100 Sideways Miles
Written by Andrew Smith

Summary:
Finn Easton, sixteen and epileptic, struggles to feel like more than just a character in his father’s cult-classic novels with the help of his best friend, Cade Hernandez, and first love, Julia, until Julia moves away.

Primary Source Pairing:
Finn believes distance is more important than time. “The earth travels about twenty miles every second. It’s easy enough to figure out: π, our distance from the sun, three hundred sixty-five days, and there you go. Twenty miles per second.” (pg 9)

For this primary source pairing, use an image showing the distance traveled in one year. For an extension, include math by asking students to determine how many miles they are old.

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• What other details can you see?
• How does this image relate to the book 100 Sideways Miles?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Distance image: Plane Not a Planet