. New York, NY: CBS.
Henry, E. (2017). A million junes. New York, NY:Razorbill/Penguin.
Kirkus Reviews (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/laura-ruby/bone-gap/.
Living with face blindness. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vQGPcYfIAoP.
Mabry, S. (2016). A fierce and subtle poison. New York, NY: Algonquin.
Mandefro, M. & Demoz, L. (Producers) & Mehari, Z.G. (Director). (2014). Difret [Motion picture]. United States: Haile Addis Pictures.
Readingquest.org (n.d.). Opinion-Proof. Retrieved from http://www.readingquest.org/strat/opinion.html
Wallace, K. (2107). The memory trees. New York, NY: Tegen/HarperCollins
World Science Foundation. (2014). Testing face blindness. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s6kQdyyxOE.
Virginia Department of Education. (2010). Standards of learning. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/.
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