Here’s the guidance and resource materials for teachers, librarians, parents and others who work with children for Episode Ten of The Story Thief Challenges.
- What made it so hard for the kids to bring their father to the library to meet the Story Thief?
- Why did Liam contact the author?
- How does the Thief magically travel everywhere?
- Why do you think Liam’s last attempt to travel magically through stories worked?
- What do you think will happen when they meet the Thief in the library?
Re-cap questions on Catherine Doyle writing advice :
- When does Catherine think magic works best in a story?
- Give an example of something ordinary but with a magical twist from in a story you know?
- How can you be expressive in your language when describing the magic?
- Why is how the magic affects your characters even more important than the magic on its own?
- Give an example of magic in a book that the characters fear? Or that the characters love?
PS: Here’s a Story Challenge for you.
Choose something ordinary from your everyday life – it can be anything from a blade of grass to a piece of furniture to the family goldfish. Now, sprinkle it with magic. Delve into your imagination and give it a property that makes it enchanted. Does it talk? Sing? Change colour? Open a portal? As you tell your story, allow your main character to discover this magical item, and pay special attention to what happens when they do – the most exciting part is in the moment of interaction. I want you to tell me all about it!
How to do this challenge?
As usual the challenge is self-explanatory, but here’s some alternative ways it can be done in a group setting:
- Encourage kids to imagine how different characters might experience the same magical item. They could write an additional dialogue between two characters describing the same object – one character could love it, another fear it.
- This doesn’t need to be a written activity. Instead children could be encouraged to find something and bring it in to the group setting and present it to the other kids and describe its magic power.
- Have a discussion with the kids about their favorite moments from books and films and games where the characters discover magic.
- Whatever other approach you’re having yourself 🙂
Once the challenge is completed?