5.2 Learning Alongside the Main Character

CONNECTION Authors often try to slip information about their world into conversation. For example, a character might tell another character about an incident, legend, or history so that the reader can learn it too. In Narnia, Mr. Tumnus tells Lucy about Narnia. Gandalf tells Frodo the history of the ring. Dumbledore tells Harry Voldemort’s history. See if you can list everything you learn from Mr. Tumnus.

TEACHING POINT Today I want to teach you that alert readers pick up details about their fantasy world by paying attention to when the main character is told important information or has dramatic new experiences.

TEACHING Harry is an outsider and doesn’t know anything about Hogwarts at first. Lucy is an outsider and doesn’t know anything about Narnia at first. Having ignorant main characters, the author helps US learn as they are teaching the characters! We listen for when characters ask questions, pay attention to the answers they get, and we try to learn rapidly.

TEACHING In the Thief of Always, in chapter three, Harvey is confused about what is real and what is not. This means we’re confused too! Mrs. Griffin gives him direct information. “Nothing’s perfect,” she says, when Harvey admires the house. Then he asks, “Why not?” “Because time passes,” she went on, staring down at the flowers she’d cut. “And the beetle and the worm find their way into everything sooner or later.” She’s telling him time is passing at this house. This makes me worried. Harvey should listen to him. It sounds like she’s trying to warn him.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT SIGNPOSTS OF LEARNING MOMENTS FOR CHARACTERS Direct questions and answers Explanations or stories Unfamiliar experiences Let’s try it with chapter four.

LINK Tell your partner about the learning curve of your main character. Are they far along this curve or just starting?

MIDWORKSHOP Sometimes you will figure things out before the character! When I was reading the second Hunger Games book, I figured out who a bad guy was before it was revealed in the third book. I just wanted to shout at the characters until they figured it out! Sometimes authors give you clues that let you figure these things out before the characters. Then you have to keep reading and be alert for when the character finally figures it out!

SHARE You need to own your own learning and your own book club. What do you want to talk about? How will your club work? CLUBS TAKE CHARGE OF THEMSELVES BY ASKING… How shall we decide when to meet? Should we divide up our thinking and writing work, and explore different aspects? Should we get going on something together? How will we know when we should keep going or change it up?