Cool surfer dude Richard Lewis delivers a story with two narrators in this stimulating story about the tsunami that hit in 2004.
Discussion about children’s and Young Adult Literature
Cool surfer dude Richard Lewis delivers a story with two narrators in this stimulating story about the tsunami that hit in 2004.
This story was very heartwrenching. I tried to put myself in the characters shoes and I do not know how I would have kept going after my mom had died and I couldn’t find my dad. Natural disasters like this have a lasting effect on so many people, and this story was a great way for those who haven’t experienced anything like this to gain a better understanding of the hardships many went through.
I completely agree Courtney. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like if something like that happened to me, but the reality is that it actually has happened to many people. This was a great way to not only provide an interesting and emotional story to students, but it also makes people aware of what some people involved in natural disasters could be going through.
I agree, I can’t imagine as well if something like that happened. I do agree that students who read this book will learn a lot of information about natural disasters. It may be a very dismal story, but I think students will see how such as tradegy made strangers bond for survival.
I agree with the nautral disaster that just occured in Japan the novel The Killing Sea just became more realistic for me as a reader. I thought as i am reading about the characters struggle to go on after losing his mother and trying to find his father that someone in Japan may be facing this same struggle. It brought the story to life and gave me a much better understanding of the suffereing that has and will occur due to natural disaster.
I agree it was a story that really hit me. It is impossible for me to even imagine how I would react when a natural disaster such as this occurs. the characters in the book were very relatable i felt ot young teens even though the main charatcer lived a life so different from American children, I still felt like i Knew him and felt his pain throughout the novel. I enjoyed the book very much as much as it was a sad story.
This book really put into perspective the terrors that people experience when a tsunami hits. I found this story very relatable to children because they have people in their lives who they love and would do anything to save and never give up hope. I also feel the author connected these two individual’s stories very well throughout the novel. I think this novel also raised the problem of censorship, since it talks about mass burials and the numerous amount of dead people discussed throughout the book. I think this book used the terror or a tsunami in a way that students can understand, without being overly disturbing to kids. This book shows the realities that occur when a tsunami hits.
I agree Chelsey! I think the book could have easily gotten more gruesome and disturbing, but the author did a great job of keeping it more reader and child friendly.
Chelsey,
I agree with you. The book does address many topics that are very disturbing, especially for young readers. I appreciated that Richard Lewis did discuss some of these things so that children can get an idea of the aftermath of a tsunami. I feel like if the author censored the text too much that it would not be authentic. I agree that it could have been a lot more disturbing and I feel like Lewis addressed the tragedy well.
I agree with you. I do think the book would be hard for a student to read, but I think it could have been more disturbing. Most students will not be familiar with this disaster and will be able to gain a lot of knowledge by reading the book.
I definitely agree! I don’t think that people are truly aware of what people went through during this devastating event in 2004. I really liked how the author was able to connect the two stories in such a seamless way. I thought that the Western versus Eastern perspectives were really interesting because it demonstrates diversity and universals at the same time. I liked that the book was able to discuss so many topics within censorship in such a undisturbing way. “The Killing Sea” was able to raise a lot of issues and persepctives within its pages that really did make me think about life in general. Natural disasters are extremely devastating and this book handles the realities of these events in a very true way.
I would absolutely offer this book to my students to read. Although it is very sad novel it offer great insight into another culture and time that i feel the student would really benefit from. I do agree that the children would although be able to relate to the pain of the character and the character himself. I enjoyed the book as i think students or young teens would.
This is definitely a very emotional book Mallory! I think it would be great for students to put themselves in a character’s position and the book and write about how they would react in the situation. I also enjoyed the book even though it was very sad.
Hey Guys,
Thanks for reading THE KILLING SEA and your kind & insightful comments. Much appreciated.
Regards,
Richard Lewis
Hi Ricard Lewis. I read the book The Killing Sea recently as part of the reading requirment for Childrens Literature a class at Salisbury University. I am also a surfer, I went to elementary, and High Scool on Oahu. I felt I could instantly relate to you because I feel like Surfers are kind of differnt group and we are all kind of on the same page due to our experiences in the water. I wish I had a book like this growing up. Is the book popular in Indonesia? and to what extent is the book known around the world? I like how in the book you seem to promote a Eastern, Western culture acceptance. I know from research the dominat religion in Indonesia is Islam. I do not know if you were in Indonesia during the 2004 Kuta Beach night club attack. I know that the book is about the 2004 Tsuanmi, were there other outside influences in the book other than the tsuanmi. Were you trying to promote tolerance between eastern and western cultures.
