Look at the three Hardscrabble siblings. There's Otto. He's is the oldest and has not uttered a word since he was eight, around the time his mother disappeared. He wears a scarf and communicates through an invented sign-language. The middle Hardscrabble is Lucia. She's quick-witted, daring, a bit controlling and understands Otto's invented language. Max, the youngest, is a brainy boy, often deep in thought. One of them is the narrator of the tale, though we wonderfully never get to know which. Mr. Hardscrabble is a portrait painter who travels frequently, returning with glorious tales of the royalty he meets. Through a series of missteps, the siblings end up in the home of their maternal aunt. It is there that the real story begins. The children learn of a mysterious Kneebone Boy, locked away in a castle tower. They, of course, decide that they must rescue him. And in rescuing him, they solve the mystery of their missing mother.
One thing I especially liked was The Kneebone Boy's
Quirky, odd, charming, witty, affecting, weird: I’ll be waiting to hear more from the Hardscrabble children……
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Genre: Magical Realism with Mystery, Adventure and Gothic too!
Age: 9-12
Pages: 288
Themes: Non-Traditional Family, Love, Acceptance, Mental Illness
Character Development: Unique and Interesting Characters
Plot Engagement: Propelled by mystery of Kneebone Boy, with foreshadowing hints of missing mother
Originality: Very Original
Believability: Good, though Gothic and magical seeming, always within the realm of plausibility
Awards: Nominated for Middle Grade CYBILS Award
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Date: September 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0312377724
BUY The Kneebone Boy Here
Lesson Activities:
Genre - Keep track of parts that make this realistic story seem like fantasy
Inference - Have students guess which of the three Hardscrabble children is the narrator. Must support with examples from the story!
Cover Art - Examine several books. Discuss how the artist's depiction of the story entices (or doesn't entice) a reader. Closely examine The Kneebone Boy
An Excerpt from Blogger Book Rat on YouTube:
Ellen Potter used to watch people in her NYC building's elevator and make up stories about their apartments. She knew she wanted to be a writer from the time she was eleven years old. You can learn more about her and her books on her website.
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© 2007-2011 Cheryl Vanatti for www.ReadingRumpus.com