Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

Ten lessons address character, theme, point of view, dialogue, irony, comedy, and symbolism. Students study the chapter titles and chapter endings, practice reading and writing for the Advanced Placement exam, read a Robert Frost poem in order to compare it to the novel, and discuss whether Pearl, the mother, is a poor mother in every way or if mitigating circumstances affect our perspective. They also engage in small-group work, large-group discussions, role playing, interviewing, applying material from another discipline, evaluating reviews of the novel, writing an original review, and relating the novel to their lives. Grades 9-12. (CFL135)