Game On: Shrinkle

The book Shrinkle is based around siblings being thrust into a real life video game and having to work together to come out alive. The themes of adventure and relationships (sibling relationships/parental relationships) connect well to the intended audience, providing a relatable read. These themes relate well to many reluctant readers and I can see myself using this book in my classroom to engage those readers.

The story itself is fast paced, keeping the reader engaged. It has a good variety of figurative language and vocabulary aimed at providing an interesting read but also allows the story to flow nicely.

It uses the imagination of the child to keep them connected with the story and encourages them to put themselves in the positions of the characters. The characters are likeable and relatable, especially their relationship and actions towards one another.

The author continually uses humour to entice the reader, putting the characters into situations which are disgusting and relatable. For example, when they find themselves small and stuck under the bed of one of the characters, that of an 8 year old boy, you can imagine the chaos.

As a teacher I can see many opportunities for fun engaging activities to support the students' learning.