Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Mim’s Road Trip Playlists”

In this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of Mim as a dynamic character by compiling “road trip” playlists for her journey north and for her journey back home.

Music is important to Mim, and she tells the reader quite a bit about what kinds of music she likes and why. In this activity, you will create two imagined playlists for her—one for her trip north to see her mother and one for her journey back home with Kathy. Use these playlists to demonstrate how Mim has changed over the course of the novel.

Playlist One:

• Create a playlist of 5 song titles, drawing from the artists and genres Mim enjoys.
• Choose songs that reflect how she feels about herself and her life near the beginning of the novel.

Playlist Two:

• Create a playlist of 5 song titles. This time, you have more latitude about which artists and genre to draw from; decide whether you think Mim’s preferences have changed during her journey.
• Choose songs that reflect how Mim feels about herself, recent events, and her life at the end of the novel.