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Another Dreadful Fairy Book Teaching Materials“With an exasperated narrator who would much prefer a story whose fairies and plots behave the way they ought and with characters that not only question, but outright shatter the status quo to embrace difference, Etter offers readers a rich world of complexity and moral ambiguity as Shade navigates loss, betrayal, magic, and friendship in pursuit of the wonders of books and self-love. It’s difficult to give Etter credit for diverse racial representation in a world of multihued nonhuman creatures; nevertheless, this chubby brown protagonist full of flaws and wit and heart is quite welcome. For bibliophiles (and bibliothecaphiles) and all those who step expectantly into mushroom rings.”—Kirkus ReviewsA Word of Admonition to the Teacher from the NarratorMy dear school marm or school master,I had hoped that, in addition to the excellent training you have had and the usually impeccable profession judgment you no doubt exhibit each day in your classroom, the warnings I had made at the beginning of the study guide for the first book in this dreadful series would have been enough to dissuade you from allowing your young charges to even speak their titles in your classroom. And yet it now seems that you are considering allowing or possibly even requiring them to read this second dratted tome? Dreadful, dear Educator. Truly, truly dreadful!If sound pedagogy, best practices, good manners, and common decency do not immediately make you change course and require your dear moppets to read something more proper and morally improving—might I recommend Nanny Pleasantry’s Tales of Virtue, Inspiration, and Personal Improvement;?Lovey Tumkins and the Pleasant and Helpful Wee Folk; or the Blabby Award-winning?Honest Jim and the Do-Right Lads (all of which I’m quite proud to have narrated)?—I may be forced to report your decisions to your principal, superintendent, school board, PTA, local religious leaders, law enforcement officials, and your dear sweet Aunt Agnes who always wears such lovely cat-themed sweaters and knits you the coziest socks for Lamas Day every year. I’m sorry to be so forceful on this point, dear Educator, but if harsh measures are what it takes to prevent a generation of unruly, uncouth barbarians inspired by Mr. Etter’s ruinous writings, then harsh measures it must be!Warmest regards,Quentin Q. Quacksworth, Esq.United Federation of Narrators, Raconteurs, Anecdotists,and General Tellers of Tales, Local 42A Word of Thanks from the AuthorDear fellow educator,Thank you so much for bringing my little book into your classroom. To help you out I’ve put together a chapter-by-chapter study guide and come up with some project and presentation ideas for your consideration. I hope you find these materials helpful and that you and your students enjoy the book!Sincerely,Jon EtterP.S. Sorry about you having to deal with that old crank, Quacksworth. Contractually, he gets to have the first and last word in all written work in or related to the series, so unfortunately I’ve got to deal with stuff like this all the time. But don’t worry about any of his threats—he’s all talk, and a heck of a lot of it!P.P.S. This study guide was finished as quickly as possible to meet the needs of parents and educators during the Coronavirus quarantine of 2020, so I apologize for any writing errors you may find. I have every intention of someday going back and editing this guide more closely and enough honesty and self-awareness to admit that there’s a good chance that will never happen.P.P.P.S. Did you know that “P.S.” stands for “Post Script,” so if you have more than one you keep adding P’s since each one is “post” the previous one and not S’s because it doesn’t make as much sense and just looks weird? You probably did know that, but there it is just in case.P.S.S.S.S. See? Even if “Post Script Script Script Script” made any sense, which it doesn’t, it just looks weird, doesn’t it?SummaryIn the previous book in the series (which you and your students don’t really need to read to appreciate this one as long as they read Quacksworth’s rather uncharitable prologue), the sprite Shade left her village of Pleasant Hollow after her home and all her books were burned to the ground and then went on a quest to find the Grand Library of Elfame, which she eventually did. Along the way, she was befriended by a number of other misfit fairies, most notably the brownie Rigoletto Ginch and the mute pixie the Professor, a pair of crooked but good-hearted card-sharps, thieves, and con artists, and ran afoul of the villainous Lady Perchta, a scarred elven noblewoman who tried to kill her.Another Dreadful Fairy Book begins six months later and finds Shade happily working and living in the Grand Library. That happiness, however, is soon imperiled when ferocious bugbear Norwell