Goodbye Stranger
Written by Rebecca Stead

Publisher’s Summary:
Bridge is an accident survivor who’s wondering why she’s still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody’s games–or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade?

This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl–as a friend?

On Valentine’s Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?

Each memorable character navigates the challenges of love and change in this captivating novel.

Primary Source Pairing:
Goodbye Stranger is full of opportunities to think about relationships between friends and family. The story also includes opportunities to talk about being true to yourself and standing up for what you believe is right. The character’s feelings and the choices they make give the reader an opportunity to consider what he or she might do in that same situation. For this primary source pairing, take the opportunity to give students information on Internet safety, focusing specifically on cyberbullying and tools students have available to them to report it. Print out or link cyberbullying resources on your website. Seek out additional materials that will be pertinent and productive for the student body at your school and have them readily available.

The infographic above is cropped to fit the page. Please click here to view the full infographic.

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you notice first?
• Find something small but interesting.
• What data do you notice that you didn’t expect?
• What data do you notice that you can’t explain?
• What can you learn from examining this?
• What do you still wonder about?
• How does the information in this infographic connect the experiences of the characters in Goodbye Stranger?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Cyberbullying Infographic: Osiris Educational

Additional Resources:
Before You Post Checklist
Submit* The Documentary Cyberbullying Infographic
Top Ten Tips to Keep You Safe Online Infographic