2nd+Read-+Dealing+with+Dragons

We have just completed our first book together and the students are in the process of creating, writing and editing their book reviews of Coraline by Neil Gaiman. We are going to take an opportunity to contrast the novel with the movie. Be sure to check back and read the Girlz review of the movie as well! Our next novel is Dealing with Dragons (Book 1 of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles) by Patricia Wrede. The student's discussion roles have changed and they will be reading this book in three chapter segments to best discuss the events and their favorite passages. "Tired of the boring and stereotypical life, Princess Cimorene escapes from a marriage with an empty-headed prince and goes to live with the dragons in the Mountains of Morning. Upon arrival, the spunky princess makes friends with her dragon, Kazul, as well as other people such as the Princess Alianora and the Witch Morwen. She settles into an enjoyable new life and executes her duties as a dragon's princess perfectly. The smart Cimorene soon notices that the sly wizards have been up to no good, and sure enough -- the King of the Dragons is poisoned, and a dragon is cooperating with the wizards! It's now up to Cimorene and her new friends to prevent the new trials for a King from being rigged and catch the cheating culprit!!"
 * Rainbow Star, Resident Patricia C. Wrede Scholar

Our Favorite Vocabulary

p.22 tarnished Cimorene was beginning to have a very poor opinion-had apparently made do with a large skillet with three dents and a wobbly handle, a wooden mixture bowl with a crack in it, a badly tarnished copper kettle, and an assortment of mismatched plates, cups, and silverware, most of them chipped or bent.

p.30 Indignantly "They certainly would!"Therandil said indignantly.

p.32 exasperation "Go away," she shouted in complete exasperation.**

A dragon's princess is practically guaranteed a good marriage so you'd think princesses from the smaller kingdoms would be clamoring for the job."
 * p.34 clamoring

p. 36 slidling "Slidling up the slop took a long time, for Cimorene was careful to make sure that each part of the ledge would hold before she trusted her weight to it."**

Discussion Director