Water for elephants book age level

In the beginning of the novel, jacob mocks another resident of the nursing home who claims to have worked in the circus and carried water for the elephants. The book, water for elephants, starts off in the present day, in a nursing home where the main character, jacob jankowski, lives. It is there that he falls in love with marlena, the equestrian star married to the maniacal ringmaster, and where he meets rosie, the untrainable elephant, who becomes the most surprising character of all. He is portrayed as a bit of a rebel, arguing with other residents, complaining about the food.

The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. Water for elephants was a thoroughly engaging and mesmerizing read from the characters to the story itself. Can one really take an age appropriate brush and color all kids. A meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. Water for elephants by sara gruen paperback book the. Water for elephants, published in 2006, is sara gruens third book and her most. Water for elephants was a completely different read for me. If you like water for elephants, you might like little heathens by mildred armstrong kalish seabiscuit by laura hillenbrand the adventures of miles and isabel by tom gilling. I am not going to say that water for elephants is among the 10 best books i have ever read, but it is one of the best bestseller books i have read in recent memory gripping, interesting, and with a great ending.

Based on the book by sara gruen, water for elephants is the story of jacob jankowski who as an old man is recounting the tale of when he first. When my book club decided to read water for elephants for our selection. It follows the story of a young man whose circumstances are suddenly altered and who finds himself homeless and jobless. The novel is advertised as a bestseller, has won several awards, and has been made into a movie with robert pattinson and reese witherspoon, and yet, somehow, none of us in the group had ever heard of water for elephants, nor of sara gruen.

Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Gruens book is wellresearched and wellwritten, but. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Readers may find themselves churning through this book at a rapidfire pace, eager to see what lies ahead, then slowing down as they realize the pages are dwindling. This is a book where i had actually seen the movie first, which then made me. Trough water lemonade is a must at a water for elephants book club party. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed. Sara gruens very readable novel is a story of impossible love set in the circus world during the 1930s and is set to be made into a blockbuster film starring robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. I was an early reader and above level, but i cannot imagine having read this at 11, and impossible to imagine my son reading it at 11.

Neither the narrator, nor any of the other characters in water for elephants, for that matter, even remotely sound like they live in the 1930s, nor does the old man sound like an old man in the presentday chapters in fact, he sounds exactly like he did as a 22year old in the 1930s chapters. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. Do you find water for elephants to be sexually explicit, contain offensive language, andor unsuited to any age group. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. The screenplay is by richard lagravenese, whose the horse whisperer also showed a sympathy for the personalities of animals. Great movie just a bit of animal violence but clearly known its part of the story. Our products and services help learners achieve their goals by providing unique insights about their ability level and. First of all, an integral part of the plot is jacob falling in love with his future wife, marlena. Water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. He is particularly angry with one old man who says he once got the water for elephants in the circus. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. This movie and book was good but i would say this is age appropriate for. Review of water for elephants good books for catholic kids. Water for elephants by sara gruen sophisticated dorkiness.

He jumps aboard a passing train and discovers he has landed on the train of a travelling circus. In my discussion about the banning of water for elephants for high school age kids by a school district in nh, the question of age appropriateness came up, and i started wondering what that really means, and to what age does what book belong. Trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise hits of 2011. Although the vast majority of books that have lexile measures did not change, a small subset of books required updated lexile measures. Rosie is not as charismatic as a horse, and as jacob observes she. Apr 20, 2012 i say go for it as long as your your child is intelligent and a gifted reader. Noelle the way i look at it, if you would be uncomfortable reading the book out loud to your child than it is not age appropriate. Included throughout the book are portrait gems from the archives of the circus world, and that only added to the imageries already saturated in my mind.

Sometimes, as an adult, its difficult to recall specific details of books youve read and its also difficult to view it through the lens of someone half or onethird your age. I decided to not watch the movie when i heard it was coming out simply because i didnt want to possibly ruin the experience id had with the book if the movie wasnt uptopar. Not appropriate for anyone who loves animals andor is tenderhearted. In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. Water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. Jul 23, 2018 water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel. Aug 05, 2008 a meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. The truth is, it is summer and i am desperate for a distraction away from my recent obsession with greys anatomy reruns fueled by netflixs instant queue.

