Picture Book Resources
I Will Surprise My Friend by Mo Willems
Gerald and Piggie watch Squirrel surprise his friend and decide it would be fun to do the same thing. So they agree to meet at the big rock and surprise each other, but thanks to some great comedic timing Gerald doesn't see Piggie and Piggie doesn't see Gerald. Gerald starts imagining all the horrible things that must be happening for Piggie to be missing. Piggie thinks that Gerald must have got hungry and gone to get lunch. Both decide to get up from their hiding spot to go find/save the other and in the process give each other quite a fright.
From the premise of this book, it should totally not work. You shouldn't be able to plan to scare each other at a designated time and location, but thanks to Willems' impeccable comedic timing, it totally does work and hilarity ensues.
Activity Tie-ins:
- Predictions: This would be a fun book to have children try to predict how it will turn out.
- Psychology: Psych classes can pick apart why people get startled, why Elephant and Piggie's plan shouldn't have worked and why it actually did.
- Writing: Willems' employs a brilliant twist in what seems to be a stupid plot. Discuss why it worked, and have students try to write something similar.
- Pranks vs Surprises: Sometimes surprises are fun, and some times they seem mean. Have students debate what makes the difference? Where is the line? (You can tie this then into discussions of class community and how to keep trust between each other.)
- Stats or Charts/Graphs: There tends to be a correlation between whether or not a person likes surprises and whether they are an introvert or extrovert. Poll the class on both questions, and look at the results in statistics. Is there a correlation in the class?
The Skunk by Mac Barnett, ill. by Patrick McDonnell
A man finds himself followed hither and yon by a skunk. After finally shaking this striped-tailed tail, the man's curiosity starts to get the better of him and positions are reversed.
The illustrations in this are fantastic, and make the story as much as the words. And it features a critter that doesn't appear in picture books as a main character all that much.
Activity Tie-ins:
- Creative Writing: It is not revealed exactly what the skunk is up to, so readers can extend the story and fill in the gaps.
- Debate or Persuasive Writing: You could have a fun debate or persuasive writing exercise asking students whether the skunk was up to something good or evil, what evidence can they use to back them up? Students could also debate whether the man was foolish or smart to tail the skunk in return. Was he smart or did he put himself in danger? Was this story funny or scary?
- Stranger Danger: This could be a good chance to talk to students about what to do when followed or approached by a stranger.
Graphic Novel-ish Resource
Curse of the Were-Wiener by Ursula Vernon
This third book in the Dragonbreath series finds Wendell is bitten by a were-weiner from Transylvania during school lunch. Danny and Wendell must destroy the alpha wurst with the help of a sentient potato salad (that made an appearance in bk 1 of the series) and its rat minions before Wendell and other school mates are completely transformed and in the thrall of the alpha wurst.
Activity Tie-ins:
- "Scary" (but not really) Stories: There's this group of readers out there who says they want a scary story to read, but not too scary. This is probably the least scary were-creature story you can find. In fact it's really rather funny. There's no blood or gore, and everyone ends up ok.
- Reluctant Readers or those in need of Hi-Lo books: The Dragonbreath series is great for students who "don't like to read" or are struggling readers. The book is almost a graphic novel, but has some pages of just text. The combination of lots of illustrations and large font also make this a very quick read. And the funny adventures of Danny the dragon and his friend Wendell the iguana appeal to a wide age range.
- Story Tropes: Vernon picks fun at several typical horror story tropes in this book. Have students see if they can identify them, and discuss why authors do things like this.
- Humorous Stories: Students (and adults) crave funny stories. This is a great book if you need to laugh in the midst of those thunderstorms.
