I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier - Figurative Language Activity

Adolescent life is filled with angst. In Robert Cormier's heartbreaking novel, Adam Farmer's life truly crumbles around him. Adam hops on his bicycle to ride through New England to deliver a package to his father. But what's in the package and will Adam make it safely? As Adam remembers his younger years with a scent of lilacs, his mother's former happiness, and a hasty move to a new home, he begins to piece together hidden parts of his life. Wheeling out of town, Adam leaves behind his girlfriend Amy. Thinking of her often during the ride, he attempts to call her several times. Each time, though, a man answers and insists Adam has the wrong number. Could something else be going on?

Robert Cormier's explicit use of figurative language evokes personal association with the reader. This activity utilizes actual pages from the book so that the student gains an understanding of the following figurative languages:

Simile
Metaphor
Idiom
Personification

Students are requested to find the usage in the actual text and then prompted to complete their own versions.