Presented by:
Justin Mandia
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Deathwatch by Robb White
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The Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price
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Vanished by Sheela Chari
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Cash & Carry by Tim Broderick
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Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan
Doyle
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Ben (a geologist) and Madec (a hunter) take to
the desert to hunt bighorn. Very early on in the
story, Madec kills a park ranger “accidentally.”
Madec realizes that Ben is going to take this
issue to the police, so he decides to hunt him so
that his secret isn’t revealed.
Themes:
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Survival
Power vs. Determination
Suspense
Adventure
Lesson Ideas:
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If you were in Ben’s situation, what are 5 things that you
would ABSOLUTELY need?
What moral dilemma does Ben face when Madec shoots the
old man? What is the right thing to do in this situation?

The Interrogation of Gabriel James is about a young man who is an
eyewitness to two killings. His story is told through a combination
of the interrogation that the police are performing, as well as
flashbacks explaining the information he is giving the detectives
during the interrogation. The reader finds out step by step how
these murders were linked to a quiet classmate’s home life and an
outbreak of hate crimes going on in this once quiet Montana town.
Themes:
 Detective/Interrogation
 Suspense
 Flashback
 Adventure
Lesson Ideas:
 What are the advantages of the way the story is told (through
interrogation and flashback)?
 How is this book similar to other books you’ve read?

Vanished is a book about an 11 year old Indian
girl who dreams of becoming a famous
musician while playing her veena (a traditional
Indian string instrument). When her veena
disappears from a local church, Neela starts an
investigation as to why her instrument could
have possible been stolen. As she searches for
it, she finds out that her veena has a strange
history of escaping its owner, and that she’ll
have to travel far to find it.
Themes:
 Human nature
 Follow the clues
 Deceit
 Suspense
Lesson Ideas:
 Have you ever lost something/had something
taken from you? What did you do to look for
it?

David Diangelo has been hired to deliver a case
to a lawyers firm in Las Vegas, but runs into a
few snags along the way. When he starts being
followed, he wonders what’s in the case, and
why he is being targeted.
Themes:
 Suspense
 Action
 Deceit
 Perserverance
Lesson Ideas:
 (Post reading): Draw a map of the places
where David travels, mentioning what
happened at each location. (story map).

Clay Jensen comes home from school to find a
box of cassette tapes on his door step. Upon
listening to the first tape, he finds out that it is
Hannah Baker, a girl in his class that has
recently committed suicide. According to her
message in the first tape, the rest of the tapes
will reveal the thirteen people who caused it to
happen.
Themes:
 Suicide
 Bullying
 Teen Issues
 Suspense
Lessons Ideas:
 How could Hannah’s situation have been
avoided?
 Talk about the effects that your words could
have on others.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection
of twelve “episodes” written by Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle, in the voice of Dr. John Watson.
In the episodes, Holmes helps people with
many cases including a runaway bride, a
“murderous” son, and 10 other very unique
cases. Through clever observation and
accurate detective work, Holmes and Watson
solve each of the cases, with a few surprise
twists throughout.
Themes:
 Detective
 Inquiry
 Observation
Lesson Ideas:
 Solve the mystery using clues from the
paragraphs. (Give each group a separate small
mystery).
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The Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz
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The Da Vinci Code by Robert Langdon
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Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
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The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
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Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Movies:
 Citizen Kane
 The Departed
 To Kill a Mockingbird
 Psycho
TV Shows:
 Psych
 Law and Order
 CSI: Crime Scene Investigators
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For Deathwatch:
With a small group, list 5 items that you would want
to have if you were stranded in the desert.
REMEMBER, you can only have 5 items, and you
need to get out of the desert alive!
 Write an alternate ending for Deathwatch, and
explain why you chose to end the book in that way.

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For The Interrogation of Gabriel James and The
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes:

“Interrogate” one of your classmates about what
they did this weekend. Ask detailed questions, and
ask for anything out of the ordinary.
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For Vanished:
(During reading): After reading the chapter in which
Neela loses her veena, discuss with the class who might
have taken it and why they might have done so.
 (Post reading): Write a short essay on a favorite object of
your own, and talk about what you would do if you were
to lose it.
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For Thirteen Reasons Why:
Have a class discussion on the topic of bullying.
 How do your actions and words have an effect on other
people? Cite examples from the book.
 Does the style of the story (written in “tapes”) add to the
effect of the story?