Has living in Indonesia helped youre writing at all? and if so to what extent?
Thank You Jon Zienkiewicz
THE KILLING SEA was a great book that kept the reader engaged from beginning to end. The two stories of an American girl Sarah and an Indonesian boy Ruslan were intertwined throughout the story; providing different perspectives of the same natural disaster. The reader is able to relate and connect to the characters, as they discover how the characters deal with tragedy and remain hopeful as they search for lost loved ones. I would use this book in my future classroom so that my students can learn new perspectives as they empathize with the main characters. Natural disasters, lost loved ones, and tragedies are all topics that my students can relate to. The author deals with these sensitive topics in a delicate manner that children can learn from. I would conduct an activity with my class in which they must research a natural disaster and then write a journal from the perspective of someone who was involved in that natural disaster. The student would need to know how the disaster occurred, what the disaster was like, and the aftermath of that disaster.
Lindsay, I like the activity that you would develop for you own classroom. It would be interesting to see if you could get survivors or people affected by natural disasters to talk to students as well. I think because most of us have not been affected by natural disasters it is hard for us to understand just how much of an effect they have on people. By putting yourself in their shoes or by hearing from someone who has been through it students may be able to appreciate it more.
I love your idea of having a survivor of a natural disaster come in and talk to the students. They would gain another first hand perspective of surviving a natural disaster and dealing with the aftermath. I agree that it may be hard for some students to truly empathize when they themselves have never gone through such an ordeal. However, a combination of the book and a true story delivered in the classroom by a natural disaster survivor would help the students gain a new perspective. Hearing a story in person may also inspire some students to conduct community service to help survivors of natural disasters, or to simply help their own community.
I really like your idea about having a student write a journal from someone who was involved in a natural disaster. I think this would be a great follow-up activity for students to learn about other natural disasters. I also agree with your comments about the book. The subjects discussed were very tough subjects for a student to read about, but I think they will gain a lot from the book.
The Killing Sea is an excellent book that tells the story of the tsunami that hit on December 25, 2004. The story is told through two stories. One is through the eyes of a young local boy from Indonesia, Ruslan, and the other is through the eyes of an American girl, Sarah, who was vacationing in the area. Both Sarah and Ruslan share their struggles, fights, and accomplishments as they try to gather together what they can after the tsunami turned their worlds upside down. Readers follow these two as they search for their surviving parents, hopeful that they are still alive. The topics that are addressed throughout this book are real life events that students hear about, and potentially deal with. Through reading this book, students are able to learn about natural disasters, different cultures, and death.
Lindsay, I totally agree with your activity you planned. I feel as though children today who aren’t involved in these natural disasters don’t have a firm understanding of there true impact on society and how difficult it is to truly overcome and deal with them. I think Hurricane Katrina made it evident to many US children how natural disasters impact families, but that was just the effects of a hurricane. Working towards building a perspective of these true impacts of these disasters is important for children and builds a strong social studies connection.
Thanks for the comment Chelsey! Discussing Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath would help students to better understand the effects of natural disasters since it hits so close to home. Students could possibly be from New Orleans and were forced to move due to Hurricane Katrina and could potentially be in our future classrooms. While reading your comment I thought about how to further involve my students and how to make an impact on them. Community service activities and volunteer work to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina could be conducted after reading THE KILLING SEA. Students could plan and implement projects to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims. Students could also come up with a safety plan for the school, if a natural disaster were to occur while students were still in school. Students could then further implement these community service projects to help those in their own community, who have been impacted and need help in one form or another.
Lindsay,
I feel like you have so many great ideas! I think this sounds like a wonderful way to get students involved in the community. Even if students were not able to organize an event to help with Hurricane Katrina victims, it might be just as effective for them to serve in a local soup kitchen or a similar organization. I think community service ideas like this can truly help students understand the concept of empathy. I’m sure there are many other great books that a teacher could include in this unit that would give students different perspectives of children facing death, poverty, and other tragedies.
I think this book becomes even more discussion evoking following the disaster in Japan at this time. The students would read this novel and we could discuss the issues that natual disasters would cause. From this i think it would be great to have children become involved with some sort of relief effort for those in japan and have them implement a project of thier own. The novel The Killing Sea would help to bring up these topic for discussion and give the children the perspective of the character and what it may be like for people who are suffering today.
