Written by Adam Gidwitz
Illuminated by Hatem Aly
Published in 2016 by Dutton Children's Books
Grades 5 and up
ISBN 978-0525426165
Book Review
The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz is a captivating adventure
centering on three children and their magical dog. Based in France in the
thirteenth-century, it is well worth reading. The tale, borrowing from the
structure of The Canterbury Tales, is
told by various narrators as they gather at a local Inn. Based on real events,
the children attempt to halt the burning of religious books. As a result, they
become a source of controversy, where some look at them as almost angelic
whereas other, including the King of France, consider them dangerous. The
children and their friendship, which transcends race, religion, socioeconomic
status and gender, become a source of inspiration at the end. Their story
combines humor, action and accurate historical references. Teachers and
librarians will definitely want to add this to their libraries. The story combines
medieval history, lessons on religious tolerance, and highly engaging
characters. Highly recommended.
Teaching Ideas/Invitations for Your Classroom
Develop Background Knowledge (History)
Introduce students to thirteenth-century France to help with their reading comprehension. Work with an English or History teacher to check the author's notes for several excellent sources. Assist with locating Bennet's (1999) A Medieval Life: Cecilia Penifader of Brigstock. It's an accessible resource for middle and high school students. Provide support for the teachers as they prepare an anticipation guide to structure the lesson.
Introduce students to thirteenth-century France to help with their reading comprehension. Work with an English or History teacher to check the author's notes for several excellent sources. Assist with locating Bennet's (1999) A Medieval Life: Cecilia Penifader of Brigstock. It's an accessible resource for middle and high school students. Provide support for the teachers as they prepare an anticipation guide to structure the lesson.
SOL WHI.9 The student
will demonstrate knowledge of Western Europe during the Middle Ages from about
500 to 1000 a.d. (c.e.) in terms of its impact on Western
civilization by
a) sequencing events
related to the spread and influence of Christianity and the Catholic Church
throughout Europe;
b) explaining
the structure of feudal society and its economic, social, and political effects
Book Reviews (English, Computer Technology)
Assist the English teacher with locating excellent examples and resource guides for writing book reviews. Support the teacher and students as they create a list of important qualities of a book review. Students will work in small groups to write a book review about The Inquisitor's Tale. Guide the groups in the use of technology to share and edit information.
Assist the English teacher with locating excellent examples and resource guides for writing book reviews. Support the teacher and students as they create a list of important qualities of a book review. Students will work in small groups to write a book review about The Inquisitor's Tale. Guide the groups in the use of technology to share and edit information.
SOL 6.1 The student will participate in and contribute to small-group activities.
a) Communicate as leader and contributor.
b) Evaluate own contributions to discussions.
c) Summarize and evaluate group activities.
d) Analyze the effectiveness of participant interactions.
SOL 6.7 The student will write narration, description, exposition, and persuasion.
j) Use computer technology to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writing.
SOL CT 9-12.9 Plan and apply strategies for gathering information, using a variety of tools and sources.
Investigating heroes in literature (Family Life)
The three young protagonists in the story are heroes in their defense of religion. In this lesson, students will investigate the notion of a hero. Help the teacher find resources (books, magazines, DVDs) with information about current heroes. Students will work in small groups to generate a list of the characteristics of heroes. From there, they will read The Inquisitor's Tale and compare the heroic qualities of the children in The Inquisitor's Tale to current heroes. They will look at their values, morals, and ethics.
SOL 10.3 The student will examine values, morals and ethics essential to the growth and maintenance of positive human relationships.
Map Making (History: World Geography)
Students will recreate the movement of each character throughout the story as they traverse France. Help the students and teachers locate maps and other resources that will help them to track the movement of the characters.
SOL WG The student will use maps, globes, satellite images, photographs or diagrams to b) apply the concepts of location, scale, map projection or orientation.
Medieval Games (Physical Education)
With your assistance and the use of the library's resources, students will research games that were prevalent during the Medieval time period. They will research what games we still play today that originally came from the Medieval days. With a possible collaboration from a P.E. teacher, students will present the games to their classmates. The classmates will have the chance to practice each game.
SOL 9.1 The student will perform all basic movement skills and demonstrate movement and biomechanical principles in a variety of activities that may include outdoor pursuits, fitness activities, dance and rhythmic activities, aquatics, individual performance activities, and games and sports.
SOL CT 9-12.9 Plan and apply strategies for gathering information, using a variety of tools and sources.
