Navigating Life's "Fun and Games": Pairing Downriver with Lord of the Flies

Abstract

Since pairing the classics with young adult literature can increase reading comprehension and spark interest amongst our students, this essay explores a unit plan for connecting Will Hobbs's Downriver (1991) with William Golding's Lord of the Flies (1954). Both works espouse significant and timely themes: the importance of working together; the harms of mob rule; the importance of law and order for maintaining civilization; the value of controlling one's emotions such as fears and desires; and the causes for individuals and groups waging war against each other. Additionally, the essay provides a brief summary of the novels and outlines activities for before, during, and after reading them.