Welcome to our online book club for grades 9-12! We are excited for you to join us in reading Dread Nation by Justina Ireland.
Along with a free copy of the book, you will receive a review page so you can tell us what you thought of the book! You will also receive a questions page to consider, activity pages, and an information page with cool links related to the book!
Kits are ready for pickup today, Wednesday, March 1! Please remember that we have a limited number of kits available, so it's first come, first served. If you have any special requests or need accommodations, please let Leanna or Michelle know!
All we ask is that you read the book: do as much or as little of the rest of it as you want. No matter how much you do, the book is yours!
"Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
“Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania — derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever. In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities — and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It's a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations. But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston's School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.”
*Here are the following pages that you will receive with your kit!*
More about the author, the book, and the world of Dread Nation:
Justina Ireland’s site:
History.com’s page on the real events of the American Civil War and on the history of zombies in folkore:
Epic Reads’ videos with Justina Ireland on the zombie apocalypse and on zombie makeup:
Publisher HarperCollins’ page on Dread Nation, including an excerpt from the audiobook:
Included as well: a word search, a maze, and a zombie game!
Like Dread Nation? The sequel, Deathless Divide, is available. Check it out!
We hope you enjoy these activities and would love to hear what you thought of the book! We also hope you enjoyed the extra links. Remember, you can comment here on this website, email us at swantonpl@gmail.com, or come in and turn in a physical copy!