Sarah's books are suitable for use in the classroom and in book groups.
Guides can be found below.
Teacher/Reading Guides
"Confessions of a Closet Catholic" Reading Guide
TEACHERS GUIDE FOR "CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC" by SARAH DARER LITTMAN
To download a PDF of this Teachers Guide, click HERE
About the book:
Justine Silver’s best friend, Mary Catherine McAllister, has given up chocolate for Lent, but Jussy doesn’t think God wants her to make that kind of sacrifice. So she’s decided to give up being Jewish instead.
Jussy’s bedroom closet becomes her confessional as she pours out her sins to her teddy bear, “Father Ted.” But when her beloved Bubbe suffers a stroke, Jussy worries that her religious exploration is responsible. Worse, Jussy must suddenly contemplate life without Bubbe, the one person who seems to understand her.
Young readers of every faith will see themselves in Jussy as she struggles to find balance between her search for religious identity and the dramas of her everyday existence, including boys, life as a tormented middle child, and, of course, the temptations of chocolate.
About the author:
Writer, mother and chauffeur, thinks of herself as a “late bloomer.” After spending much of her adult life doing things she didn’t really plant to, including such diverse occumpations as financial analyst and farmer’s wife, she finally found her true calling as a writer. Confessions of a Closet Catholic is Sarah’s first book. “I was inspired to write Jussy’s story when Paula Danziger asked, “What does your character have hidden in the closet?” during a workshop on characterization. At Jussy’s age, my closet was a jungle of clothes and contraband- just ask my mom. Sometimes all it takes is the right question to get you started on the journey.”
About this guide:
This guide includes discussion questions and projects appropriate for book clubs, literature circles, and classroom discussions. It is intended to provoke thought and insight into the themes of this novel, which include faith, friendship, family expectations, grandparents, guilt, beauty, mother/daughter relationships, traditions, and self-identity.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
1. Do you think all kids question their faith at one time or another?
I’m sure there are some kids out there that accept everything they learn in religious school without a question – but I definitely wasn’t one of them! I think questioning is a natural part of growing up and developing one’s own identity. The faith you come to from your own search for the answer to “what’s if all about” surely is going to be more meaningful and, I would say from my own experience, more deeply felt, than faith learned by rote.
2. The book is hilarious! How did you develop your comedic writing?
I come from a funny family. When we were kids, my brother and I used to recite complete skits from Monty Python. “What’s that on the telly? Looks like a penguin…” When I first graduated college and worked on Wall Street, my father and I commuted to NYC by train together. We’d have a contest every day to see who could come up with the most bizarre story in the newspaper. My favorite was the story of a woman who was bitten by a groundhog three times before she managed to throw it into a pond. This was in the New York Times!
But one of the things that helped me tighten up my comedic writing is my work as a columnist. Having to put forth an opinion on various issues in a witty, amusing way when you’ve only got 750 words forces you to hone your writing skills. Sometimes you have to cut what to you seems like the funniest line you’ve ever written because you’re over your word limit and that’s the one line that doesn’t really move things along. It’s incredibly painful, but in the end you become much better at self-editing.
3. Was writing the first draft or revision more difficult for you? Why?
I think I might be a little strange (well, actually I know I’m a little strange) but I find writing the first draft much, much harder than revising. Revising is the fun part - you get to see how you can make what your manuscript tighter and funnier. It’s like having the bare bones of a story and then getting to dress it up in a funky outfit with great accessories and to-die-for shoes.
4. What advice do you have for young people who want to be writers?
Read, read, then read some more. All of my author friends are prolific readers. Read books in the genre you like, read books in other genres. Don’t forget to read the newspaper or magazines, because you never know what little snippet will give you the idea for a story.
Then write. And keep writing. Write even though you aren’t “inspired”. You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to sit there and slog it out, even though it feels like pulling teeth without anesthetic sometimes. But the more you write, the better you write. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s the fact, Jack.
Finally, Revise, Revise, Revise! When I speak at schools, I show a slide of an archive box filled to the brim with revisions of “Confessions”. And those were only the revisions AFTER the book was bought by Dutton. All the many revisions prior to my sending the book to the publisher went in the recycling box.
