Only in books could you find pity, comfort, happiness—and love. Books loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship and didn't ask anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly. We hate to give in to the stereotype of the lonely cat lady, but Elinor is basically like that, except she surrounds herself with books, not cats. Here's how she explains it to Mo:.
They're my children, my inky children, and I look after them well. I keep the sunlight away from their pages, I dust them and protect them from hungry bookworms and grubby human fingers.
Anytime someone refers to something that's not their child as, well, their child, they're making it crystal clear that they care a whole heckofalot about whatever it is they're referring to.
In Elinor's case, that would be her books. So when Capricorn has his men burn all her books, he hits her where it hurts most:. Elinor wanted to scream, she wanted to curse, rage, cry out in fury, but not a sound came out of her mouth. All she could do was weep. It's not just that she loves books, either; she's in love with stories in general.
As Elinor drives Meggie and Dustfinger toward Capricorn's village, she knows the stories behind pretty much every old landmark:. Elinor's cheeks glowed pink with excitement at the sight of some burnt-out old castle, and whenever she told tales of the warrior princes and greedy bishops who had once spread terror and death abroad in the very mountains through which they were now driving on modern paved roads, a romantic gleam lit her usually chilly pebble eyes. Stories—like children for other people—melt Elinor's heart a bit.
And so though she puts up a bit of a cold front, we know she's got some warmth hidden inside. Elinor's not exactly welcoming at first when Mo, Meggie, and Dustfinger show up on her doorstep. For one thing, she doesn't seem too fond of children:. Elinor muttered something suspicious and scrutinized Meggie as if she thought her capable of any kind of disgraceful conduct, whatever her father might say.
Gee, thanks for the warm welcome… not. Elinor's not into adult human company that much, either, which is why it's weird for her to realize that after her road trip with Meggie to find Mo, she misses people:. She had enjoyed being alone again, for that, after all, was what she was used to, yet the silence in her car had begun to trouble her, and she had gone into a cafe in a sleepy little town that didn't even have a bookshop, just to hear other human voices.
Hm, what's gotten into Elinor? Maybe she's not as hermit-y as she makes herself out to be. Perhaps she's just told herself she doesn't like being around people to protect herself from further disappointment after her very disappointing childhood. Part of how Elinor has kept people away over the years is by, as Mo says, having a "tongue as sharp as a paper knife" 4. Unfortunately though, this tongue doesn't always do Elinor good when there are villains with real knives involved. She talks a big talk, but when push comes to shove, Elinor's not the bravest lady out there—after one of the times Capricorn threatens her life, she confesses to Meggie:.
My knees were like jelly, I was so scared. Write a letter from Meggie to her little brother about the differences between the Inkworld and home. Understanding the relationship between cause and effect can help a reader understand the connections between character motivations and events.
Create a chart that traces the causes and effects of the major events in the story. With a partner or in a small group, write a reader's theater script for your favorite scene in the book. Perform it for your class. Mold destroys the entire library at the Castle in the Lake. Research the properties of mold and its effects on property and people's health. Produce a commercial or book trailer for the whole Inkheart trilogy.
Entice readers into the story with your understanding of the series without giving away anything! Share with your class or upload to the Internet. Design a costume for one of the characters in the novel. Think about the color, texture, and style. You may want to explore swatches in a fabric store, which are usually free if you ask.
Also, make notes on any makeup, hair arrangement, etc. Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Seeing Stone. Scholastic, A boy named Arthur, living in 13 th century England, watches a story unfolding in a magic stone— the story of the birth and growth of his namesake, the great legendary King of Britain.
His story continues in At the Crossing Places Scholastic, Mahy, Margaret. David R. Godine, Imagine having a gang of pirates as your babysitters or a librarian who can charm bloodthirsty bandits by reading aloud to them. Sanvoisin, Eric. The Ink Drinker. Delacorte, A boy watches a weird man in his father's bookstore silently sipping the words out of the books; following him to a nearby graveyard, he discovers that the ghoulish stranger is a vampire who lives on ink rather than blood. Townley, Roderick.
The Great Good Thing. Atheneum, This guide was written and compiled by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer , a reading specialist and award-winning children's author. Visit her website to find hundreds of guides to children's literature. The discussion questions to the first book in the trilogy, Inkheart , were written by Connie Rockman, Children's Literature Consultant, adjunct professor of children's and young adult literature, and Editor of the H.
Wilson Junior Book of Authors and Illustrators series. These reader's theater scripts, tips, printable props, and guidelines will encourage student involvement in reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities.
Create a List. List Name Save. Rename this List. Rename this list. List Name Delete from selected List. Save to. Save to:. Save Create a List.
Create a list. Save Back. Teach This Lesson. Welcome to the Ink World Cornelia Funke's Ink World trilogy introduces us to one of the most amazing ideas in children's literature and an epic adventure of a family with an extraordinary gift. About Inkheart Mortimer is a bookbinder and has passed on his great love of books to his daughter Meggie, but he has never read aloud to her.
