Lia is suffering anorexia and she also feels tons of guilt. Wintergirls is the story of eighteenyearold lia overbrook, an anorexic cutter who loathes her body, her family, and her life. It is beautiful, poetical and haunting and though it is aimed at a young adultteenager market it is a well written book which can be enjoyed by adult readers as well. Lia and cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. Her dissertation is on digital book communities as public pedagogy ask her about it. Encourage critical thinking and discussion with reading comprehension questions for laurie halse andersons novel wintergirls, a story about friendship, relationships, eating disorders. Illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia, hallucinations, and self harm are all apart of the common illness theme of the book wintergirls. Wintergirls, by laurie halse anderson wondering what the. She is the author of the groundbreaking national book award finalist and printz honor book speak. Well i finally started it 2 days ago and when i did i didnt stop reading it until i was done.
See more ideas about words, positivity and eating disorder recovery. Thats the premise of andersons new book, wintergirls, which shows how lia copes with her anorexia after tragically losing her bff cassie in a competition over who could be the skinniest. Wintergirls by laurie halse anderson, paperback barnes. My daughter is impressionable and having a book like this on her library bookshelf is scary. Dan 11420 the first book i read by laurie halse anderson was speak, which was excellent. Why by jay asher looking for alaska by john green speak by laurie halse anderson. Kristin grabarek roper, the colorado blue spruce award. The wintergirls book is a book that keeps your reading.
This printable also includes discussion questions for. This book really gives a vivid, truthful picture of what these disorders are really like. Nov 12, 2010 the ideas presented throughout the book not only shocked me, but made me think about and appreciate the life that i have and the food that i consume on a daily basis. This was recommended to me several months ago as part of a book club but for some reason i just didnt get around to reading it. I have a hard time relating to eating disorders and i figured the novel might be more of stereotypical ya problem novel. May 20, 2012 how to keep the coronavirus out of your houseim a surgeongiving you real tips docs are using duration. I learned so much from this book and i hope more people read it and maybe understands a bit more how real it is. In her most powerfully moving novel since speak, awardwinning author. Although the book describes the life of an illanorexic 18 year old, i think it also plants ideas into kids. In broken, symbolic and gutwrenching prose, lia narrates her hopeless story of the destructive behaviors that control her every action and thought. I currently own two copies, with different cover art. Her mother wants to know why she threw it all away.
Laurie halse anderson wintergirls, is a book written for teenagers, but sometimes adults need to know whats in the mind of our childrens generation. Wintergirls by laurie halse anderson thomas jefferson. Wintergirls is my alltime favourite book and has been since i was recommended it by a friend a few years ago. Wintergirls by laurie halse anderson spoilerfree book. Wintergirls came to my attention when i read writing irresistible kidlit by mary kole. See also the list by category, the tools wiki page and the index of wikiprojects. How to keep the coronavirus out of your houseim a surgeongiving you real tips docs are using duration. It is one of the best books ive ever read and i read a lot. Study questions, project ideas and discussion topics based on important themes running throughout wintergirls by laurie halse anderson. In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multipleawardwinning speak, laurie halse anderson explores a girls descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery. At the same time, a lot of girlsand some boysstarted to talk to me about cutting. Cassie and lia both suffered from severe mental illnesses that eventually took cassies life and nearly lias life as well. I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through. Ya books library books i love books great books books to read library ideas book suggestions book recommendations book tv.
Tell us your secrets, the girls whisper, one toilet to another. Hunger for life and worthy of love this year that there are some books on the subject of eating disorders which dont talk down to. It is clear that she has been through a lot even though she is only a teenager. Wintergirls was nominated for many state awards, making it as a new york times bestseller and ala best book for young adults. This girl shivers and crawls under the covers with all her clothes on and falls into an overdue library book, a faerie story with rats and marrow and burning curses. Wintergirls is a novel by laurie halse anderson in which lia and cassies friendship becomes increasingly toxic after they both develop to. The book is writen in 1st person, so it is from the main characters point of view. Neither therapy nor threats nor her exbest friends death can turn lia away from her habits of cutting and selfstarvation. Great supplemental information for school essays and projects. I expected it to be good because i read also speak which is also a book from laurie halse anderson and i liked her writing style pretty much. Create a rubric or checklist like this one and have students give each other feedback. The book starts with cassie dying from repetitive vomiting. Make a collage representing some event or part of your book.
Wintergirls is most definitely a triggering book for anyone who has ever lived with an eating disorder. Oct 19, 2014 tara is a phd candidate studying education. What do the other novels not do that makes wintergirls better. Lia and cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. Wintergirls never jumped out at me as one of those books that i wanted to read. Wintergirls truly exposes an anorexics mentality to the reader and it is. Mar 16, 2009 thats the premise of andersons new book, wintergirls, which shows how lia copes with her anorexia after tragically losing her bff cassie in a competition over who could be the skinniest. As she counts calories and then exercises those calories away, she watches her weight drop, even as she lies to herself and to her family that she is okay. When lia does eat, she barely eats anything her exfriend cassie was found dead in.
Wintergirls by laurie halse anderson the librarian. Sep 04, 2009 wintergirls, published in the spring of 2009, tells the story of lia, who is on a quest to be the skinniest girl at school. She is also author of the critically acclaimed ya books prom. Wintergirls discussion questions laurie halse anderson. Joyce tennesonlaurie halse anderson as promised in todays poststandard, heres more from my interview with central new york author laurie halse anderson, which she.
