Book Selection: The Candymakers by Wendy
Mass
The Candymaker Summary
Four
kids are chosen to enter in the Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip have been
picked, along with 28 other kids from around the country, to enter annual candy
contest. Logan is the candy maker’s
son. When he was little someone dropped a toy truck in a machine. Logan reached
into get it and became scarred. His parents shielded him from other children
after the accident; they stopped the Factory Picnic. Miles is boy who became obsessed with the afterlife after saw a
girl go underwater and never come back up.
Daisy is a child spy who
entered the contest to find out the chocolate’s secret ingredient for a client. Phillip is from a business focused
family. His artistic mother died when he was small leaving him the gift of
music. He is mean to the other kids because he is obsessed with winning. The
story is told from the four different perspectives of the kids. Through the
different perspectives we learn clues about the other contestants.
Meet outside
of the Life is Sweet factory for
their first day of work. They meet Max
(a head factory worker) who gives them a tour of the factor. They explore all
the different rooms and meet all the experts in candy making. Later, they learn
about some of the machines that will help them make their candy. One machine
puts a hard shell onto your piece of candy. The next day, they come back and
get right to work. Each of the contestants secretly works on their special
candy.
On the
second night of the contest Logan invites Miles to sleepover at the factory.
That same night Daisy sneaks in to the factory to take the secret ingredient
while Philip also attempted to steal the secret. They all meet in the chocolate
room and confront each other. Daisy admits she is a spy but she wanted to steal
the ingredient to keep it from her client. Miles realizes Daisy was the girl in
the lake and she didn’t die (she was training to hold her breath). Phillip was
the boy that threw the toy car and gave Logan the scars. Philip admits he was stealing
the ingredient because he didn't want his dad to buy the factory. Then Philip and
his dad made an agreement that if he won the contest, his dad wouldn’t buy the
factory. All four of the contestants became friends and helped perfect Philip's
candy, the Harmonacandy. Phillip wins the contest and all four become best
friends.
Music as kids enter: “The Candyman” by Sammy Davis Jr.
Fill out Name Tags. (Break into groups of 7 or fewer.)
Introduction: Go around the circle and say your name and
your favorite candy.
Book Worm Activity:
Who has finished the book? (Kids that haven’t read the book should
sit out and listen. Those who haven’t finished should sit nearer the leader.) We are going to play a game called book
worm. During the book worm, we’ll summarize the whole story. To “summarize”
means to tell the important points of the story that way even kids who haven’t
read it will know the story.
I’ll start with a sentence or 2 about the beginning of the book. Then
I’ll squeeze hand of the next person to let them know it’s their turn to add a
sentence. Be sure not to jump to far in the story so that the people in the tail
of the book worm will get to play, too.
Leader begins with a setup sentence…
“Logan lived in the candy factory
with his parents and always dreamed about following his father’s footsteps and
becoming the candymaker. A new Candymaker was going to be selected from a group
of children and he was in the contest…”
Each child adds a sentence (or 2)
with an important part of the plot so that the story to summarize the story.
Backwards Talk Activity:
One of my favorite
characters was Miles. What were some unusual things about Miles? Allergic
to Merry Go Rounds, Pink, Rowboats; Fascinated with death; Talked Backwards
Can you talk
backwards? The best way to learn to talk backwards is to write the words down
and then read them. My name is Becca. è
Ym eman si acceb.
Write down your name
backwards. Try to say your name backwards.
Can you say the
alphabet backwards? Let’s try together.
ZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA…This
is a great trick but it takes practice. It helps to break them into groups.
(Play the reverse alphabet song: http://www.guruparents.com/alphabet-backwards.html
)
Book
Discussion:
·
What was unusual about the style used
by the author when he wrote this book? He told the same story from 4 different points of view.
·
Which character are you most like? Daisy, Logan, Miles, or Philip
·
Have you ever met someone who looks
different like Logan? How did you feel/react? Logan is burned and deformed. At
first, the characters are all bothered by it but they get used to it.
·
Phillip’s mom died and he isn’t close
to his dad. Who did he talk with? His chauffeur. Do you
have someone besides your parents that you count on and can talk to about
important things?
·
A butterfly appears several times in
the book. What do you think the butterfly represents? “If nothing ever changed, there would be no such things as
butterflies.” All of the
children change during the story. Logan rejoins society after being protected
in the factory for years. Miles sheds the guilt from not being able to help the
drowning girl. Phillip admits his love of music and rejects immoral practices.
Daisy…
·
What did you think the secret
ingredient was? The
story’s secret ingredient ended up being that the candymaker puts ‘himself’ in
the mix.
·
If you could create your own candy
for the contest, what would it be?
Butterfly
Craft
Pass out
butterflies. Each child decorates the butterfly and glues the penny on the
butterfly and can balance it on their finger.
Secret
Ingredient Game
Several
companies advertise that their product has a secret ingredient. Coca Cola keeps
theirs under lock and key. So does KFC and Heinz ketchup.
Hand out a
secret ingredient in an envelope to a student. He draws the secret ingredient
on a white board. No talking or writing letters. Group guesses.
·
Orange
Juice
·
Candy
Cane
·
Cherry
·
Broccoli
·
Watermelon
·
Pumpkin
·
Tooth
paste
·
Coconuts
·
Alligator
Pass out candy treat to take home
Review of Book
Thumbs up or Thumbs down
Becoming a movie
Favorite parts?
Favorite character?
Up Next
The Wish Stealers by
Tracy Trivas
When a sinister old woman leaves Griffin Penshine a box of
twelve shiny pennies, she sets in motion a desperate quest—because the old
woman was a wish stealer, and each penny represents a wish she stole from a
wishing fountain decades earlier. Somehow, Griffin has to make things right, or
the opposite of her own wishes will come true—and it could literally be a
matter of life and death. The Wish Stealers introduces a new voice in middle-grade
fantasy, as bright and sparkling as Griffin’s pennies.
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