Ship Breaker

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2010

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Teacher Introduction

Ship Breaker

Genre: Fiction; science fiction; young adult dystopian
Originally Published: 2010
Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 690L; grades 7-10
Structure/Length: Approximately 324 pages; audiobook length around 9 hours, 5 minutes
Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist, Nailer, is a teenage boy working as a ship breaker on the Gulf Coast, scavenging parts from grounded oil tankers. The central conflict arises when he discovers a luxury ship with a wealthy girl aboard, leading to a high-stakes adventure involving loyalty, survival, and the stark divide between rich and poor in a dystopian future.
Potential Sensitivity Issues: Child abuse, addiction, poverty, enslavement and exploitation; violent and perilous situations; environmental degradation; class struggles

Paolo Bacigalupi, Author

Bio: Born 1972; American science fiction and fantasy writer; known for his works that explore issues of environmental degradation, corporate greed, and climate change; his writing often features dystopian settings and complex moral dilemmas; a significant voice in contemporary speculative fiction
Other Works: The Windup Girl (2009); The Water Knife (2015); The Drowned Cities (2012); Tool of War (2017)
Awards: National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (finalist, 2010); Michael L. Printz Award (2011) Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book (2011)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

Families of Blood Versus Families of Choice
Loyalty Threatening and Aiding Survival
Destiny Versus Free Will