Will & Whit

Title: Will & Whit
Author: Laura Lee Gulledge     
Illustrator: Laura Lee Gulledge 
Publisher: Abrams 
Publication Date: May, 2013 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Graphic Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Wilhelmina “Will” Huxstep is a creative soul struggling to come to terms with a family tragedy. She crafts whimsical lamps, in part to deal with her fear of the dark. As she wraps up another summer in her mountain town, she longs for unplugged adventures with her fellow creative friends, Autumn, Noel, and Reese. Little does she know that she will get her wish in the form of an arts carnival and a blackout, courtesy of a hurricane named Whitney, which forces Will to face her fear of darkness.
Laura Lee Gulledge’s signature visual metaphors will be on full display in this all-new graphic novel, a moving look at shedding light on the dark corners of life. 
What I Think: I thoroughly enjoyed Laura Lee's book Paige By Page and especially Paige's personality and how she finds herself and embraces being an agent of whimsy. The elements of self identity in this book also struck a chord with me. Will is learning more and more about herself everyday while managing a family tragedy. It's amazing what we can handle and how we handle it. Laura Lee really uses her grasp of drawing and shading to make Will's emotions evident to readers and to help us see how she is constantly dealing with the memories that haunt her.
     I really loved the stories about Will's friends that are going on along with Will's story throughout the book. Will is learning a lot about herself but engaging with her friends and being part of what they are learning about themselves. I'm constantly and continuously fascinated by the people who come into our lives and when they come into our lives. I feel like I have something to learn and/or something to contribute to everyone I come into contact with whether it is something big or small. It's a pretty amazing life and I love how Laura Lee brings this to life in Will & Whit. 
Read Together: Grades 7 - 9 
Read Alone: Grades 7 - 12 
Read With: Paige By Page by Laura Lee Gulledge, Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol, Smile and Drama by Raina Telgemeier, Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks 
Snatch of Text:  

  

Reading Strategies to Practice: Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Inferences

Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative, Dialogue
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you were scared to face something important.  
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Loss, Honesty, Trust, Determination, Courage, Love

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