arneg ie shortlist 2019

cilip c s
sh a d o wing reso u rc e
CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019
TALKING POINTS

Title: Rebound

Author: Kwame Alexander

Publisher: Andersen Press

FAMILY
Even though Charlie’s father dies as the very start, his relationship with him continues to evolve over the
course of the book – in what ways do you think it changes?

And what about his mother – do the experiences described in the book alter Charlie’s relationship with her,
too? Does he understand her better by the end?

How do Charlie’s family, all of them, help him to get through this difficult time in his childhood?

LOSS AND GRIEF

The death of the protagonist’s parent is something this book has in common with The Crossover. Why do you
think Alexander has put this terrible experience at the heart of his story?

Charlie often uses metaphors for talking about his painful grief. Why do you think this might be? Can you find
any memorable examples?

How does the act of writing itself help Charlie to deal with his grief?

While not wanting to offer any overly simple answers, is there some resolution – or at least some hope – for
Charlie as he gradually comes to terms with his loss?

BASKETBALL
Do you need to be interested in basketball to enjoy this book? Would you say it’s a book “about” basketball,
or something else?

How does Charlie’s discovery of basketball change other aspects of his life?

GETTING IN TROUBLE
Why does Charlie start getting himself into trouble?

Does he always have good judgment when it comes to choosing the people he spends his time with?

What will give him the strength to make different choices later on in the story, and turn away from trouble?

LEARNING SOME LESSONS

Charlie learns important lessons from all the people around him – factual things, emotional things,
philosophical things. What do you think is the most important thing he learns from:

o Granddaddy?
o Roxie?
o CJ?
o Grandma?
o his mother?
1988, 2018
Did the references to 1988 culture (the music, the fashions, etc.) help to make the setting come to life for
you? Were there a lot of references you weren’t familiar with from that time?

There are several mentions of Michael Jordan, who around the time was one of the most famous
sportspeople in the world. In what ways do his story and Charlie’s story connect?

Can you think of any other books you might have read set around this period?

The book’s epilogue includes a sequence of poems set thirty years later. Do they make you look back
differently at the earlier sections?

POETRY
This is a novel in free verse – a novel told through poems – not a collection of poetry. What’s the difference?
(And did the fact that it’s poems rather than prose change how you read it? Does it make it easier or harder?)

Why might an author choose to write a novel in this way? Why would it suit this particular story?

Alexander’s poetry is very dynamic, it’s energetic and fast-moving. The rhythm of the writing has been
described as both “like hip hop” and “like basketball” – do you think one or other (or both) of these is a good
description of how his poems work?

Read one or two of your favourite poems aloud. How does this change what sorts of things you notice about
them?

THE ILLUSTRATED PAGES

What do the parts of the story that use Dawud Anyabwile’s illustrated pages have in common? (And why do
you think they use this particular comic-book style?)

What effect does breaking up the poems with these pages have when you are reading it? Does it change the
pace at which you read?

REBOUND AND THE CROSSOVER

This is a prequel to The Crossover – does it really matter if you’ve read the other book, or does this one
basically stand alone? Does it affect your reading experience?

How are the perspectives from which the two stories are told different?

If you have read The Crossover already, do you think it matters which order readers discover them in? If you
read this book after The Crossover, did it make you rethink Charlie’s character as he appears in the earlier
book?

DO YOU THINK THIS BOOK SHOULD WIN THE 2019 CARNEGIE MEDAL? WHY, OR
WHY NOT?

Discussing human rights in this story:

Right to equality; to everyone being legally protected; to choose our friends; to be protected
by adults; to play; to rest and leisure.

o Who do you think should decide where Chuck lives?

o What did you think would happen when you read that the sirens
were closing in?
o Why are Skinny and Chuck afraid for their lives?
 The Carnegie Shortlist 2019

EMC Resources:
Rebound

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 Written and edited by Andrew McCallum
English & Media Centre, 18 Compton Terrace, N1 2UN
www.englishandmedia.co.uk
© English & Media Centre, 2019

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 BEFORE READING
The front cover
❚❚ In a pair or small group, examine the book’s front cover.

