The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Schulman
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2010

Citation: Shulman, P. (2010). The Grimm Legacy. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2011 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature: Nominee
2. 2012 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award: Nominee

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 4
Lexile: 600L
DRA: 60
Guided Reading: X

-Original description of the book
Polly Shulman does an incredible job with making the Grimm stories come alive in this book. She uses an abundant amount of descriptive details that brings out the uniqueness of each character and has added plot twists that will keep readers at the edge of their seat trying to solve this amazing mystery.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.7: Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text. (Activity that addresses the standard: After Reading Comprehension activity)

-Suggested delivery
1) Independent Read

-2 electronic resources
1) The Grimm Legacy book trailer
2) The following online student interactive permits students to create their own fractured fairy tale and also gives examples and themes for different stories.

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) Students can be taught how to write their own realistic fiction stories. There are certain elements in this book that are similar to how fairy tales are written, and then there are also realistic places that are used as the setting. Students can take these elements and create their own unique realistic fairy tale. Listed below are a few online resources that can be used to teach students how to write their own realistic fiction story: How to build a story around a fairy tale, Example of writing realistic fiction lesson plan, Realistic Fiction Graphic Organizers, elements of realistic fiction video.

2) After reading The Grimm Legacy, students can take what they learned from reading the book and learn about how to write narratives. The following hyperlinks can be used to scaffold students’ writing skills and become better narrative writers: Narrative writing prompts, Prompts for narrative and personal writing, Writing realistic dialogue.

3) Teachers can also use this book as part of a novel study. This will give students an opportunity to learn how a novel study works and use them to move on to a larger literature concept. These are a few websites that will help students understand what a novel study is and different novels that can be used with it: Free Novel Study Units, Teaching Novels with the Common Core, and Various novel study guides.

-Key vocabulary
1) Repository: a place, building, or receptacle where things are or may be stored
2) Pneumatic: containing or operated by air or gas under pressure
3) League: three miles on land; 3.452 miles at sea
4) Circulate: pass or cause to pass from place to place or person to person
5) Kuduo: ancient vase that is often thought to be religious or spiritual
6) Conduit: a person or organization that acts as a channel for the transmission of something

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
Students will pick at least three of the following prompts to answer in their writing journal as they read The Grimm Legacy. Since these questions are about different parts of the book, students will be turning in their journals at different times.
   -Elizabeth’s father does not seem to pay much attention to her. Why? What would you say to him? What could you say in his defense?
   -How do Elizabeth, Marc, Aaron, and Anjali honor and respect their parents?
   -If you could borrow an item from the Grimm Collection, what would you want? Why? What would you leave as a deposit? How would this affect your daily life?
   -What is your favorite fairy tale? (NOTE: You may wish to reread some Grimm’s fairy tales or other fairy tale collections. Avoid the Disney and other animated versions; they take extreme liberties with the stories and often do not stay true to the original version.)
   -Because the main characters do not know whom to trust, they find it difficult to work together to find the thief. Why do we sometimes find it difficult to work together? What are some advantages of working together?
   -Elizabeth has strong memories of her mother and their shared love of fairy tales. What memories do you have of an activity shared with a parent or grandparent?

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: To see what students already know, using a concept map can help see what students know about the topic. The vocabulary can be introduced and students can sort these into different categories based on their meaning. The categories can be defined by the teacher or by the students. When used before reading, concept sorts provide an opportunity for a teacher to see what his or her students already know about the given content. When used after reading, teachers can assess their students' understanding of the concepts presented.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: Students can use this Flip book online interactive as their personalized question and answer flip book. Students can write down their questions from the chapters read, and then write down the answer and their reflection.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Students will be sorted into five groups and will be required to create a board game that is relevant to the chapters assigned to them (each group will be assigned at least five consecutive chapters). The board game needs to be based on the events and characters in the book, and give other students the opportunity to learn what happened in each of the chapters. The board game must include a game board, a rule sheet and clear directions, major events and characters from the story.