A teacher's guide is available for each HIP novel - $7.95 or free with purchase of a literature circle six-pack of one title.  (If you're using the print order form, simply check the teacher's guide box and leave the amount box blank, or write in "free." If ordering through the website, the teacher's guide will be sent automatically. Please do not add it to your shopping cart.)

All HIP novels have an accompanying teacher’s guide written by renowned literacy expert Lori Jamison. These guides are designed to help teachers introduce the book, develop strategies as students are reading, and provide meaningful follow-up activities once the novel is completed. (Note that the fantasy novels have one teacher's guide for each group of three books.)


 Key features:

  • plot synopsis, chapter-by-chapter
  • introductory activities, vocabulary work, and a non-fiction article on the theme of the novel
  • each novel broken into 3 or 4 sections for teaching; each section with introductory questions, discussion questions and a graphic organizer
  • after-reading activities including a quiz and a selection of projects and activities

All our teacher’s guides begin with ideas for using the novels for independent reading, whole class instruction and for literature-circle groups. There is a plot synopsis to help with student conferencing, information about the author and a short article – “author comments on the novel” - written by the book’s author describing the impetus behind the book and issues which developed in writing it. There is also a general non-fiction piece which ties into a theme or issue in the novel.

To make teaching easy, each teacher’s guide offers three or four suggestions on ways to introduce the novel and hook student interest. Then the novel is broken into three or four sections – each with a synopsis, discussion questions, necessary vocabulary and a graphic organizer activity. When a student finishes reading the novel, there are additional graphic organizers, a short quiz, and a page of after-reading activities. Altogether, the teacher’s guide offers a complete week-long unit for struggling readers.

Note that there are special teacher's guidesfor the HIP fantasy books - Skinwalker and Dragon Speaker - which cover three titles in a single guide. As well, there is a new 24-page teacher's guide for the Bat Mystery Novels which covers all six of the Bats novels.

To download a sample teacher's guide (this one is for Shooting the Rapids) as a 1 meg printable PDF file, click here.