Teacher’s Guide: Burning by Danielle Rollins
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BOOK BLURB
After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is just three months shy
of release. She’ll finally see her little brother again. And she’ll
finally get out of the pit that is Brunesfield Correctional Facility.
But then Jessica arrives… She’s young, only ten years old, and
she’s brought to Brunesfield in shackles under the highest
security possible. She doesn’t speak and is placed in the
segregation ward. No one knows what she did to end up there.
But there are plenty of rumors. Soon creepy things begin to
happen to Angela and her friends that can only be traced to the
new girl's arrival and it becomes clear that Jessica is more
dangerous than anyone ever expected...
A chilling new Young Adult novel, perfect for fans of Orange is
the New Black and Stephen King.
ISBN 9781619637382 • $17.99 HC
AUTHOR BACKGROUND
Danielle Rollins has won numerous awards for her fiction and non-fiction, and earned a 2009
Pushcart Prize nomination for her short story, Drive. She's the author of The Merciless under the
pseudonym Danielle Vega, and Burning is her debut under her own name. She lives in Brooklyn, New
York, and spends far too much money on vintage furniture and leather boots.
To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website: www.daniellerollins.com or follow her on
twitter: @dvegabooks
CLASSROOM DISCUSSION GUIDE
Open a discussion with your class regarding topics such as:
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Moral Dilemmas: By keeping Jessica’s secret, Angela risks her own release. What are other
examples of moral dilemmas? Have you ever been faced with your own moral dilemma?
www.bloomsbury.com/childrens

The main characters in Burning could be considered “antiheroes.” Angela is a convicted
criminal, and Jessica has frightening powers. Discuss the concept of antiheroes. Are
antiheroes/monsters more appealing/interesting than “good” heroes?

Why are people so fascinated by films, books and documentaries set in prisons?
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Why are people from particular racial/socio-economic backgrounds more likely to spend
time in prison?
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What are some examples throughout the book that touch on the following themes:
o
Bullying
o
Self-harming
o
Gangs and peer pressure
o
Teamwork
SCIENCE
Research topic: Research human and animal trials and tests throughout medical research history.
Ethics topic: Discuss the ethics surrounding scientific experimentation, e.g. animal testing for
possible cures for cancer that could save millions of lives?
History topic: Women have moved science forward in leaps and bounds. Discuss the scientific impact
these three scientists have made on our understanding of the world:
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Rosalind Franklin: 1920-1958 British molecular biologist who made huge amounts of
progress of our understanding of the structure of DNA.
Esther Lederberg: 1922-2006 an American microbiologist who made discoveries on how
bacteria mutates.
Rachel Carson: 1907-1964 American marine biologist and conservationist whose work
revolutionized the global environmental movement
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Creative Writing
 Place yourself in the mind of another. Write a short story or poem or play script about:
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2
o
Being in prison
o
Committing a crime
o
Discovering you have a supernatural power
o
Getting arrested
o
Breaking out of prison
The tagline on the Burning cover is “Every Spark of Evil Starts Within.” In brainstorming
groups or as individuals, write your own alternative taglines for the Burning book cover.
Here are some examples that Bloomsbury staff came up with when they were brainstorming
www.bloomsbury.com/childrens
for this tagline:
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o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
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The smallest spark can ignite the fiercest flames
Every revolution begins with a spark
Imprisoned. In danger. In the line of fire.
Monsters are more interesting than heroes (line direct from the book)
Who will protect you from her?
She’s locked in and time’s running out.
High security. High risk. Highly dangerous.
Set fire to the darkest parts of your imagination.
If Orange is the New Black had been written by Stephen King
A sentence that ends in flames
If you play with fire…
Danger fuels the fire of power.
Art

The book jackets of the US and UK/ANZ editions look very different. Compare both
of the jackets, and discuss why one may be more effective than the other.
USA

UK/ANZ
Design your own book cover for Burning
Drama
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3
In groups, imagine that you’re in a prison and roleplay several different scenarios
that could occur. How do inmates interact with each other? What happens if an
argument breaks out?
www.bloomsbury.com/childrens
FURTHER READING
Novels:

Carrie, by Stephen King

Holes, by Louis Sachar

The Green Mile, by Stephen King

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart

The Arsonist, by Sue Miller

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
TV Shows/Films (some are only appropriate for senior students):
4
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The Stanford Prison Experiment
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Orange is the New Black
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Carrie (film)
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
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The Great Escape
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Prison Break
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Wentworth Prison
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Frankenstein
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Misfits

Supernatural
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Arrow

Once Upon a Time
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X-Men movies
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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Marvel’s Daredevil
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Constantine

Alphas
www.bloomsbury.com/childrens