Hi Cynthia,

We are having Neal and I read Scythe. Although the premise of legal serial killing is disturbing, he frames it in a way that is much like all of the other dystopian novels we promote. In fact, there is more philosophical pondering by characters in the book about how and why they have come to where they are as a society than in most dystopin fiction. He raises great questions about the perils of science, genetic engineering, the technology which we rely on, our taste in entertainment, and the range in the human moral spectrum. Both of the main characters have sound moral judgement and have mentors who are also moral enough to know when to take a stand against what is wrong.

I think my 6-8th graders will love this, the end was awesome, and there are so many great talking points that are relevant in this exact moment in time. I am still thinking about the book, long after I finished it.

Hope this helps.

Shannon 

Shannon McNeice
Library Media Specialist
West Hartford, CT 06107

On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 10:00 AM, Cynthia Armstrong <carmstrong@avon.k12.ct.us> wrote:
When we heard that Neal was going to be in the area, we jumped at the chance to have him visit.  Neal visited our school back in 2012, and he was great.  Unlike last time, this visit is part of a book tour for his latest novel, Scythe.  Here's my issue...  As part of our arrangement to host Neal, we had to agree to sell 100 copies of Scythe.  Since the book had just come out, I had not had a chance to read Scythe prior to booking Neal.  I wasn't overly concerned about this since I have read nearly all of his other books and had personal experience with his presentations in the past.  

We have been promoting Scythe and selling advance copies to students.  I picked up the books today.  The back of the book reads:

Thou shalt kill.
Thou shalt kill with no bias, bigotry or malice aforethought.
Thou shalt grant an annum of immunity to the beloved of those who accept your coming...
Thou shalt kill the beloved of those who resist.

I am trying to proactively think of a response to parents who may not be familiar with Neal's work and who may object to Scythe.    

Has anyone hosted Neal as part of this book tour who could speak to this concern?  Have you had any objections?  We are a grade 7-8 middle school.  I know that I could highlight the awards his other books have won (which I have done already);  however, I am having a hard time getting past this book's premise.

Thanks in advance.

Cindi Armstrong
Library Media Specialist
Avon Middle School

On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 3:40 PM, Shannon McNeice <shannon_mcneice@whps.org> wrote:
Hi all!

Neal Shusterman is on a book tour for his latest novel Scythe, a thrilling dystopia. He will be in CT on 12/14 and is looking for schools to visit. The particulars are fee of $650 and school will sell 100 copies of Scythe. Shusterman won the 2015 National Book Award  for Challenger Deep, a novel which allows the reader a glimpse into the complex world of mental illness. He would be great for middle school or high school. 

If you are interested, please reach out to his tour manager Marcia Blanco <marciablancopla@gmail.com>




Shannon McNeice
Library Media Specialist
West Hartford, CT 06107

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