Drabbury, Grand Scrutinizer for the Ministry of Ordinariness, Averageness, and Normalcy (M.O.A.N.), shows up and demands that access to the library be drastically restricted and that certain texts be removed completely because he and others find their content inappropriate and objectionable.Immediately after his first visit, however, Shade discovers that her late father was a member of a secret society known as the Great Library’s Unseen Guardians (G.L.U.G.), whose mission was to keep a treasure trove of rare books hidden until one day it would be safe enough to bring them back out into the world. Taking up her father’s mission, Shade, with Ginch and the Professor in tow, go off on an adventure that takes them to the small farming village of Cottinghamtownshireborough, the seedy criminal underworld of Bilgewater, the treacherous underground tunnels of the Hollow Hills, and high up the cliffs of Mount Wyrd to find the other secret society members and recover the lost books.Will Shade and her friends find the other G.L.U.G.ers and retrieve the lost books of the Great Library of Alexandria? Will the Grand Library of Elfame successfully fight off censorship and closure? Will narrator Quentin Q. Quacksworth find this book any less objectionable than the first one? There’s only one way to find out… although you can probably make a pretty good guess on that last one without actually reading the book.Before You ReadIn this book, Grand Scrutinizer Norwell Drabbury believes access to the Grand Library needs to be restricted for the safety of Elfame and that some books need to be removed completely because he believes they are too objectionable and potentially harmful for anyone to read. When doing book talks with kids, I’ve been surprised (and pleased) to learn that most kids at first don’t believe that anyone would actually believe those things in real life. Unfortunately, as you know, some do.Before you read, or when Drabbury shows up in the second chapter, you might want to have a discussion with your kids about censorship. Who should get to decide what kids read? Are there certain things that kids shouldn’t be allowed to read? Is it ever okay to completely remove a book from a library or school?I would also urge you to go to the American Library Association’s website where, under the “Banned & Challenged Books” tab in their “Advocacy, Legislation, & Issues” section, they have lists of the most frequently banned and challenged books of each year, including the reasons behind the challenges, and a number of other great resources for you and your students to potentially discuss in conjunction with this book or as part of ALA’s annual Banned Books Week.Study QuestionsPrefaceComprehendWhy does Quentin Q. Quacksworth, the narrator, say he’s disappointed in you, the reader?What books would he prefer you choose to read?What effect does Quacksworth say narrating the first book had on him?What does Quacksworth threaten to do if you do continue to read the story?Analyze and InterpretConsider the titles of the books that Quacksworth is proud to have narrated. What do you think those books are like? What do their titles and Quacksworth’s pride in working on them suggest about Quacksworth’s character and what he thinks books for kids should be like?Connect and ReflectThink of a time when someone told you you shouldn’t do something. What was it? Why did they tell you not to do it? Did you follow their advice or did you do it anyway? Why or why not? And how did things work out?Chapter 1ComprehendWho are Shade’s coworkers in the library? What does each one look like? What magical feature allows fairies from all across Elfame to visit the library?Describe the two elven children from Ande Dubnos and Dinas Ffaraon. What does the fact that each is waiting by the door when it opens tell us about them?Why exactly does Chieftainess Sungleam Flutterglide object to there being a library tree in Pleasant Hollow?Analyze and InterpretWhat does the way Johannes and Caxton interact with Shade tell us about their personalities and their relationships with Shade?What does Flutterglide’s objections to the library tree tell us about her personality, beliefs, and values?EvaluateShade is fairly rude to Chieftainess Sungleam Flutterglide, although Flutterglide is herself quite rude to Shade. Do you think Shade is justified in treating Flutterglide the way she does? Why or why not?Chapter 2ComprehendFairy Type: Bugbear. What do we find out about bugbears?What is Norwell Drabbury’s official title? Why has M.O.A.N. sent him to the Grand Library?Describe the head librarians, Fran?ois and ?milie. How do the two respond to Drabbury’s orders? What does Drabbury declare before he leaves? Explain why Quacksworth disagrees with what Drabbury is doing even though he doesn’t want you to read this book.EvaluateConsider the way Fran?ois and ?milie handled Drabbury. Do you think they