A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee
If you’re looking for an engaging novel for your class, consider A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee. First, your students will enjoy the book! Second, all the prep work is done for you with A Good Kind of Trouble Novel Study.
This book is about a middle school-aged girl named Shayla. Shayla hates getting into trouble. She’s learning to navigate through middle school while dealing with friendships, boys, teachers, homework, and sports. Additionally, there is a trial involving a police officer that killed an innocent, unarmed black man, and though Shayla doesn’t like to get into trouble, she’s finding that some issues are worth fighting for.
I like that this book addresses a heavy, substantial, timely topic in a digestible way for upper elementary and middle school-aged students. They can relate to the day-to-day issues presented in the book while also being able to reflect on heavier issues.
Many educators are trying to figure out how to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement within the classroom. Books are a great way to start the discussion and allow students’ voices to share their thoughts and opinions. A Good Kind of Trouble Novel Study is a great starting point for teaching social justice and creating thinkers and activists in classrooms.
The Novel Study includes the following:
Comprehension Questions: RL 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 5.3, 6.3, 7.3, 6.6, 7.6
Students can answer the comprehension questions to show they understand the key ideas.
Writing Prompts: W 5.9, 6.9, 7.9
There are several writing prompts provided that correlate to situations occurring in the book. These prompts allow students to reflect on their opinions and beliefs about the topics presented. There are also writing prompts after students finish the book.
Setting and Plot: RL 6.3, 7.3
There is an explanation graphic to help students think about how the setting impacts the plot. On the graphic organizer, students should identify the book’s setting and explain how the setting affects the story.
Characterization RL 5.3, 6.3
There is an explanation graphic to help students think about how significant events or problems can cause characters to change. In the graphic organizers, they should identify what circumstances may have caused character changes throughout the book.
There is a graphic organizer to compare and contrast characters. They should also answer the questions that require them to analyze the relationship these characters have with the main character, Shayla.
