The Last Book in the Universe

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade dystopian
• Originally Published: 2000
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 740L; grades 4-7
• Structure/Length: 33 chapters; approx. 240 pages; approx. 4 hours and 24 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Spaz, a teenager with epilepsy, is one of the few people in a future dystopian world who doesn’t use mind probes for entertainment, allowing him to see things clearly. He and an old man named Ryter embark on a journey to find a promised land called Eden.
• Potential Sensitivity Issue: ableism

Rodman Philbrick, Author

• Bio: Grew up in New Hampshire; currently lives in both Maine and Florida; started writing novels at the age of 16; writes for both children and adults
• Other Works: Freak the Mighty (1993); The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (2009); Zane and the Hurricane (2014)
• Awards: Maine Library Association Lupine Award (2000); ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2001); Newbery Honor (2010)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Memory’s Impact on Society
• The Foundational Nature of the Family Unit
• Maintaining Class Structure
• Leadership and Privilege
• Inner Versus Outer Beauty

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of dystopian literature and how its literary and cultural qualities convey messages about Memory’s Impact on Society and Maintaining Class Structure.