Bacigalup, P. (2011) Ship Breaker. Little Brown Group: New York.
Ship Breaker is about a boy named Nailer in a future world here in the United States. Nailer is in a slaves state as a ship breaker (someone who scavenges old ships for parts). He lives day to day and receives very little in terms of food for survival. He can only trust his "crew" and then is betrayed by one of his own and his outlook on life changes. He finds his ticket to freedom and wealth and doesn't take it but believes in trust instead. He follows the "Lucky Girl' (Nita) in hopes that she can find her family and that will one day take him to a better place. His journey with her leads her to see New Orleans and the life of the have and have-nots in this new dystopian society that is now the southern United States.
Fantasy chapter book (dystopian future). Grades 7-12.
I find it ironic that the last book I read for the theme set is is the only one that doesn't focus on US history and African American slavery but yet it still takes place in that same location. Although this book doesn't have slavery as we recall it from our history, Nailer, the main character in this book is living in a slave society of those that have things and those that don't. They rely on family and those that they trust and they are always dreaming of freedom while working hard and few ever attain it.
This book is a great one to read in parallel to a study of US slavery in the 1800s because a reader response can be for children to compare the characters to that of slaves from history. How does this story parallel slaves of the past. Students can draw the comparisons as they study the past of what the future can hold. They then can analyze using facts from Ship Breaker what were the causes for society to become this way and create a plan for how to avoid such a future for out country. It is a great cross curricular study of history!
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