Red Kayak

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

Wait Till Helen Comes

• 1986 middle-grade novel by Mary Downing Hahn
• connects to themes of The Past and Moral Responsibility
• Consider how Heather’s guilt over accidentally starting the fire affects the dynamics of her new family; compare this to the way J.T. and Digger’s actions impact their friendship with Brady.
• Wait Till Helen Comes on SuperSummary

“Thank You, Ma’am”

• 1958 short story by Langston Hughes
• connects to the theme of Moral Responsibility and touches on issues of Class
• Consider the role that economic distress or inequality plays in motivating Roger’s actions, as well as J.T. and (especially) Digger’s.
• “Thank You, Ma’am” on SuperSummary

“One Art”

• poem by Elizabeth Bishop, first published in 1976
• connects to the theme of The Past, particularly in relation to grief and loss
• Consider the poem’s lighthearted tone and the extent to which the speaker is suppressing unpleasant feelings; compare this to how different characters in Red Kayak cope with loss.