Introduction To...

My Sister's Keeper

By: Jodi Picoult

     I feel like I would have a liking to this story because of my love of medical topics.  My dream is to be an oncologist,therefore I feel I would enjoy reading this book.  I am excited to go more in depth of the book to learn more about Kate and Anna.  I would like to learn more about Kate's illness because it is miraculous how she has survived for 14 years with this illness.  I have heard many things about Picoult's writing; for example: suspenseful and enjoyable!  I obviously cannot wait to read more and more in My Sister's Keeper! 

My name...

         My mother was the one to choose my name and when she told my father, he loved it! According to my parents, it was a fitting name for their third child.  I am not named after anyone, but if I was a boy I would be named after my father, Michael.  Apparently, my name means a tailor.  A tailor is a person who fixes clothes.  I am not quite sure why, but I like my name.  Many people in my cheerleading gym, so we all have nicknames!  My family has tons of nicknames for me!  Some of these nicknames are Tayles, Taylie, and much more!  My dad has a special nickname for me which is Shmoozin.  He calls me Shmoozin because when I was little I loved to sleep and absolutely would not get out of bed!  So, he first called me snoozin’ boozin’ and then that turned into Shmoozin’ Boozin’.  To this day he always calls me Shmooz or Shmoozin.  My dad has always made up nicknames for me and I love to hear them!  He even makes up songs with Shmoozin Boozin’ in it!  He never fails to make me happy!  People especially like the fact that my sister's and I have the same middle name.  Our middle name is Michelle.  Michelle is the feminine name for Michael, which is my father's name.  

Discussion Questions #1 and #2

#1.  Publisher’s Weekly call My Sister’s Keeper a “a spellbinding suspense novel.”  Give your input on why this magazine might call this story suspenseful.  Think about the way the book is written from different perspectives and how sections end.  Do you want to read more?  Are there things that are a mystery in the story?  How does Jodi Picoult reveal these secrets as the story moves along?  Are there any questions that you want to know at this point in the story? 

Publisher’s Weekly might call this book suspenseful because you never know what is going to happen next.  For instance, in Jesse’s chapter, Kate is throwing up blood.  Sara and Jesse rush Kate to the hospital and the doctor tells them that it is the signs of kidney failure and it might be too late to do surgery.  Jesse asks if he could do the surgery since Anna refuses, but he doesn’t ask because he wants to do the surgery, he asked just because he’s curious.  This part of the book could be suspenseful because you don’t know what could happen to Kate; could she die or could she miraculously live?  I love to read My Sister’s Keeper because it keeps you wondering at the end of each chapter, it never tells you what happens next.  Kate is, in a sense, a mystery because we have not read a chapter about her yet, therefore what we know about her is limited.  However, every chapter talks about Kate, so we do learn about Kate, as if it were part of her own chapter.  As the story moves along, the secrets are revealed throughout each chapter.  Since everybody has a chapter, you feel like you are in there shoes and understand the character better every time there chapter comes along. 

#2. What is your opinion of Sara? With her life focused on saving Kate, she sometimes neglects her other children. Jesse is rapidly becoming a juvenile delinquent, and Anna is invisible -- a fact that the little girl knows only too well. What does this say about Sara's role as a mother? What would you have done in her shoes? Has she unwittingly forgotten Jesse and Anna, or do you think she has consciously chosen to neglect them -- either as an attempt to save a little energy for herself, or as some kind of punishment? Does Sara resent her other children for being healthy? Did you find yourself criticizing Sara, empathizing with her, or both?
In my own opinion, Sara is a very good mother, but has trouble giving attention to all three of her children.  Kate is always on her mind and always worries about her, which is understandable, but I think she needs to pay Kate more attention, before she ends up like Jesse.  Sara should feel a little more obligated to pay more attention to Kate and Jesse, but Kate’ s life isn’t very normal, so she has to pay attention to Kate all the time.  It is understandable that she has all eyes on Kate 24/7, but she should include Anna more often.  If I was in Sara’s shoes, I would try my best to give each one attention and one on one time as much as possible.  If my daughter had a disease, of course I would be worried about her, but I would make all my children my number one priority.  I think Sara is oblivious to the fact the Anna and Jesse are invisible.  She doesn’t even notice when Anna leaves the dinner table.  I feel like Brian has a little more handle on his kids than Sara because she seems like she stresses over things a little too much.  Sara absolutely does not resent her other children for being healthy because if all her children were unhealthy than her life would be 20x more stressful than it is now and she would not know how to cope with three children being ill at the same time.  I find myself on both sides of the fence for Sara; she has had a very stressful life for 14 years and at the same time I find myself criticizing her because of her oblivion to her two other children.

Kate Fitzgerald Profile!

25 Random Facts About Me!

1.      I am VERY close with my family

2.      My mom is my best friend

3.      Cheerleading is everything to me

4.      I love to cook!

5.      My dream is to become an oncologist.

6.      Pancakes are my favorite thing to eat!

7.      My faith is very important to me

8.      I had to get my appendix taken out in second grade

9.      I am constantly told that I am ALWAYS happy

10.  I love Italian food!

11.  I am a leader amongst my peers.

12.  I love Ocean City!

13.  I have been doing all-star cheerleading for seven years

14.  Peanut butter eggs are my weakness.

15.  I travel so much for cheerleading!

16.  My dad and I are exactly alike!

17.  I strongly dislike flying, but I am forced to!!

18.  I could swim at the age of 2

19.  My sister’s and I are very close!

20.  I love music!

21.  Some day , I want to travel to Italy

22.  I am a shopaholic

23.  I love spending time with my family

24.  My favorite restaurant is Liberatories.

25.  My sister’s and I all have the same middle name!

My "Keeper" is...

     My keeper is my friend's sister, Peyton.  She is eight years younger than us, therefore she is only seven years old and I can tell she thinks of me as a role model.  Her older half-sister and I are good friends, so whenever we hang out she always wants to be with us!  She does have a younger sister, so I think she likes to hang out with the older girls because she thinks she is one of the older girls.  She is constantly asking us if we can put make up on her or do her hair.  Also, whenever we go to the mall, she wants to tag along with us.  I feel obligated to act like one of her older sister's because her half-sister isn't always there.  I think it is very flattering that she looks to me as a sister!  I try to do my best to be a good role model for her!

My Sister's Keeper: Jodi Picoult

      Jodi Picoult was born in Long Island on May 19, 1966.  She was Jewish and describes her family as "non-practicing Jewish".  When she was only 5 years old, she wrote her first story titled "The Lobster Which Misunderstood".  At the age of 13, she moved to New Hampshire.  She went to Princeton University where she majored in writing.  While still in college, she wrote two stories that we published in Seventeen.  Shortly after graduation, she had gotten many jobs, such as editing textbooks and teaching eighth grade.  At Harvard University, she earned a master's degree in education.  She also became a writer of DC Comics' Wonder Woman.  Her first issue was released on March 28, 2007.  She is married to Tim Van Leer, whom she had three children with; Sammy, Kyle, and Jake.