A Currlculum Culde for

8eLLer naLe 1han Lver

by 1lm lederle


AbouL Lhe 8ook

1hlrLeen-year-old naLe losLer doesn'L flL ln aL hls !ankburg, ennsylvanla mlddle school. lnsLead
of belng aLhleLlc and communlLy-mlnded llke hls Lown-favorlLe blg broLher, AnLhony, shorL,
chubby naLe ls a belLlng boy soprano who dreams of sLarrlng ln a 8roadway show. WlLh Lhe
help of hls besL frlend, Llbby, he embarks on a deflnlLely-noL-parenL-approved [ourney Lo new
?ork ClLy Lo audlLlon for a muslcal verslon of Lhe famous movle, L.1. naLe soon learns LhaL
geLLlng Lo Lhe audlLlon ls only Lhe beglnnlng of an advenLure on whlch he dlscovers Lhe Lrue
meanlng of famlly, frlendshlp, accepLance, and, mosL lmporLanL, how Lo be hls own besL self.

ul scussl on CuesLl ons

1he quesLlons conLalned ln Lhls secLlon parLlcularly address Lhe followlng Common Core SLaLe
SLandards, among oLhers: (8L.4.1) (8L.4 - 8.2, 3, 6) (8L.3 - 6.3) (SL.4 - 8.1a-d)

1. As Lhe novel beglns, readers meeL naLe and Llbby ln Lhe losLers' backyard. AfLer readlng Lhls
flrsL chapLer, llsL aL leasL Lhree worrles naLe has abouL hls upcomlng advenLure Lo new ?ork.
Also, llsL aL leasL Lhree concerns naLe has abouL how llfe ls golng ln !ankburg.

2. naLe and Llbby use a klnd of shorLhand ln Lhelr conversaLlons by referrlng Lo 8roadway
shows and song lyrlcs. Can you Lhlnk of any shared experlences LhaL you and your frlends or
famlly use Lo communlcaLe ln a speclal way? Lxplaln your answer.

3. 1hroughouL hls sLay ln new ?ork ClLy, naLe flnds hlmself dellghLed by Lhe dlverslLy and open-
mlndedness of lLs clLlzens. Clve aL leasL four speclflc examples of Lhls dellghL LhaL makes naLe
love Lhe clLy more and more. LlsL aL leasL Lwo momenLs ln Lhe novel where naLe reallzes new
?ork ls noL enLlrely a paradlse.

4. ln !ankburg, naLe endures a loL of LaunLlng, lncludlng belng called naLey Lhe Lady," and he ls
assumed Lo be gay. WhaL ls naLe's aLLlLude Loward Lhls LreaLmenL? uo you Lhlnk he handles Lhe
slLuaLlon well? Why or why noL?

3. naLe makes observaLlons abouL cloLhlng and colors LhroughouL Lhe novel, from Lhe grey" of
Creyhound 8us sLaLlons Lo Lhe fesLlve coaL he borrows" laLer on. Pow do naLe's commenLs on
color and sLyle affecL your undersLandlng of hls characLer? Pow would you descrlbe yourself ln
Lerms of your favorlLe (and leasL favorlLe) colors, your fashlon cholces, and Lhe way you use
Lhese lenses Lo make sense of your world?

6. Who ls !ordan 8ylance? Would you call hlm naLe's enemy? Why or why noL? WhaL lmporLanL
Lhlngs abouL naLe do you learn from hls scenes dlscusslng !ordan?

7. 1he Lype of large-group audlLlon naLe aLLends ls someLlmes called a caLLle call." 1he
prellmlnary audlLlon rounds of shows llke Amerlcan ldol, as well as Lhe seLLlng of Lhe 8roadway
classlc (and movle) A Chorus Llne are caLLle call audlLlons. Compare and conLrasL Lhe way naLe
ls LreaLed (and Lhe way he feels abouL lL) aL Lhe new ?ork caLLle call versus Lhe way he ls LreaLed
ln !ankburg.

8. Who ls AunL Peldl? WhaL does naLe almosL lnsLanLly llke abouL her? ln whaL ways ls naLe
worrled or confused by Peldl's words and behavlor? Why lsn'L AunL Peldl very poslLlve abouL
naLe's amblLlon?

