A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

Fern lives on her family’s farm in Somerset County, Maine — but her world changes when she saves a tiny piglet too small to survive by itself. Her parents let her look after the piglet, whom she calls Wilbur, and they become best friends. But as much as she loves him, Fern can’t keep Wilbur forever.

The new farm Wilbur moves to is full of friendly animals: geese, sheep, and a clever spider called Charlotte. But he is horrified to discover the truth — that his life will end at the slaughterhouse. It looks like nothing can save him … unless Charlotte can spin the most important web of her life.

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In 1952, American writer E.B. White published a book called Charlotte’s Web, which quickly became a classic of children’s literature. Fifty-four years later it was adapted into a family film. It was produced without the participation of the E.B. White Estate, in contrast to the preceding 1973 animated film the development of which E.B. White was involved in but with which the author was nonetheless unhappy.

Discussion Questions

• If you’ve read the original book, how do you think the film compares?
• Has this film in any way changed your view on pigs, spiders, or rats? If so, how?
• Who is the hero of the story, and why did you pick him or her?
• Was Fern’s father cruel to consider killing Wilbur as a piglet? Explain your answer.
• This is the second adaptation of Charlotte’s Web for film; the first came out in 1973 and was an animated movie. Do you think the story works better live-action or animated? Share your reasons.
• Is Templeton ultimately a sympathetic character? Do you like him? Why or why not?

Additional Resources

E.B. White on Biography.com

Charlotte’s Web themed Birthday party

Learn language arts with the free Charlotte’s Web sample from Quiver of Arrows!

A Quiver of Arrows is designed for children in the Partnership Writing stage of development (typically, first and second graders who are beginning to read and write). When purchased as a part of the ten issue Quiver product, the individual price drops.

by Amy Frantz, Brave Writer alum

George Bailey has big dreams of seeing the world and going on adventures, but happenstance keeps him in his hometown of Bedford Falls where he takes over his father’s company and marries the woman he loves, Mary. But things abruptly take a turn for the worse when George’s company misplaces a large amount of money and a warrant is put out for George’s arrest. Desperate and at the end of his rope, George feels it would have been better if he had never been born. To his amazement, an angel grants him his wish and George gets to see what life would be like without him, but it may not be the improvement that he envisioned.

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It’s a Wonderful Life began as a short story, called the Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern, printed onto Christmas cards. The rights were bought to make it into a motion picture, but though several attempts were made to turn the story into a script none of them succeeded. Until eventually Frank Capra purchased the rights and It’s a Wonderful Life was born.

Capra was known for making sentimental, feel good movies, and he brought that sensibility to what would become a national holiday staple. But believe it or not, the film was not actually immediately successful and was considered something of a flop. The longevity it has enjoyed as a holiday classic did not come about until years later!

The film’s main location of the fictional town called Bedford Falls was built as a practical set and was one of the longest over built. It was three whole city blocks! They even transplanted real trees.

The falling snow that characterizes some of the film’s most pivotal scenes was made especially for the movie, since the technique typically used at the time (painting cornflakes white) was a health hazard and made it impossible to record dialogue. And even more interesting, It’s a Wonderful Life was filmed during a heat wave in summer! So, when you watch all that snow falling as characters dash across wintry roads, the actors and crew were actually battling the heat. That is movie magic at its best.

Discussion Questions

• It’s a Wonderful Life has a lot to say about ethical business practices and how to treat your fellow man. What do you think the central moral of the story is?
• The vile Mr. Potter, who schemes to get George arrested, is never punished for any of his wrong-doing. Why do you think this is and what might the film be trying to say by not giving Potter a stereotypical nasty end to match his nasty deeds?
• When George gets a glimpse of life without him, he encounters Mary who in this alternate reality is unmarried and works in a library. This is meant to be the crowning horror of George’s experience of alternate events. Do you agree that Mary being unmarried and working to support herself is a terrible fate? Why or why not?
• At the end of the film, it is implied that Clarence, George’s unlikely guardian angel, finally received his wings by the ringing of a bell on the Bailey Christmas tree. How do you imagine Clarence reacted upon receiving his wings?

Additional Resources

How they made the snow for It’s a Wonderful Life

DIY Fake Snow (that can also be made to erupt like a volcano!!)

The sunny kingdom of Dor is famous for its soups, the favorite food of the king and queen and their daughter Princess Pea. But everything changes when a rat called Roscuro falls into the queen’s soup in the middle of a banquet. The terrified queen dies of a heart attack, and the devastated king outlaws both rats and soup.

Dor becomes a dark and gloomy place, and Pea becomes very lonely… until she meets a talking mouse named Despereaux. He wants to be a hero. He is so brave that his family are worried about him. And he has very big ears indeed.

Pea and Despereaux become friends. Maybe together they can convince the king to let people cook soup again and make Dor a happy place once more. But if Despereaux’s family discover that he’s been talking to humans, he’ll be cast into the castle dungeons forever…

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Published in 2003, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo won the Newbery Medal and is widely loved by children and adults. In 2008, an animated film loosely based on the novel was released, starring the voices of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Watson.

