Mar
2013
Why Day Should Win Our March Madness
I’m taking part in the Slice of Life Challenge sponsored by Ruth and Stacey over at Two Writing Teachers. I hope to write every day for the month of March and then continue weekly each Tuesday. Join in yourself or head over to check out what’s happening with other slices. If you’re taking part in the SOL, leave a link to your post. I’d love to read it.
I’m sure my classes have noticed that I have a new current favorite book. My mission right now is to convince as many students as I can to read Legend by Marie Lu. My second mission is to sneak another book order past my husband so I can read the second book, Prodigy, as soon as possible.
I also nominated Day for our March Madness brackets, and I’m doing everything in my power to convince my students to vote for him. I don’t even promise to set up the brackets fairly. Now June is awesome in her own right (and I usually go for strong female lead characters), but something about Day just blew me away. Here’s why I think Day should win it all:
- He’s the Republic’s most wanted criminal, and they don’t even know what he looks like. He has been sabotaging the war effort for years, and the police don’t have a picture or even a fingerprint.
- The Republic supposedly killed him when he failed his Trials, but Day escaped and has been living on the streets every since. He has street smarts you wouldn’t believe that allows him to find food, clothing, and shelter without leaving a trace.
- Day is brilliant both mentally and physically. He broke into a heavily guarded bank vault in under 10 seconds. He escaped with the money and without harming any of the guards. Once again, he left no trace behind. He can scale the outside of skyscrapers and leap from rooftop to rooftop.
- Day’s biggest heist was breaking into a military hospital–the heavily guarded, no windows medical lab floor–to steal plague medicine. He got away without killing anyone, but he did have to injure one soldier to escape. Why did he even attempt such a daring and dangerous break-in? He had to save his little brother who lay dying from the plague.
- Day is not a cold-hearted criminal. Both the bank theft and the hospital theft were to help his family. He can’t let any of them (except his older brother John) even know that he is alive, but he keeps an eye on them and helps out when he can by slipping John extra food, money, and clothes.
- Day also is willing to help out a stranger in need. That’s why he teamed up with Tess, a street urchin he found abandoned in an alleyway. He also reached out to help June because she had helped Tess.
I didn’t think any character could ever top Katniss for all around toughness, stubbornness, and goodness (I even named my orange car after the Girl on Fire), but I think Day deserves to win. I can’t wait to see what happens in Prodigy now that Day and June are on the same side.
Who do you think is the toughest, baddest character from YA literature? I think Day can take him or her any day.
Maria Selke (@mselke01)
March 17, 2013 at 8:49 am (11 years ago)How fun! Maybe next year I’ll do a character March Madness instead of books… I love to see all the twists that people give this kind of event. 🙂
Mrs. McGriff
March 17, 2013 at 8:58 am (11 years ago)I’m already thinking of variations for next year! We promote the Young Hoosier books at the middle school. There’s got to be a way to draw on those titles.
Carol
March 15, 2013 at 11:58 pm (11 years ago)I have never heard of this book. Definitely sounds like one I want to look for! Maybe a spring break read!
Mrs. McGriff
March 16, 2013 at 7:09 am (11 years ago)It would be a great read for spring break. I even tweeted this post to Marie Lu, and she replied! Day is feeling quite proud of himself. I can’t wait to share her response with my students on Monday!