handled it well? How else might they have responded to his demands?What do you think of Drabbury’s reasons for wanting to restrict access to the library and remove certain books from the shelves? Are they good ones? Why or why not?Connect and ReflectEvery year, people and groups try to force public libraries and school to remove books for the same reasons that Drabbury gives for wanting to restrict the Grand Library and remove books from its shelves. Ask your teacher, parents, or librarian if anyone has done it locally. If so, discuss the details with them and how the situation was handled.Chapter 3ComprehendWhere does Johannes take Shade?What special significance does the book Travelling in the Greater Kingdom have for Shade?What has Johannes discovered is special about Shade’s book?What has Johannes found inside Shade’s book?Analyze and InterpretWhy do you think Shade didn’t appreciate Johannes’s dramatic way of showing her that the book couldn’t be seriously damaged? What does this show us about her personality and/or values?Chapter 4ComprehendWhat secret does the letter from Shade’s father reveal?According to Johannes, how does a book code work?What does Shade realize she needs to do to successfully translate the book code?What does Shade decide she’s going to do? Where is she going to start and why?Connect and ReflectHave you ever discovered something surprising about your parents, grandparents, or someone else you’re close to? What was it? What makes it so surprising?Because Shade grew up reading it and because it was an important part of her journey in the first book in this series, Travelling in the Greater Kingdom is very special to Shade. Is there a book or possession that’s really special to you? What is it? Why do you care about it so much?Chapter 5ComprehendWhy does Shade decide to start her quest to track down the lost books of Alexandria?How do Fran?ois and ?mily react to news of the lost books?What are the various reasons the others give for not wanting to join Shade in searching for the lost books?As Shade is trying to get the others to join her, who comes into the library and why?In the end, who agrees to go to Cottinghamtownshireborough with Shade? How does she feel about that?Analyze and InterpretWhat do the various excuses each character gives for not joining Shade reveal about their characters?EvaluateDo you think Ginch and the Professor are good companions for Shade on her quest? Why or why not?Chapter 6ComprehendWhat have Ginch and the Professor been up to since Shade last saw them?According to Ginch, why don’t he and the Professor get honest jobs?Describe the town of Cottinghamtownshireborough the countryside surrounding it.How hard does Shade think it will be to find the secret book guardian?Where does Ginch suggest they start looking?What does the Professor think they need to help them look for the secret book guardian?EvaluateGinch admits that he and the Professor cheat people at cards, steal thing, and frequently get themselves into trouble. In your opinion, does this make them bad fairies? Why or why not?Connect and ReflectDo you have any friends who tend to get themselves into trouble? Why do they seem to do it? Why do you still remain friends with them even though they sometimes do things they shouldn’t do?Chapter 7ComprehendDescribe the Three Jolly Herdsmen.How does Shade want to go about finding the secret book guardian? How does Ginch go about it? How does that work out?How does every resident of Cottinghamtownshireborough know that Poor Richard Freeholder is the secret book guardian?What do we find out from the residents about Poor Richard?What was Poor Richard doing right before Shade and the other arrived? How did it work out for him?Why has Poor Richard loaded all of his scientific equipment into a pony-drawn cart?What happens to Poor Richard’s house?Analyze and InterpretBased on what the bartender and patrons tell us about Poor Richard, what sort of fairy does he seem to be? What personality traits are revealed indirectly by what they say about him?EvaluateShade wanted to be very indirect and secretive when trying to find out who the secret book guardian is, but Ginch very directly asks and immediately gets an answer. Do you think that asking things directly is always the best approach? Are there any times when you think an indirect approach would be better? When and why?Chapter 8ComprehendFairy Type: Ogre. What do we find out about them from the narrator?How does Poor Richard deal with the ogre chasing them?How does Poor Richard get rid of the goblins riding after them?What causes the cart to explode?What does the elf call Shade as Shade flies past her? How does Shade react to it?Where does Poor Richard always keep his codebook?Analyze and InterpretWhat do Poor Richard’s words and actions tell us about his character?What do Shade’s actions and words during the chase, especially at the