We Are All Made of Molecules

We Are All Made of Molecules

• Genre: Fiction; young adult contemporary
• Originally Published: 2015
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile HL710L; grades 7-9
• Structure/Length: 49 chapters; approx. 336 pages; approx. 5 hours, 44 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Teenagers Stewart and Ashley become stepsiblings when their parents move in together. They seem to be polar opposites—Stewart is academically gifted but branded a “nerd,” while Ashley is popular but struggles in school—but they gradually learn to appreciate what they have in common.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Sexual assault; one instance of an anti-LGBTQ slur

Susin Nielsen, Author

• Bio: Raised in London and Chatham, Ontario, Canada; studied radio and television arts after high school and got her first big break while working on the set of the TV series Degrassi Junior High, where she wrote a spec script and was hired to write more episodes; her YA novels have been translated into many languages; lives in Vancouver, Canada
• Other Works: Word Nerd (2008); Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom (2010); The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen (2012); Optimists Die First (2017); No Fixed Address (2018); Tremendous Things (2021)
• Awards: Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers (nominee, 2016-2017); Pacific Northwest Young Reader’s Choice Award (nominee)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Exclusionary Social Hierarchy
• Inclusive Molecules
• The Shape of a Family

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the scientific and social contexts regarding inclusion that incite Stewart and Ashley’s conflicts.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Exclusionary Social Hierarchy, Inclusive Molecules, and The Shape of a Family.
• Plan, design, and construct visual media to convey an antibullying strategy based on novel details.
• Analyze and evaluate the plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding Stewart’s character, social hierarchy, and other topics.