Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody

Mark Twain Nominee Monday! 

Here is the nominee and discussion questions of the week: 

Will in Scarlet 

By Matthew Cody 

The Story

Will Shackley is the son of a lord.  While his father is away helping King Richard the Lionheart fight the crusades, Will prepares to take over as heir to the Shackley household. Then the unthinkable happens, his father is captured, and King John is threatening to take over the throne for good. Will’s family is caught in between, and Will is accused of a crime he did not commit. So Will runs away into the forest for safety. There he meets Rob and John Little. As Will befriends these men and becomes a part of a band of bandits named the Merry Men, Will helps Rob become the famous Robin Hood.  

My thoughts 

This book reads more like a historical fiction then a legend, and it is very different take on the story of Robin Hood! In reader's advisory, I would note three things: (1) Maid Marian pretends to be a boy named Much (2) Rob is an alcoholic (3) It contains a lot of violence.  I was expecting a story purely about Robin Hood, but this really is a story about Will and his revenge on King John’s men. In Will’s quest to get revenge, he impacts Rob & Rob changes his ways to become Robin Hood.

Due to this content, in reader’s advisory, I would recommend this to kids 12-and up.  It is an excellent story, but due to its violence and the character’s excessive drinking, I am going to skip this particular one for my book discussion outreach to our elementary schools. 

Although I do want to note that these elements are natural for this story. It is a story about outlaws after all! :) So please don't let these notes detour you from this book! I just want to note that for the sake of our Missouri Mark Twain Awards & for reader's advisory. 

 I do think that readers who enjoy historical fiction  & legend stories may enjoy this version of Robin Hood.  I thought it was a fun read, and I will be sure to recommend it to my older tweens and teens. It is very action packed!

Have you read Will in Scarlet? What did you think of it? 

Discussion Questions 

The Sheriff tells Will that one must stop doing what he wants & start doing what he has to. What does this mean? Does Will do things because he has to in the book or does Will do more things because he wants to?

When the sheriff comes to take Will away to go to trial, his uncle wants him to escape. Why didn’t Will leave like his uncle wanted him to? Was this the right thing to do?

Rob claims that how you say something is just as important as what you say. What does he mean by this?

Why did Much pretend to be a boy? Do you think that if she was honest with the Merry Men would have accepted her?

Why did Will save the Sheriff at the very end of the book? Should he have left him?

How did Will help Rob to become Robin Hood? How do you think Rob would have turned out without Will’s help?

Do you think that Will’s dad will ever return? If Will got his position back as a nobleman, how do you think he would treat the peasants differently?

Are the Merry Men good people? How are they bad? How are they good?

What do you think happened to Will’s friends (Jenny & his stable friend)? Do you think that Will will ever see them again?

What is significant about Will killing the wolves at the beginning of the story? Why did the author include this into the story?

More Books Like This One 

Until next time, 

Pamela

The Water Castle

It is Mark Twain Monday!

Here is the nominee discussion questions and overview of the week:

The Water Castle

By: Megan Frazer Blakemore 

Book Overview 

Provided by: Amazon

Ephraim Appledore-Smith is an ordinary boy, and up until his father's stroke he lived an ordinary life. But all that changes when his family moves to the Water Castle--their ancestral home in the small town of Crystal Springs. 

There he meets Mallory Green's family who has always been the caretakers of the Water Castle--and the guardians of the legendary Fountain of Youth, hidden on the estate grounds. 

When Ephraim learns of the Fountain, he's sure finding it can cure his dad. Told in alternate perspectives, the kids try to solve the mystery of the fountain of youth to try and save Ephraim's dad. 

My Thoughts 

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. With its flashbacks and alternate perspectives, it makes this book very sophisticated for a middle grade novel.  A majority of the book flashes back to 1909 to the families ancestor's story of how they struggled to find the fountain of youth. With this, it also details the character's interest in the exploration of the north pole in 1909. I thought this was a very sneaky way to teach kids about this exploration history. With that being said, I think this book would be  great pair to non-fiction books on this subject manner.







Here are some other lessons you could pair with it as well.

Explorer Activities & Lessons

Who Got to the North Pole First?

Antarctica Printables & Worksheets

Overall, I felt like this book was a fun read. I liked its history content, and I enjoyed the fun fantasy element as the kids try to find the fountain of youth.


Discussion Questions 

The explorer Robert Peary had a motto, “I shall find a way or make one.” What does this mean? Is there a time in the book where the characters go by this motto?

If the fountain of youth was real, would you use it? What would be the consequences? Do you think that it is real?

What makes Crystal Springs different?

Henry claims that “every story has a purpose.” Is this true? What are some examples to support or to not support this claim? Does this story have a purpose?

In the book there is a disagreement about who reached the north pole first. Does it matter who was first? Would it have been better if they worked together to reach this goal?

The kids in this book find radioactive water in their home. This is very dangerous!!! If you found this in your home what would you do? What should the characters have done?

The Water Castle was built differently than a normal home. Why was it built this way? If you could design your own home, how would you build it?

The kids believed that Will & Ephraim were saved by their fall due to the power of the water. Was it the water that saved them or was it something else?

Why was there a family feud between Will’s family & the Appledores? Why did their fight last for so long? How should they have resolved it?

The end of the book left many questions. Do you think that Harry & Nora are Mallory’s parents? Is Ephraim’s dad better because of the water? What do you think will happen to the families now? Will Ephraim’s family go back to Cambridge? If you could write a second book for The Water Castle, what would you like to happen?



More Books Like This One 

Until Next Time,

Pamela