The Girl With All the Gifts
M. R. Carey
Summary:
Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.
Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.
Instructor Note:
This book is paired with World War Z to offer a transformative perspective on the zombie horror genre. Although it is a more character-focused narrative story, it still engages with similar themes and concepts with World War Z, such as dealing with world change, asking what makes us human, and how we react to crises through our values and needs.
Book Club Materials
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Suggested Reading Schedule
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Reading Guides with Comprehension Questions
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Vocabulary and Reading Activities
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Writing/Multimodal Project Prompts
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Live Discussion of the Book
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Final Project Feedback Rubrics
Ages:
13 - 18
Dates:
October 1 - 31, 2026
Live Meeting:
Friday, October 30, 2026
1:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM CT / 11:00 AM MT / 10:00 AM PT
Live sessions last about one hour. Those who cannot attend the live session will have access to a slide presentation summary after the class ends.
Supplies:
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A copy of the book The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey (ISBN: 978-0-35-650015-7)
Used and borrowed copies will work just fine! If your learner is going to participate in final projects and reading guides, I recommend having a physical copy even if they primarily read the ebook or audiobook. (Dayla Learning Bookshop Link)
Zoom account (free) for live discussion participants
Microphone and camera recommended for live discussion participants
PDF reader
Access to printer recommended
Content Note:
This book includes depictions of horror themes and content like zombies, eating humans and other animals, injuries, profanity, adults controlling children in an institutional setting, medical research, vivisection, contagion.
These depictions are generally appropriate for teens, but the subject matter may not fit with some readers.
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