The Killing Sea was unlike any other book that I have read, but enjoyed it thoroughly. It was incredibly sad, touching and heart warming all at the same time. Even though it entailed such emotion throughout the book, I still think that it would be a great book to integrate into the classroom. There are so many students that take everything for granted, so I think that if they were to read about this story, they would come to see and understand that you could lose your loved ones in an instant. The story of Ruslan, Sarah and Peter who fight to survive the Tsunami that hit Indonesia December 26, 2004 makes you think about everything; life, your loved ones, and mostly what is really important. Just like others have commented, I agree with Lindsay’s lesson idea as well. I think that would be a great idea to get the students really thinking.
I agree with Jordan that there are a lot of students who take stuff for granted. I feel like American students should read this book because it shows how privaleged we are. We are almost living in some sort of fantasy world compared to third world countries. I agree with Jordan that it really does make you appreciate everything that you have. Sometimes I will get upset over trivial things, my car is to old. I feel like I should fortunate that I even have a car.
Their is a bright spot to the book. The relationship between Ruslan and Sarah is a good one. I like how Richard Lewis tries to promote a Eastern-Western understanding. There is a lot of strife going on the world today, so it is nice to see somewhat promoting peace and cultures working together.
I loved the book “The Killing Sea” by Richard Lewis. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. I thought the way that Lewis made the chapters alternate between Sarah and Ruslan’s perspectives made the book captivating to a wide audience. Because the two main characters were so different, many diverse students can probably relate to the characters at some point in the book. I constantly found myself questioning what would happen next and how I would handle specific situations that the characters find themselves in. I think this book would play an important role in a classroom library because it not only has a high interest level, but it takes place in historical context and could be integrated with different subjects such as science and social studies.
I agree, I feel that the alternation of the chapters between Rusland and Sarah helped create suspense for the reader. I also feel that this book appeals to so many students, events, and cultures. It would be nice to incorporate this book, not only into your classroom library, but also into class presentations.
“The Killing Sea” was definitely an awesome book. I found the same problem with not being able to put the book down once I started reading it. I really liked that the author took two very different perspectives and found a way to integrate them seamlessly into one book. I found that the alternating chapters really set the tone and anticipatory factor within the book. This is because every time there was a cliff hanger moment, the chapter would change to the other character. This made the book irresistable in so many ways. I also found that I was questioning my thoughts and how I would respond to the situations that Sarah and Ruslan were facing throughout the book. I definitely agree that this book could be widely used across the curriculum within the schools and that it would play a very important role within a classroom library.
Lindsay, I think the idea of creating an emergency plan is a fantastic idea. Also, students could also create an emergency kit that they could keep at home in case a natural disaster were to ever occur and they needed supplies. The teacher could also implement a role playing activity where she assigns roles and outcomes to each of the students in order to simulate the effects of a natural disaster and the after math. For example, some students could be designated as being without a home, or lost family members, or possibly even not being able to survive the disaster in itself. Also, I think community service is an excellent way to get both students and the school involved in the community and change the world.
This story reminds me a lot of what happened in New Orleans after Katrina. So many people lost their homes and their loved ones. I visited New Orleans a year after the hurricane hit and you wouldn’t believe how much still needed to be cleaned up and fixed. In some parts you could still smell the mold and water the storm left behind. It was heartbreaking to see what those people had to go through. Listening to their stories brought tears to my eyes.
You know what Ashley it does remind me of New Orleans after Katrina. So sad to see it all over the news it was almost surreal. That was the same way it felt the Indonesian disaster. Seeing it on the news seemed very surreal. The only difference I see between them is that the indonesian disaster happened so fast. I do not think anyone had more than a couple minutes notice. I have lived in Hawaii and it’s scary there are warnings every couple years. I am glad Richard Lewis wrote this book. I never have heard of it before I took Dr. Bonds class. I think I saw on Richard Lewis’s website that he donated some of the money from the book to the disaster relief fund.
There is also factional information at the end of the killing sea about the disaster, gives you a little background on what exactly happened. this was nice to have from someone who was there at the time.
It’s been so long since I’ve read The Killing Sea that I had forgotten about the factional information at the end of the book. Reminds me how eager I was to explore it before the semester took a hold of me. Thanks for the reminder!