࢝࢝ What do you think the book

will be about? For example,
will it just be about playing
basketball, or does the title
suggest it could be about
other things too? What
might they be?
࢝࢝ Where is the book likely to
take place? How old do you
think the main characters
will be?
࢝࢝ What is the likely audience
for this book?
࢝࢝ Does it remind you of any
other books? If so, which
ones and why?
࢝࢝ Does the cover make you
want to read the book? If
so, why?

Looking inside the book

❚❚ In a pair, or small group, flick through the pages of the book.

❚❚ What are your thoughts about how it is set out as poetry? Have you read any other ‘verse
novels’? If so, which were they and what did you think of them? If not, what are your thoughts
about trying one?

❚❚ What are your thoughts about the comic strips in the book? What do they suggest about the tone
of the book (how it feels)? What do they suggest might happen in the book?

Should the book be on the Carnegie shortlist?

Shortlists for book prizes often create controversy among readers, and even national newspapers.
People get very passionate when thinking and talking about literature! The Carnegie Medal is no
exception.

❚❚ Share your thoughts about the following opinions about the inclusion of Rebound on the shortlist.

1. I’m outraged that Rebound is on the Carnegie shortlist. It’s by an American writer and is set in
America. The Carnegie is a British prize so should be open to British writers only.
2. This isn’t a novel, it’s a collection of poems joined together to tell a story – so it has no place on a
shortlist for novels!
3. How can a book about sport be on the shortlist? So many readers aren’t into sport – so that
immediately stops lots of people from having any interest in it at all.

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 DURING READING
We think you should read Rebound without pausing too often, then do some more substantial work
on it afterwards. It does offer several opportunities for ongoing reflection.

❚❚ You can use the points below to help you to keep a journal while reading, pausing to write down
your reflections. You could also use these points as prompts for discussion with other readers.
࢝࢝ Thoughts about the form of the book – a verse novel

࢝࢝ Thoughts about the first-person narrative voice – in other words, Chuck’s voice

࢝࢝ Thoughts about the use of comic strips

࢝࢝ Thoughts about all of the American cultural references you meet. Do you know what they
are? Do they put you off reading, or raise your level of interest? Here are some that you might
or might not have known about before reading: Harlem Globetrotters, Fantastic Four, Black
Panther, NASCAR, Miles Davis, Woodrow Wilson, Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad
࢝࢝ Thoughts about the treatment of difficult subject matter – the death of a parent

࢝࢝ Thoughts about how the different characters connect to each other

࢝࢝ Thoughts about how the novel is structured – what is interesting or special about the way it
moves from beginning to end? You might particularly like to discuss what it is like reading a
novel that is set in 1988.

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 AFTER READING
What is the novel about?
❚❚ Below are nine suggestions for what Rebound is about.

❚❚ Working in a pair, or small group, rearrange them into a ‘Diamond 9’ formation, as shown below.

❚❚ Compare your arrangement with another pair or group and discuss any differences.

Rebound is about…

Learning to make the right

Recovering from grief –
choices – ‘picking the right The importance of family
‘finding your smile again’
team’

The circular nature of life –

The role sport can play in The importance of
things repeat themselves
young people’s lives friendships
across generations

The role reading and How relationships are

The importance of being
writing can play in young more important than
yourself
people’s lives possessions

Diamond 9 pattern

Most important

Least important

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 Charlie in the middle
Charlie is the central focus of the narrative – and, for most of time, the narrator. To help you
remember and think about everything Charlie was involved with, and to prepare you for more
substantial writing about his character, you should produce a diagram of his relationships in the
novel

❚❚ In a small group, draw Charlie in the middle of a large sheet of paper. Label the picture with words
and phrases that describe him.

❚❚ Write the names of key characters in the novel, or draw them, around the edge of the sheet:
Skinny, CJ, Roxie, Mother, Father, Grandpa, Grandma, Lady Wilson, Woodrow Wilson, Smitty (Mr
Smith), Ivan, Uncle Leroy, the twins Jordan Bell and Joshua Bell.

❚❚ Draw arrows between Charlie and the characters and write along them the nature of their
relationship, including key moments described in the novel.

❚❚ Draw arrows between other characters where links exist. For example, between CJ and Skinny.
Write along them the nature of their relationship, including key moments described in the novel.

❚❚ Compare what you have identified with different groups.

