4. Contents Author Backgrounds Characters Plot Central Issues Personal Opinion No trailer

5. Todd Strasser

6. Born on 5th May 1950 Went to College for a few years but then dropped out* Studied literature and writing at Beloit College Worked as Journalist and operated his own fortune cookies company* „Dr. Wing Tip Shoo“ for 12 years 1978: Strasser published his first novel. Writes about contoversial* themes Wrote his most famous works under the pen name Morton Rhue *to drop out (of school): die Schule abbrechen fortune cookies company: Glückskeks Firma controversial: umstritten

7. Backgrounds Ron Jones 1967 Jones got dismissed*. *to get dismissed: entlassen werden

8. Characteres Ben Ross: Teacher at Gordon High School Christie Ross: Ben‘s Wife Laurie: Editor of „The Grapevine David: Laurie‘s Boyfriend Amy: Laurie‘s Friend Brian: David‘s Friend Robert: outsider

9. Plot Why did the Germans Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party allow to rise to power? Why didn‘t anyone try to stop the Nazis? How could they kill ten million people in the death camps without anybody noticing?

10. Plot Ben Ross has no answers to these questions. He starts an experiment: The Wave Strength through discipline! Strength through community! Strength through action! The pupils work harder for history. The wave gets more members. Robert gets carried away from the wave. The headmaster has doubts. Laurie finds an anonymous letter.

11. Plot The letter says that he has been threatened because he didn‘t want to join the wave. Robert offers Mr. Ross to be his bodyguard, who says yes. Laurie gets to know about a Jew who gets offended. She publishes a text against the wave. David and Laurie visit Mr. Ross to ask to stop the wave. Also the headmaster wants him to stop it. At a convention of all members Mr. Ross shows a big picture of Adolf Hitler. All the pupils leave with tears in eyes exept of Robert. Mr. Ross cheers him.

12. Central Issues How Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party could rise to power. How group pressure helped them.

13. Personal Opinion

14. Thank you for your attention! Sources: The Wave- Morton Rhue www.wikipedia.org www.toddstrasser.com www.google.com