I say go for it as long as your your child is intelligent and a gifted reader. Im also hosting a banned books giveaway, so i hope youll check it out and enter to win a banned book of your choice. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. But it also teaches us that this lesson shouldnt be abandoned in old age. So i purchased the book and slowly began retreating. Reading books way more mature than my grade level is what gave me a college reading level.

The circus, the great depression, a complex elephant, equally complex love, the mists and twists of memory articulated in the utterly winning voice of a very old man whos seen it all. Water for elephants is a fictional novel by sara gruen that is set in the depression. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. The setting of the story changes throughout the book.

Ted lewins sensitive water colors express all of the emotion and pathos of this. Joshilyn jackson, author of gods in alabama so much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only under the big top, but into the protagonists heart. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. Classroom ideas posted april 12, 2011 by sara novel novice 5 comments there is so much to love about sara gruens water for elephants, from the lush and magical setting of a 1930s circus, to the sweeping forbidden romance, to the heartbreaking recollections of narrator jacob jankowski. Its from this nursing home that jacob tells his story, like he is looking back at all the adventures at the circus. A novel and millions of other books are available for. Based on the acclaimed bestseller, water for elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. Take our free water for elephants quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Water for elephants is an enchanting pageturner, the kind of book that creates a world that engulfs you from the first page to the last. Water for elephants is it too adult for an 11 year old. Elephants can suck up water both to drink and to spray on their bodies. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is.

Water for elephants trailer 20th century fox youtube. Water for elephants lexile find a book metametrics inc. In the book, we see jacob as an old man in the nursing home throughout. Veterinary school student jacob meets and falls in. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. Our products and services help learners achieve their goals by providing unique insights about their ability level and potential for growth. Apr 22, 2011 8 big differences between water for elephants book and movie apr. A water for elephants discussion from reading group guides writers digest interview with sara gruen. Water for elephants is a story of unspeakable love, of untold secrets, and ultimately learning that life is meant to be lived as the main spectacle of a glorious headlining show, not some cheap, dingy, forgettable sideshow. It was adult, and it was realistic, and i loved it. May 26, 2006 water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends.

I would talk to her about the book if you arent sure she can handle it on her own, but dont outright forbid her to read it. Water for elephants is fun, sweet and thrilling and will pull you into the mysterious life of the circus so far that you wont want to leave. Download and read online for free water for elephants by sara gruen. Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage. Dec 11, 2011 water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. Water for elephants was directed by francis lawrence, whose i am legend and constantine were not predictions of this relatively classic film. I read water for elephants for our book club, and i expected it to be as slow, dull, and superficial as most of the other books we have read. The paperback of the water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen at barnes. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and answers. Sara gruen mines fertile territory in water for elephants.

A national bestseller in canada and a new york times bestseller in the united states, this is a book destined to become a beloved fiction classic. But on several levels i found this book unsatisfactory. Cant say ive ever been curious enough about its workings to read a book revolving around one, but i am so glad i did because it was sooo much more than that. Jacob remarks that he is ninety or ninetythree, but at his age, he is not longer counting. My posts will include the banned book, wherewhy its been banned or challenged, my opinion, and a students opinion. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. Water for elephants begins dark and violent as it braces readers for the tumultuous circus atmosphere during the terrible years of the great depression. The francis lawrence constantine, i am legend adaptation of sara gruens novel.

Differences between water for elephants book vs movie page 1. Joshilyn jackson, author of gods in alabama so much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. The level of detail about circus life makes it feel real, and so is the depiction of old age. At its finest, water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by elizabeth mccracken, or the lovely bones, by alice sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical. Then gruen shifts readers attention away from the eerie circus to introduce the ninety or ninetythree year old protagonist, jacob jankowski. The lexile power v word selector identifies up to 10 challenging words in each book that are important for students to know. Novelist sara gruen sweeps her readers off their feet in the opening pages of water for elephantsand doesnt let go until she deposits them at the end of her fantastic tale of passion, madness and fancy. Reading books way more mature than my grade level is what gave me a college reading level in the third grade. When jacob jankowski is tossed by fate onto a rickety depressionera circus train, he enters a world that is both his salvation and a living hell. When underwater, the elephant uses its trunk as a snorkel. May 26, 2006 the level of detail about circus life makes it feel real, and so is the depiction of old age.