The Killing Sea was a very emotional book for me to read. I related very strongly with the main characters- Sarah, Peter, and Ruslan. The book really helped me to see how much the individual lives of these people were turned upside down. I could not imagine what they were going through! I would integrate this book into my classroom for many reasons. The subjects dealt with in the book are very tough subjects for anyone to read or discuss-tradegy and loss of loved ones. However, I think students will put themselves in the shoes of these individuals and learn a lot about the disaster. The book has a potential for many follow-up activies. For example, students could be put in groups and have to research a natural disaster and then report to the class. This activity would be a good activity only to do after the reading of the book. I think if the book is read first students will sympathize with the characters and become interested in natural disasters because of this connection.
I definitely agree that “The Killing Sea” was a very emotional book. I felt very connected to the main characters – Peter, Sarah, and Ruslan – while reading the book. I really liked that the book took on two very different cultural perspectives within its pages. The book talked about some very controversial and tough topics and was able to handle them in an awesome way. I feel as though this is definitely an easy book to be able to put yourself within the characters’ shoes and live their stories while you are reading. I cant even imagine surviving what they went through and staying as strong as they did. This book definitely has a lot of positive potenial for a classroom environment. I really liked your follow up activity of having the students research the natural disasters because it allows them a chance to learn about the scientific aspects of what they read about. I feel as though this connection will make it easier and more interesting for the students to learn science topics and retain the overall information.
I agree Tara! This is an extremely emotional book. The students could definitely put themselves in one of the characters shoes and write journal entries as if they were that character. The book does also tie into science, with the natural disaster.
I think this would be a great book in incorporate into the classroom. Although students might not be able to directly relate to a friend or relative in the tsunami in Indonesia, there will be students who will be able to closely relate with a different event such as 9/11. This is a very emotional book, in which students can write personal reactions to in a journal entry. Students could also write responses to the text from a specific character’s perspective. I agree that this could definitely be conencted to a science lesson about natural disasters.
Wow, Brittany, I never thought of comparing it to another disaster such as 9/11 but I’m glad you brought that up.
I completely agree. I also feel that the activities you mentioned could lead up to a service project in which the students raise money for people who’s lives were devesated by natural disasters. A book like The Killing Sea and activities relating it to other horrible events like 9/11 would make the students recognize the importance and neccessity of helping people who are suffering to put their lives and homes back together after being struck by a natural disaster. Reading the book really helps readers to feel for these people and recognize the hardships they must be going through. I believe students would definitely feel more inclined, after reading a novel like this, to wish to help raise awareness as well as items or money to donate to these places in desperate need of help.
From the second I picked up The Killing Sea I felt instantly attached to Sarah, like she was a life long friend. Being the sheltered and un-Worldly American that I am, this was my first experience reading anything about the Tsunami. I feel almost privledged that Ruslan shared such a personal story with me, and heartbroken at the same time that the Tsunami affected so many more people than just the characters in this book.
The was also my first time hearing about the mass gravesites, so I would like to hear how anyone else reacted to that. Personally, I thought that hadn’t happened since World War II.
It also broke my heart how the refugees were treated so harshly by people of their own Country. I felt myself yelling “somebody help these people!” the whole time I read.
This book was one I couldn’t put down until I finished it! The way Richard Lewis alternated the story from Sarah’s perspective to Ruslan’s made the story interesting and kept me reading. I enjoyed reading Ruslan’s chapters the most because they delved into a culture I didn’t know much about. I found Sarah, at the beginning of the book, to be spoiled and unlikeable. But of course she changed so much because of her circumstances. She evolved as she was faced with so much turmoil and so many struggles. I remember thinking, while reading, “how would I handle these situations?” It gives the reader so much to think about, that’s what made it such a compelling book for me. I think that the recent tsunami in Japan made the story so much more accessable to me also. I watched alot of news during that time and the images are still fresh. Students might not be able to relate to the specific disaster of a tsunami, but many students can relate to the death of a parent, or the life of poverty that Ruslan lived. The discriptions of the mass graves and all of the people who died was done in such a way that it was reader friendly, and not too gruesome. It showed that this is the reality when a natural disaster occures.The most important thing I got out of this book was the idea of “what is most important in life?” Sarah comes to some realize that material items are not what is important when she loses so much.
