Dreamland Burning

Dreamland Burning

• Genre: Fiction; young adult historical
• Originally Published: 2017
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 890L; grades 9-12
• Structure/Length: 2 parts; 38 sections; approx. 365 pages; approx. 8 hours, 18 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: This dual narrative features two timelines: One follows 17-year-old Rowan Chase, who lives in modern-day Tulsa, Oklahoma, and investigates a murder from over 100 years before; the other features 17-year-old Will Tillman, who lives in 1921 Tulsa and whose actions and personal moral choices will be tested as a result of his city’s Jim Crow laws, prejudice, violence, and race riots.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Racism, discrimination, racial slurs, descriptions of lynching, and prejudice; violence, including murder; prostitution; gender identity; attempted rape of a minor

Jennifer Latham, Author

• Bio: Grew up in various places as the daughter of a military serviceman; inspired by teachers and school activities at a young age to write creatively; worked a wide variety of jobs before becoming a published author, including autopsy assistant and school psychologist; lives in Tulsa, OK, with family
• Other Works: Scarlett Undercover (2015)
• Awards: Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth (Booklist; 2017); Amazon Editors’ Picks—Best Books of the Year (2017); Young Adult Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Booklist; 2018); Notable Books for a Global Society (2018); Audio Publishers Association Best Multi-Voiced Performance (winner; 2019)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Intersections of Privilege
• Racialized Violence
• The Telling of History

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the social and historical contexts regarding racism and democracy that drive the conflicts of Rowan and Will.
• Analyze short paired texts and other resources to make connections to the novel’s themes of Intersections of Privilege, Racialized Violence, and The Telling of History.
• Plan and construct a visual presentation of a timeline to convey the historical events that take place in the novel, using text details to describe them.
• Analyze and evaluate the plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding morality and legal guidelines, Rowan’s and Will’s narration, and other topics.