A Difficult Boy

Captivating, Stimulating, Unmitigated, Contingent, Riveting
A Difficult Boy by M.P. Barker 

Published by Holiday House Copyright 2008
Children’s Book Caucus Discovery Award && Notable Books for a Global Society 2009
"A memorable tale of friendship and a fascinating glimpse into mid-19th-century Massachusetts. . . . This is an eye-opening look at indentured servitude in American history." —School Library Journal

As the book begins we learn about Ethan Root, who has to leave his family and farm at the age of nine to work off his father's debt at the Lyman's farm. "I need you to go," the famous words of Gideon that repeat over and over in Ethan's head. Ethan first despises the farm and everyone on it, especially Daniel. Ethan despises the other indentured servant, but after they endure physical pain from Mr. Lyman, they soon learn they have more in common than they realized. Daniel is the difficult boy, always getting blamed for everything. Therefore, he tends to stay away from everyone when he can, secretly dealing with his own family hardships that we learn about later in the book. Ethan soon learns that Mr. Lyman isn't the upstanding, honest man that everyone believes, but rather a liar and a cheater. With the help of Mr. Lyman's son, Silas, Ethan faces the Mr. Lyman, exposing Mr. Lyman to harsh punishments, and possibly even jail. What will happen to Mr. Lyman?  

Reading Level: Grade 5/6 Lexile 760L

Suggested Delivery: Small group read or independent read
 

Teachers, here are some resources that may help you teach A Difficult Boy...

Key Vocabulary: indenture, solemnly, scalded, stanchion, contempt, feeble, apprehension, conjured, deferential, averted, blissful, bolster, Lucifer, prodigal, jarred, intonation, disheveled, incantation, deft, liable, resignation, gaped, indulgent, accentuating, inconspicuous, patronizing, amiss, perpetual, jovial, placid, bemused, quizzical, cajole, rogue, physio-gratification, heathen, constable, quandary, regal, relinquishing, stature, peddler, cravats, vendue, satiated, reprieve, mastiff

Electronic Resources: 

M.P. Barker

• M.P.Barker: On the publishers website you can view her biography, as well as guest blogs and interviews, watch a trailer video, read FAQ's, a summary of the novel, and you can even follow it on twitter! This website is great for before reading to capture interest or after reading to extend student knowledge. 
• EducationGuide: Holiday House gives teachers a great educators guide filled with information about the book, a before reading activity (shown below), theme connections, questions for classroom discussions, multiple curriculum connections (including social studies, music, math, language arts and drama), vocabulary connections and the authors website. This is extremely useful to any educator before teaching and while teaching this book.
• MPBarkerJournal: On the authors website she shares information through her blog and through interviews. This may be beneficial while gathering background information about the author and the book. 

Activities for Students: 

• Before Reading: Ask students to use resources in the library, or sites on the Internet, to find out about indentured servants. Have them write down the differences between the lives of indentured servants and slaves.
• During Reading: Discuss prejudice and bigotry. What's the difference? How does this relate to A Difficult Boy? How did Ethan feel about Daniel at first? Did that change? Discuss the differences between people and how we should accept people for who they are and where they come from, and not make judgements right away. Invite students to share how this made them feel and anything else related.
• After Reading: As we know, Ivy and Phizzy played an important role in A Difficult Boy. What part do horses Ivy and Phizzy play in the story? What do they represent when ridden by the horseback riders in the story? How do you think the story/characters would have changed if Ivy was not on the farm? Write a paragraph in response to these questions.

"Barker's gift for historical detail illuminates this absorbing first novel." —Publishers Weekly
Barker, M. P. (2008). A difficult boy . New York: Holiday House.