Investigating heroes in literature (Family Life)
The three young protagonists in the story are heroes in their defense of religion. In this lesson, students will investigate the notion of a hero. Help the teacher find resources (books, magazines, DVDs) with information about current heroes. Students will work in small groups to generate a list of the characteristics of heroes. From there, they will read The Inquisitor's Tale and compare the heroic qualities of the children in The Inquisitor's Tale to current heroes. They will look at their values, morals, and ethics.
SOL 10.3 The student will examine values, morals and ethics essential to the growth and maintenance of positive human relationships.
Map Making (History: World Geography)
Students will recreate the movement of each character throughout the story as they traverse France. Help the students and teachers locate maps and other resources that will help them to track the movement of the characters.
SOL WG The student will use maps, globes, satellite images, photographs or diagrams to b) apply the concepts of location, scale, map projection or orientation.
Medieval Games (Physical Education)
With your assistance and the use of the library's resources, students will research games that were prevalent during the Medieval time period. They will research what games we still play today that originally came from the Medieval days. With a possible collaboration from a P.E. teacher, students will present the games to their classmates. The classmates will have the chance to practice each game.
SOL 9.1 The student will perform all basic movement skills and demonstrate movement and biomechanical principles in a variety of activities that may include outdoor pursuits, fitness activities, dance and rhythmic activities, aquatics, individual performance activities, and games and sports.
Further Explorations
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Investigate one or two of the original tales for comparison to The Inquisitor's Tale. This is a classic tale that should already be in a library's collection. Some students may find this a difficult work to read, so support may be needed. Medieval Fashion Research the clothing and fashion of the Medieval times. Using this information, create examples of what each main character would most likely be wearing. How did a peasant dress as compared to a noblemen? This activity adds variety to more traditional subject areas.
Medieval Food Look at the foods eaten during the Medieval time period. How did it differ based on social class? How does it compare to what we eat today? Recreate a Medieval feast! This activity is hands-on and should be highly engaging to a wide array of students.
Medieval Art Look into what kind of artwork comes from the Medieval time. Have students create their own artwork based on the styles of the Medieval time period. Since this activity is open-ended, students with varying skills in art can still take part.
Virginia Renaissance Fairs - Take a trip to the Virginia Renaissance Fair. For more information, visit these websites: http://www.varf.org/. How does this time period differ from Medieval times? Field trips tend to be memorable and highly motivating for all kinds of learners.
Medieval castles How and why were the castles designed? What were the advantages and disadvantages of the design? Have students build their own mini version of a Medieval castle. https://www.dkfindout.com/us/history/castles/ Students who thrive with hands-on, creative activities may find this particularly engaging.
Malala Yousafzi Look for real-life example of teenagers doing brave, heroic acts, like Malala Yousafzi. Learning more about other teens should be a motivating activity.
Partner Titles
Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower (movie) This documentary follows a young Chinese teenager's effort to create a youth movement to protest Communist China's takeover of Hong Kong. Critically-acclaimed, it is a quality movie.
The Kidnap Plot (book) An adventure narrative and steampunk fiction that highlights the importance of kindness.The style adds some variety to a library's collection.
The Blackthorn Key (book) A smart mystery that highlights well-researched historical details, engaging characters, adventure and humor. A well-written book that teens will find engaging.
Hell and High Water (book). A tale of a bright young protagonist who deals with racism and doubt while uncovering the mystery of his father's death. This story adds to the ongoing conversation about racism, which is both current and relevant.
The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse (book). A magical story that showcases the power of female friendships. This book depicts strong female characters, which is quite appropriate for a teen collection.
If You Build It (Documentary). A documentary that continues the theme of what kids can do when given a chance. This documentary is a real-life companion to the book as it showcases the abilities of young people to make a difference.
References
Butler, D. (2016). The kidnap plot. New York, NY: Knopf.
Chaucer, G. (2003). The canterbury tales (revised). New York: Penguin Classics.
O'Malley, C. & Baer, N. (Producers) & Creadon, P. (Director). (2013). If you build it [Documentary]. United States: Studio H.
Farrey, B. (2016). The secret of dreadwillow carse. New York, NY: Algonquin.
Kirkus Review (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/adam-gidwitz/the-inquisitors-tale/.
Landman, T. (2017). Hell and high water. Somerville, MA :Candlewick.
Piscatella, J. (Producer, Director). (2017). Joshua: Teenager vs. superpower. [Documentary]. United States: Netflix.
Reading Rockets (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipation_guide
Sands, K. (2015). The blackthorn key. New York, NY: Aladdin.
Virginia Department of Education. (2010). Standards of learning. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/.
No comments:
Post a Comment