end, tell us about her character?Chapter 9ComprehendWho does Shade find back at the Grand Library, and what does he want?What do we learn about bugbears from Poor Richard?Briefly explain Alexandria’s plan to protect the rare books from the Great Library.Why did Poor Richard tell everyone in Cottinghamtownshireborough that he was in a secret society?Who is Martinko? According to Poor Richard, where should he currently be and why?When Shade finds out about Martinko, what does she want to do? What does Poor Richard talk her into instead?Analyze and Interpret Based on what you know about Drabbury and M.O.A.N., why would they have a file on Poor Richard/why would they not like him?EvaluateDo you think Alexandria’s plan was a good one? Why or why not?Chapter 10ComprehendWhen Martinko comes in and collapses, who immediately takes charge?What is wrong with Martinko?How is Martinko’s life temporarily saved?Why does the fact that the elf back in Cottinghamtownshireborough called her “Owlet” bother Shade?What does Shade discover in Martinko’s notebook? What does Poor Richard think it is?What do Shade and Poor Richard discover about the specific codebooks that Alexandria gave to the members of G.L.U.G.? What does that mean for translating the coded message?Chapter 11ComprehendWhat makes Bilgewater especially dangerous for fairies?What is “the truth about vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and stores that seem smaller on the inside than they should be”?Before Shade leaves, what does she ask Johannes to do? Why do you think she asks him to do that?How does Ginch react when Shade tells him they’re looking for the Bowser twins? Why?What does Shade discover about most of the humans in Bilgewater?EvaluateBased on what Ginch has said, do you think Shade should be more worried and/or turn back? Why or why not?Connect and ReflectCan you think of any places like the ones that the narrator says a likely hiding places for fairies? What are they? Did you ever wonder if there were fairies or something else magical about them? What about now?Shade and the others are understandably scared to visit Bilgewater. Have you ever had to go someplace that you thought was scary before you went there? Where was it? Why did you have to go? What happened when you did?Chapter 12ComprehendWhat does the sign outside the old tannery claim about the business inside? Why does it make Shade think the place is really the Bowsers’ criminal headquarters?How does Shade go about finding out if the Bowsers are there? How does it contrast with the way Ginch looked for Poor Richard in Cottinghamtownshireborough?What does Ginch say that gets Monsieur Légal’s attention?Who comes out of a secret door and what do they ask Shade, Ginch, and the Professor to do?Chapter 13ComprehendHow does Yaxley deal with the insulting footstool? Why does that worry Shade?What happens as soon as Shade and the others step into Ginnie Bowser’s office?How did Yaxley and Ront know that Ginch was lying?Who do Yaxley and Ront think Shade and her friends really are?Analyze and InterpretHow much trouble do you think Shade, Ginch, and the Professor are in? What do you think might happen to them? How do you think they’ll get themselves out of this situation?Connect and ReflectHave you ever been caught lying? What was the lie and why did you tell it? What happened when you got caught?Chapter 14ComprehendWhat do Shade and the others expect Tickler to be? What is it really?Who gets tickle-tortured first? How does it go?Fairy Type: Shriker. Describe shrikers and their powers.Why does Ginnie Bowser get upset when Shade tells her that she can hear the squishing of Ginnie’s feet?How does Ginnie know the Professor?How does Ginnie react when Shade says she’s a member of G.L.U.G.?Connect and ReflectGinnie Bowser clearly feels self-conscious about the way her feet squish when she walks. Is there anything about yourself that you’ve felt self-conscious about? If so, what and why? Do you still feel that way?Chapter 15ComprehendHow do Shade and the others escape Ginnie Bowser’s headquarters during the raid?What especially bothers Ginnie about having her headquarters raided and having to flee?Describe the Bowsers’ safe house.Fairy Type: Troll. Describe the troll who opens the door to the safe house. If you’ve read the first book in the series, how is he different from Chauncey X. Trogswollop, Gentletroll of Refinement?How do both Thornburgh and Ronnie Bowser react to Ginnie and the others showing up?How does Ronnie’s response to meeting fellow members of G.L.U.G. differ from her sister’s?How do the Bowsers, Shade, Ginch, and the Professor manage to escape the safe house?Chapter 16ComprehendWhat does Shade find puzzling about the commands given by the leader of the Seelie troops hunting for them?What plan does Shade come up with?Where do Shade and her friends duck into to escape? Who do they meet there?What does