TCH 236: The Amanda Project

Have you heard, Amanda is missing?

When I first picked up this book, I was not expecting to get as involved as it as I did. As a former mystery fanatic, this book was almost nostalgic to me. I remember reading Nancy Drew as a young adolescent, myself, and this book took me back to a time of reading that I really loved.

When talking with my peers that have also read the book within my book club, they all really enjoyed it as well, and we all agree that this is a perfect novel that has a mystery so captivating you do not want to set the book down. Despite being a little cheesy and cliche at times, we believe this is because of the audience it is projecting it's writing to, which would be the young adolescent age group.

In the novel, The Amanda Project, by Amanda Valentino and Melissa Kantor, there is quite a wild mystery that the main characters are thrown into. Amanda Valentino, a student at Endeavor High, has gone missing and has left quite a puzzle to put together between three individuals of totally different social classes at their school. Main characters Callie, Hal, and Nia are far from friends, but when Amanda suddenly disappears, they must come together to figure out just why they left. This book sets the scene for the rest of the novel, and perhaps even foreshadows the drama that is left to come in following novels, as this book is apart of a series.

Some important themes that appeared to be evident in this book, was a common theme of acceptance of others, as well as the importance of forming quality friendships. In the novel, main character Callie has some very questionable friends who appear to not always make the brightest choices, including one of her friends even running someone over with her car! Yikes! This is something that I think all middle level students should be thinking about, and really analyze who they are friends with, and if they are the best people for that individual to be around.

An additional theme that I had picked up throughout the book, was the theme of the idea of coming of age. Throughout the book, Callie is questioning her choices, her friends' choices, and how the fits into her family and society. I think that this exemplifies the idea of coming of age, because these are issues that a lot of people around Callie's age, a freshman in high school, find themselves dealing with. This book is a great way for young adolescents to realize that they are not alone in their quest to find themselves, and perhaps they can even find comfort through main characters Callie, Hal, and Nia, as they struggle and illustrate what it is like to be a young adolescent,and trying to find yourself as you grow up. I think it is the themes in this novel that make it a great read for readers in the 7th-8th grade age group, who are beginning to make that transition into high school.

I think this is a great read for young adolescents. It is the perfect blend of teaching the importance of making new friends, working together, and being there for one another. In addition, it is quite entertaining to read, relatable, and for lovers of mystery, it is quite a solid read!

As I was reading this, I really tried to think of what activities I would create for my classroom to help my students comprehend the story, and to enhance their learning experience. I would LOVE to incorporate some kind of flow chart/mapping activity on a bulletin board in the classroom to keep up with what is happening the story, and encourage them to build upon their problem solving skills, and critical thinking skills as well.

Perhaps someone out there has some tips on how to execute this activity? It is definitely the beginning of a really fun idea I have, but it is in the development process.

Thanks for reading, friends!

P.S...if you love a good mystery, make sure to pick up a copy of The Amanda Project, by Amanda Valentino and Melissa Kantor now! You will not regret it! :)