Penelope has a great deal of “pluck.” What are the characteristics of someone with pluck? Who else in the book has these characteristics? Who do you know who has pluck?
Cam C.: Simon has pluck.
Cam T.: I have pluck. And Margaret has pluck.
Eva: Lady Constance has it because she's always making a big deal about things. It's almost as if she is standing up for herself.
Harry: Simon.
Penelope has trouble explaining certain figures of speech to the Incorrigibles. How would you explain to them the meaning of staying “within reason,” “getting carried away,” “taking things too far,” or “going overboard” (page 26)? Why are these expressions so difficult to explain? Can you think of other figures of speech that might be difficult to explain to someone who isn’t familiar with them?
Cam C.: "Killing two birds with one stone." "You're killing me." "Lord Ashton will have my head." "Following in someone's footsteps."
Eva: "You have the world on your shoulders."
Agatha Swanburne was known for her wisdom and her words of advice, and Penelope follows in her footsteps. What do you think is the most useful piece of Agatha’s or Penelope’s advice in the book? Which other characters in the book are wise? Who in your life is wise, and what is the best piece of advice they’ve ever given you?
Cam T.: "First eat." Simon was wise. I keep imagining him with a raven. In my own life, I am wise. I give myself tons of great advice. A lot of it in soccer. With real-life applications, I say that you should only pick fights that you can win. Never pick a fight that you know you will lose.
Eva: The whole book was advice from Mrs. Swanburne.
Harry: "Be brave. Don't panic."
Miss Lisa: Do you think some of the advice was ridiculous?
Chorus: Yes!
Chorus: Yes!
Cam C.: My soccer coach says to look around you instead of just at the ball. You need to know your surroundings and who you are kicking the ball to.
Lady Constance tells Penelope that being optimistic “is a most unfortunate habit” (page 12). Do you think optimism is a positive or negative trait? Why? Do you agree that too much optimism is a bad thing? Do you consider yourself an optimistic person? What is the opposite of optimism?
Cam: Optimism and pessimism can lead to very different results.
Eva: Being overly positive can be a bad thing because you haven't thought of the bad things that could have.
Harry: Being too optimistic is not good. Being optimistic is okay.
Lady Constance tells Penelope that being optimistic “is a most unfortunate habit” (page 12). Do you think optimism is a positive or negative trait? Why? Do you agree that too much optimism is a bad thing? Do you consider yourself an optimistic person? What is the opposite of optimism?
Cam: Optimism and pessimism can lead to very different results.
Eva: Being overly positive can be a bad thing because you haven't thought of the bad things that could have.
Harry: Being too optimistic is not good. Being optimistic is okay.
What misperceptions does Lady Constance have about the poor people she visits? Where do you think her unrealistic notions come from? What are the major differences between her life and theirs? Many of the different characters in the story come from different social and financial backgrounds. What are some examples of class differences in the world of the Incorrigibles?
Eva: I think that Lady Constance thinks differently because she's always been rich and has become a spoiled brat.
Cam: I was thinking that she is probably a spoiled lady. She probably thinks that she's too good to hang out with someone who is really poor.
Harry: Lady Constance's epiphany about the poor was really obvious.
Eva: Maybe the people were much more filthy and poor than she had ever imagined.
Cam C.: Lady Constance is smart. Smart as the average marble.
Harry: On a scale of 1-10, she is a 1.5 on the scale of intelligence.
Eva: I would say that she's a 2.
Cam C.: I'd say she's around 0.001
Eva: I would say she's between 0 to 3.
What about the story makes you laugh? Would you call this book a comedy? Can a comedy include serious subjects (like poverty, orphans, danger, etc.)? Why, or
why not? Pick an example of something in the book you find funny and explain why you do.
Cam C.: Either the part with Cassiopeia dying of the plague. Or the "Lord Ashton will have my head" quote.
Eva: I found the part where they were climbing onto the hat to be really funny. I don't find it a comedy because there were just a few funny things sprinkled into the book. A book with so much wisdom, like from Mrs. Swanburne, makes it not a comedy.
Harry: It's a partial comedy. Some funny parts and some drama. There wasn't humor in every part.
