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Seattle Children's Theatre Recommended Reading List for the 2003-2004 Season

Productions:

bulletThe True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
bulletThe Gingerbread Man
bulletThe Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
bulletTibet Through the Red Box
bulletThe Shape of a Girl
bulletMrs. Piggle-Wiggle

 

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Booklist prepared by Ashland Thornton, Pierce County Library System

Synopsis
A cargo ship bound for the States is no place for a 13-year old young lady from England — but that is just where Charlotte Doyle finds herself. Despite the fact that the two families supposed to accompany her on the voyage have cancelled at the last minute, Charlotte has no choice but to board The Seahawk and take her chances on the high seas. Once aboard, the gnarled and weathered crew tries to warn her that all is not right on this particular ship on this particular journey.

Captain Jaggery seems a fine gentlemen and Charlotte is immediately taken with him. But she also begins an unlikely friendship with the old, black cook, Zachariah. It isn’t long before Charlotte learns just what sort of trouble is brewing on The Seahawk — the crew plans to rebel against Jaggery. Charlotte rushes to tell him of the proposed mutiny and, because of her admonition, one of the crewmen gets killed and Zachariah must go under the whip. Struggling with the Captain to stop the violent punishment, she inadvertently lashes the Captain himself. After such an insult Jaggery denounces Charlotte, leaving her to fend for herself amongst the men. Sloughing off her cumbersome dresses to don pants, a most unnatural act for a girl, Charlotte joins the crew and becomes callus-handed with her new adventurous role. Then the hurricane strikes. Amid the turmoil and chaos of the storm, the first-mate is slain. The Captain finds Charlotte guilty and sentences her to death by hanging. Before he can carry out his sentence the Captain loses his footing and falls to his death.

Upon her return to Providence, Mr. Doyle is distressed by Charlotte’s roughened appearance and repulsed by her “fanciful tales.” Being confined to her room doesn’t sit well with Charlotte, who now is truly a sailor at heart. She steals away to the place where she is free to show her strength and be among her true friends.

For Children
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

Beyond the Western Sea: Book One: The Escape from Home by Avi

The Secret Journey by Peg Kehret
In 1834, a storm at sea destroys the slave ship on which she is a stowaway. Twelve-year-old Emma musters her resourcefulness to survive in the African jungle.

Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter by Richard Platt Stowaway by Karen Hesse
The Discovery of the Titanic by Robert D. Ballard Ice Story: Shackleton's Lost Expedition by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Man-Of-War: Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections by Stephen Biesty and Richard Platt

For Parents and Educators
100 Books for Girls to Grow On: Lively descriptions of the most inspiring books for girls, terrific discussion questions to spark conversation, great ideas for book-inspired activities, crafts, and field trips by Shireen Dodson
The variety of books listed and the great discussion questions make this book fabulous for both sexes.
Eyewitness: Boat by Eric Kentley Failure Is Impossible!: The History of American Women's Rights by Martha Kendall
Born in the Breezes: The Seafaring Life of Joshua Slocum by Kathryn Lasky and Walter Krudop

 

The Gingerbread Man
Booklist prepared by Chance Hunt, Seattle Public Library

Synopsis
Life on the kitchen counter of the Big Ones can be fun and full of adventure. When Cuckoo, the Cuckoo bird in the Cuckoo clock, gets a sore throat and can’t perform his chiming duties, Salt and Pepper try to cheer him up and reassure him that he won’t be discarded in the dustbin. But things really get interesting when they all notice someone new and sweet-smelling — the Gingerbread Man. This newly created cookie creature causes quite a commotion, stirring up the spices’, sedentary lives, and they almost forget about Cuckoo’s crisis. The Gingerbread man is determined to help his new friend cure his ailment, and so decides to risk an ascent to the Top Shelf — the home of the gruff Old Bag, a tea bag that has no use for others. Once on her shelf, however, the Gingerbread Man discovers that the Old Bag is really just lonely and feeling left out. Collaborating to foil the nibbling attempts of Sleek the Mouse, the group comes together in newfound friendship.

For Children
The Gingerbread Man by Catherine McCafferty

The Gingerbread Boy by Richard Egielski
This classic folktale follows the adventures of a gingerbread man who escapes from the kitchen and seeks his fortune out in the world.

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak Mouse Mess by Linnea Asplind Riley
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  by Laura Joffe Numeroff Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
The Little Engine That Could  by Watty Piper Hoot by Jane Hissey
Corduroy by Don Freeman Tough Cookie by Diane Mott Davidson
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

For Parents and Educators
Gingerbread for All Seasons by Teresa Layman
Easy to follow instructions and reproducible patterns will have you rolling out your own gingerbread lanterns, lighthouses, and spice-scented estates.

