Bibliographic Data
Green, John. Looking for
Alaska: A Novel. New York: Dutton Children's, 2005. Print.
Summary
Miles (AKA Pudge), is a loner when leaves
his home in Florida to go to a boarding school in Alabama hoping to find his “Great
Perhaps.” Once there he begins to make friends. One of those friends is a girl
named Alaska that he quickly falls in love with. Written as “before” and “after,”
you see how Pudge begins to change, and how he will never be the same “after.”
Critical Analysis
Looking for Alaska won the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
in 2006. I believe this was a very well deserved award. The Printz Award is
given to the author that is not only written well, but has a true voice. I
believe we see that in Pudge’s story. Moments in this story aren’t glossed
over. Pudge deals with the pressure to smoke and drink (to which he falls in
step with the others quite quickly), with the want to fit in, and the uncertainty
of life. Will that girl like me? Am I going to get in trouble because I’m
messing up at school? And the hardest question of the book, did I kill my
friend by letting her go? John Green takes a very real seeming person in Alaska
and makes the reader feel the sadness and guilt over what happens to her.
I think both males and females alike
will like this story. Males will enjoy it because they can see themselves in
Pudge. A lonely kid, without friends, trying to make his way in a new school
and make friends. Along with making friends, he’s trying to navigate having
feelings for a girl for the first time. I think many males will relate or find relatable
moments within Pudge’s story. I think girls will like it because Alaska is a
compelling character, and you want to know more about her story. As the reader,
you are definitely taken along for the ride.
I don’t see many weaknesses to this
story. I know some teens will see the ending as a weakness because we never
find out what happened to Alaska. I think many teens (and adults) want to know
all the answers to all of the questions. The biggest one is was it an accident,
or was it a suicide. The not knowing is hard, and I think many teens would
criticize the not knowing. I do wish we had more back story on Pudge to know
why he was such a loner. We hear him tell one story, his worst day ever, but
did he not have friends before? As a reader I wanted to know more about him to
understand where he was coming from.
Overall I think this was a very well
written book. I think many teens will be able to relate to this book because the
characters in the book are dealing with sadness, loss, the want to fit in with
others, the pressure to drink and smoke, etc. I think many teens will enjoy
this Printz Award winner.
Creative Activity
Pudge loves learning the last words
of famous people. When asked why he loved last words he said, “But a lot of
times, people die how they live. And so last words tell me a lot about who
people were, and why they became the sort of people biographies get written
about” (Green 128). Students could create last words for their favorite
fictional characters and explain why those last words would tell about who they
were and how they lived. They could even create last words for themselves,
again explaining why those last words tell about them and how they lived along with
how they hope their lives turn out.
Related Resources
As the book goes on, the students
begin to drink, and some to excess. While many teenagers would blow off having
to hear about addiction and substance abuse, this could be a good resource for
students to learn more about addiction and how they can be helped if needed.
"Prevention in Teens." The
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. The National Center on
Addiction and Substance Abuse, n.d. Web. 20 June 2016.
Part of the mystery of the story is
what happened to Alaska on that fateful night. We never find out whether it was
an accident or a suicide, but Pudge and Colonel definitely talk about the potential
for her killing herself. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention would
be a great site for any students who are contemplating suicide, or know someone
who might. It also has a lot of great resources to help people understand what’s
going on and signs you can look out for.
"Home - AFSP." AFSP.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, n.d. Web. 20 June 2016.
Published Review
Glantz, Shelley, and Julie Scordato.
"Looking For Alaska." Library Media Connection 24.3
(2005): 66-67. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 June 2016.
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