Kazim the Great

Kazim the Great centres around characters who are fictional, whose story unfolds during the real earthquake that struck Izmit in Turkey on August 17, 1999. Students can understand the nature of earthquakes and their human cost through the experiences of the novel's characters. Themes explored are of survival, friendship and family loyalties, courage and triumph over adversity. This text is suitable for use in schools in which English and SOSE/Humanities/ HSIE are integrated and/or taught by the same teacher. As part of the English Alive program, the novel has a number of accompanying worksheets, found in the English Alive Teacher Resource Book Phase 3, covering language, reading, thinking strategies, and an overview of the novel. Kazim and Mustafa are best friends, sharing a carefree life in Izmit, Turkey. But when their beloved city is devastated by an earthquake, Kazim is buried beneath the rubble. In the midst of the terrible chaos that follows, what chance of survival does one teenage boy have? If you have a devoted friend like Mustafa... anything is possible. I know I mustn't close my eyes, Kazim thought, but I am so tired. I don't think I can do this much longer. Come soon Mustafa, come soon...