Talking points in Rebound

❚❚ Discuss your thoughts about the following talking points that emerge when reading Rebound.
1. What does the ending, set in 2018, add to a novel that mainly takes place in 1988?
2. What do you know about the year 1988, or the years around it? Does this seem like recent
or ancient history to you? What are your thoughts about setting most of the action of a book
then? What might that time offer a writer that is unavailable if setting a novel in the current
year?
3. How are all the characters linked together? Are the strongest bonds between friends or
family members? How well does the writer show the happiness and the tensions that come
with almost all close relationships?
4. What do you think about the comic strips included in the novel? In what ways, if at all, do
they add to the novel? Would you like to have had more of them? If so, where would you
have included them?
5. How does the novel show the death of Charlie’s father? What are your feelings for Charlie
when you find out about his death? How do you think Charlie deals with it?
6. What does Charlie learn from staying with his grandparents? How is this episode of his life
represented in the novel?
7. At one point the narration says, ‘Scientific studies have proven that writing in a journal can
keep you healthier, emotionally and physically’. Is that what’s happening here? What about
reading? Does that make you healthier?
8. What was your reaction to finding out at the end that Charlie, later called Chuck, is himself,
dead?
9. The book is part of a sequence. Rebound is, in fact, the prequel to The Crossover, which
focuses on the twins, Josh and Jordan Bell, as they try to follow in the footsteps of their
basketball star father, Chuck Bell. Has Rebound made you want to read this?

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 Exploring poetry in Rebound
One of the many interesting things about Rebound is that it is written as poetry – it belongs to the
genre of ‘verse novel’.

❚❚ Explore your thoughts about the poetry of the novel by discussing your responses to the
questions and tasks below.
࢝࢝ What was your overall experience of reading a novel written in verse? How did this differ
from the experience of reading a more conventional novel written in prose?
࢝࢝ How is the poetry in this novel similar or different to poetry you have read elsewhere?

࢝࢝ Flick through a copy of the book and find a poem you particularly like because of what it
says. Explain why.
࢝࢝ Flick through a copy of the book and find a poem that you particularly like because of the
way it is set out. Explain why.
࢝࢝ How does the writer control your experience of the novel by making your eye move in
particular ways across the page, and by drawing your attention to particular words or
phrases?
࢝࢝ In what ways might someone say that the language in the book isn’t poetry?

࢝࢝ Below are some poetic forms featured in Rebound. See how many you can find. Discuss
how each form adds to what is going on in the novel at that particular point. Which form do
you like best, or think is used most effectively?

Nonet: Nine-line poem, with the first line containing nine syllables, the next eight,
and so on until the last line has one syllable.

Concrete poetry: The shape and appearance of a concrete poem matches what it is about.
This can involve setting the lines out in certain ways, but also using
capitalization, bold font, different sized fonts and so on.

Dialogue poetry: Poem made up of the conversation between two speakers.

Free verse: Poetry with no formal structure; the poet chooses where to make line
breaks to move the reader’s eye in particular ways.

Rhyming couplets: Here poetry is written in blocks of two lines that rhyme.

List poetry: As the title suggests, this refers to poems set out as lists. The order of the
list might be significant.

Question poetry: Refers to a poem written as a series of questions, sometimes with the
answers provided, sometimes not.

❚❚ When you have gone through all of the questions, write down your own thoughts about the poetry
of the novel, drawing on elements of your discussion.

❚❚ Share what you have written as a group.

Promoting the novel

Imagine that your school wants to select a novel for all students to read in a particular year group.

❚❚ Select the year group that you think Rebound would appeal to most.

❚❚ Write a letter to the headteacher explaining why everyone in that year group should be provided
with a copy of the novel.

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 Reading the reviews
The extracts, below, are all from reviews of the book.

❚❚ Working with a partner, discuss which reviewer comes closest to your own view of the book.

❚❚ Working individually, write your own paragraph to express your views about the novel. You can
draw on the review extracts you have read if you wish.

❚❚ Share some of your reviews as a whole group.

