how i live now by Meg Rosoff

Genre: Fanciful Fiction (events are set in the future, yet not beyond the realm of possibility)
Themes: Trust, Coming of Age, War, Family, Anorexia
Grade Level: Young Adult
Curricular Connections: Social Studies (war, England)

Her father and stepmother unable to deal with her any longer, 15-year-old Daisy is sent to England to live with her Aunt Penn and her family. She is picked up at the airport by her 14-year-old cousin Edmond, with whom she develops a strong relationship, and then she begins life with this family in the English countryside. When England is invaded and occupied by another country (which remains unnamed), Aunt Penn is stranded on the European mainland. The kids happily live for a while with no adult supervision, but they are eventually separated.

Daisy and Piper are sent live with a major in the Army, he is killed, they live with English soldiers, and eventually run for home. Arriving barely alive, they struggle to survive not knowing what has happened to the others. Daisy eventually returns home to the United States without knowing what happened to Edmond. (He has witnessed the slaughter of an entire village population and bears the emotional scars to prove it.) In the end, Daisy returns to England and begins to rebuild the relationship with the now silent Edmond.

Classroom Suggestions:

1. The novel is written without proper punctuation and capitalization which can be frustrating, especially the dialogue. Have students rewrite sections correctly. Discuss how the author's style affects the story.

2. Compare events of the English occupation in the novel to those of other wars.

3. Health topics include eating disorders, underage sexual relationships, survival (food, malnutrition), and emotional disorders.