Haddon, M. (2002). The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time. NY: Doubleday. ISBN: 0385509456.
Plot Summary: Christopher Boone is 15 and knows all the countries of the world and every prime number up to 7,057. He can relate to animals, but can’t understand human emotions and can’t stand to be touched. Christopher is autistic and everyday interactions have little meaning for him. Routine and order provide him an escape from a messy and unpleasantly complicated world. Then his carefully constructed world implodes when he finds his neighbor's dog impaled on a garden fork, and is initially blamed for the killing.
Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer. His investigation leads him down some unexpected paths until he has to deal with the reality of his parent’s failed marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family while travelling the subway train all over the city, we are provided with insight into Christopher’s mind through his drawings, calculations, humor and life lessons.
In the end, he discovers the dog’s unlikely killer: his own father. Horrified at his father's viciousness, Christopher flees in fear of being murdered. He journeys to London on his own, to live with his estranged mother, whom Christopher had thought was dead. Finally, Christopher knows the truth about his family and decides to stay with his mother.
Critical Evaluation: This is a really fresh novel with a fascinating protagonist. It’s ironic that the most poignant moments of the story are expressed by a teenage boy who can’t fathom the idea of emotions. It’s his unique blessing and curse to perceive the world so literally, even if he sometimes chooses to deal with the world’s overstimulus by curling up in a ball and groaning loudly. We come to understand how Christopher’s mind works and laugh at the objective interpretation he has of people’s actions, words and motivation. Readers will sympathize with the patient adults who must tend to his periodic fits and the frustrations they must face in trying to understand that Christopher’s mind just works in different ways. He is an unforgettable character and the book is great fun to read.
Reader’s Annotation:
Ever wondered what the world looks like from the perspective of someone who has autism? Come along with 15-year old Christopher Boone who has a mystery to solve. He’s smart, funny and clever, even if he can’t always understand your feelings.
Information About the Author:
Mark Haddon was born in 1962 in Northhampton, England and studied English Literature at the Uppington School and Merton College. While a young man, he worked with autistic individuals and came to understand their unique perspective. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Overall Best First Book. He written for TV and radio and devotes his time to art and writing children’s and adult books. He currently lives in Oxford with his wife and two sons. He enjoys vegetarian cooking and is a self-proclaimed atheist.
Genre:
Teen Issues: Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Problems
Contemporary Life: Humor
Mystery and Suspense
Alternative Format: Diaries and Journals
Curriculum Ties: English class, Psychology class, Book Clubs, Social clubs, Recommended Books for Young Adult Male Readers
Booktalking Ideas:
1.) Insight into the Autistic Mind
2.) How Christopher’s drawings, diagrams and lists contribute to our understanding of his decisions in the book
3.) How his parents and other adults cope with Christopher’s special needs
4.) How do you feel about the book’s ending?
5.) The use of humor to help progress resolution of the mystery
Reading Level/Interest Age: Ages 14-adult
Challenge Issues/Defenses:
Potential Challenges:
• Portrayal of autistic/mentally challenged teens
• Adult Language
• Content includes anti-religious statements
Defense Strategy:
• Provide our Collection Development Policy (which includes Young Adult scope): http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/library/collection.asp
• Refer to awards granted to this book:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/mark-haddon/curious-incident-of-dog-in-nighttime.htm
• Provide a link to book reviews by literary journals and media publications:
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=1400032717
• Provide a link to book reviews by actual readers from a publicly accessible website:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1618.The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night_time
• Provide discussion questions book clubs have used to address issues or book content:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400032716&view=rg
Why This Book Was Included: This was recommended by a friend who thought it would appeal to adult as well as young adults. I wanted to include at least one cross-over novel and this one is particularly refreshing and fun for everyone to read. It really provides an informative yet lighthearted look at autism from an unusual perspective.
No comments:
Post a Comment