A. Once again, Alexander has given readers an African-American protagonist to cheer. He is

surrounded by a strong supporting cast, especially two brilliant female characters. The novel in verse
is enhanced by Anyabwile’s art, which reinforces Charlie’s love for comics. An eminently satisfying
story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood.
Kirkus Review

B. Designed to appeal to reluctant readers, little prevents the rest of us being caught up by the
comic-mad Charlie Bell.
Kitty Empire, The Observer

C. I bought this book for my nephew who enjoys reading. However, I’m so glad I looked inside
the book when I received it prior to gifting it. It is a collection of poems that don’t make a lot of sense.
I ordered because of the great reviews but I don’t agree with them.
Amazon online review

D. My 13 year old use to be an avid reader until a couple of years ago when he discovered the
phone and video games. I got him this book to try to get him back into reading. I thought he would
connect with the characters, and he certainly did!
The author has really done a wonderful job of finding a way to reach young teen men, especially,
and young people in general. The push and pull of family ties and budding love is balanced by the
underlying coming of age story line. I was really impressed by the book and my son couldn’t wait to
see if there were more books in the series.
Amazon online review

E. This prequel to Alexander’s Newbery Medal winner, The Crossover (2014), provides the
backstory of twins Josh and Jordan Bell’s father, Chuck ‘Da Man’ Bell, a basketball star who died
young ... Adults may get more of a kick out of the references to 1980s pop culture than the target
audience, but the multi-layered coming-of-age story should resonate with young readers. While
this companion novel works as a standalone, those who have read the first book will have a richer
experience.
Publishersweekly.com

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 Cards for Literary Analysis
These cards have been designed for use with any short story or novel. You can select a particular
card to work with or rely on your teacher to give you a particular area of focus. You could then work
through the bullet points on your card or select a few that seem most interesting or relevant for a
particular text.

Setting
࢝࢝ In which different settings does this story/novel takes place? What part does each
setting play? Which setting is most significant and why?
࢝࢝ How important is setting to the story/novel as a whole? Does the setting have a
particular impact on the story/novel, or could it be set almost anywhere?
࢝࢝ What difference would it make if this story/novel was set somewhere else? E.g. another
country, a rural rather than urban setting, in space!
࢝࢝ How effective do you think the writer has been in creating a sense of place? Are there
any particular examples of setting you think are particularly well written? If so, why?
࢝࢝ Is there anything particularly interesting or special about the way setting is used and
presented? In what ways is it similar or different to stories/ novels that explore similar
themes and ideas, or that are written in the same genre?
࢝࢝ Find one or two bullet points from other cards that add to what you have discussed
about setting. Explain the connections.
࢝࢝ Is there anything important that you’ve noticed that isn’t raised on this card? What is it?
Why do you think it’s important?

Characters
࢝࢝ Who is your favourite character, and why?

࢝࢝ Who do you think is the most important character, and why?

࢝࢝ Who are the other significant characters? What different roles do they have?

࢝࢝ What is special or unusual about the way one or more of the characters is presented?

࢝࢝ Which character would you most like to be friends with, and why? Which character
might significant adults want you to be friends with, and why?
࢝࢝ Are characters paired or grouped in any particular ways? E.g. friends, rivals, etc. What
ideas are raised by these pairs or groupings?
࢝࢝ Are the characters typical of ones found in this kind of story/novel? Are they distinctive
and individual, or stereotypes? Explain your answer.
࢝࢝ Find one or two bullet points from other cards that add to what you have discussed
about characters. Explain the connections.
࢝࢝ Is there anything important that you’ve noticed that isn’t raised on this card? What is it?
Why do you think it’s important?

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 Form and structure
࢝࢝ What do you think is interesting about the way this story/novel begins?

࢝࢝ What were the key moments in this story/novel? How did they shape the story/novel as
a whole?
࢝࢝ If you had to describe the path of this story/novel, what would it be? E.g. journey from
childhood to adulthood, from grief to happiness etc.
࢝࢝ What did you notice about the end of this story/novel? Was it what you were expecting?
Did it tie up loose ends, or leave some things unresolved?
࢝࢝ Does this story/novel belong to a particular genre? If so, how does it fit in with other
stories that you know in the same genre?
࢝࢝ Does the story/novel use just one form or does it include more than one E.g. letters,
diary entries, poems, newspaper reports
࢝࢝ Find one or two bullet points from other cards that add to what you have discussed
about form and structure. Explain the connections.
࢝࢝ Is there anything important that you’ve noticed that isn’t raised on this card? What is it?
Why do you think it’s important?

