Peeled

Module 7: March 1-7


Peeled by Joan Bauer

Summary:
This is a 'David & Goliath' type story in which a teen girl from a small town organizes the downfall of a giant. Hildy, a budding teen journalist, and her friends from the school newspaper set out to discover the mystery behind the eerie events that are occuring at the town's local 'haunted house'. If they don't set the story straight, their town could be heading for disaster.

Thoughts from a Book Worm:
I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. I love the fact that it goes into so many of the aspects of journalism. Hildy is a brave heroine that works hard to uncover the mystery haunting the town. In the process of solving the mystery, she and her friends show that with confidence, hard work, and perserverance, young teens can earn a place of respect within the community.

Reviews:
"Bauer's (Hope Was Here) fans will appreciate this diverting novel's shout-out to the author's debut, Squashed, from which she also harvests a few themes. In an upstate New York hamlet known for its apples, aspiring teen journalist Hildy Biddle treasures her staff position on the high school paper, aptly named The Core. She does whatever it takes to find the facts for a story, hoping she is honoring the memory of her late father, a respected local reporter. But when the opportunistic publisher of the town paper whips the citizens into a frenzy with sensational stories of ghosts and eerie happenings, Hildy and her friends are determined to expose the truth—which involves a disreputable development company. With sharp pacing and an intriguing premise, Bauer renders a fully realized portrait of a small town dependent on an ever-fragile agricultural economy and threatened by modern encroachment. As always, she stocks her work with strong, sage women, the elements for a budding romance and plenty of funny moments. But it's Hildy readers will remember longest, a smart girl who realistically blends the spunkiness, brains and good humor that is Bauer's stock-in-trade. Ages 12—up." - Publisher's Weekly Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Ghosts and an economic downturn haunt the apple-growing town of Banesville, New York. Residents respond to the local paper's sinister headlines by selling their farms to a developer. But is this news accurate? Hildy Biddle, a reporter for the high school newspaper, The Peel, decides to investigate. When she prints a rebuttal to the local paper's so-called facts, town officials shut down The Peel. But Hildy and her teenaged buddies find a way to get the truth out. Readers will embrace this can-do tale of First Amendment rights and cheer Hildy as she takes on the big guys—and orchestrates their fall." Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum -Children's Literature

Suggested Activities: I think this book would be a great way to motivate a class or group to start their own small newsletter/or newspaper. This activity can work for a family, school, or group.

Bibliography: Bauer, J. (2008). Peeled. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.