I used this book with our 3rd and 4th grade book club. It turned out to be way to hard for them, so if you are doing it I suggest 5th or 6th grade or a group of really strong readers!
Wizards Hall by Jane Yolen
Book Club Program November 7, 2012:
Book Club Program November 7, 2012:
Summary from Scholastic.com:
Poor Henry. It's not enough that his
mother has sent him away from home to learn magic. It's not enough that
everyone at his new school calls him Thornmallow because he's "prickly on
the outside, squishy within".
It' s not enough that the only talent he shows at Wizard's
Hall is an ability to make messes of even the simplest spells. Now, when
Wizard's Hall is threatened by a cruel sorcerer' s fearsome beast, it is up to
Henry — er, Thornmallow — to figure out how to save not only his new friends
but also the entire school for wizards.
The
Master, Nettle, rejected by the other wizards, has conjured a powerful Quilted
Beast from the black side of their souls.
He is using the Beast to threaten the entire school with it on the next
full moon (which happens to be in only a day)!
Thornmallow isn’t sure what he can do.
He’s tone deaf and can’t chant on the dominant. He’s not very good at Elementry Spelling,
Names, or Curses. However, Thornmallow
does know how to try.
It is easy to sympathize with Henry, he has doubts
about his abilities and is confused in the new magical setting. Yolen
does not lay out the school environment in detail but deftly sketches
delightful elements, like the portrait that shows Henry and his mother in
motion or the ceiling star map that teaches as it puts him to sleep. She gives
the reader Henry's perspective on the Hall and its inhabitants. The peril that
they all face is real and frightening and its solution is just right.
Wizard's Hall is a charming tale. Though this story was
written earlier than Harry Potter's adventures, they have much in common from
the school itself to the names Harry/Henry and the winking portraits. The other
story that comes to mind in reading this one is The Little Engine That Could.
Like the engine, Thornmallow persists through self-doubt and danger and reaches
his goal ... because "It only matters that you try."
Activity
1: The Name Game
There is more to a name then just letters strung
together. Page 93.
Thornmallow, Greybane, Beechvale, Briar Rose, Oakbend,
Coachwillow, Stickybun, Broadleaf, Daffy-Down-Dilly, Tansy, Willoweed, Gorse, Hickory,
Feverfew, Sax, Frafe, Pepperwort, Bucks Horne, Milkweed, Hyssop, Morning Glory,
Nettle.
Henry gets renamed Thornmallow when he
enters Wizards Hall because he is prickly on the outside and squishy on the
inside. If you were to become a wizard
what would you want your name to be?
Remember your name reflects both your personality as well as the skills
and positive attributes that you will bring to the hall.
Prep Work:
1. Show them a marshmallow with toothpicks
poking into it to demonstrate Thornmallow’s name.
a. How would changing his name change his
personality? In the book no one can seem
to remember his name he is called: Thornapple, Thornmarrow, Thornwillow,
Thornmaple, Thornmellow, Thornswallow, Thornpower
b. What are some cool attributes that a
wizard might want to have?
2. Print up possible words for the kids to
look through and choose from if they need help.
a. Pull some plant and animal reference
books for the kids to look at and a dictionary since most of the names in the book
reflect aspects of nature.
3. Ask the kids to assign names to each
other or their friends and family if that is easier.
4. Let’s look at some of the other Wizard
Names in the book what do you think they might mean?
Activity 2: Wizard
Quilting
A
quilt is a blanket made up of numerous pieces of fabric sewn together into
shapes, patterns, and designs. The
warmth and durability of a quilt comes from the layering and stitching of
fabrics. The beast was made up of the
people it ate quilted together. What if
you had to battle this monster as a quilted group, what individual powers would
you want to combine?
Page
82 and 83, background on Nettle and his beast.
“One of our original members was a wizard named Nettle from
Overton-Across-the-Waters…”
Page
105 , the beast imagery as seen by Thornmallow.
“Something impossibly large stomped down the aisle…”
Directions:
1. Give each participant a blank square of
paper.
2. Ask them to think about some attributes
that would tie in with their wizard name and aid in battling the Quilted Beast.
3. Provide colored pencils
4. Ask the participants to draw their name
and how they could fight on the quilt square.
5. As a group they need to stitch their
quilt together in a manner that would make it strongest, perhaps defensive
skills on the outer edges or corners?
6. Print some premade images that might help
spark their imagination.
Activity 3: The Enhancer
Why could Thornmallow save the day
when he had no magical powers?
“Thornpower asks
if he has a talent for magic.” She smiled slowly and shook her head. “He does
not. At least, he does not have a talent for enchantment. His talent is far greater. He has a talent for enhancement. He can make any spell someone else works even
greater simply by trying.” Pg. 131
Is there such a
thing as enhancement in real life? Can
you think of anyone or anything who might be an enhancer
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