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Title details for Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham - Available

Shark Girl

by Kelly Bingham
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

A teenager struggles through physical loss to the start of acceptance in an absorbing, artful novel at once honest and insightful, wrenching and redemptive. (Age 12 and up)
On a sunny day in June, at the beach with her mom and brother, fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood went for a swim. And then everything — absolutely everything — changed. Now she's counting down the days until she returns to school with her fake arm, where she knows kids will whisper, "That's her — that's Shark Girl," as she passes. In the meantime there are only questions: Why did this happen? Why her? What about her art? What about her life? In this striking first novel, Kelly Bingham uses poems, letters, telephone conversations, and newspaper clippings to look unflinchingly at what it's like to lose part of yourself - and to summon the courage it takes to find yourself again.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 29, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780763654474

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780763654474
      • File size: 999 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • ATOS Level: 3.5
    • Lexile® Measure: 550
    • Interest Level: 9-12(UG)
    • Text Difficulty: 2-3

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from April 16, 2007
      Written in a series of poems, letters and journal entries, Bingham's debut novel strikes a delicate balance between shock story and emotive rant, and delivers a provocative portrait of one girl's journey following a near-fatal accident. Before the attack, 15-year-old Jane's life was filled with the trappings of any normal teenage girl: trips to the mall with her girlfriends, art projects, crushes on boys at school. But when she loses her arm to a shark over the summer, Jane's life (and perspective) changes forever. She can't draw like she used to, open cans or crack eggs for dinner, or button her own pants. Everyone at school whispers about her (the pity stare is debilitating), and she has reached the breaking point when it comes to condolence letters from strangers and interview requests from reporters. Jane must find a way to move beyond her wounds—both physical and psychological. Powerful without being maudlin or preachy, the book explores hurdles that are bound to follow a physical disfigurement, and readers will come to empathize with and respect Jane for her strength and brutal honesty. They'll also appreciate the slight (but realistic) lift at the story's conclusion. Ages 12-up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:3.5
  • Lexile® Measure:550
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:2-3

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