Sir Justinian tell Captain Johandra to get him to leave? In Sir Justinian’s view, why was what he said not a lie?How does Grouse feel about leaving to help Shade and the others?Analyze and InterpretWhat does Sir Justinian’s handling of the situation with Captain Johandra tell us about his character and personal values?EvaluateDo you consider what Sir Justinian did to be lying? If so, do you think it was okay for him to do so? Why or why not?Chapter 17ComprehendHow does Ginnie Bowser feel about her grandmother, Máire Bowser? Does Ronnie feel the same? How can you tell?Who had the fourth codebook? What does Poor Richard tell the others about him? Where must they go to get his codebook? What does Shade learn from Johannes about who has been looking at the books on Martinko’s list?How does the library staff foil Drabbury’s latest attempt to remove books from the library?Chapter 18ComprehendWhat do we learn about the mining town of Mamlwytho?Who offers to help Shade and the others find the tomb of Grigor Byrrower? What does he ask for in return?According to Trudgemore, how is he able to talk?What does Trudgemore claim to be? What powers does he says he has?What does Trudgemore tell Shade has been going on in the Hollow Hills lately? What does Shade think is going on?Connect and ReflectEven though Trudgemore looks like a mule, he knows in his heart that he’s a unicorn. Which do you think really makes someone who they are: the way they look on the outside or what they know themselves to be on the inside? Chapter 19ComprehendWhere is the entrance to Grigor’s mines hidden? What do they find at the entrance to the tunnels?What does Shade worry they’ll find in the tunnels?Why does Shade have the Professor go first?Chapter 20ComprehendWhat shoots out of the holes in the walls when Shade first triggers the pressure trap? Further down the tunnel, what shoots out when the Professor triggers it?How does Sir Justinian explain the change in the trap?What is the second trap they encounter? What is harmless about it? What is dangerous?How does Sir Justinian explain the intent behind this trap?Chapter 21ComprehendWhat makes the tunnel on the other side of the snake pit different from the previous ones?Describe the tomb of Grigor Byrrower.What happens when Shade tries to take Grigor’s book?How do they escape from the tomb?Analyze and InterpretWhat do Shade and Ginch’s differing approaches to the trap in the tomb tell us about each one’s character?Chapter 22ComprehendWhat does Sir Justinian think is coming down the tunnel toward them? What does it actually turn out to be?Fairy type: Coblynau. What do these mining fairies look like?How is Elidyr Byrrower related to Grigor?Why does he think Shade and the others are in his tunnels?What does Shade realize about Elidyr’s legs? How does he feel about that?What are Elidyr’s exact plans for the mines?What does Elidyr reveal about the book from the tomb?Connect and ReflectDo you and/or does anyone you know have a disability? If so, what obstacles do you/they face that those without your disability don’t? What do you/they do to overcome those obstacles?Chapter 23ComprehendWho is lying in wait outside the tunnels for Shade? How does Shade know them?Because of that, who does she think is hunting down the members of G.L.U.G.?Why doesn’t Elidyr go back to the Grand Library with Shade and the other G.L.U.G.ers?What question troubles Shade as she returns to the Grand Library?Analyze and Interpret Does Shade’s conclusion about Lady Perchta seem like a logical one? Do you think she’s right? Why or why not?Chapter 24ComprehendWhere does the coded message say the lost books are hidden?Briefly summarize the legends told about Robin Redcap.What reasons does Shade give for waiting until the morning to go get the book?What does Shade point out about all their attempts to get the codebooks? Why does Ginnie Bowser think that getting the lost books will be different?What is troubling Shade that night? What advice does Poor Richard give her?EvaluateWhat do you think Shade should do? Why?Connect and ReflectMost fairies in Elfame have heard scary stories about Robin Redcap and the Tower of Dead Souls. Are there any scary stories about places, ghosts, or other creatures where you live? What are they? Do you think there’s any truth to them?In these last couple chapters, Shade has been struggling to decide if she should do something just because her father wants her to. Is there anything the adults in your life really want you to do now or become when you grow up? Why do they seem to want you to do/be that? Do you also want this? If so, why? If not, why not? And if you don’t, what do you think you’ll do—what the grownups want or what you want?Chapter 25ComprehendWhere does Shade go first thing the next morning? What decision does it help her come to?Who decides to climb Mount Wyrd? Where does everyone else go?Fairy Type: Gwyllion. Describe