"Between the Lines" by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Vanleer
The book “Between the Lines” by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Vanleer is about a girl who spends a lot of time reading books and studying in the library. Her name is Delilah, and she finds an unusual book in her school library. The book is so unusual it’s magical, the characters are real and live inside the book. They play the story when someone reads it, but when the book is closed, they live and talk, like they are real, and as if the story doesn’t exist. Delilah is the only person who has noticed the characters in the book, and she connects with the main character in the fairytale she is reading, Oliver.
The Social Action Reading Inquiry Question number 1: What really difficult/ complex things are happening in the text? “Social Action Lens.” There is a social hierarchy, or stereotypes. Delilah is considered a “nerd” in her school. Only because she spends all her time in the library, at home, or with her only friend Jules who is a “punk” which is only one up on the pyramid from a nerd. In the high school Delilah goes to, you have to have a lot of friends, or know the right people to be up near the top. She isn’t considered popular by the other girls who are popular. And if they give you that label, you are not worth much there. These stereotypes are more complex, and go even deeper in the book, and in real life.
Within this label, the girls also think, Delilah won’t find love in high school, or ever. Which isn’t true. She connects with Oliver. It may not be love right away, but they have a special connect. And Delilah, proves that even if you are given a label, it doesn’t what they say, it doesn’t mean you are that, or you are going to become what they say. In addition, in the book there are more complex things happening. There is the idea of a book inside a book, and there are three different perspectives. There is Delilah, Oliver, and then every few chapters there is a chapter on Oliver’s story, from third person.
In conclusion, labels, stereotypes, and social hierarchy, are happening in this book. And just because, people say you fall in to this group/ stereotype, doesn’t mean you are what they say or think you are. It is a big problem in real life too, not just in the book. Clearly, you don’t need to be apart of the hierarchy, and you definitely don’t need to listen to what other people say about you, or think of you. You just need to find someone special who understands you and connects with you, like Delilah with Oliver.
