Red Thread Sisters

Diversity Book
Author: Carol Antoinette Peacock
Copyright: Carol Antoinette Peacock, 2012
Publisher: The Penguin Group

Reading Level:
     Ages: 11-13
     Grade Level Equivalent: 5.0
     Lexile Measure: 700L

Five keywords/phrases to describe the book:
Friendship, love, acceptance, adoption, determination

Suggested Delivery: Small group read

Summary: After being abandoned at an orphanage in China by her mother, Wen finds comfort in her best friend at the orphanage, Shu Ling. They make a promise to each other that if one of them gets adopted, they will find an American family for the other to come live with as well. To Wen's surprise, she is the first to get adopted, and has a hard time adjusting to her new life in America, especially without Shu Ling around. Wen makes it her personal mission to find a family to adopt Shu Ling so they can both live the American life. Planning to ask her own family to adopt one more child for Shu Ling's sake, Wen feels like everything is falling into place. That is, until her father loses his job, and money becomes tight. On top of that, Wen is informed that once Shu Ling reaches age 14, she will no longer be adoptable by Chinese law. This gives Wen a little over 5 weeks to find Shu Ling a home in America. Students will love the suspense of wondering if Wen is able to find Shu Ling a family in time.

Vocabulary:
1) Gully (page 4)
2) Empress (page 27)
3) Interspersed (page 28)
4) Peonies (page 31)
5) Gratitude (page 44)
6) Billowing (page 80)
7) Loot (page 99)
8) Thermostat ( page 110)
9) Grimaced (page 136)
10) Forlorn (page 146)
11) Sallow (page 146)
12) Malnourished (page 156)
13) Murky (page 158)
14) Disposition (page 160)
15) Lilt (page 175)
16) Advocate (page 187)
17) Admonished (page 205)

Electronic Resources:
Book Trailer - This is a short, one minute book trailer for this novel. It explains the Chinese myth of the red thread and gives students a quick preview of what the book is about. This book trailer would be a great tool to use to spark students' interest in reading the book and get them engaged and hooked right away.

Carol Antoinette Peacock - This is the author's personal website that students, or teachers, can go to in order to learn more about the author and her work. Exploration of this website includes other books the author has written, the author's biography, pictures, events she will be appearing at, and how to contact her. Those who enjoyed reading Red Thread Sisters could use this site to find other works by this author that may also be interesting to them. They can also find out where Carol will be presenting, if they are interested in seeing her speak.

Comprehension Strategies:
Before: Write the word "sister" on the board and ask students what it means to them to be a "sister." Make sure students are considering what qualities and characteristics a "sister" would have. For those students who do not have a sister or are an only child, emphasize that they should be listing things they would ideally want in a sister if they had one.

During: Throughout the novel, Wen experiences many different emotions that are sometimes overwhelming, and often don't last long due to a new emotion surfacing. Have students keep a feelings journal of Wen's feelings. When Wen experiences a new feeling, have students write it down in their feelings journal and what caused this emotion. At the end of the book, students will be able to look back at the emotional journey that Wen experienced and may be able to "put themselves in Wen's shoes."

After: Have students fill out an exit slip with the question, "When they were in the airport at the end of the novel, Wen saw that Shu Ling used a red thread to tie her braid back. What is the symbolism behind Shu Ling using a red thread?" Once all students have completed their exit slip, have a brief class discussion to ensure that all students understood this symbolism.

Writing: After Wen is adopted and is settled in her American home, she writes letters to Shu Ling, who is still in China. Have students put themselves in Wen's shoes, and write a letter to a friend or family member that they miss dearly. They should include all the parts of a letter and fill this person in on what has been happening in their own lives.

Citation:
Peacock, C. A. (2012). Red thread sisters. New York: The Penguin Group.