In this post, we feature multi-award-winning author Lyn Miller-Lachmann, whose previous titles include Torch, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature, among many other honors. You can hear her speak about her new novel in verse, Eyes Open, and try her “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Eyes Open
- Written by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
- Published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group
- Release date: May 7, 2024
In Portugal in 1967, Sónia thinks she knows what her future holds. She’ll become a poet, and together she and her artist boyfriend, Zé Miguel, will rise above the government restrictions that shape their lives: the restrictions on what Sónia can do and where she can go without a man’s permission; the restrictions on what music she can enjoy, what books she can read, what questions she can ask. But when Zé Miguel is arrested for anti-government activities and Sónia’s family’s restaurant is shut down, Sónia’s plans are upended. No longer part of the comfortable middle class, she’s forced to leave school and take a low-paying, grueling, dangerous job. She thought she understood the dark sides of her world, but now she sees suffering she never imagined. Without the protection of her boyfriend or her family, can Sónia find a way to fight for justice? This poignant novel in verse follows a teen girl as she discovers how to resist tyranny and be true to herself.
From Eyes Open, written by Lyn Miller-Lachmann.
“We do not think. We do not question. / We do not dream. / But I have Free Will / and I write verse that doesn’t rhyme.”
Click here to view a longer preview of Eyes Open, written by Lyn Miller-Lachmann.
Explore Eyes Open
Listen to Lyn Miller-Lachmann talking with TeachingBooks about creating Eyes Open. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to Lyn Miller-Lachmann pronounce her name.
- Sample the ebook of Eyes Open on OverDrive.com.
- Sample the audiobook of Eyes Open on OverDrive.com.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for Eyes Open.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann.
Imagination Activity with Lyn Miller-Lachmann
The last stall in the most remote bathroom at your school turns out to be a time machine that will take you anywhere at any moment in history. After signing a pledge that you will not alter history in exchange for your safe return and a late pass to your next class, you punch in a date and a location. What place and time did you choose and why? And will you keep your pledge? Why or why not?
Finish This Sentence . . . with Lyn Miller-Lachmann
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Lyn Miller-Lachmann’s response.
“A strange topic that I had to research for this project is…”
A strange topic I had to research for this book is washing machines from the mid-twentieth century. I discovered that many of these old washing machines had two separate tubs, one with hot water and detergent and the other to spin out the excess water. People had to transfer heavy, wet clothes from one tub to the other with huge tongs.
“My protagonist can’t live without…”
My protagonist can’t live without poetry and the freedom to write it. It may seem strange to someone who’s grown up in a place of freedom, but many people throughout the world have gone to prison or worse because of what they’ve written or said.
More Connections to Lyn Miller-Lachmann and Eyes Open
- Discover books like Eyes Open on TeachingBooks.
- Lerner’s page about Eyes Open, written by Lyn Miller-Lachmann.
- Buy Eyes Open, written by Lyn Miller-Lachmann.
All text and images are courtesy of Lyn Miller-Lachmann and Lerner Publishing Group and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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