Six of Crows

Six of Crows

by Leigh Bardugo

“He'd broken his leg dropping down from the rooftop. The bone didn't set right, and he'd limped ever after. So he'd found himself a Fabrikator and had his cane made. It became a declaration. There was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong, and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken.”

Six of Crows, book one in a duology, is a feat of storytelling by an author who is a master of her craft. The story takes place in the fictional city of Ketterdam, which is what one might imagine New York City was like at its gritty beginnings. The protagonist of the novel is Kaz Brekker, a street smart crime lord prodigy, who is planning the heist of his life. Kaz assembles a crew to help him pull off the greatest robbery of all time, and in the process, maybe, keep the world from imploding. Each member of the crew, including Kaz, is incredibly well developed, as they really are all "main characters" in their own rights. Bardugo fluidly transitions between character perspectives, and her world building is incredible. This book and its sequel are must-reads for anyone who enjoys YA Fantasy with a substantial dash of Ocean's Eleven-like intrigue and crime.

In the Classroom
Students will create a character based on given criteria. This criteria will include: A difficult back story that has shaped the character and explanation of how the past affects the character in the present, physical details about the character, a brief description of three of the character's closest friends, what the character does for a living, and a problem the character faces in the present and must solve. Students have freedom to use any medium to respond to this portion of the assignment, but the medium must be first approved by the teacher.

For a bonus piece of the assignment students can also create a drawing of the character they have created.

Age level: Young Adult