Fiction Resources
The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell
Sand wakes up to find he's been sleeping in a fireplace. And the fireplace is in the middle of the castle destroyed ages ago in an earthquake that's now surrounded by a hedge of thorns. But as Sand explores his strange new surroundings, he starts to realize that whatever cracked the keep and rent a huge tear in the earth couldn't have been just an earthquake because that's not all that's wrong in the castle. There isn't a single thing that hasn't been broken or destroyed in the entire place from bedding and books torn to pieces to tables and anvils shredded in halves. Also, there isn't a single living thing in the castle. The plants (except for the pesky impenetrable thorn hedge) are all dried up, there isn't a mouse or even a fly making a peep. Sand thinks he's all alone with no way out. Until he can figure out the mysteries of how he got in and how he can get out, Sand decides to fix up some things to make his situation livable. He starts with basics like bedding, a spoon, and something to draw water from the well with. As he moves on strange things start happening in the castle, giving Sand clues as to why he is there and what happened in the past.
Activity Tie-ins:
- Fairy Tales Compare/Contrast: This book is somewhat a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. There are plenty of unique elements and Haskell has definitely made this story her own, but if you look for the Sleeping Beauty-ish parallels you can find them (minus mushy parts, so this is also a good fairy tale option for boys). A good addition to a fairy tale unit. Have students compare and contrast this story with another version of Sleeping Beauty.
- Mystery/Almost Spooky Tales: There's a big mystery as to what is going on in this story. How did Sand end up in the castle, and why is everything broken? There are elements that have the potential to be spooky, but really don't end up scary at all. A good pick for a mystery unit. See if students can figure out what is going on before Sand. And you can also discuss how Haskell kept you interested without revealing the mystery too soon.
- Bitterness & Forgiveness: There's a fantastic message about the dangers of bitterness and importance of forgiveness in this story. Great conversation starter.
- Angels in Bible vs Angels in pop arts: Some angels factor into this story, and provide a good opportunity to compare how angels appear in popular art, literature, etc. and how they are described in the Bible.
Storm Thief by Chris Wooding
Storm Thief is a steam punk dystopia world kept in dystopia by a Chaos Engine (think improbability machine from Hitchhiker but make it non-humorous) that at random times releases probability storms across the island city. The city was evidently created by an ancient people that had amazing technology, but the knowledge of that technology has been lost and the city is pretty much in the Industrial Revolution/Poland pre official WWII (there are ghetto areas of the city) with some unique technology all their own. The probability storms can do anything from rearrange the city streets to give people 3 eyes or change the color of their hair. Also thrown into the mix of issues for the citizens to deal with are things called Revenants which basically turn people into zombies. The two main characters are thieves by necessity and happen on something that changes their lives and ultimately the lives of everyone else on the island.
Note: There is a fair amount of violence in this, though nothing exceptionally gory. I personally wouldn't hand it to elementary students, but most teenagers should be fine unless they are very sensitive to violence.
Activity Tie-ins:
- Ethics: The main characters of this book steal out of "necessity" though even they differ on what that means. A great discussion starter for an ethics class. Is there a time when stealing is ok? If so, what is the line?
- World Building: This book reminded me of several other book settings or historical settings but managed to come off as fairly unique and it's own story. Ask students to brainstorm some of the possible influences/inspirations Chris Wooding drew on for this setting.
- Zombie Stories That Aren't Too Scary: For the reader who wants a zombie story, but doesn't want blood and guts and gore everywhere, this is a good (and fairly rare) option.
- Responsive Writing: The Chaos Engine frequently wreaks havoc in the world and people of this story. Have students imagine how they would feel knowing at any moment any part of their world could change. Would there be certain parts they'd wish they could keep the Chaos Engine away from, or parts they'd welcome it to change?
- Dystopia World Face-off: This book provides a dystopia setting that is pretty scary to think about living in. Have students compare and contrast this with other dystopia worlds and establish a ranking system of most livable to least livable. In other words, which one would you like to live in the least?
There's lots of other great story night reads out there. You could always grab a Poe, and I love Dickens Our Mutual Friend that has fantastic story crafting and a complex mystery (but it does take quite a few nights to read). And of course, Snoopy frequently crafts stories about dark and stormy nights in Peanuts comics. The next couple of Brainstorms will look at some stand-alone mystery books and mystery series recommendations.
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