The Contest is undoubtedly meant for the middle school crowd. It's less than 150 pages long, The font is large and spaced out. The writing is pre-teen friendly. It is definitely not too juvenile to enjoy, though. Here is why:
The corny jokes: They're really quite funny. They are, more often than not, over the top and obvious, but they're still pretty funny. Think an actor making a joke in a TV show and then turning towards the camera to "look" at the audience; like they're saying, "Check it out! I made a joke!". Family Guy is what kept popping into my head. I giggled quite a few times despite the ridiculousness of some of the jokes/funny moments.
It's honestly super interesting: There are a few transparent moments (those that you knew where inevitably coming), but those did nothing to dull the intrigue. At one point I actually scanned down to the bottom of the last page of the chapter because I was so anxious and didn't want to wait and read the paragraph between where I was and the end to find out what was going to happen. At another point, I literally gasped out loud twice within a single paragraph because it was so dramatic and enthralling.
The classic characters are there: There is the little brother who is lives in his older brother's shadow, the jock, the ho-hum average kid who no one pays any attention to, the class clown, the child of divorce, the oddball, and the redhead who gets constantly ridiculed. Maybe classic characters isn't the right term, but there are prime representations of the characters that we look to/for in stories about high schoolers. They're the characters that we can all relate to. They're what bring everyone to this single book (more on that in a bit too). It's like The Breakfast Club.
It's a novel for everybody: As I mentioned before, this book is definitely geared towards younger audiences, but I really enjoyed it; it's a novel for all ages. There are several key characters who are male and several key characters are female, and the story isn't told specifically from one gender's perspective; it's a novel for all genders. Also as I mentioned before, the cast of characters is so relatable; it's a novel for all social strata. Additionally, the book really taps into several genres: adventure, mystery, books-about-kids-like-you (whatever that would be called), etc; it's a novel for all types of readers.
Basically what it comes down to is that this is a diamond in the rough, of sorts. I highly recommend it. It's going on my YA Library book list, because I honestly believe ANYONE could read and enjoy this. It may be, for this reason, an excellent choice for reluctant readers. I'm really excited to track down the rest of the series and add it to my post-class summer reading list.
I agree with a large part of what you state about this book. I too was going to dismiss this novel, but I wanted to read a novel from the adventure genre. I am really glad I read this book, as it ends on a cliffhanger and has more books in the series. It is an easy read because there are hardly any difficult vocabulary words and the length as you mentioned is less than 150 pages. I thought that this book would be great for middle school or reluctant high school readers. This is a book that can definitely be finished by anyone and it is not intimidating by any means. I did find some of the dialogue to be cheesy or corny, but if you can look past those paragraphs here and there, then you will find an enjoyable novel that teaches some valuable lessons. This novel also really kept my interest level high. The high risks involved with mountain climbing will draw the interest of middle or high school students who are at the age where they begin to take risks themselves.
ReplyDeleteThere are many themes in this novel, and the best part is that students will not have to dig deep to find the true meaning of a passage. One theme that was apparent to me was the theme of teamwork. The most talented individual does not always win, in real life or in this book. People who succeed and are victorious have some intangible qualities that are not always visible, such as Dominic, the smallest and youngest kid in the contest. This may seem like a simple lesson to adults, but we have learned how to work with others through our own experiences. The sooner kids learn the value of teamwork, the better off they will be as they progress through life.
I think this novel would be a great starting point for a student who has difficulty reading or for a students who has a low level of enthusiasm for reading. The risk and danger involved with the sense of adventure will make for an exciting read and the length and vocabulary will allow the reader to leave the book feeling accomplished.
Confession -- I didn't actually read "The Contest," but instead mailed off a copy to my young (and interested in all things athletic nephew) as I tend to shy away from reads for younger teens (not proud of it and it's something I really ought to strive harder to remedy...) I was also nervous that I would be unable to not compare it to Roland Smith's "Peak," a similar read for slightly older students that I absolutely dug (for the very same reasons you described). In other words, you and Matt have successfully guilted me into going out to pick up yet another copy, which in hindsight, shouldn't come as any suprise -- Gordan Korman kind of rocks! :)
DeleteAny thoughts as to what kind of lesson plans you might tailor around this one? Do you think it might be possible to work in a culturally relevant component pertaining to the history of Nepal (or is that too much for this readership? Also, anyone know if the the teen phenom who successfully scaled the summit has written a book yet (or been the subject of a documentary?) Now that would be cool...