Friday, May 2, 2014

Candor

Candor




Bibliographic Information
     Bachorz, Pam. Candor. New York: Egmont USA, 2009. eBook.

Plot Description
Candor, Florida is the perfect town. Families move to Candor when they have problems, most notably teen problems. Every teen that comes to Candor amazingly becomes the perfect child; striving to better their community, get straight A’s, and be just like Oscar Banks, the son of the town’s founder. Oscar, however, knows the town’s secret: subliminal messages. Once kids move to Candor they are subjected to subliminal messages that mold them into the perfect child and erase who they were before they came to Candor; everyone except for Oscar, who has discovered how to fight the messages. The newest Candor resident is Nia, and Oscar is immediately drawn to her. Can he save her from the messages?

Quantitative Reading Level
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 2.6
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 90.6
ATOS Level: 4.0

Qualitative Reading Level

Meaning: Middle High. Text contains multiple layers of meaning.

Structure: Middle High/Low. The narrative structure contains some complexities, more implicit than explicit and some unconventionality. Narration does not shift in point of view. The order of events has occasional use of flashbacks and no major shifts in time.  I would classify the structure overall as Middle High and Low because although the time and point of view are low, the narrative structure is high. 

Language: Middle Low: Text contains subtle use of figurative language or irony. The language is largely contemporary, familiar, conversational language that is explicit. The text is rarely unfamiliar, archaic, domain-specific or overly academic.

Knowledge Demands: Middle High. Text explores a single complex theme, experiences portrayed are fantasy and but can be easily understood by the common reader. The use of intertexuality and allusions to cultural elements requires some level of cultural and literacy knowledge. Because the wide range of knowledge demands I would classify the structure overall knowledge demands as Middle High because Candor contains elements from Middle Low, Middle High and High.

Content Area
English, Science: Biology

Subject Area Tag
English, Science, Weekly Requirement

New York State Content Area Standard (Grades 6-12)
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical,  connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
11. Respond to literature by employing knowledge of literary language, textual features, and forms to read and comprehend, reflect upon, and interpret literary texts from a variety of genres and a wide spectrum of American and world cultures.

NYS does not have a Core Curriculum for Biology
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/sci/ls.html

Curriculum Suggestions
·   Pair with a classic novel such as Brave new World by Aldous Huxley.
·   Ask students to create a virtual tour their own perfect town and compare to what they think their parents/guardians would want in a perfect town.
·   The possibilities of applying the science of subliminal messages in Candor. Is it a reality? Do we use these ideas today?

Links to Supporting Digital Content
Author site:
Digital and Audio Options (not free):



*photo obtained from Goodreads

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