9. naLe causes a loL of Lrouble by golng mlsslng" from home ln ennsylvanla. Pow does Llbby
help Lo cover for hlm?

10. WhaL happens when naLe's mom arrlves ln new ?ork? Pow do she and AunL Peldl resolve
Lhelr dlfferences? uo you Lhlnk naLe wlll now be able Lo beLLer help hls mom overcome her
drlnklng problem? Lxplaln your answer.

11. Who ls !ames Madlson? WhaL does he represenL ln Lhe sLory? Pow does Llbby descrlbe Lo
naLe Lhe comeuppance !ames recelves near Lhe novel's end? Why mlghL Lhls be lmporLanL Lo
naLe? Pow does he show compasslon for !ames even from new ?ork?

12. ueep down, whaL do you Lhlnk ls naLe's greaLesL dream? uo you see any slmllarlLles
beLween naLe's asplraLlons and your own? Lxplaln your answer.

13. ls lL lmporLanL LhaL naLe ls sLlll ln new ?ork aL Lhe end of Lhe sLory? WhaL do you hope wlll
happen nexL? uo you Lhlnk naLe wlll be okay even lf hls dream doesn'L come Lrue? Why or why
noL?

AcLl vl Ll es & 8esearch

S1C8?1LLLl nC

1he quesLlons and acLlvlLles conLalned ln Lhls secLlon parLlcularly address Lhe followlng
Common Core SLaLe SLandards, among oLhers: (W.4 - 8.3a-c) (W.4 - 3.1a) (W.6 - 8.4) (SL.4 -
8.1a-b-c) (8S1.6 - 8.7)

1. naLe's flrsL-person narraLlon beglns wlLh Lhe llne, l'd raLher noL sLarL wlLh backsLory." WhaL
ls backsLory? WhaL key backsLory deLalls does naLe reveal ln Lhe flrsL chapLer? Why do you
Lhlnk he was rlghL Lo share Lhls backsLory even Lhough he doesn'L really wanL Lo? lmaglne LhaL
Lhls flrsL chapLer ls belng narraLed by AnLhony, Llbby, or naLe's mom. SLlll uslng flrsL person,
rewrlLe Lhe chapLer, glvlng Lhe backsLory from Lhls characLer's polnL-of-vlew.

2. 8eLLer naLe 1han Lver can be read as Lhe sLory of a boy Laklng blg rlsks Lo pursue hls dream.
WlLh frlends or classmaLes, bralnsLorm a llsL of blg dreams klds mlghL hope Lo achleve. voLe Lo
selecL Lhe Lwo mosL lnLrlgulng dreams. ulvlde Lhe class lnLo Lwo groups Lo ouLllne ways Lo reach
for each dream and Lhe obsLacles LhaL a kld mlghL encounLer. Share your ouLllnes wlLh Lhe
larger group. ulscuss how Lhls exerclse has (or hasn'L) lnsplred sLudenLs Lo conLlnue worklng on
a dream sLory."

3. CreaLe a survey, lnvlLlng frlends or classmaLes Lo share Lhe place Lhey would mosL llke Lo vlslL.
Complle Lhe lnformaLlon lnLo a graph or charL. Are Lhere any popular desLlnaLlons? WhaL oLher
concluslons mlghL you draw from Lhe survey resulLs?

4. 1he novel ends when naLe recelves a phone call. WhaL do you wanL Lo have happen nexL?
WrlLe Lhe openlng chapLer of a sequel Lo 8eLLer naLe 1han Lver.


MCvl LS & Ll vLS

1he quesLlons and acLlvlLles conLalned ln Lhls secLlon parLlcularly address Lhe followlng
Common Core SLaLe SLandards, among oLhers: (8L.4 - 8.7) (W.4 - 8.3a-c) (W.4 - 6.1, 6) (W.7 -
8.2, 6) (W.4 - 8.2a-b, 7) (8l.4 - 3.4, 3) (8l. 6 - 8.1, 4) (SL.4 - 8.4)

1. WaLch Lhe 1982 SLeven Splelberg modern classlc, L.1. Lhe LxLra-1erresLrlal. WrlLe a revlew of
Lhe movle, lncludlng your LhoughLs on lLs ploL and, lf deslred, comparlng lL Lo some of your
favorlLe sclence flcLlon movles.

