The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner is a science fiction book written by James Dashner in 2010 for ages 12 and up. This is a very intense chapter book for older children. This book grabs the attention of the reader from the very beginning. It is about a boy named Thomas who wakes up in a foreign world in an elevator, not remembering anything about his own life. He is taken to this land of about 60 other boys who have learned how to survive on their own. Every thirty days a new boy arrives, but they eventually have a girl enter into their world and things change. They are not able to leave their enclosed area\land so they had to assign groups with different tasks, so that they would be able to escape someday. These teenagers have to learn how to survive without adults, and they have to find a way back home, but they are losing hope. This book is full of action and suspense. All of the suspense and action almost leaves the reader speechless. This is a must read for mature readers who love excitement and adventure. This is also a great way to introduce team building and survival skills to students in the classroom.

This is a chapter book so there are not really any illustrations. The book is so detailed that mature readers do not need pictures. The text give so much information and are very thought provoking that the text paints a picture in the imagination of the reader.  

 

Discussion Questions:

What do you think of the characters?

What would you do if you were stranded and had to survive on you own?

What could the characters have done differently?

Do you think the teens worked well as a team?

How could they have become a better team?

Which character made to most progress in your opinion?

 

Teamwork and Survival Activity:

In groups have students invent their own scenarios. The possibilities are endless! Each group should write the scenario down. Have groups switch their stories and prepare to role play the scenario and a solution.  Discuss their solutions and other possibilities.

An example of a scenario:

You and a friend have been hiking all afternoon in a large forest. The sun is beginning to set, and you decide that it is time to head for home. Unfortunately, you and your friend disagree about the direction that will lead you back.

What items do you need to have with you? What should you do? 

 

Other Books by the Author:

The Death Cure

The Scorch Trials

The Kill Order

The Rule of Thoughts

 

Resources:

Dashner, James. (2010). The Maze Runner. Delacorte Press Publisher.