Our Mom-Daughter Book Club is reading Rapunzel’s Revenge

Rapunzel’s Revenge

by Shannon Hale

Bloomsbury USA

Ages 9 – 12

Graphic Novel

“A stunning, hilarious and action-packed graphic novel that re-imagines Rapunzel’s story…in the wild west!

Rapunzel escapes her tower-prison all on her own, only to discover a world beyond what she’d ever known before. Determined to rescue her real mother and to seek revenge on her kidnapper would-be mother, Rapunzel and her very long braids team up with Jack (of Beanstalk fame) and together they perform daring deeds and rescues all over the western landscape, eventually winning the justice they so well deserve.” (Bloomsbury)

We love this graphic novel — it’s an amazingly well crafted plot with well-developed characters. Our book club meets next week to discuss the book and here are a few of our ideas.

Questions from Shannon Hale’s Teacher’s Guide:

• Describe all the “hairbased” skills that Rapunzel displays such as disarming threats (page 78) and spinning torchlike objects (page 96).
• What is Shannon and Dean Hale’s conception of a hero? Explore the idea that real heroes don’t try to act like heroes, but simply do what’s right.
• How do gender roles in Rapunzel’s Revenge contrast with those in traditional fairy tales, adventure stories, or comic books?
• What general elements of a traditional fairy tale does Rapunzel’s Revengeinclude? What is the typical setting, both in time and place, for such stories and how does this text radically alter them?

Make Rapunzel Paper Dolls

I highly recommend this book.  If you only read one graphic novel, read this one! — Melissa