5. What can your new fans look forward to next?
My second novel, a poignant yet funny journey of a teenager as she wins her battle with bulimia, was just bought by David Levithan at Scholastic. Keep checking the news section on my website: http://sarahdarerlittman.com for more details.
COMPREHENSION CHECK:
1. What does Jussy decide to give up for Lent? Why?
2. Compare Jussy to her brother Mac, and her sister, Helena.
3. Who is Bubbe? What happens over the course of the novel to Bubbe?
4. How does Jussy change by the end of the story?
5. What does she learn about religion?
DISCUSSION GUIDE
1. “I decided if my family was going to make fun of me for trying to be Jewish, I might try something else.” (p. 6) What spurs this decision? Would you be tempted to do the same thing? Why or why not?
2. What other religions does Jussy read about and experiment with before deciding to focus on Catholicism? What was she surprised to learn about them? How are they similar in many ways?
3. Compare Shira and Mac. How are her friends alike? How are they different? Are they alike in all the most important ways? What are the necessary qualities in a best friend?
4. What about Christian holidays interests Jussy? Why can “Christmas Day [can] feel pretty lonely for anyone who’s Jewish, even tall, blond, thin Jews like Helena.” (p27)?
5. Compare the McAllister’s home to the Silver’s. How are they alike? How are they different? Why do both girls want a little of the other’s home life? Do other families always seem more normal than your own? If so, why?
6. Jussy worries a great deal about the types of sins she is committing. Do you think most kids feel the same pull of conscience that Jussy does? Support your answer. How does Jussy deal with her guilt? How do you? What is Jussy expected to do to absolve herself of sins within the Jewish faith? What about the Catholic faith? What about your own?
7. On p. 67 Jussy says, “I’m sick of the way the women in my family – well, except for Bubbe- nag me about my weight. It’s like they think it’s the defining part of me.” What does she mean by this? What should be the defining aspect of someone? Why do you think weight is so important in her family or is it an issue in all families? Is it important in our society? All societies? Why or why not?
8. Discuss Jussy’s relationship with her mother. What is important to her mother? How do they clash? Do they make amends? Who do you think is more responsible for the tone of their relationship? Why? What role does Justine play in how contentious things are sometimes between them?
9. Describe what Jussy learns by experimenting with Catholicism. What does Mac’s mom try to explain to her when she spends the night? How are the services between the two religions similar? How are they different? Have you ever attended a religious ceremony or service other than your own? What did you notice.
10. Justine has a growing interest in boys. At first, who captures her attention? Does he still interest her at the end of the novel? Why? How do girls maintain their own self-identity while still becoming interested in what boys think of them? Do girls always change who they are to match what they think others will appreciate? Do boys do this too?
11. Bubbe is Justine’s champion, the one person who understands her best and defends her actions even when her grandmother doesn’t agree with them. Have you ever had this kind of connection with a grandparent or older adult? How would it feel to see them slip away? What’s the hardest part for Justine? Why is her questioning of her religion compounded when she considers Bubbe? What does Bubbe say to Justine in her last letter?
12. How do Mac’s cross and the necklace Jussy inherits become symbols for her own search for identity? In the end, do you think Justine has found herself and her faith? In five years what do you think Justine will be practicing?
PROJECTS
LANGUAGE ARTS
Review the glossary in the back of the novel. Then, create one of your own that explains at least ten words from your own faith or cultural background. (These can even be foods!)
HISTORY
In groups of no more than three research one of the world’s religions (teachers may want to assign religions to insure a wide variety). Find out the names of their deity [ies], holidays they celebrate, description of their house of worship, approximately how many people worship it worldwide and any dietary or other important restrictions (like clothing). Create a poster about your findings and present it to the class.
MUSIC
Listen to at least one piece of music from the religion that you’re assigned. What does it celebrate? What types of instruments are used? How old is the piece? Are there lyrics? If so, which line is your favorite? Compare (as Jussy did) this type of music to your own cultural or religious music. How is it the same? How different?
VISUAL ARTS
Create a piece of art which celebrates the diversity of religion in the world. You can use any media you prefer- painting, sculpture, collage, photography but explain your piece in a brief journal. Be sure to title your art as well.
