So the puzzles embedded throughout The Reader. Some are there masterfully to reinforce ideas in the story like the fingerprints smudged throughout the book from Sefia’s paper cuts that bloodied her fingers reading and rereading the book in her hands. Except a secret society of people trained to read and write from a “ mysterious object called a book.” Sefia’s parents had the book hidden and now it is in Sefia’s hands as she uses it to find answers and understand her past. “T hey had never developed alphabets or rules for spelling, never set their histories down in stone.” Stories and histories are passed around orally so they are not forgotten. Sefia is cared for by a family friend, Nin, until Nin is kidnapped one day by a “h ooded woman” with a “s ick stench of metal.” Sefia is left to fend for herself and seek revenge and resolution. As the readers, we are told and reminded that her parents were brutally murdered. The main protagonists is 16 year old Sefia who has lost both her mother and father. Chee has crafted a compelling story that plays on words and begs her readers to ask questions about the power of words and books to control facts, truth, and history. The third story is of Sefia’s parents which run parallel with Sefia’s chapters (until you realize who Lon and the Assassin really are in Chapter 29). The Reader is filled with strong female characters throughout and weaves between three different story lines. Sefia, the protagonist’s story and quest is primary. Captain Reed’s adventures written in The Book Sefia reads and is marked in a different layout embedded throughout Sefia story.

Additionally, Traci Chee has embedded ten puzzles, ciphers, and clues throughout the story and I was on a hunt to uncover them all – in my second read I have identified 9 of the 10.

There are so many great elements to the story that I had to reread the book again. This week my students and I will be discussing The Reader with author, Traci Chee for our upcoming monthly Twitter Book Club. So begins Traci Chee’s amazing story of pirates, magic, and the power of a book in The Reader: Book One of Sea of Ink and Gold. BECAUSE THERE’SĪND ONCE YOU KNOW TO LOOK FOR SIGNALS IN THE SMOKE,įOR SECRETS IN THE SEA, THEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS IF Y OU’RE READING THIS, THEN MAYBE YOU KNOW

The reader chee