Why I Picked It Up: This is actually the second time I’ve picked up this book. I started reading it a while back when Jessica recommended it as a definite “Sherry” book, but the demands of life and work and Battle of the Books forced me to put it down after only a few chapters. Then, a few weeks ago, I went to see a production of Into the Woods, a musical by Sondheim. I certainly did not expect a blog post out of that Sunday afternoon matinee! I watched the fairy tales intertwine in this amazing show, and then, as Cinderella’s Prince and Rapunzel’s Prince took the stage for their song, “Agony,” The Hero’s Guide popped into my head! I’ve always loved reading well-known stories from different perspectives, and while Into the Woods gives the Princes Charming their moments in the spotlight, I wanted to see how Healy would turn the princes into their own book and weave four princes’ stories together into one.
Why I Finished It: This story picks up where the four fairy tales leave off – after “happily ever after.” Healy’s princes have distinct personalities and backstories and you get a whole new appreciation for the original fairy tale when you consider it with the dynamic characters of The Hero’s Guide. The princes’ distinct personalities also get them into and out of various situations throughout the book. I loved the liberties that Healy took with the princesses, giving them more depth than the traditional fairy tales provide as well. While there are plenty of standard fairy tale conventions present in The Hero’s Guide, Healy was not above poking a bit of fun at them, which you are definitely allowed to do if you do so as masterfully as Healy does. I kept reading because I had to find out how the princes were going to get back to “happily ever after” or even if that was an option for our heroes!
Who I Would Give It To: Any fellow fairy tale enthusiasts will love this addition to the genre. I think it would be a great compliment to Half Upon a Time since the two stories address a different range of fairy tales. The Hero’s Guide would make a fun read-aloud, and I think it would appeal to students from upper elementary to middle school.
Definitely check out the official Hero’s Guide website: http://www.officialherosguide.com/ You can listen to an excerpt of the book, look at a map of the various kingdoms, even find out which prince or princess you are most like!
Integration Ideas
Drama
Students need to be able to make connections between genres and media, and it seems that drama is a difficult genre to include. This book pairs nicely with Into the Woods. Talk to your librarian, theater teacher, or even a local university to see if they can provide a longer excerpt from the script.
You can get a short excerpt of the script here. This excerpt leads directly into the song. Watch the princes’ song from Into the Woods here (lyrics here).
Review the stories of Cinderella and Rapunzel. Then, talk about the song. What does “agony” mean? How is it defined by the princes? How does that fit into what you know about the fairy tales?
Compare the characterization of the princes from Into the Woods (Cinderella’s Prince and Rapunzel’s Prince) and The Hero’s Guide (Frederick and Liam). Does the genre/media play a part in that characterization?
Character Map
The traditional fairy tale stories in The Hero’s Guide are all expertly intertwined! Use an infographic to create a character map which will define the relationship between all the fairy tales and their key players.
Example: http://visual.ly/great-gatsby-character-map
Infographic Tools:
Characterization
As is often the case in a fairy tale or an epic adventure, the hero goes on a journey and grows as a person by the time the journey is complete. This is true for each of our four princes. They begin the tale as nameless “Prince Charmings” but as their adventure proceeds, they learn more about themselves and each prince plays a key role in defeating the evil witch. The role each prince plays is linked to the characteristic about them that, previously, seemed to be their flaw. This chart (from the Hero’s Guide website) will help your students keep track of the way the characters change throughout the book. You might just have students focus on one set of characters (princes or princesses) so it doesn’t get too overwhelming! I might change the titles of the columns to be more of a question, and the order of the columns as well…
1. What is the character’s biggest flaw?
2. How/when did the character overcome their flaw?
3. What makes this character a hero?
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