MATH
One commonality among religions is that members are urged to support work that aids the less fortunate. Because the quality of non-profits can vary widely, researching an organization first is often wise. Visit: http://www.give.org/reports/index.asp
and study the data on three organizations you’d like to donate to. Compare and contrast how wisely they use the donations they receive. Make a brief summary of your findings and design a fundraiser to help the organization you choose. Be sure if you put your design into action that you get permissions from parents and school administration.
This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and author of the book Sketches from a Spy Tree. Visit her website to find dozens of other guides to children’s literature.
PURGE Discussion Guide
Discussion Guide for PURGE by Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic Press ISBN 0-545-05235-1
To download a PDF of this discussion guide, click here
Summary
Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifts in friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.
In order to get better, Janie must talk about things she’s admitted to no one – not even herself. Laced with danger, insight, and humor, PURGE is one girl’s remarkable and daring journey to make herself well again.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.“Sometimes I feel like a journal is the one place I can be honest and real, where I don’t have to weigh my word and worry about what I’m supposed to say and who I’m supposed to be.” p.3
Janie often speaks of the pressure to fulfill the expectations of others – her parents, her friends, boys. How does this affect her self image?
2. As part of art therapy, Janie is asked to draw a personal mandala, (p.77) which she finds difficult. Why do you think she finds it so hard? If you had to draw your own mandala, what are the things you would put in the center, the things you consider most important to you?
3. “As soon as I finish eating, it’s like this tape starts playing in my head: “You are SO FAT! What the hell did you eat that for?”…Did I used to be able to eat a bar of chocolate without hearing that critical voice in my head?” p.29-30
Do you ever hear a critical internal voice around food and eating? If so, what age were you when you first became aware of it? Are there any ways you’ve found to help silence that voice?
4. Bethany’s mom keeps a laptop in the kitchen to keep track of the nutritional content of everything her kids are eating. Tinka’s father commented that she was getting “a little chunky around the ass” while she was trying on jeans in Abercrombie (p.73). Royce’s father boasts about his low body fat percentage, and criticizes his mother for eating dessert. Some of Janie’s friends at school are taking diet pills and some, like Nancy, are purging too.
Have you experienced offhand remarks about weight, food and/or dieting? At home? At school? How do these make you feel? Do you know kids at school who diet or seem to be obsessed with weight? What's your opinion about dieting? Brainstorm some ways that you can promote healthy self-esteem at home and in your school.
5. “Research shows that women who look at advertisements featuring thin, beautiful women experience greater dissatisfaction with their bodies and increased symptoms of depression after looking at them for less than three minutes.” p.68
Do you see a wide variety of body types on TV and in the media? Do you think the media influences your feelings about how people should look? If you could talk to a magazine editor or the producer of TV shows aimed at teens, what would you say to them? Discuss how someone can determine what his or her healthy weight should be.
6. “I’m afraid that without [bulimia], I’ll crumple into a heap of nothingness on the floor. But on the other hand, what if letting go is like being unshackled from leg irons that have been weighing you down? What if doing it makes you so light and free that you can fly?”
What do you think bulimia gives Janie that makes it so hard for her to overcome it? What are some of the strategies she learns to use during the course of her treatment instead of purging?
7. When Janie is asked to come up with ten adjectives about herself, she only writes one positive thing, smart. (p.45). What are five positive things you can say about yourself that have nothing to do with your appearance?
For more information and resources about eating disorders, visit:
http://sarahdarerlittman.com/eating_disorder_resources.html
LIFE, AFTER DISCUSSION GUIDE
To download a PDF of this guide, click here
LIFE, AFTER
by Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic
Press ISBN: 978-0-545-15144-3
About the book:
Dani’s life will never be the same again. After a terrorist attack kills Dani’s aunt and unborn cousin, life in Argentina—private school, a boyfriend, a loving family—crumbles quickly. In order to escape a country that is sinking under their feet, Dani and her family move to the United States. It’s supposed to be a fresh start, but when you’re living in a cramped apartment and going to a high school where all the classes are in another language—and not everyone is friendly—life in America is not all it’s cracked up to be. Dani misses her old friends, her life, Before.
