The Canyon’s Edge

Module 6 Free Choice Poetry

Bibliography:

Bowling, Dusti. The Canyon’s Edge. Little, Brown and Company, 2020.

Summary:

The Canyon’s Edge is an intense novel in verse that tells the survival story of a young girl. Nora and her father commemorate the anniversary of her mother’s death at the hand of a gunman that opened fire at a restaurant where they were celebrating Nora’s birthday. A typical hike takes a turn when at the bottom of the canyon Nora and her dad are hit with a flash flood that sweeps her father away. The books takes the reader on a heart pounding journey of survival. Nora fights physically as well as mentally to overcome what she fears the most. This 2021 Lonestar book is perfect for upper elementary school to middle school aged readers.

Analysis:

On a personal note, this has been one of my favorite books this semester. I read it in one sitting but after I finished I spent time flipping back and appreciating the movement of the words and phrases. Dusti Bowling is a very popular author for middle school readers. This book was a 2021 Lone Star winner so I grabbed it with high expectations. The cover is very appealing. It shows at figure of a girl alone at the bottom of a canyon. Because of Bowling’s other books I wasn’t sure of this was a metaphor or of it was actually set in a canyon. The cover art on the title page is very reminiscent of her Cactus books. The book is broken into three parts however, you don’t know that until you get to the end, it isn’t listed anywhere. The main character, Nora also says her life is also in three parts. The before, the after, and the after after.

The book’s part one is written like a typical novel. Nine short chapters tell the story of where Nora and her father are and about the year they just lived through. Part two begins with a horrible event that changes the characters’ journeys. It also changes the writing style as it becomes a book in verse. Part two is so fascinating to read. The author using acrostic and haiku and shape poetry. She uses different fonts and styles and line breaks to convey a message. She has conversations broken into parts that read like a play. Part two is fast paced and brilliant.

Part three is just the last two pages of the book. It concludes the journey of the characters. This is where Nora realizes she has a 3rd part to her life. She isn’t defined by the before and after of a traumatic event. It is a beautiful ending.

The reader should be given a trigger warning. Nora deals with the aftermath of losing her mother to a mass shooting. She describes in detail the horrific event and how it haunted her after. Her father is obviously dealing with PTSD as well. Teachers should be sensitive to students if the content is too heavy or real.

Excerpt:

Activity:

Review the rules of a haiku poem. Find the haiku’s in the book and count the syllables. Have the students create a haiku in response to the situation Nora finds herself in. Start with an emotion such as; fear, thirst, hunger, pain, sadness. Use the chosen emotion as the poem’s title and work from there. Share with the class.