Themes and ideas

࢝࢝ What, to you, are the five most important themes and ideas in this story/novel? If you
had to narrow your list down to one theme or idea, what would it be and why? In what
ways is this theme presented? E.g. if the theme is love, what exactly does the story/
novel have to say about love?
࢝࢝ Does this story/novel deal with big issues that affect the whole world, or small ones that
affect individual lives? Give reasons for your answer.
࢝࢝ Does this story/novel contain any themes or ideas that have made you look at the world
in new ways? If so, what are they, and how have they changed your views?
࢝࢝ Does this story/novel contain any themes and ideas that explore how people should act
and behave? If so, what are they and do you agree with how they are presented?
࢝࢝ Are the themes and ideas presented in ways similar or different to other stories you have
read, including stories of the same type, or in the same genre?
࢝࢝ Find one or two bullet points from other cards that add to what you have discussed
about themes and ideas. Explain the connections.
࢝࢝ Is there anything important that you’ve noticed that isn’t raised on this card? What is it?
Why do you think it’s important?

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 Language
࢝࢝ Identify one or two of your favourite passages in the story/novel where language is used
particularly well? Explain how it is used.
࢝࢝ How would you describe the language used in this story/novel overall? E.g. poetic,
plain, chatty etc.
࢝࢝ Would you say the language in this story/novel is original or creative in any particular
way? If so, how?
࢝࢝ Are there any patterns in the language used? If so, what are they, and what is their
effect? Are there any other patterns, such as of imagery and symbolism?
࢝࢝ How is dialogue used in the story/novel? Do characters, for example, speak in
particularly distinctive ways?
࢝࢝ Is the language similar to how it is used in similar kinds of stories/novels? If so, in what
ways? If not, why not?
࢝࢝ Find one or two bullet points from other cards that add to what you have discussed
about language. Explain the connections.
࢝࢝ Is there anything important that you’ve noticed that isn’t raised on this card? What is it?
Why do you think it’s important?

Narrative
࢝࢝ How does the writer try to capture and keep the reader’s attention? How successful are
they in doing this?
࢝࢝ Is the narrative told in order from beginning to end (a linear narrative), or does it move
backwards and forwards in time? What is the effect of the order in which events are
told?
࢝࢝ Can you think of any other ways the story/novel could be told? For example, by a
different character, or in a different order? How would this affect your experience of
reading?
࢝࢝ Would you say that this story/novel is told in a particular original or creative way? If so,
how?
࢝࢝ Is this story/novel told in a way that is typical for its genre?

࢝࢝ Find one or two bullet points from other cards that add to what you have discussed
about narrative. Explain the connections.
࢝࢝ Is there anything important that you’ve noticed that isn’t raised on this card? What is it?
Why do you think it’s important?

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 Point of view and voice
࢝࢝ Through whose eyes do we see the events of the story/novel? Do readers get just one
point of view or several?
࢝࢝ What do you find interesting about the point or points of view presented?

࢝࢝ If the story/novel is told from different points of view, how does the writer do this?

࢝࢝ What would the story/novel be like if told from someone else’s point of view? Whose
point of view would you choose, and why?
࢝࢝ How would you describe the tone of voice used to tell the narrative? Does the
narrative draw attention to itself by using a particular tone, or is the tone pushed to the
background? What is the effect of the choice made by the writer?
࢝࢝ Find one or two bullet points from other cards that add to what you have discussed
about point of view and voice. Explain the connections.
࢝࢝ Is there anything important that you’ve noticed that isn’t raised on this card? What is it?
Why do you think it’s important?

Audience and overall personal response

࢝࢝ Who do you think this story/novel was written for, and why? Are there any other groups
of people who you think should read it?
࢝࢝ What was your experience of reading this story/novel?

࢝࢝ What would you recommend about this story/novel to other people?

࢝࢝ Which parts of this story/novel did you most enjoy? Were there any parts that you didn’t
enjoy?
࢝࢝ Do you think this story/novel could be improved in some way? If so, how?

࢝࢝ What other stories (or films, TV, plays etc.) does this story/novel remind you of? In what
ways?
࢝࢝ Who do you think should read this book and why?

࢝࢝ Find one or two bullet points from other cards that add to what you have discussed
about personal response and audience. Explain the connections.
࢝࢝ Is there anything important that you’ve noticed that isn’t raised on this card? What is it?
Why do you think it’s important?

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