But then Dani meets a boy named Jon, who isn’t like all the other students. Through him, she becomes friends with Jessica, one of the popular girls, who is harboring a secret of her own. And then there’s Brian, the boy who makes Dani’s pulse race. In her new life, the one After, Dani learns how to heal and forgive. She finds the courage to say good-bye and allows herself to love and be loved again.
About the author:
Sarah Darer Littman’s widely praised first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC, won the 2006 Sydney Taylor Book Award. She is also the author of PURGE. She lives in Connecticut with her family, in a house that never seems to have enough bookshelves, and loves dulce de leche.
Author interview:
- What
was the initial spark for Dani’s story? How did you bring it to life?
LIFE, AFTER started out back in 2004 as a book about a boy without Asperger’s Syndrome, a subject I’m intimate with because my son was diagnosed when he was five years old. My then editor turned down that book, but suggested perhaps I write from the perspective of the boy’s sibling. I'd just read the arc of my friend Cynthia Lord's book RULES, so I knew that had already been done, and brilliantly. But I started thinking how in elementary and middle school most of my son’s friends were from South America, and I wondered if it was because they, too, weren't "typical American kids".
I was also frustrated that for many Americans it seemed as if terrorism only sprang into existence on 9/11, and wanted explore the different ways people react to traumatic loss.
I’d lived in England during the IRA bombing campaigns of the early 1970's, and terrorist threats were part of our way of life. It's not that we let it dominate our existence, but as an eight-year old riding the Tube to school, I was always vigilant and aware. I wanted to try to put terrorism in a global context. So I chose Argentina as the native country for Dani, because it had a history of terrorist incidents, and the economic crisis there had a dramatic impact on the middle class, almost overnight. I wrote a synopsis and some sample chapters but didn’t get the voice right, and ended up putting it in a drawer in early 2006 to write PURGE.
LIFE, AFTER would probably never have seen the light of day if it hadn't been
for a wonderful and courageous woman, Claudette Greene, to whom this story is
dedicated. I met with her mother/daughter book group, who had read my first
book, CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC.
She wrote to thank me afterwards and told me that her daughter had
become interested in writing after she lost her father on 9/11 (Claudette’s
husband Donald was a passenger on United Flight 93). Claudette asked if I'd
ever considered writing a book on the subject, because at the time there wasn’t
much available for kids. Profoundly touched, I dug my synopsis out of the
drawer and e-mailed it to her. With Claudette’s encouragement, I spoke to my
editors at Scholastic. Having met Claudette and heard her story, I felt a much
deeper connection to the characters and returned to the manuscript with renewed
passion.
- How do you know when an idea will sustain you through the novel writing process?
That’s a terrific question. I have to admit, there have been times where I’ve had false starts. I’ll do research, start writing, and maybe get even 10,000 words into a book and gradually start to feel like I’m beating my head up against a wall. One time it got to the point where I was depressed about going into my basement lair to write every day. I finally had to admit that it wasn’t the right book for me to be writing. With great trepidation, I called my agent, told her I had another idea, and asked if it okay to work on that instead. Two hours later, I had a synopsis written for the new idea and felt more energized with a clearer idea of where I was going than I had after five months of working on the previous novel. The new idea was my upcoming novel, WANT TO GO PRIVATE? coming from Scholastic in July 2011.
Having a strong character voice is usually a good indicator. If my characters are speaking loud and clear, they’ll usually guide me in the right direction.
That being said, it’s important not to confuse the situation I’ve described above with the usual “I’m in the middle of my book and I’m freaking out about where it’s going” phase of novel writing. That’s something where you just have to get your butt in the chair and work it through. I find dark chocolate helps.
- What
advice do you have for young people who want to write?
Read, read, read, read, read and then read some more. Read in different genres. Challenge yourself with your reading. Read the news. I don’t just say that because I’m a political columnist and I think it’s important for young people to be informed, but you can find ideas in those news stories.