I really enjoyed reading The Killing Sea. I’ve never experienced a Tsunami, but it sounds terrifying. The author did a great job of portraying events during and following a terrifying experience. A big issue in the book is death and tragedy. Ruslan loses so many friends and neighbors from the experience and even believes his father to be dead at points. Sarah finds her mother’s dead body and cannot find her father but carries on with her brother to land and hope. Would this be a book I would include in my classroom? For sixth grade, maybe. There is a lot of death and details in the book but I believe it is important for children to realize what happens in other parts of the world and this book does a great job showing what it would be like to be in a tsunami.
In reply to Marina, this was my first time reading about the mass grave sites as well. It instantly reminded me of the Holocaust. It was really depressing to read about how the locals treated the people, especially the dead, but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.
I would include this book in my classroom becasue I think it’s interesting and the topics covered are very realtable. There is the relationship between Sarah and her family that many can relate to, in the beginning of the novel Peter is annoying her and her and her mother are butting heads and arguing. Also, Ruslan grows up without a mother and I think many student can relate to growing up with only one parent. Yes, there is a lot of death in this novel, but death is something that we all deal with at one point or another, and I think that for some students, it is interesting how the different characters deal with death.
I think it would be really great to read this book when talking about natural disasters or even relating it to science. Tsunamis, hurricanes, and earthquakes are all really important to science because they happen in different and many places in the world. It would also be interesting for kids who don’t have a mother or who have lost a parent, neighbor, or friend through a crisis or disaster. The characters do handle situations differently and kids can relate to depression, hope, and longing.
I definitely agree that this book could be realted to natural disasters, what causes these things to happen and science. It could also be realted to social studies a bit with the geography of different parts of the world and why natural disasters occur more in one place and not another.
I also have never experienced a tsunami but Richard Lewis does a good job of bringing that “nightmare” to life for me. I can only imagine losing all of my friends or finding my mom’s body on the beach, but Sarah deals with this very differently that Peter does, and I think it is good for students and young adults to see that there are many different ways to handle the same situation or similar ones.
I agree that you could definitely relate this book to a science lesson and unit involving weather, the earth, natural disasters, etc. It would open up the classroom for many scientific discussions and activities. You could also relate this book to social studies lessons as well and discuss the geography perspective of where these natural disasters are most likely to occur.
I also agree, I believe a novel such as this would be valuable to use as a lead in to a science unit because it would spark student interest in natural disasters and the devestation they leave behind. After reading this novel I believe students would wish to learn more about earthquakes and tsunamis and possibly their relation to each other. Social studies could definitely be tied in as well because students could study places that are more natural disaster prone and relate the geography of their location to the science behind why the events occur there. Perhaps the students could end this unit by writing an alternate ending or additional events in the story, making sure to include scientific and geographical information that they learned during the unit.
This book is somewhat depressing with so much death, but I think that some students would find it interesting becasue it does have a sence of mystery as well. Right after the tsunami, the reader is wondering will Sarah find Peter and her parents? and after she does find Peter will they find their father? There is also the mystery with Ruslan as well, will he find his dad dead or alive? The story has strong characters and a good story line that gets the reader engaged despite all of the death and depression.
I agree that this book is depressing and some readers may not enjoy reading something this authentic and real, but I also believe that it is important for readers to get a different perspective on life. Readers must understand that not everything is always happily ever after and that tragedy does exist in this world whether we like it or not. It can get hard reading a story as heavy as this one, but it can really open up the audience’s eyes to a new outlook on life.
After reading this book I was in shock about how much these children went through in order to survive. I could not imagine ever experiencing such a tragedy like this. This book really captures the reader by putting the reader in place of the children. You feel their pain and struggle throughout the story and you begin to sympathize with these children. It is hard to put yourself in the perspective of someone going through a natural disaster because everyone thinks it will never happen to them, until you read this. The fact that the two children work together to survive makes the story even more touching and shows the importance of helping others. I find it extremely amazing that this story is written from first hand experience that the author Richard Lewis went through. This book provides inspiration to those who have lost their own inspiration. It will open up the reader’s eyes to what other people in this world have experienced and you will not take anything for granted after reading this survival story.
This book gave an extremely realistic and scary look into national disasters. While students learn about detrimental events like earthquakes and tsunamis in school and hear of them happening on the news, they may still not fully grasp the impact they have on the people suffering from them. The story was told from the viewpoints of the characters who are actually experiencing an earthquake and tsunami that devestate all the towns around them. Detailed descriptions of the destruction are given helping the reader to really visualize the damage. Sewage and muck is everywhere, buildings are destroyed, and dead bodies lay everywhere. This book provides accounts that shed light on the immense impact national disasters have on places they strike.