Just Juice- Karen Hesse

Hesse, Karen. Just Juice (Scholastic Signature). New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 1999. Print

Summary

Justus "Juice" Faulstitch is years ahead of her time in this poignant tale of endurance and love. Rather then spend her time in school, Juice takes on the role of an adult helping her family survive, until a letter arrives telling the family their house has been sold to pay for back taxes. Juice must learn to be a kid in a time where she is needed as an adult. 

Key Vocabulary:

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  Truancy
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  Diabetes
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  Poverty
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  Illiteracy
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  Taxes

Electronic Resources:

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  Scholastic
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  Students and teachers alike can use the Scholastic website for any book, in this case Just Juice. There are discussion questions for comprehension or literary circles. Each aspect of the book (plot, theme, characters, etc...) are broken down to help with students understanding. Other books with similar themes are also recommended on this site.
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  Karen Hesse
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  Kids can learn more about author Karen Hesse. Site includes biography and a guide for her other books, such as Newberry winner Out of the Dust. There is also a Q & A session with the author with frequently asked questions by readers.

Teaching Suggestions:

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  Before reading:
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  Key vocabulary should be discussed and students can connect vocabulary to their own life for better understanding. As a class, students can preview chapter titles. They can make predictions on what might happen using the chapter titles and illustrations as context clues. This can be done using an anticipation guide or done as a class discussion.
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  During reading:
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   Students can fill out a story map as they make their way through the novel. This includes the setting, characters, problem or conflict, the events that result due to the conflict, and finally a resolution to the problem. This can be done as a chart, web, or even semantic map
• After reading:
• Students can write their own personal letters to Juice and explain what they think about the decisions she made throughout the book. They can tell her their opinions on her choice to skip school, how she helped her family out, and the measures she took to learn to read. They can put themselves in her shoes and write about what they would do if they were in a similar situation.