Allegedly

Allegedly 

• Genre: Fiction; thriller; young adult 
• Originally Published: 2017 
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 620L; grades 9-12 
• Structure/Length: Divided into 18 chapters; approximately 416 pages; approximately 10 hours, 37 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist, Mary B. Addison, was convicted of killing a baby when she was just nine years old. The story unfolds years later as Mary lives in a group home, trying to navigate a world that is against her while questioning the truth of her past. The central conflict revolves around Mary’s struggle to clear her name, the complexities of her relationship with her mother, and her efforts to build a future for the child she is carrying.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of violence and murder; child abuse, including sexual abuse; systemic failures of the justice and foster care systems; mature and potentially disturbing content

Tiffany D. Jackson, Author 

• Bio: Born 1982; American author known for her powerful and thought-provoking young adult novels; studied film at Howard University; earned a master’s degree in media studies from The New School University in New York; explores complex social issues in her work; celebrated for her compelling, deeply emotional narratives and the way they address challenging topics with sensitivity and insight
• Other Works: Monday's Not Coming (2018); Grown (2020); Let Me Hear a Rhyme (2019) 
• Awards: NAACP Image Award nomination (2017)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Parent-Child Relationship
• The Effects of Mental Illness on the Family Unit
• The Longshot of Rehabilitation

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

• Deepen understanding of cognitive and media bias to contextualize conflicts within the novel.
• Through paired texts, analyze, corroborate, and discuss textual elements such as style, theme, conflict, and character development.
• Discuss and analyze textual elements such as structure, characterization, and style and construct essay responses tying these elements to the novel’s themes of The Parent-Child Relationship, The Effects of Mental Illness on the Family Unit, and The Longshot of Rehabilitation.
• Conduct research and examine textual evidence to create arguments regarding the extent environment plays in the protagonist’s actions.