B y : K a t h e r i n e P a t e r s o nLyddie

Genre & Audience

Lyddie is a historical fiction novel written by

Katherine Paterson for

young adults.

Themes

The book reveals the themes of overcoming adversity, the rise of

women’s rights, striving through determination, person against nature,

and person against person.

LLydia Worthen (“Lyddie”) is on a quest to help her family survive and be reunited

during the difficult economic times of the mid-1800s.

What is Lyddie’s Goal?

Lyddie, an extremely independent and self-sufficient 13-year-old, endures many traumatic events occurring in her life in a few short years.

Character Spotlight

About the Author

Katherine Paterson

Katherine Paterson, while growing up in China as a little girl, had a missionary for a father. She has lived many places. As a child, Katherine didn’t fit in with the other kids because of her cultural differences; as a result, she became an avid reader, using books to escape into a world of imagination.

About the Author

Katherine Paterson

She has won the Newberry Medal Award and National Book Award twice each. She received the 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Medal in addition to the 2006 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

About the Author

Katherine Paterson

Katherine wrote Lyddie in response to attending a conference for the Vermont Women’s History Project. She was challenged to write about women in Vermont’s history after hearing letters written by Vermont farm girls who had left farms to work in factories.

The Importance

Lyddie is important to young adults because the book gives them a glimpse into the lives of other individuals their age who lived many years ago in very different conditions.

The Importance

They will be humbled to learn that young adults over 150 years ago worked in strenuous labor for 13 hours or more a day, cooked, cleaned, farmed, and received little education, if any.

The Importance

In fact, many went without basic necessities like food and medicines. Yet still, many their age were still in slavery if they didn’t have white skin.

What makes this book so great?

School Library Journal

“[A] superb novel…Paterson has brought a troubling time and place vividly to life, but she has also given readers great hope in the spirited person of Lyddie Worthen.”

Publishers Weekly

“Impeccably researched and expertly crafted [as well as]…sure to satisfy those interested in America’s industrialization period.”

Kirkus Reviews

“A gripping, ultimately uplifting story about the power of Christian forgiveness.”

Reviews

Classroom Activities

Middle School Language ArtsA Class Act

The class can be divided into groups of four or five students. Each group is assigned a different major scene to act out. The members of each group work to develop the script, appoint characters, and gather props.The groups take turns performing for the rest of the classroom.

Middle SchoolLanguage ArtsExtra! Extra! Read All About It

The class can be divided into small groups, in order to create a newspaper from the 1850s. Each group member chooses a main idea or event from Lyddie to create a headline, compose an article, and a photograph (drawn or actual black-and-white).The newspaper will depict “big news” presented in the book.

My Thoughts

Sarah Hughes

Personally, this book was a huge encouragement to me. I identify with the main character, Lyddie Worthen, by sharing my lack of confidence in pursuing a college education and striving to be academically successful.

My Thoughts

Sarah Hughes

The courage that Lyddie displays in overcoming obstacles and striving to achieve her dreams offers much encouragement to me; her character inspires me to believe in myself, that I can pursue my degree and finish successfully, despite the challenges I face.

SHLydd ie

B o o k Ta l k

Sarah Hughes

ReferencesKirkus (2010, May 20). Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Paterson, K. (2004). New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Publishers Weekly (2015). Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com

School Library Journal, starred review. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com

References