What You Need to Know:
• Wendy Mass continues to deliver great literature.
• Readers will learn a lot from watching these characters develop and mature.
• You may finish this book and want to head straight for the candy store – I know I did!
• This book is long but the content is really age appropriate and the story is so good that it makes it a fast read.
• If your reader is dealing with any fears, make sure they’re comfortable reading about another child dealing with his
own fears of death. |
Sweet Book Summary:
Getting the chance to invent a new candy and spend a few days in a candy factory working on your invention sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, that’s the fate of the lucky winners in this book. We meet the four main characters, and learn that Logan is the cheerful son of the Candymaker, Philip is a rude, obnoxious rich kid, Daisy is a good-natured, perky girl and Miles is a shy, quirky young boy. As the kids tour the factory, the reader is immersed into the world of candy making. There are so many incredible details and descriptions, that the people and the candy-making process truly come to life. The main characters begin the book thinking that their adventure will simply be about winning but by the end, they have each discovered something truly special about themselves and their fellow contestants.
The book is broken up into sections, each one telling basically the same story but from the perspective of a different child. What we learn in the first section is simply what’s on the surface but as each character tells his or her story, their deeper thoughts and feelings are revealed. It is amazing how different that story can be depending on the point of view. Each character’s personality develops during the section that is about them. As the true meaning behind their words and actions is revealed, it reminds us how we can often be so far off in our assumptions about others. I was wrong, myself, when I assumed that this story would simply be an updated version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Although there is the candy and the contest, The Candymaker stands very much on its own! |
Author: Wendy Mass Illustrator: n/a Published: 2010, 464 pages
Themes: Adventure, Character/Values, Compassion/Empathy, Cooperation, Cooking, Ethics, Family Life, Friendship, Identity, Overcoming Fears, Physical/Mental Differences, Self-Awareness/Discovery, Teamwork |
Sweet Discussion Questions:
• What’s your favorite candy?
• Describe your own candy invention and give it a name .
• Would working in a candy factory be a good job for you?
• How do you react when you see someone who looks different, like Logan?
• What are you grateful for?
• Why is Miles so affected by the disappearance of the girl at the lake?
• Are you most like Daisy, Logan, Miles or Philip?
• What is the significance of the butterfly that appears throughout the story?
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| This recommendation was written by: Melissa G. |
| Support Independent Book Shops: Click Here to Buy this Book on IndieBound |
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Capture the Flag
(5)
****George County Middle School****