Martel, Y. (2001). Life of Pi. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc.
Summary: This novel is about an Indian family that sells their zoo to move to Canada. They take a cargo ship together along with a few of the zoo animals, when a storm hits. The ship sinks after the teenage son, Pi, is thrown overboard into a lifeboat. He survives, but finds that he shares the lifeboat with four wild zoo animals. Shortly after, it's just Pi and a tiger. Pi and the tiger learn how to survive the journey across the Pacific, ending their journey in Mexico, where the tiger disappears and Pi is taken into custody to tell his tale. When confronted, Pi admits another version where the animals were actually people, including his mother, who were murdered on the lifeboat by a crew member.
Reading Level:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1, 2
Curriculum Suggestions:
Related Links:Awards:
Tags: friendship, secondary, contemporary, fiction, STEM
Summary: This novel is about an Indian family that sells their zoo to move to Canada. They take a cargo ship together along with a few of the zoo animals, when a storm hits. The ship sinks after the teenage son, Pi, is thrown overboard into a lifeboat. He survives, but finds that he shares the lifeboat with four wild zoo animals. Shortly after, it's just Pi and a tiger. Pi and the tiger learn how to survive the journey across the Pacific, ending their journey in Mexico, where the tiger disappears and Pi is taken into custody to tell his tale. When confronted, Pi admits another version where the animals were actually people, including his mother, who were murdered on the lifeboat by a crew member.
Reading Level:
- Quantitative: Lexile 830
- Qualitative: Grade 9 / High. This novel is moderately to very complex because of the multiple layers of meaning and themes beyond survival, such as man vs man/self, man vs nature, religion and enlightenment. It may be challenging for the reader to identify what is fantasy and what is real, as the clarity is purposefully misleading. Pi also has distinct experiences - i.e. death, suffering, denial - from those of the reader and may not understand why he would want to convicingly tell and try to believe a fabricated tale to the authorities. The ending's twist may give insight to the need for figurative language told through religious stories, making them more timeless, palatable, and broadly applicable.
- Content Area: English
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1, 2
Curriculum Suggestions:
- Create a timeline of events
- Letter from Pi to his parents about why other religions interest him
- Letter/video from parents to Pi about why he shouldn't neglect his roots / religion
- Draw a portrait of Pi's face after everything has happened - what does he look like?
Related Links:Awards:
- Man Booker Prize, 2002
Tags: friendship, secondary, contemporary, fiction, STEM