SuitabookMirror Image
K. L. Denman
- Reading
- Consider reading it alongside a conversation about judging people by appearance. Pause after the girls are paired to discuss what each assumes; after finishing, revisit whether the project changes how they see themselves and each other.
- Themes
- Looking beyond appearances: Sable initially sees Lacey as a superficial ‘pink’ girl, while the mirror project requires each girl to discover and represent something about the other. The story presents snap judgements as barriers that can be questioned, though the full treatment of every stereotype is not established.
- Trust and friendship: The girls struggle to talk after being paired for the project, then begin to let one another past the barriers they have built. The book presents this favourably.
- Grief, displacement and fear: Sable’s early wartime experiences include her father’s death and her family’s refugee experience; she remains afraid that something terrible will happen. These circumstances explain important aspects of Sable’s guardedness, but the broader treatment of war and displacement is not established.
- Worth knowing
- The story includes a parent’s death during wartime, refugee experiences, fear that catastrophe is imminent, and difficulty connecting with others. These elements may merit a quiet check-in, especially if loss or displacement is personally significant.