the fairies Shade spots climbing on the side of the mountain. What makes them flee?How does Sir Justinian feel about the possibility of fighting Robin Redcap? How can we tell?Fairy Type: Ellyllon. Describe the two fairies Shade and the other encounter on the stone stairs. Why do they run off?What does Sir Justinian believe about both the Gwyllion and Ellyllon? What does Shade think?What happens to the Fola Dubh Mountains at high noon?Describe the fairy Shade and the others spy when they get to the top of the stone stairs.Analyze and InterpretWhat does Sir Justinian’s responses to the Gyllion and Ellyllon reveal about his character? Do you think he’s right about them? Why or why not?Chapter 26ComprehendFairy Type: Banshee. Describe the banshee that appears in the garden.What does Sir Justinian think she’s holding, and why does he think she’s appeared there? What does Shade think she’s actually holding?How does Cuthbert Redcap initially react to Sir Justinian’s attack?What finally gets Justinian and Cuthbert to stop fighting?What does Cuthbert explain about his sickle, hat, and name of his home?How does Cuthbert react when Shade says she’s part of G.L.U.G.?What is Cuthbert’s connection to the great librarian Alexandria and why did she hid the books in his home?Describe the Tower of Dred Soulis.What do Shade and the others learn about the gwyllion and ellyllon they met on the way up?What does Cuthbert ask Shade and her friends to do after giving them the lost books?EvaluateWhat do you think of Cuthbert’s order for them to leave immediately? Is that a reasonable reaction to what has happened? Would you do the same? Why or why not?Chapter 27ComprehendWhat exactly are the lost books of Alexandria? What does Shade discover in one of them that she believes to be especially dangerous?What do Shade and the others find outside the library tree?Who has been hunting down the codebooks and members of G.L.U.G. the whole time?Which member of G.L.U.G. has betrayed them and why?Who comes out of the library to help Shade and the others and how?How does the fight between the G.L.U.G.ers and the bad guys end?How does Poor Richard survive taking a spear to the chest?What does Drabbury do to the library at the end of the chapter?Chapter 28ComprehendWhy has Drabbury been confiscating books this whole time? What is his grand scheme?What does Drabbury say has happened to all the Grand Library trees throughout Elfame?What exactly does Drabbury want from the lost books of Alexandria?What does Shade notice after Drabbury casts his spell?Chapter 29ComprehendWhat does Shade use to fight Thornburgh? What happens when she hits him with it?Who shows up in the middle of the fight to help?How does Shade manage to save the Grand Library and everyone trapped inside?What does Drabbury manage to do to Justinian before he’s knocked out?Chapter 30ComprehendWhat does Poor Richard say about making an antidote for Sir Justinian?What does Trudgemore do near the end of Justinian’s death speech? How does everyone else react? Why did he do it?Why does Drabbury think he’ll get away with his crimes?Who are the two elven kids we’ve seen throughout the story? How are they able to make Drabbury pay for his crimes?What problem do all the library visitors now have? What solution is found?Analyze and InterpretWhat does the fact that Trudgemore saved Justinian’s life prove? Did you believe him before? Why or why not?Chapter 31ComprehendWhat did Shade figure out about Drabbury’s spell before fighting Thornburgh and how?Which book does Cuthbert say is the really dangerous one? What makes it so dangerous?What does Ginnie Bowser say will happen if the Seelie Court and Sluagh Horde find out about the book?What plan do the fairies all come up with to protect the book and make its contents available to everyone else in Elfame?EvaluateWhat do you think of their plan? Does it seem like it could succeed? Are there any problems you see with it or ways it could be improved?Chapter 32ComprehendWhat happened to Pleasant Hollow during the big battle with Drabbury? How did it happen? How do the residents feel about it?Before Shade can plant the magical acorn to grow a new library tree, what order does Chieftainess Sungleam Flutterglide give her? What does Shade decide to do?What do the members of the village decide they want?Analyze and InterpretWhat do the complaints of the Pleasant Hollow residents and how they vote at the end tell us about them? If you’ve read the first book in this series, how have they changed since the beginning?Connect and ReflectThe Pleasant Hollow branch of the Grand Library, like all libraries, has clearly done a lot to improve the lives of the residents there. What are some of the things your own library does for the people in your community? What are some of the ways it makes your lives better?EpilogueComprehendWhy does the author tell Quacksworth that he can’t