The Giant Encyclopedia of Art and Craft Activities: For Children 3 to 6: More Than 500 Art and Craft Activities Written by Teachers for Teachers by Kathy Charner, Carrie Barnes

Got Milk? The Cookie Book by Peggy Cullen and Rita Maas Creative Drama for the Classroom Teacher (4th Edition) by Ruth Beall Heinig
Drama Structures: Practical Handbook for Teachers by Cecily O'Neill, Alan Lambert Drama for Learning: Dorothy Heathcote's Mantle of the Expert Approach to Education by Gavin Bolton, Dorothy Heathcote

 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Booklist prepared by J.T. Isch, Pierce County Library System

Synopsis
To escape the bombs of the Nazi Blitz on London, the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are sent to live with a professor in the country. Once there, Lucy, exploring an old wardrobe filled with fur coats, realizes that she has walked into another world — a world where it is always winter but never Christmas. This is Narnia. Confused and afraid, she stumbles across a kindly faun who shows her the way back to the wardrobe.

When she returns to the manor, no one believes her story, until Edmund happens into Narnia himself. Edmund finds himself faced with the White Witch, the woman who claims to be queen and who wants to kill the Pevensie children before they can fulfill the prophecy that says the thrones of Narnia are rightfully theirs. The Witch tricks Edmund into believing that she is good and that the creatures of her land are plotting against her. She convinces him to bring his siblings to Narnia so that she can crown them kings and queens. Back in Narnia, Lucy takes her siblings to meet her friend, the faun, only to discover that the Witch has arrested him. Not ones to let a friend down, they decide to stay in Narnia long enough to save the faun. Edmund, profoundly sorry for his mistaken trust in the Witch, rejoins his brother and sisters in the fight against her. With the help of Aslan, the Lion King, and the good creatures of Narnia, they vanquish the Witch and her minions. Aslan crowns the children kings and queens of Narnia. Together they rule in peace and fairness for many years, until they happen upon the wardrobe again and step back into England — where time has not passed.

For Children
coverThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; C.S. Lewis
There is also an unabridged Audio CD version of the book. The Chronicles of Narnia (Boxed Set) includes the full set of seven novels by C.S. Lewis.
coverOver Sea, Under Stone; Susan Cooper
The three Drew children are excited about spending a holiday in Cornwall with their Great-Uncle Merry. But Great-Uncle Merry isn't quite what he seems, and when they discover an ancient map in the house, they find themselves in a dangerous battle between good and evil. (This version of The Dark Is Rising Sequence also includes Silver on the Tree, The Grey King, and Greenwitch)
The Book of Three; Lloyd Alexander The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Frank Baum
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Roald Dahl Around the World in Eighty Days: The Extraordinary Journeys; Jules Verne
The Secret Garden; Frances Hodgson Burnett Bed-Knob and Broomstick; Mary Norton
The Enchanted Castle; E. Nesbit Treasure Island; Robert Louis Stevenson
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast; Robin McKinley

For Parents and Educators
Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie, & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood; Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen is a well-known storyteller, poet, playwright, and the author of over 200 books for children and adults. In this collection of essays she explores the many aspects of fantasy literature and how it can be used to enrich children's lives.

The Land of Narnia: Brian Sibley Explores the World of C.S. Lewis; Brian Sibley

Crafts from Your Favorite Fairy Tales; Kathy Ross

The Lord of the Rings; J. R. R. Tolkien The Neverending Story; Michael Ende

 

Tibet Through The Red Box
Booklist prepared by Sally Porter, King County Library System

Synopsis
Tibet is a land of mystery and spirituality, a land of majestic peaks and hidden valleys, a land of peace. For most of us Tibet will always be a world away, but for Peter Sís, Tibet became something very real right in his own bedroom.

When Peter was a boy, the Russians invaded the Sís’ homeland of Czechoslovakia. This new regime ordered Peter’s father to leave home and make a film for the Chinese government — a film showing them building a highway into Tibet. He was only supposed to be gone for three months. With nothing but his father’s letters sent home, Peter tries to piece together what has happened to his father that has kept him away for three years. These stories transport Peter into a mystical world of monks, yeti, and lamas.

As Peter falls from a roof his father is caught in an avalanche. Somehow Mr. Sís survives unharmed — but now he is trapped in the wilds of Tibet completely alone, or is he? Soon he crosses paths with the Jingle-Bell Boy, who somehow carries a letter from Peter to his father. All this time, Peter convalesces with a gift from his mother — a paint set. As Mr. Sís’ story unfolds, Peter illustrates these wondrous tales. These images transport him, and us, to the land of magic. We travel to the lake of human-faced fish; the Buddhist palace, Potala, in Lhasa; and through a test of will, patience, forgiveness, and love. We all come out the other side, back into reality, back home.

For Children
Tibet Through the Red Box: Through The Red Box by Peter Sis

A Small Tale From The Far Far North by Peter Sis

The Dalai Lama: A Biography of the Tibetan Spiritual and Political Leader (Dalai Lama)
by Demi
In simple language and glorious art, Demi introduces the fourteenth Dalai Lama, his life as a spiritual leader, and the culture he represents.

