The Land of Stories 
                              Chapter's 1-           



1. Who wrote this book?





2. What is Alex and Conner's last name?          





3. How old is Alex and Conner?






4. What do you think of Alex?






5. What do you think of Conner?






6. In what way does Alex and Conner share similarities?






7. In what ways does  Alex and Conner not share similarities?






8. What happened to Alex and Conner's dad?






9. How do you like Mrs. Bailey?     (Alex and Conner's mom)






10. Who was the first person Alex and Conner met when they fell into the Land of Stories?






11. Who was the long lost prince in the Charming Family?






12. Jack was in love with...





13. Who ruled the Northern Kingdom?





14. Who ruled over the Charming Kingdom?

Artwork of Wildwood

The illustrator of Wildwood is Carson Ellis.  She is married to the author Colin Meloy.  They make quite a team as her illustrations make the story come to life even more!  In this book, what are your favorite illustrations or the one's that catch your attention the most?  What kind of feeling do they add to your reading experience.  Describe those illustrations.  Discuss their importance in adding to the story.






http://player.theplatform.com/p/5ovyRC/jgxIXfRFAa33/select/R_STfRmgK2Gg

The Final Discussion

Here are a few more questions taken from the Wildwood guid to discuss together.  You can answer them in the comment section or add your own observations or questions there.  

10. owl Rex is captured by SWoRD (South Wood office of Rehabilita- tion and Detention). Compare the actions of SWoRD to other secret police you have learned about in history. What historical events and governments do the South Wood politics bring to mind?

11. Colin Meloy, the author, is also a musician and singer. He added songs to this story, particularly when the bandits and Curtis are imprisoned. What songs from your world would you share with the bandits if you had been imprisoned with them? What effect do the songs have on the spirits of the prisoners?

12.Why does Prue leave the woods? Why does Alexandra let her go? What important information does Prue learn from her parents, and why do her parents let her go back?

13. What is the importance of Septimus and enver in the story? How are they essential to Curtis’s and Prue’s success in their mission?

14. What is the difference between the inhabitants of north Wood and those of South Wood? Why are the north Wood Mystics reluctant to get involved in the struggle, and how does Prue convince them?

15. What does iphigenia mean when she says to Prue: “We break our own hearts imposing our moral order to what is, by nature, a wide web of chaos. it is a hopeless task.” Do you agree?

16. Why do the bandits ask Curtis to take the bandit’s oath? Why does he agree to take the oath? What does it mean for Curtis’s future?

17. Why is it so hard for the north Wood inhabitants and the bandits to join forces at first? How do Curtis and Prue help them to work together? What is the importance of Brendan’s and iphigenia’s lead- ership in creating the Wildwood irregulars?

18. Mac’s rescue in the end is a joint effort between Brendan, iphigenia, Prue, and the trees. Discuss how this rescue comes about from all the disparate characters working together. Can you relate this effort to similar events in history, or in your own experience?

19. Why do the residents of South Wood welcome the army of the Avians and Wildwood irregulars and join them to bring down the govern- ment? Why do they call it the “Bicycle Coup”?

20. Why does Curtis choose to stay in the impassable Wilderness? Why does Prue choose to return home? What do you think might happen in a sequel to this story? 

The Wildwood Website

Want to learn more about the author and illustrator?  Visit the website below to learn about them and the Wildwood series.

http://www.wildwoodchronicles.com

November's Novel: Wildwood by Colin Meloy

Follow Marca's board Young Girls' Story Society on Pinterest.



This month, we enter the Impassible Wilderness, a wonderland of giant firs and interesting characters outside the city of Portland, Oregon.  It is a hidden land called Wildwood where Prue and Curtis find themselves on a grand adventure to rescue Prue's little brother.



For our first 2 meetings, we discuss chapters 1-15.  Here are some questions to consider for discussion.  You can make comments, observations or write your own discussion questions in the comment section below.

These are some good questions found in the book to consider for the half of the book:

1. Prue’s father tells her: “There are places in the world where people just don’t end up living . . . the forest was too deep and the hills were too steep.” How does this description compare with what Prue learns about the wilderness?

2. Why doesn’t Prue tell her parents about Mac’s disappearance? What does this tell you about Prue’s personality? How would you describe Prue at this point in the story?

3. Why does Prue try to discourage Curtis from coming with her? Why does Curtis insist on joining her? What would you have done in that situation?

4.When Prue first enters the impassable Wilderness, she finds it a “wel- coming and serene place, full of life and beauty.” How does this feeling compare with what she encounters later in the story? Are there other times when she feels “serene” in this place?

5. How does Prue know that she can trust Richard, the mailman? What does Richard mean when he says: “i tend to think you’re here for a reason, Port-land Prue . . . i just don’t think we know what that rea- son is yet.” Do you believe Prue has a mission in this country other than rescuing her brother?
6. Why does Curtis trust Alexandra, the Dowager Governess, when he first meets her? Why does Alexandra want to keep him close to her? How does Curtis learn about Alexandra’s true nature?

7. Does Prue trust lars Svik, the Governor-Regent, when she meets him? Why does the government of South Wood set a guard to watch her? How does she know she can trust owl Rex?

8. Compare the character of Brendan, the Bandit King, to lars Svik, Alexandra, and owl Rex. How do they each rule their territory and those they are leading? Write a brief character sketch of each of them.

9. Why is Curtis so happy to be a part of the coyote band at first? How does this experience compare to “the aching anxiety with which he faced every school day” back home? What is “Curtis’s Conundrum” (the title of Chapter 12)? 

And a question of our own:

10.  Curtis reminds me of another character in a book we read together.  What character in another book does he remind you of?

Explore!

Hi Girls of Adventure!  (I am trying out lots of fun titles to call you)

Have you started reading Meet Caroline yet?  Oh, you are going to love it!  It is a page turner!

If you have started to read and are ready to do a little exploring, here is a fun page full of activities and games about Caroline and her life.

Enjoy! 

http://www.americangirl.com/play/historical-character/caroline/#page=home