end the book with “The End”? How does Quacksworth feel about that?Connect and ReflectThere is going to be a third book in this series. Do you think it will address everything the author brings up at the end? What do you think might happen in that book? What do you hope will be in that book?Post-Reading Activities and ProjectsResearch and ReportChoose a book that has been challenged or banned somewhere, find out what the book is about, why it was banned or challenged, and whether or not that challenge was successful (the American Library Association has a section of their website devoted to this). Then write and/or deliver a report to the class sharing what you learned and discussing your thoughts and feelings about this attempt at censorship.Research and report on a famous spy or spy ring.The book includes many types of fairies and mythological creatures, all of which are taken from traditional fairy tales and folklore. Choose one, conduct a little research on that creature, and either write a report or create a presentation sharing what you learned about it and compare/contrast it with the way that creature is depicted in Another Dreadful Fairy Book.A number of the characters in the book are named after or based partially on real-life historical figures involving libraries, books, learning, or spycraft. Research one of the following and report what you learn about their life and accomplishments: Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard), Mary Bowser (the Bowser twins’ grandmother), Ray Bradbury (Drabbury being an anagram of Bradbury), George Orwell (just added an “n” to get “Norwell”), Johannes Gutenberg, William Caxton, Melvil Dewey, Voltaire (Fran?ois-Marie Arouet), ?milie du Ch?telet. You could also research and report on the Library of Alexandria, which is where the name for the librarian for the Great Library came from.The book is also filled with fictional fairy versions of real-world human literary classics and other allusions to literature. Choose one of the following works and research and report on what it’s about and the person who wrote it: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Leaves of Grass, Common Sense, Tales of the Brothers Grimm, The Godfather, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jane Eyre, Le Morte d’Arthur, Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Hobbit.AnalyzeWrite an essay or create a presentation in which you discuss ways that Shade changes/grows as a character from the beginning of the story until the end.Identify a theme in the story and report/present on how that theme is developed throughout the novel.Read another book or watch a movie that deals with/focuses on fairies. Write an essay or create a presentation in which you compare and contrast that work’s depiction of fairies to how they are depicted in Another Dreadful Fairy Book.Imagine and CreateChoose any of the made-up books mentioned in the novel, imagine what it might be about, and then write a review of it, create illustrations for it, or write the story or a chapter from the book yourself.Create your own “dreadful” fairy. What kind of fairy is he/she/they? What’s their name? What do they look like? How do they do and how do they act? What exactly makes them “dreadful”?Create a set of “Dreadful Fairy” trading cards. On one side, write the name of a character from the book and draw a picture of what you think they look like. On the back, write down what type of fairy/creature they are, describe their personality, briefly sum up their role in the story, and identify what is “dreadful” about them.Create a diorama or draw a picture of one of the places discussed in the book—the Grand Library, the Tomb of Grigor Byrrower, the Bowsers’ safe house, etc.Write your own “dreadful fairy” story set in Elfame. It can use any of the characters or settings mentioned in the book and/or completely original ones.Create a graphic novel adaptation for a part of the story.Make up your own imaginary land and draw a map of it. Be sure to label all of the important places in your land and include a brief description/explanation of each place. Share with your class.Pick a book that you have in your home and use it to write a coded message to another member of your family then have them decode it.As a teacher and parent of two elementary school students, I know that kids and teachers are doing amazing things every day. If you choose to do any of the above activities or something even cooler, I’d love to hear about it and help spread the word on social media and maybe post some of it on my website! Feel free to email me at jonetter42@, post on/message me at JonEtterWriter, or message/tag @JonWriting on Twitter.Thanks again for having me and my dreadful fairies in your classroom!Sincerely,Jon Etter,English Teacher, Parent,and Dreadful Writer ................
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