I Have an Olive Tree by Eve Bunting Our Journey from Tibet: Based on a True Story by Laurie Dolphin, Nancy Jo Johnson
Trapped by the Ice!: Shackleton's Amazing Antarctic Adventure by Michael McCurdy The Little Lama of Tibet by Lois Raimondo
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say Grass Sandals : The Travels of Basho by Dawnine Spivak
Far Beyond the Garden Gate: Alexandra David-Neel's Journey to Lhasa by Don Brown

For Parents and Educators
Explor-A-Maze by Robert Snedden, Tim Oliver
Maps, mazes, and narrative introduce the journeys of ten explorers in a unique history of discovery.

 

The Shape Of A Girl
Booklist prepared by Sally Porter, King County Library System

Synopsis
Braidie is a normal 15-year old girl. Growing up she liked to play and pretend, and she loved horses. Her group of friends were inseparable. Every day was fun and filled with laughter, until the day Adrienne decided it was “penalty day.” At first the penalty was supposed to rotate from girl to girl, but eventually it stuck and Sofie was the only one who got punished.

As Braidie and her friends grow older, the punishments they dole out become more and more cruel. After reading about a girl who is killed by her bullying peers, Braidie realizes that she could easily have been in that situation too — not the victim but the victimizer. But after years of silence, Braidie finds it impossible to say or do anything to stop the torment — until Adrienne goes too far. Then Braidie must decide if she can live with herself if she says nothing and how she can live with her friends if she does speak up. Taking us back and forth through her life, Braidie shows us when things started to go wrong, when her peer group decided that it was time to punish each other, and when that punishment turned to violence.

Loosely based on the real-life case of a Canadian girl, Reena Virk, who was murdered by her peers, The Shape of a Girl tackles the complex issue of teen violence and the responsibility we all share in it; a good reminder that the actions of one person can make all the difference in a life.

For Children
Shape of a Girl by Joan MacLeod

Ophelia Speaks: Adolescent Girls Write About Their Search for Self by Sara Shandler
Responding to the national bestseller Reviving Ophelia, sixteen-year-old Sara Shandler wanted her voice and the voices of other teenage girls to be heard. Selected from over eight hundred contributions, this book provides insight into the hearts and minds of teenage girls of various races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher On the Fringe by Donald R. Gallo
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Safe Teen: Powerful Alternatives to Violence by Anita Roberts

For Parents and Educators
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Bray Pipher
Through powerful narrative, teenage girls share their struggle with eating disorders, depression, and the underlying reasons driving too many girls to self-hatred, destructive behavior, and attempted suicide.

A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American Adolescence by Patricia Hersch

The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School -- How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence by Barbara Coloroso

Meeting at the Crossroads: Women's Psychology and Girl's Development by Carol Gilligan, Lyn Mikel Brown
And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to Protect Adolescents from Bullying, Harassment, and Emotional Violence by James Garbarino, Ellen deLara
Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Rachel Simmons

 

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
Booklist prepared by Lauren Murphy & Catherine O’Brien, Pierce County Library System

When in doubt call on Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, the magical woman who lives in a chaotic community filled with creatures and challenging children. When the parents of her town have problems with their offspring they all call on Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, who can cure these children of all manner of maladies.

Patsy Popover refuses to bathe. She is grimy and gritty and starting to smell. Her father, deathly afraid of germs and dirt, can’t take any more, so Mrs. Popover must go to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for help. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and her patented radish cure come to the rescue. Mr. Crackle is at his wits’ end by his daughter Evelyn’s Answer-Backitis. Luckily Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and her trusty parrot, Penelope, have just the thing to turn Evelyn back into her father’s favorite freckled fairy.

Fraidy-cat Forrest is scared of everything — the dark, dogs, his brothers, the wind. To teach Christopher Brown table manners Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle sends over Lester, the pig. Sharon Rogers is in desperate need of Gracefulness Glitter to stop her heedless breaking. And Harbin’s daydreamineritis has turned him into the world’s slowest slowpoke. Whatever the problem seems to be, the magic Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has the answer!

For Children
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm
Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
by Betty MacDonald

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers
Mary Poppins is the wonderful nanny blown to the Banks children by the East Wind. From the moment she arrives with her parrothandle umbrella and astonishing carpetbag she turns the children’s lives into a magical adventure. With her sweet medicines, magical walks, and very interesting friends she teaches the children about love, generosity, and trust.

George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl Half Magic by Edward Eager, N. M. Bodecker
The Trolls by Polly Horvath Making Make-Believe: Fun Props, Costumes, and Creative Play Ideas by Maryann F. Kohl
Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson, Kevin Hawkes Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Ericsson Lindgren
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar

For Parents and Educators
How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too! by Sal Severe, Ph.D.
Putting the responsibility for a child’s behavior on the parents, this book addresses a range of issues, such as how children learn to push their parents’ buttons, why children misbehave, and how to motivate kids to behave using simple rules and consequences.

The Irreducible Needs of Children: What Every Child Must Have to Grow, Learn, and Flourish by T. Berry Brazelton, , M.D. et al

Playful Parenting: A Bold New Way to Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Children’s Confidence by Lawrence J. Cohen

 

For booklists from other productions of the Seattle Children's Theatre, click here.



 

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