Life as We Knew It - Chapter 1

The next book we will be reading is Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. For this particular book, we will be answering our homework questions via our class Blog. However, there still may be other class assignments in written form.

On the tool bar in the right column, you will find links to chapter summaries based on the book. On my website, you will find additional helpful links.

The Harcourt Publishing discussion guide describes Life as We Knew It as:

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

We will begin our reading during the Spring Season with Chapter One. After reading the chapter as a class, please answer the following questions in the chapter comments:

1. Before the meteor hits, what were the biggest concerns in Miranda's life?


2. How does Becky's death affect the relationship between Miranda, Megan and Sammi?


3. Your Opinion: Miranda seems primarily concerned with the homework demands associated with the news that a meteor will be hitting the moon and not the consequences of the event for the people of Earth. When you here of a possible dangerous weather event happening in the Rochester area, what is your reaction to the news? Why?