And then…WRITE. As Jane Yolen says, it’s all about Butt-in-Chair. Be disciplined about writing consistently, not just when you feel “inspired”. Try to set yourself word count goals, even if they’re small. I keep track of my daily word production in a spreadsheet. Some days the words pour from my brain faster than my fingers can type. Other days, I have to force myself not to check Facebook and Twitter every five minutes because they won’t come and I’m struggling to focus. But that word count goal keeps me disciplined, and the spreadsheet gives me a sense of accomplishment as I see those numbers gradually add up to a novel.
Discussion guide:
- After reading chapter one, summarize Dani’s life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. What challenges does her family face? Who are the main characters in Dani’s life story?
- Make a list of Dani’s life before and after the terrorist attack. How has her life changed? Are there any events in your life that are marked by a particular event? How do people survive such a loss?
- What opportunity puts a rift between Dani’s parents? How is it resolved? Would you want to leave the only place you’ve ever known as home if the economic situation was similar or not? Why?
- What will be the most difficult for Dani to leave behind? Will she see Beto ever again? Why do you think so or not? What would you miss most about your home if you had to emigrate?
- What things and people must Dani leave behind? Why is she “ scared of staying in Argentina but scared of leaving, too” (p.80) Have you ever felt a similar ambivalence about an important decision? How do you get past it?
- Describe Dani’s first day in America. Compare her hopes with the reality of Twin Lakes. What is surprising?
- Describe Dani’s first few days in her new school and home. What is it like compared to her life in Argentina? Who does she meet? How is she humiliated?
- Discuss Dani’s relationship with her father. Would you characterize him as depressed? How would you cope with him? Do you think Dani is a good daughter and sister? Why?
- Would you characterize the treatment that Dani faces from Trevor and his friend, Derek, as racism? How do they connect Dani and her friend Rosalia to the events on 9/11? Do you think the events of 9/11 changed America, especially concerning immigration?
- Describe Dani’s new friend, Jon Nathanson. How does this relationship land her in the principal’s office? Do you think her actions were justified? How does this change her relationship with Jess?
- How does Dani try to maintain her relationship with Beto? Do you think it’s possible in this age of instant communication to maintain a long-distance romance? Can chat and texting convey the emotions needed to maintain and build a relationship or not? Why?What does Dani eventually discover about Beto’s new life in Miami?
- “….anger layed on top of guilt like frosting on a cake.” (p. 174) Have you ever felt like this? Why are Dani’s emotions so intense?
- How do Dani’s parents react to her fight at school? Do all parents assume the worst of their kids? Why? How is their reaction tempered finally?
- How does Jess prove that her intentions and attitude toward Dani have changed? Would you want to be her friend or not? Why? Explain how their relationship grows and how they are connected by tragedy.
- How is Dani’s “exploration of the social habits of the American teenager” (p.233) enhanced by Brian? How does he help her adjust to life in America? Describe the dance through Dani’s eyes.
- What does Dani discover about Jon through reading his notebooks? How does he understand far more than people believe?
- How does Dani finally confront her father about his behavior? How does this begin his path to recovery? If you were depressed what would you want someone to do for you?
- Although Dani is proficient with the English language she stumbles on all the idioms that pepper American speech. What else does she find difficult to understand about living in America? If you were her friend, how could you help?
- “We all knew that there was a Before, which we could never return to, and an After, where we had to learnt o find joy again” (p.276) How is this true for most everyone? How do we move past events that shatter what we once knew, once loved?
- Which scene in the novel is your favorite? What can you learn by studying the dialogue, scene-building, and action sequences? How can you apply this to your own writing?
Extending the novel:
Writing:
Write a scene between Beto and Dani when they happen to run into each other at an airport over the summer.
Language:
Collect the idioms (or brainstorm a list of your own) that Dani struggles with while learning American English. Create an idiom dictionary, which defines these terms in an understandable way, and provide illustrations. Share with your ESL class!
Reading:
As you begin the novel create a character web about Dani adding facts, descriptions and details as you read along.
History:
It irritates Dani that the only information Americans seem to know about her country is from watching the movie “Evita.” Instead of relying on this movie, research at least ten facts that every American should know about this country instead.
This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and children’s author, visit her website and blog to find hundreds of guides like this one.