Young Adult
Eleanor & Park
By Rainbow Rowell
St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013
Eleanor & Park is a coming of age, romantic story of two unlikely protagonists who first meet on a school bus. Told in alternating chapters, it chronicles the growth of their relationship from acceptance, to friendship, to love and devotion.
Park reluctantly allows Eleanor to sit beside him on the bus, despite her outlandish outfit and bright red hair. New to the school and already an outcast, Eleanor has just moved back with her mother and siblings after being sent away by her stepfather to live with foster parents for a year. Eleanor is estranged from everyone.
Park, a lifelong member of the community, discovers Eleanor looking at his comic books and brings more and more titles on the bus for Eleanor to look at. He brings music for her to listen to. Slowly they build a relationship despite the trouble Eleanor has with the girls (especially Tina) at school and her stepfather. They fall in love. Eleanor even wins Park’s mother over to her side.
Who is writing nasty things on Eleanor’s books? When will Park learn to drive a stick shift and earn his driver’s license? Things come to a head when Eleanor discovers that her stepfather has been writing on her books, not the girls from school as she thought. With his father’s approval, Park drives Eleanor to her uncle’s house—and safety—in Minneapolis.
Eleanor and Park is a charming, realistic love story that reads like the truth; a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.
Rainbow Rowell claims she is only good at two things: reading and writing. She put these talents to work, taking Journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Upon graduation, she became the youngest (at 24 years old) and the first female to become a columnist at the Omaha World-Herald, where she worked from 1995 to 2012.
Her first novel, Attachments, was set in the newsroom. Her second, Eleanor & Park, came out in 2013. Also in 2013, another novel, Fangirl, was released. A contemporary adult novel, Landline, was published in 2014.
Born in 1973, Rainbow resides in Nebraska with her husband and two sons.
In 2013 a group of parents from a Minnesota school challenged Eleanor & Park, claiming the story was profane. Rainbow challenged the group by saying that this was the reality for many kids that come from difficult situations.
Rainbow Rowell’s official website, www.rainbowrowell.com
Lu, Marie. Legend. Penguin Books, 2011 (First of three book series).
Oliver, Lauren. Delirium. HarperCollins Publishers, 2011 (First in three book series).
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. Little, Brown and Company, 2005 (First of four book series).
Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver. Scholastic, 2009 (First of three book series).
Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Little, Brown and Company, 2011 (First of three book series).
Andrews, Jesse. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A novel. Amulet Books, 2012
Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. Random House, 2012.
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. MTV Books and Pocket Books, 1999.
Forman, Gayle. If I Stay. Speak, 2010.
Forman, Gayle. Just One Day. Dutton Books, 2013.
Green, John. Looking for Alaska: A Novel. Dutton Children's Books, 2005.
Green, Jon. The Fault in Our Stars. Dutton Books, 2012.
Nelson, Jandy. The Sky is Everywhere. Dial Books. 2010.
Nelson, Jandy. I'll Give You the Sun. Dial Books. 2014.
Niven, Jennifer. All the Bright Places. Knopf, 2015.
Schneider, Robyn. The Beginning of Everything. Katherine Tegen Books, 2013.
Vizzini, Ned. It's Kind of a Funny Story. Miramax Books/Hyperion Books For Children, 2006.
Hinds, Gareth. Romeo and Juliet. Candlewick, 2013.
Kim, Tong-hwa. The Color of Water. First Second, 2009 (First of a three book series).
Thompson, Craig. Blankets. Top Shelf, 2003.
Attachments. Dutton, 2011.
Fangirl. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013.
IN THE LIBRARY
Everyone seems to have a favorite quote from Eleanor & Park. Have students share their favorite; then, create a bulletin board with the quotes.
Have students create playlists of their favorite songs. If they are comfortable, post these lists online for access only by their classmates. Have students write a short paragraph describing what makes their music, or the musicians featured, special.
Talk about steps your class and school can take to prevent bullying.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Drawings
After reading Eleanor & Park, those with artistic inclinations seem inspired to draw Eleanor and/or Park. In particular, many look to the great quote about Eleanor’s appearance: “She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.” Ask students to draw the characters from the novel. If you want, show them the Pinterest page (https://www.pinterest.com/rainbowrowell/eleanor-park-fan-art-other-awesomeness/) with other fan drawings after they have created their versions.
Have students read a variety of comic books and then create their own comic books.
Eleanor has a unique fashion style, and Park is not the macho boy his father would have liked. Have students design clothing for Eleanor and Park.
Eleanor and Park has been compared to Shakespeare’s classic play Romeo and Juliet. Have students compare these two stories and discuss their similarities and differences. Then ask students to read other first love stories and see what these share in common with Eleanor and Park.
Have students write a love letter to someone special in their life (it could be a parent, grandparent, sibling, or classmate). Have students spend time reflecting on what makes that person special prior to writing.
There are many kids like Eleanor who don’t have a stable homelife. As a class, decide how you can help kids in your community. Students could volunteer for tutoring at a local school or help out at The Boys and Girls Club nearby.
Eleanor and Park’s parents as well as home environment are vastly different. Have students compare the two households and parents using evidence from the novel.
2015-2016 California Young Reader Medal Resource Guide Eleanor and Park - page