Beneath The Underground
not part of a series
What’s inside...
Denise Lane is an average teenage girl who has just discovered the sweetness of her first love with Chad Boswell, but soon learns of his heroin dependency. She tries to save him, only to find herself descending into the same world, falling into a lifestyle of drugs and fast-paced living. In this world, she meets Dewayne Townsend, who becomes an unexpected ally. As Denise struggles with her conflicted feelings for both Chad and Dewayne, and the temptation to use cocaine, she watches her youth and self-respect slip away. Determined to save herself, Denise fights to escape the maddening world beneath the underground.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
13-17
Length
198 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think life would be like living underground like the characters in the book?
How did the characters' friendship change throughout the story? What made it stronger?
Can you think of a time when you felt as brave as the characters when facing a challenge?
What would you do if you were in the main character’s situation?
How do you think the story would change if it happened in our town?
Tip: Role play these questions
Use expressive reading to bring the underground world to life, changing your tone to match the exciting, scary, or adventurous parts of the story.
Ask your child to draw a scene from the book. Discuss their drawing, focusing on how they interpreted the setting and characters.
Pause at suspenseful moments in the story to predict what might happen next, encouraging your child to use clues from the story to guess.
After reading, relate the story to your child's experiences by discussing times when they have had to work together with friends to solve a problem.
Encourage your child to ask their own questions about the book and its characters to foster curiosity and deeper understanding.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Courage in the face of adversity
Explanation: The characters in 'Beneath The Underground' face challenging obstacles but learn to overcome them through bravery and perseverance.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this lesson by tackling challenges such as trying new activities or standing up for themselves and others in difficult situations.
Example Lesson: The importance of teamwork
Explanation: The book showcases how characters work together to solve problems, demonstrating that cooperation can lead to success.
Real-World Application: This lesson can encourage children to collaborate with peers in school projects or team sports, highlighting the value of everyone's contributions.
Example Lesson: Resilience through failures
Explanation: As characters in the story attempt and fail in their endeavors, they learn to try again, teaching resilience.
Real-World Application: This can help children understand that failure is a part of learning and encourage them to persist in their efforts, whether in academics or personal hobbies.