Don't answer in January.... Reading Check #2 Look at the List of Universal Thematic Topics. What Big ideas do you see being brought forward by the author's narration or characterization (actions, thoughts)?
Example: I just started my second book. In the book, Shades of Gray, Ruty Sepetys quickly introduces the idea Loss of Innocence and Determination. At a very young age, she faces Nazi soldiers coming into her family's house and forcing her to move out of their house during the Nazi take over by Soviet troops. She states, "I put on my sandals and grabbed two, books hair ribbons and my hairbrush" (p. 9). Her description is calm in the face of danger, too calm for a young girl and as a reader we realize she is being forced to grow up way too quickly in order to survive. Another idea is determination. Her mother is sewing jewels into the lining of the family coats. (p. 12) The author seems to want us to see the characters as determined and aware in the face of ultimate chaos. The idea of preserving family heirlooms gives the idea of perseverance and strength, two traits necessary for survival. Both of these idea continue to be conveyed in the ways the characters talk to one another as they calmly support one another in dialogue as the take over continues.
