SuitabookWrite This Down
Claudia Mills
- Reading
- Before reading, discuss what privacy might mean in writing about real people. Afterwards, compare Autumn's hopes with the effects on others, noting whether the story offers a clear answer about publication.
- Themes
- Creative ambition and privacy: Autumn enters an essay about her changing relationship with her brother in a contest and must consider whether publication would reveal family secrets. The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
- Sibling distance: Hunter used to watch out for Autumn but has grown distant since starting high school; her essay addresses their changing relationship. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Embarrassment and recognition: Hunter shares one of Autumn's poems with Cameron's older brother, and they make fun of it, leaving Autumn devastated; she then seeks to prove her talent. The incident clearly causes emotional pain and motivates Autumn's determination, but the broader treatment of mockery and recognition is not established.
- Worth knowing
- Pay attention to how the book handles the poem being mocked, Autumn's distress, her crush on Cameron, and the widening distance between siblings. The ending's judgement about publication and family privacy remains unclear.