Discussion Questions

• If you’ve read the original novel by Kate DiCamillo, how do you think the film compares?
• Is there a message to this film? If so, what is it? Reading is good for you? You can be a hero no matter where you come from? Eat lots of soup?
• Can you spot any similarities between the story and other fairy tales? For example, is Princess Pea a reference to The Princess and the Pea?
• Which characters change throughout the story and which ones don’t? Give examples.
• Does the film work as a computer animation? Can you imagine it working better told through a different medium? Explain your answer.

Additional Resources

Soup Recipes

Tale of Despereaux Book Club

Learn language arts with the Tale of Despereaux Arrow!

The Arrow is the monthly digital product that features copywork and dictation passages from a specific read aloud novel (you purchase or obtain the novels yourself). It’s geared toward children ages 8-11 and is an indispensable tool for parents who want to teach language arts in a natural, literature-bathed context.

Divorced real estate entrepreneur Thomas Popper lives a completely different life to that of his late father, who traveled all over the world. But it looks like adventure is in store for Mr. Popper after all, when six penguins arrive one after the other in the mail!

A present from Mr. Popper’s father’s last trip, the penguins turn his son’s life upside down. But will his new friends help Mr. Popper make peace with his family, or would it be kinder to donate them to the zoo and move on with his life?

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Brave Writer receives compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!]

In 1938, two American authors, Richard and Florence Atwater, published a children’s book titled Mr. Popper’s Penguins. In 1939 it was named a Newbery Honor Book; and in 2011 it was adapted by Warner Bros into a feature length family film.

Richard Atwater began writing what would become Mr. Popper’s Penguins after watching a documentary with his family about the Antarctic. He suffered a stroke, however, and could no longer continue writing. His wife, Florence, made revisions to his manuscript in order to get it published and the book has gone on to be considered a children’s classic.

The film, starring Jim Carrey, is only loosely based on the book and won a BMI Award for its score.

Discussion Questions

• Do you think adaptations should stick as close to the source material as possible or should they take more creative license? Explain your answer.
• The penguins are a mix of CGI and real penguins. Can you tell? Would it have worked better if they had been realized in a different way? Why or why not.
• In the original book, Mr. Popper lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma, but in the film he lives in New York. Do you think this makes the story more accessible to an international audience?
• Mr. Popper’s assistant Pippi constantly uses words beginning with “p.” Describe what it might be like to spend a day using lots of words beginning with the first letter of your name.

Additional Resources

20 Facts About Penguins

Learn language arts with the Mr. Popper’s Penguins Quiver of Arrows!

A Quiver of Arrows is designed for children in the Partnership Writing stage of development (typically, first and second graders who are beginning to read and write). When purchased as a part of the ten issue Quiver product, the individual price drops to $7.90.

by Amy Frantz, Brave Writer alum

Liesel Meminger is sent to live with foster parents on Himmel (Heaven) Street in the time just prior to World War II in Germany. Her brother dies on the journey and Liesel arrives shaken and traumatized…and with a book which might not be hers. Things worsen when she is sent to school and it is discovered that Liesel cannot read.

But her new foster ‘Papa’ begins teaching Liesel to read one night and she soon enters a world of words and maybe a few stolen books. However, the real world outside of Liesel’s books is churning towards cruelty and war, and one day the reality of that war arrives at her new family’s door in the form of a Jewish young man seeking shelter.

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Published in 2005, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak follows the young life of Liesel Meminger through the spectral eyes of Death as the book’s narrator, who chronicles her growing pains and book thievery amidst the backdrop of Nazi Germany. Inspired partially by the stories told to him as a child by his parents about the war, Zusak’s novel has gained widespread acclaim.

In 2013, The Book Thief was adapted into a film directed by Brian Percival and starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and Sophie Nélisse as the book thief, with an Oscar nominated and Grammy Award winning score by John Williams. Amidst lavish cinematography and gripping acting performances from the cast, the movie explores both the extreme light and darkness held in contradiction within humanity as seen through the eyes of a child whose burgeoning literacy becomes the lens through which she processes and makes sense of the turbulent world around her.

A note to parents: The Book Thief is rated PG-13 and contains some highly disturbing content for younger audiences. We recommend looking up the film on sites like Commonsense Media before deciding if it is appropriate for your family.

Discussion Questions

• How do you feel about the choice to have Death narrate the story? Do you think it adds or detracts from the emotional impact of the events that unfold?
• In the book Rosa physically beats Liesel multiple times. This is largely omitted from the film. Why do you think the filmmakers made that choice? Does it change the relationship between Rosa and Liesel?
• Throughout the course of the story, Liesel famously steals several books. What might the story be saying about literacy as something to be taken when it is not given?
• At the end of the film, Death says that he is haunted by humans. What do you think he means by this?

Additional Resources

Markus Zusak discusses the inspiration, themes, and writing process of the Book Thief (parents should be aware that violence and the Holocaust are discussed in this video)

Learn language arts with the Book Thief Boomerang!

The Boomerang is a monthly digital downloadable product that features copywork and dictation passages from a specific read aloud novel. It is geared toward 8th to 10th graders (ages 12—advanced, 13-15) and is the indispensable tool for Brave Writer parents who want to teach language arts in a natural, literature-bathed context.