But then cassie suffers the ultimate loss her life and lia is left behind, haunted by her friends memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. Tell us your secret, the girls whisper, one toilet to another. Wintergirls is a tragedy, a story of two teenaged girls with eating disorders. Wintergirls dead girl walking, the boys say in the halls. Wintergirls by laurie halse anderson in doc, epub, fb3 download ebook. I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame. Such poetic writing about such a tragic story concerning heartbreakin. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Told from lias point of view, it carefully captures the mind of a girl consumed with anorexia. The characters were so real, so ugly at times, and so raw. Would you pair any of those novels with wintergirls in the classroom. Anderson s use of crossing out words, as though editing the book, is a stark indication of lias constant selfcensure.
While she is talking with other people when they eat or drink, the food or drink is. Mar 19, 2009 neither therapy nor threats nor her exbest friends death can turn lia away from her habits of cutting and selfstarvation. If you would like to participate, you can edit one of the articles mentioned below, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and contribute to the general project discussion to talk over new ideas and. Come and share your book talk ideas in our weareteachers helpline group on facebook. Anderson follows the life of a teenage girl, lia, battling anorexia and depression. I loved this book and found the characters interesting enough to hook me into the storyline. Emotion, education and meaning are only a few of the gifts i received from reading wintergirls. Encourage critical thinking and discussion with reading comprehension questions for laurie halse andersons novel wintergirls, a story about friendship, relationships, eating disorders, and loss. Lia is a nineteen year old girl struggling with the death of her best friend cassie. Many themes occur throughout the book wintergirls by laurie halse anderson. She said a lot of things in that talk, but what i remember most is this.
I felt for lias struggles and the crossed out words didnt really bother me or put me off reading the book in any way. Wintergirls book laurie halse anderson book wintergirls. Bluefish, by pat schmatz, addresses themes of illiteracy, adolescence and identity. I dont remember anyone in my high school having an eating disorder, but i graduated a long time ago. She is also author of the critically acclaimed ya books prom, twitsted, catalyst, wintergirls, and the impossible knife of memory. Booktalking wintergirls by laurie halse anderson by miranda mcdermott, harry. Wintergirls, published in the spring of 2009, tells the story of lia, who is on a quest to be the skinniest girl at school. But then cassie suffers the ultimate lossher lifeand lia is left behind, haunted by her friends memory and racked with guilt for not being able to.
The two main characters, the wintergirls of the title, both have emotional problems that lead to and exacerbate their disorders. Parents need to know this is a very, very intense book about the mental and physical pain endured by teens with eating disorders. Write a letter from one character to another character. Lessons and ideas books and authors top teaching blog teachers tool kit student activities.
Laurie halse andersons wintergirls is exactly that kind of book. The new york times bestselling story of a friendship frozen between life and death lia and cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. See more ideas about words, quotes and book quotes. Wintergirls is a novel by laurie halse anderson in which lia and cassies friendship becomes increasingly toxic after they both develop to eating disorders longtime friends. To see the complete list of this books readalikes, you need to be a member. She lives for both the thrill and the crash of not eating, and any progress she may have made toward normal eating is. I was not looking for a happy book, and this satisfied that description. She is anorexic and she is never too cold or too empty enought to eat. Because she was working on it every spare minute, determined to get it. Include a one paragraph explanation as to how it applies to your book not in the paper itselfon your title page. The sentences build a fence around her, a times roman 10point barricade, to keep the thorny voices in her head from getting too close. Tag the talk pages of related articles with wikiproject childrens literature join wikiproject childrens literature and list yourself as a participant in the project. Wintergirls by laurie halse anderson thomas jefferson high.
What is a book talk your guide to making them work in. Lia has achieved the status in her high school as one of the most beautiful girls in the school lia sets the. Wintergirls, meant to be, cruel beauty via epic reads. Wintergirls is very painful to read and very, very powerful. Choose any topic from your book and write a 12 page research report on it.
She lives for both the thrill and the crash of not eating, and any progress she may have made. See more ideas about anorexia, vince lombardi quotes and free use images. Dress either as the author or one of the characters. This book is a about a girl with an eating disorder, and how she struggles to fight the disorder. Kayla, you talk about reading other novels with similar themes, or similar topics, and say that wintergirls is different than any of them. That being said, it is a truly fantastic novel that deals with several heavy issues. If you dont want to read about eating disorders ed or if you find the mere mention of the topic triggering, please go check out another post. Anderson has written a chillingly story about a teenager battling with anorexia. Booktalking wintergirls by laurie halse anderson the new york. The book wintergirls by laurie halse anderson is not a light read.
It is not for the faint of heart, but fans of laurie halse anderson may find it hard to. Wintergirls questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on wintergirls. Wintergirls by laurie halse anderson, 9780142415573, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. She has also authored a number of middle grade titles including the vet volunteers series, and the historical fiction seeds of america trilogy, which includes forge, ala best book for young adults fever 1793, and. Lia is a senior in high school, living with her father and her stepmom jennifer, along with her younger sister emma.
Wintergirls is a powerful book that carries multiple messages. This study guide consists of approximately 40 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of wintergirls. I had heard of laurie halse anderson because speak is a banned book and that gets a lot of publicity during banned books week. Thats what shed been working on over in her corner. Lia is haunted by her best friends death from anorexia, as she struggles with the same eating disorder. This article is within the scope of wikiproject novels, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories on wikipedia. Challenge older students to hone their presentation skills by having them give a book talk on a picture book. Probably not at all suitable for recovering anorexics though as it does glamorize the disease, to say nothing of giving them ideas of how to fool parentsdoctors etc. Lias character is described as someone living in the shadow of her former best friend and later haunted by the death of her. Lia wants to stop starving and cutting herself because she knows.