Bibliographic Information:
Bradbury, Jennifer. Shift. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008.
Plot Description: Win and Chris have been best friends for most of their lives and are planning a cross country cycling trip to celebrate high school graduation before heading off to college. Just days before they make it to Seattle, however, Win disappears and Chris is forced to finish the trip on his own. As the fall semester approaches and there is still no word from Win, Chris finds himself under scrutiny of Win’s dominating father and a persistent FBI agent. Where is Win? Should he try to find him? And what has become of their friendship?
Quantitative Reading Level: Lexile 770; GL 5.2
Qualitative Reading Analysis: Shift follows a unique time structure, with each chapter alternating between the bike trip and Chris’ life after the trip, which creates a very suspenseful plot. The point of view is entirely Chris, but there is a significant amount of dialogue between him and other characters, some of whom evolve throughout the story like Win’s father and the FBI agent. The language is mostly accessible but for some cycling-specific vocabulary. The subject matter is moderately complex – with a theme of friendship implicit throughout what initially unfolds like a crime story. Ultimately this book requires very little knowledge demands – even the reader with no cycling knowledge can follow and appreciate the story.
Content Area: English Language Arts, Reading Literature
Content Area Standard(s):
CCSS for Reading Literature, Grades 9-10: 2) Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text; 5) Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
Curriculum Suggestions: For an English class read, the most interesting text feature is the alternating time frame structure, jumping back and forth around the mystery of Win’s disappearance. I would definitely recommend this as an independent reading choice for students to explore themes of independence, friendship and coming of age.
Supporting Digital Content: Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NQorLYnmQU, Interview with the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMXi5_i0P9Q
Recognition: Selected by ALA and School Library Journal Best Book for Young Adults and YALSA Top Ten Crime Fiction for Young Adults
Reader’s Advisory Note: Especially awesome for cyclists, campers, travelers and other adventurists!
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