Why has he never told her the truth about her mother? Why doesn't Dustfinger read the ending of the story when he has the chance in Meggie's bedroom? What stops him? Does Elinor like books more than people? Has she truly been happy living alone with all her books?
How does Elinor change in the course of the story, and what causes her to change? In what ways does Basta's superstitious nature affect him and others in the story? Why is Basta so superstitious? Why does Farid follow Dustfinger? Why does Dustfinger keep trying to get away from Farid? What does Dustfinger mean when he says he has often just been a spectator? When Meggie and Fenoglio are taken to Capricorn, why isn't Fenoglio afraid?
What do you think it would feel like for an author to see his characters in real life? Does Fenoglio ever fear the characters from the book as much as the others do? When does Meggie first realize that her mother is alive and no longer trapped in the story? What do you think it was like for Theresa to be trapped in the book? Fenoglio says he was very proud of writing about the Shadow when he wrote Inkheart , so he knows the passage by heart.
How does he feel about the Shadow coming to life? Does he really believe he can change the story's ending? Why do Basta and the Magpie remain when the other characters disappear? Why did Fenoglio disappear at the end?
Did he go into the book? If so, do you think he planned this? Was it his curiosity about the world of his creation, or was it an accident? Setting Why does Meggie feel more at home in Mo's van than in their house? What do we learn of Elinor's character from the description of her home? In how many ways did Capricorn make the village where he lives his own? How was it possible for him to create such a hideout in the "real world"?
Why did so many of the characters decide to stay in Capricorn's village at the end? Theme How many secrets can you identify in the story? How does keeping a secret affect a character's life and interaction with others? What does Meggie mean when she says, "Why do grownups think it's easier for children to bear secrets than to bear the truth?
Find examples of times when one character lies to another. Are there times when it is better not to know the truth? When are lies used for good reasons and when are lies used to hurt people? What is the difference between a lie and a secret?
Fire represents many things to many people in this story. What is the meaning of fire to Dustfinger? Fear is a strong motivating force in this story. Who is motivated by fear? Which characters use fear to control others? Discuss ways in which certain characters control and overcome their fears. What is the author saying about the power of imagination in this tale?
How does Mo bring imaginative things to life? Why can't he control the people that come to life through his reading? What is the difference between reality and imagination? Mo tells Meggie that "Most people don't stop to think of books being written by people much like themselves.
They think that writers are all dead long ago. Is Mo more connected to Fenoglio's story than the author himself? Are you aware of the author when you are reading a book?
About Inkspell A year has passed, but not a day goes by without Meggie thinking of Inkheart , the book whose characters came to life.
Pre-reading List the most important events from Inkheart and review the characters on the pages before the opening of chapter one. Discussion Points Despite the reminders of the cruelty of the Inkworld , Meggie feels compelled to go and see the wonders of it for herself. What does this tell us about her? Do you think she is being selfish or brave? Would you want to go with her or not? Dustfinger is happier than he was in the whole first book.
Have you ever returned after a long absence? What's the best part of coming home? How is he received by those he loves? How does Dustfinger prove that he's changed from his betrayal in the first book? What happened in Dustfinger's world in his absence? Can you imagine missing ten years of your own life? Would you be as willing to forgive as Roxane?
Describe Farid. What skills does he develop? How does he become a hero? Is he rewarded or punished for his devotion to Dustfinger? What mistakes does Fenoglio make? Who pays the price for his errors and miscalculations? Is he as important as he thinks he is? In the end, what does he vow? She is the aunt of Teresa Folchart who has a passion for books and has collected them her whole life. Meggie and Mortimer Folchart moved in with Elinor in the hopes of avoiding Capricorn , and she was instructed to keep Inkheart safe, as Elinor had many, many books all over her house, her most valuable ones in her library, and the book perhaps could just blend in.
But her house was then ransacked as Capricorn 's fire-raisers searched the house to find what they were looking for, the book. They took the book and Mo, but Meggie soon realized Elinor had actually swapped the books and they'd taken the wrong one. Fearing her father might have been harmed because of this, Meggie, along with Elinor and Dustfinger , went to Capricorn's village. When Elinor came back to her house in Italy, she found her favourite and most valuble books burnt and a red rooster hanging on her bookshelf.
All her books were destroyed by the fire-raisers, thus she insisted on finding the evil Capricorn to avenge her beloved books. Meggie read herself into Inkworld with Farid , leaving her family shocked and depressed by her absence. Elinor eventually started sobbing and tried to persuade Darius to read her into the book , too.
Daruis refused, as he stuttered while he read and this left people deformed after travelling into a new story. Elinor had been angry and complained about anything as she missed Meggie, Mo, and Resa and it had been months without any news from them.
Elinor starts to get fed up with being crammed in her house without the Folcharts or anyone else to keep her company besides the stuttering Silvertongue and Orpheus' dog. She later lived with Darius and began to build up her collection of books again. She dislikes children, but makes an exception for Meggie. She has an aura of an extremely knowledgeable person around her.
Meggie thought Elinor was rude at first. Elinor loves books and has a hobby of buying old books.
0コメント