Solve the mystery behind some stolen books and a missing father in Hold Fast by Blue Balliett, January’s Author of the Month.
On a cold January morning in Chicago, while riding his bicycle home from work, Dashel Pearl disappears. Though the police think he has merely run away, Early and her mother know that Dash would never desert his family. Then one night, three men and a woman break into their meager apartment, looking for who knows what, leaving the Pearl's with barely the clothes on their backs. With no place else to go, Early, her mother and younger brother find themselves living in a homeless shelter, far from everything they know. Early is convinced she can figure out the mystery of her father’s disappearance with the few clues he left behind. Can she solve the puzzle before it's too late?
Questions and Activities
- Langston Hughes’ poetry is important to the Pearl family; in fact the one book that Dash keeps for the family is The First Book of Rhythms by Langston Hughes. Do you have a favorite poet? How does their poetry affect your life?
- Each section of the book begins with a definition of a word, which is then used for each chapter heading in that section. What is the purpose of these definitions and how does it affect your reading of that section?
- Early develops an idea to solve the homeless problem. Can you think of any ideas that might help people who have lost their homes? Write a story about your dream home or create a collage that represents what home means to you.
- Early visits CPL's Harold Washington Library Center, where her father worked, to solve the mystery behind her father’s disappearance. Find out more about Harold Washington, Chicago’s first African American mayor. Have you ever visited Harold Washington Library Center? What did you do there? What is your neighborhood library and what do you like to do when you visit?
- In her research, Early discovers that people sometime use books to hide valuables. Create your own book safe.
- Investigate the actual Antwerp Diamond Heist, which happened during the weekend of February 15-16, 2003.
- Summer reads Treasure Island to the kids in the shelter. How does this book mirror events in Hold Fast?
- Find out more about the research behind Hold Fast on Blue Balliett’s website.
Discover even more about Blue Balliett and her writing process.
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