The story of the Incorrigibles is full of questions and clues (but few answers!). What do we learn about Lord Fredrick in this book? Hint: There are clues in his almanac and in his strange behavior before he and his wife leave for the theater. What do you think these clues might mean? Is Old Timothy helpful to the Incorrigibles, or is he a threat to them? What clues from the book make you think that?
Harry: I think that Old Timothy is a good guy because he has actually helped the Incorrigibles. Lord Ashton might be a werewolf.
Eva: I was thinking that maybe Lord Frederick might have wolves in his blood (when he itches and scratches himself all over). I'm thinking that when it's a full moon he gets like a wolf. I also think that Old Timothy isn't bad because the author keeps bringing up the question of whether he's good or bad. That sets us up for a reveal of him being good. I think that the Judge is bad. He's been in the same location whenever something bad happens.
Cam: Maybe Judge Quincy is a powerful magic man. He's probably not completely human and placed the curse on the children.
Eva: Maybe Lord Frederick might have placed the curse on the children. Maybe he's a werewolf or wolf and he placed the curse on them. The gypsy woman hinted that the curse was placed by someone who is not human.
Harry: The children are in danger.
Cam: "The hunt is on."
Harry: The mysterious painting and the ghost writer are unsolved.
Eva: I think that Lady Constance thinks differently because she's always been rich and has become a spoiled brat.
Cam: I was thinking that she is probably a spoiled lady. She probably thinks that she's too good to hang out with someone who is really poor.
Harry: Lady Constance's epiphany about the poor was really obvious.
Eva: Maybe the people were much more filthy and poor than she had ever imagined.
Cam C.: Lady Constance is smart. Smart as the average marble.
Harry: On a scale of 1-10, she is a 1.5 on the scale of intelligence.
Eva: I would say that she's a 2.
Cam C.: I'd say she's around 0.001
Eva: I would say she's between 0 to 3.
What about the story makes you laugh? Would you call this book a comedy? Can a comedy include serious subjects (like poverty, orphans, danger, etc.)? Why, or
why not? Pick an example of something in the book you find funny and explain why you do.
Cam C.: Either the part with Cassiopeia dying of the plague. Or the "Lord Ashton will have my head" quote.
Eva: I found the part where they were climbing onto the hat to be really funny. I don't find it a comedy because there were just a few funny things sprinkled into the book. A book with so much wisdom, like from Mrs. Swanburne, makes it not a comedy.
Harry: It's a partial comedy. Some funny parts and some drama. There wasn't humor in every part.
The story of the Incorrigibles is full of questions and clues (but few answers!). What do we learn about Lord Fredrick in this book? Hint: There are clues in his almanac and in his strange behavior before he and his wife leave for the theater. What do you think these clues might mean? Is Old Timothy helpful to the Incorrigibles, or is he a threat to them? What clues from the book make you think that?
Harry: I think that Old Timothy is a good guy because he has actually helped the Incorrigibles. Lord Ashton might be a werewolf.
Eva: I was thinking that maybe Lord Frederick might have wolves in his blood (when he itches and scratches himself all over). I'm thinking that when it's a full moon he gets like a wolf. I also think that Old Timothy isn't bad because the author keeps bringing up the question of whether he's good or bad. That sets us up for a reveal of him being good. I think that the Judge is bad. He's been in the same location whenever something bad happens.
Cam: Maybe Judge Quincy is a powerful magic man. He's probably not completely human and placed the curse on the children.
Eva: Maybe Lord Frederick might have placed the curse on the children. Maybe he's a werewolf or wolf and he placed the curse on them. The gypsy woman hinted that the curse was placed by someone who is not human.
Harry: The children are in danger.
Cam: "The hunt is on."
Harry: The mysterious painting and the ghost writer are unsolved.
The Grades 5-6 Book Club selection for April is CURRENTLY UNDECIDED. PLEASE SEND IN YOUR TOP TWO SUGGESTIONS TO MISS LISA BY 4 P.M. ON FRIDAY, MARCH 14th. THE LIST WILL BE COMPILED AND VOTED ON BY YOU. MISS LISA WILL THEN ORDER COPIES OF THE WINNER. Copies of the book will be available behind the Circulation Desk within the next week. Please remember to register for Book Club so that we know how many people will be attending.
