Get Talking: A Tale Dark and Grimm

Here are some discussion questions for the book.  I hope you're enjoying it so far!


What do you think of the narrator of A Tale Dark & Grimm? Would the story be the same without him? Why or why not? Would you ever write a story with a similar narrator? Why or why not?

On page 8, Faithful Johannes defines "under-stand." Explain his definition. Who in your life is someone you under-stand and who under-stands you? As part of under-standing, what do you do for each other and why?

In "Brother and Sister" Hansel continues to hunt animals even though he knows doing so is wrong. Why does he continue? In the past, what have you or your friends done that you knew was wrong when you were doing it? Why did you continue? What was the result and how do you feel about it?

The worlds in fairy tales are very different from those most people live in today. So, why do people still enjoy reading them? Why might fairy tales still be important to people’s lives?

Hansel and Gretel go looking for adults who would be good parents. What do you think makes a good parent?

Which of the stories Hansel and Gretel play a part in was your favorite? Why?

What in A Tale Dark & Grimm made you laugh? Do you usually enjoy humorous stories? Why or why not?

A Tale Dark and Grimm is based on the original Grimm stories.  How do they differ from the versions of the stories that are usually told today?  Which do you like better?

Catch up with a Book Blurb

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to skip last weeks blog entry.  I won't go into great detail about what we did at the meeting, because I'm sure all of you are anxiously waiting to know what book was picked for the scary month of October.  The choice was between:

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.  This Newberry winner is about Tabitha "Turtle" Wexler and the fifteen other heirs of Sam Westing.  Who ever solves the mystery of his will wins the game and the fortune!

and

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.  Gruesome, yet awesome is how this book has been described.  This unique combination of Grimm's original stories and the author's imagination bring to life, with gory detail, the story of Hansel and Gretel and more.

And the winner is.....

A Tale Dark and Grimm

Reader, beware.

Warlocks with dark spells, hunters with deadly aim, and bakers with ovens retro-fitted for baking children lurk within these pages.

But if you dare,

Follow Hansel and Gretel as they walk out of their own story and into the wilds—where magic, terror, and a little bit of humor shine like white pebbles lighting the way.

Come on in. It may be frightening, and it’s certainly bloody, but, unlike those other fairy tales you know, this one is true.

Once upon a time, you see, fairy tales were awesome.

In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.
Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.

About the Author

I was born in San Francisco in 1982, but moved to Baltimore when I was two and a half. I grew up there, attending a school without very many rules. Somehow, I found a way to break all of them. I spent my entire middle school career in the principal's office. One day I will write a book and tell you about all of the ways you can be sent to the principal's office during middle school. Maybe each chapter will be a different way to be sent to the principal's office. There will be three hundred and forty-five thousand chapters.
I straightened myself out during high school and ended up going to college in New York City. I thought about majoring in religion, and then in philosophy, but ultimately chose English literature, because I think that the deepest truths about life tend to be written in works of fiction. Also, you can't beat the homework in English: "Enjoy this book! Now this one! Try this one, it's amazing!" I spent my third year of college in England. I walked around the old university town and ate beef pasties and sat in parks and read John Keats all day long. I only had to go to class twice a week, for an hour at a time. If you're any good at math, you'll know that that means I only had to be somewhere for two hours out of every 168. That means I was free to do whatever I wanted 166 out of every 168 hours, or 98.8% of the time. I didn't realize it then, but it was in that year that I discovered I could be a writer--me, a beef pasty, and my imagination is all I seem to need to be happy. (My fiancée tells me that this is untrue. I refuse to believe her.) 

After graduating, I stayed in New York and took a job in a second grade classroom at Saint Ann’s School, in Brooklyn, while attending Bank Street College of Education in the evenings. So during the days I was telling stories to kids at lunch and recess and story time, and at night I was meeting writers and reading bags full of children's books and thinking about how it all went together. 

Six years later, I'm still at Saint Ann's part-time, but now I teach second grade, fifth grade, and high school. I know. Crazy. It's the best thing ever. I may be discussing literary theory with 10th and 11th graders and then, an hour later, I'm building adding calculators out of batteries and wires with second graders. With my fifth graders, I pretty much just try to prevent them from going through puberty. 

Book and Author information taken from  http://www.adamgidwitz.com/

I hope you enjoy the book and I will see you for our next club meeting on Friday, October 28, 2011 at 3:00 pm at the library!

Gloria