Blanche on the Lam |
Publication Information
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Author: Neely, B. |
Illustrator: |
Title: Blanche on the Lam |
Date: 1992 |
Publisher: Penguin Books |
City: New York, NY |
ISBN, paperback: |
ISBN, hardback: 0-14-017439-7 |
Recommended audience:
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ABE/ABLE:
Yes |
ESOL:
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Family:
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Young Adult:
Yes |
Picture:
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General Information:
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Book Type(s):
fiction, mystery
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HSE Descriptor(s):
language arts - reading
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Summary: |
A spunky African-American woman, who works as a housekeeper for a wealthy southern family with many secrets, must solve a murder in order to clear herself. Blanche relies on her own intelligence and an "old girl" network of domestics. The language is occasionally "adult." The interesting plot defies easy prediction. |
Teaching Ideas: |
Because the plot contains many surprising turns, teachers could use the DR-TA strategy. The story contains many elements of race relations in the south that would lead to class discussions: Why don't her employers realize that she had never worked for them? What happens when there are "white" and "black" children of the same father? Because Blanche is such a fully developed character, teachers might want to use the book to launch a lesson on writing character essays. This may be a book that teachers encourage mystery buffs to read on their own. |
Teaching Strategies: |
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DR-TA: Directed Reading Thinking Activity
http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/dr_ta.pdf
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Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword |
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