The Year Without Micheal (Basic Book Report)

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The Year Without Michael, by Susan Pfeffer is about a sixteen year old girl named Jody. In September her brother Michael disappeared. Jody and Michael had a small fight before he disappeared. She was the last person to see him. He was supposed to go to a friend’s house but he never got there. After Michael disappeared everyone acted strange around the family except for Jody’s best friends. For Jody’s little sister Kay’s birthday party, none of her friends came because they were scared that something would happen to them. During the holidays their mother told them they each had to buy a present for Michael. Their mother tried to act normal, but they all knew it was hard for her. The book takes place from September to August the next year. In the town where they live everyone knows each other, and the kids walk around on the sidewalks. The setting is important, because the town is friendly and the kids are free to go where they want, so Michaels disappearance could be a kidnapping or he could have run away. It’s hard to figure out which one it is. The main character in the book is Jody Chapman. She cares about people and helped Kay when she needed her. She was there for her when her party was ruined and when their mother hit her. She is also friendly and nice. She got the lead in the play, making some new friends. This helped her move on from Michael. The theme of the book is that life puts you through hard times, but you have to move on. Some events that show this is Jody’s part in the play which helps her move on along with new friends she made. Another event is when she has her birthday party, and she enjoys it which shows that she can enjoy her life again. The problem for Jody is that she is trying to move on while helping her mother who isn’t. the conflict is man versus himself because she needs to be able to be happy, so
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