When I learned that Earwig and the Witch is a movie too, I debated a long time over whether to read it with my book club or not. Finally, I decided that whether the children I meet have watched the movie or not, we can read and enjoy the book together. In fact, those who’ve watched the movie will be able to compare book and movie, which is always an interesting exercise!
Vocabulary Brainstorm
Before we start reading Earwig and the Witch, we’ll do a quick written activity on word association. What words come to mind when you think of the word ‘orphanage’? How about ‘adopted’? ‘Witch’? ‘Spells’? Once we have a few ideas, we’ll get reading!
Horror and Fantasy
Horror is not a genre I work with often at my book club. In fact, it was after much hesitation that I introduced The School is Alive, and I’ve set aside several books that I know I would have found too scary to read as a child.
Yet, when horror and fantasy come together, there’s often a little thrill, as I know from the Creepy House reading challenge at the British Library. In groups we will explore themes, characters and ideas that are often associated with horror, and see whether we can write a little scary scene of our own.
Protagonists and Antagonists
Books which challenge the idea of the traditional hero of a story are always interesting. As we read Earwig and the Witch, we will try to create a character that is not necessarily loveable, but has spunk and can hold her own no matter who her adversary!
Come, read with us!
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS EDITION OF READ, WRITE, EXPLORE.
New batches begin every alternate month. If you would like to receive email notifications about my programmes, please fill this form. Alternatively, follow me on social media – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – for regular updates.
Leave a Reply