The Nest
Kenneth Oppel
Publish date
Grade 3
Published by Simon and Schuster
Reading Level: 640L
2
starred reviews:
“The
Nest leaves a lasting mark on the memory.” —The New York Times Book Review
“In
exploring the boundaries of science, self-determination, and belief, Oppel uses
a dark and disturbing lens to produce an unnerving psychological thriller.” –
Pubishers Weekly
Summary:
In The Nest, by Kenneth Oppel, it follows Steve who has just gotten a
new baby brother, Theo. But, Theo is very sick and is in and out of the
hospital all the time. Steve is then stung by what everyone believes is a wasp
and finds out he is allergic. After this, he dreams of these angels that turn
into wasps often or at least believes he is dreaming about them. The queen of
the wasps tells him that they can “fix” his baby brother. But, little does he
know about the trick these wasps are going to play on him. The wasps begin
creating a new baby to replace Theo. Steve agrees to help the wasps out, but
little does he know what he is in for.
Description:
Fiction
Suggested
Delivery: small/whole group
Electronic
Resources (2):
This is a link to the Simon and
Schuster Webpage for reading discussion groups. This contains a summary of the
text, discussion questions, and enrichment activities. This can be done after
reading the text.
This is a link to the YouTube video from HarperCollins as
a book trailer. This can be used as a pre reading activity.
Vocabulary:
Mounted –
climbed up
Receiver –
end of the phone
Cathedral –
giant place or item
Veered –
changed direction
Fibrous –
thicker or made out of more material
Hovering –
flying over one spot
Maddening –
crazy
Grindstone –
stone or metal used for sharpening other metals
Shrill –
high pitched piercing noise
Raspy – hoarse
or harsh sounding
Teaching Suggestions:
·
Use this book to teach about being unique
·
Use this book to teach about choosing between
right and wrong
·
Use this book to show students its okay to be
yourself
Pre Reading: Students will complete an interest survey prior
to reading the text. The interest survey will include questions about what some
genres students like, other texts that they liked, activities they like to do,
and about subjects that the students like and dislike.
During Reading: Students will participate in a Directed Note
taking Activity. Students will divide their paper in half. The left hand side
will be for main ideas and the right hand side will be for definitions,
examples, and key words. This will be done for every two chapters.
After Reading: Students will complete an Opinionnaire. The
opinionaire will be a rating system used for the student to rate the text. The questions
will all be opinion based about the text and if the student liked the text or
not and why. There should also be a spot at the bottom for the student to include
anything they wish too regarding the text and its contents.
Writing Activity:
Students will work in groups of 3 or 4 to write and illustrate a News
Paper article about a giant wasp nest and its removal. The article should
include information about the type of wasp, how big the nest is, where it is
located, who is affected by it, how it is going to be removed, and if any
injuries have already occurred as a result of the wasp nest. The students should
research the information before they begin writing their article.
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