2. Co Lo Lhe llbrary or onllne Lo learn more abouL Lhe maklng of L.1. and Lhe ways ln whlch lL
reflecLs dlrecLor SLeven Splelberg's own chlldhood experlences. CreaLe an oral reporL or
lnformaLlve posLer abouL Lhe developmenL, maklng, and legacy of Lhe movle.

3. AfLer readlng 8eLLer naLe 1han Lver, wrlLe a shorL essay descrlblng Lhe connecLlons you see
beLween Lhe movle L.1. and Lhls novel. lnclude comparlsons beLween naLe and LllloLL, as well
as beLween naLe and L.1.

4. WhaL movle would you llke Lo see made lnLo a 8roadway muslcal and why? CreaLe a
owerolnL presenLaLlon wlLh slldes descrlblng Lhe movle's ploL, Lhree Lo four ldeas for songs
based on key scenes, and favorlLe acLors and acLresses you'd llke Lo see ln Lhe lead roles.
resenL your owerolnL Lo frlends or classmaLes.

88CAuWA? 8A8?

1he quesLlons and acLlvlLles conLalned ln Lhls secLlon parLlcularly address Lhe followlng
Common Core SLaLe SLandards, among oLhers: (W.4 - 8.2a-b, 7) (8l.4.4, 3) (8l.3.4, 3) (8l. 6 - 8.1,
4) (SL.4 - 8.3, 6) (SL.4 - 7.1) (SL. 8.2)

1. 1he novel ls laced wlLh references Lo LheaLrlcal hlLs and flops. Make a llsL of Lhe shows
menLloned ln Lhe sLory and learn more abouL Lhem onllne. uslng your research, make an
lnformaLlonal bookleL enLlLled A Culde Lo Lhe Shows of 8eLLer naLe 1han Lver."

2. When naLe Lhlnks of new ?ork ClLy, he dreams of 8roadway. lf you could spend 24 hours ln
ManhaLLan (Lhe mosL famous parL of new ?ork ClLy-home Lo 8roadway, Wall SLreeL, CenLral
ark, and Lhe Lmplre SLaLe 8ulldlng, among oLher landmarks), whaL would you do? CreaLe a
mlnl Lravel gulde Lo your one-day Lour of new ?ork. 8esearch lmporLanL landmarks and LourlsL
aLLracLlons ln new ?ork ClLy Lo help you creaLe your gulde.

3. WhaL's Lhere Lo see on- and off-8roadway Loday? use Coogle, or anoLher search englne of
your cholce, Lo flnd Lhree muslcals, plays, or speclal evenLs LhaL you would llke Lo aLLend.
CompleLe an lndex card for each evenL, noLlng lLs LlLle, locaLlon, brlef descrlpLlon, and who
mlghL llke Lo aLLend. 1hen, Lake on Lhe role of a Lravel agenL and share Lhe lnformaLlon wlLh
frlends or classmaLes.

4. ln Lhe chapLer LlLled, Learnlng Llnes," naLe plays Lhe parLs of ALL of Lhe characLers ln Lhe
scene he ls glven. lece LogeLher Lhe play scene from Lhe chapLer, and wlLh frlends or
classmaLes, acL Lhe scene aloud, each person playlng [usL one role.

3. ueslgn a posLer for Lhe L.1.- Lhe 8roadway Muslcal. lf deslred, lnvlLe frlends and classmaLes
Lo do Lhe same and creaLe a classroom or hallway dlsplay of your posLer deslgns.


Culde wrlLLen ln 2013 by SLasla Ward kehoe. SLasla holds a 8A ln Lngllsh from CeorgeLown
unlverslLy and an MA ln erformance SLudles from new ?ork unlverslLy/1lsch School of Lhe
ArLs. She has LaughL dance and wrlLlng classes Lo elemenLary Lhrough hlgh school sLudenLs on
boLh Lhe easL and wesL coasLs. Per novels are publlshed by vlklng/enguln. She llves ln wesLern
WashlngLon.

1hls gulde, wrlLLen Lo allgn wlLh Lhe Common Core SLaLe SLandards (www.coresLandards.org)
has been provlded by Slmon & SchusLer for classroom, llbrary, and readlng group use. lL may be
reproduced ln lLs enLlreLy or excerpLed for Lhese purposes.