LANGUAGE OF SEABIRDS
Grades 6 and Up
Will Taylor
Scholastic, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-33875-373-8
256 pp.
Summary
After his parents’ recent separation, Jeremy and his dad head to a cabin on the Oregon coast while his mom moves out of their house. The vacation is not a success – Jeremy’s father, coping with grief by drinking, becomes more and more distant and curt. Things take a turn for the better, though, when Jeremy sees a boy running on the beach and meets Evan, with whom he forms a bond. This is a bittersweet story about a first crush – and about finding yourself, even when it seems that your family has come unmoored.
Curriculum Connections
Themes: Themes: identity, family, friendship, romance, alcoholism.
Science
In the book, Jeremy gets caught in a dangerous situation when the tide comes in and changes the geography of the beach.
See Charting the Tides, a detailed lesson plan that provides background information, practice sheets, and hands-on activities. Many of the resources are available at two different levels, 4th and 6th grade, although this lesson can certainly be adapted for other grade/age levels.
Jeremy and Evan use different seabirds as a code for communication.
To learn about seabirds found on the Oregon Coast, see Seabirds of the Pacific Northwest, a full-color, beautifully illustrated guide which also includes information about pollution and other threats to the well-being of the Oregon coast’s bird population.
Choose one of the seabirds in this guide to research in more depth. Other resources include:
Vermont Online Library/Gale in Context
Social Studies
Jeremy is reticent about telling his family that he is gay. There is a long history of discrimination against individuals that identify as gay, as well as a history of activism and pride within the LGBTQ+ community. Using the resources in the Understanding LGBTQ+ Identity toolkit, kids can explore this history and discover mirrors, windows, and doors of their own regardless of gender/sexual identity.
Art
There are many great art projects related to birds. For example, see:
In this lesson, students compare the very different art styles of bird artists John James Audobon and Charley Harper. They then use photographs of birds to create collages in the style of Charley Harper.
Learn to Draw Birds with David Sibley
The famed bird artist gives general advice on how to draw birds and shares videos on how to draw specific birds including an Arctic Tern and a Great Blue Heron.
Physical Education/Math
Will and Evan connect through running, and throughout the book, we witness the challenges, joys, and benefits of running. In NOVA’s Marathon Challenge Lesson, kids learn about the effect of exercise on pulse rate by monitoring and recording their pulse before and after exercise and plotting this data on a graph.
Discussion Questions
The time on the Oregon coast with his dad could have been a time for Jeremy and his dad to reconnect during the divorce. How are Jeremy’s dad’s behavior and actions standing in the way of their forging a closer relationship? Why do you think Jeremy’s dad acts the way that he does?
Evan has a very positive relationship with his grandmother. Why do you think he feels so comfortable with her? What does his grandmother say or do to help Evan know that it is safe to share with her?
Why do Jeremy and Evan choose specific birds for their secret language? Why do they feel that they need a secret language?
Author Online
Will Taylor (he/they) is a reader, writer, and honeybee fan who lives in Seattle, surrounded by seagulls and too many teacups. He has a college degree in sacred architecture, can perform on the static trapeze, and claims that one of his life goals is to write a book as entertaining, effective, and satisfying as the Duck Tales theme song. Find him on Instagram.
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