TN#4: Girl, Stolen

We hear about carjackings all the time on the news, but what if you were in the backseat when your car was taken.  What if you were sick and couldn't do anything to stop it.  What if you were blind...

Author April Henry saw a story about a young blind girl named Heather who had an experience somewhat similar to this and began to think of all kinds of what ifs.  In fact, here is a little video about the story behind Girl, Stolen (from the Truman Nominee list).  To see it, click here.  (For some reason I can only get it through Ms. Henry's website)

April Henry says that her stories are a series of what ifs.  If you saw a story about a girl on the news who was taken, could you come up with a series of what ifs?  Why not write those down and see what kind of story you come up with before reading Girl, Stolen.  Then we can compare your what ifs to the author's.

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316730155l/7906105.jpg

So what did I think of this book?  I liked most of it.  There are a lot of twist and turns that you don't see coming.  I also felt compassion for the character Griffen, the young man who kidnaps Cheyanne (our protagonist).  Here is a boy who makes a lot of bad choices, but is he really bad at heart or is it because of the hand that he has been dealt?  That is something that the author addresses.  Which I think is important.  A lot of times we come to accept our circumstances and don't try to do anything to change those, but what would happen if we did?  Ah yes, another what if.

So, think about your what ifs, write them down, and let me know if you how close you were or where your story will go.


Henry, April. "The Story Behind Girl, Stolen." Youtube.com. You Tube, 7 Mar. 2012. Web. 8 June 2012. <http://youtu.be/dH-CFxp5Iv0>.
Henry, April. Girl, Stolen. New York: Henry Holt, 2010. Print.