The Silent Boy

The Silent Boy 

• Genre: Fiction; historical fiction; young adult 
• Originally Published: 2003 
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 870L; grades 4-7 
• Structure/Length: Approximately 448 pages; audiobook length about 3 hours and 57 minutes. 
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The story is told from the perspective of Katy Thatcher, a young girl in the early 1900s who befriends Jacob, a boy unable to speak and considered "touched" by the people in their rural community. The central conflict revolves around Katy's growing understanding of and compassion towards Jacob amidst the backdrop of societal prejudices and the limitations placed on those who are different. 
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of mental health and disability; societal judgment; emotional depth dealing with friendship and acceptance; violence toward animals

Lois Lowry, Author 

• Bio: Born in 1937; an acclaimed American author known for her contributions to children's literature, including tackling complex issues such as identity, societal norms, and the human condition. Lowry's work is celebrated for its depth, sensitivity, and thought-provoking content. 
• Other Works: The Giver (1993); Number the Stars (1989); Gathering Blue (2000); Messenger (2004); The Windeby Puzzle (2023)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Animals, Innocence, and Human Violence
• Traditional Versus Nontraditional Methods of Communication
• Education, Social Class, and Economic Advancement

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

• Gain an understanding of the historical and sociocultural contexts around rural and working-class life in America in the late 19th and early 20th century, which serves as key backdrop to Katy’s coming-of-age story.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes regarding violence, communication, and social class.
• Research primary source historical photographs and create a short story inspired by those photos, mirroring Lois Lowry’s creative writing process for The Silent Boy.
• Analyze and evaluate the plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding Katy’s first-person perspective narration, the impact of prejudice on both Katy and Jacob, and other topics.