Group Discussion - Week 3

This week I will lead the reading group discussion. The task is to:

·         Facilitate the discussion about the pre workshop tasks that are described on the website.

·         Post the summary of the key discussion points and any issue raised on the blog. Other group members will then make a response.

Katina chose to do the workshop tasks on 2 Weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman. For her story shape she used the standard narrative presentation. 2 weeks with the Queen utilises Brooker’s plot of tragedy as it is presumed that the brother dies at the end of the story.

Katina’s other workshop task revolved around the ‘Three little Pigs’. For her story shape she used the home and away and said that the plot which the book fits best was overcoming the monster; which in this case was the wolf.

Alicia chose to do the workshop tasks based on Potato People by Pamela Allen. For her story shape she used the standard narrative presentation. Alicia said that Potato People fitted Brooker’s comedy plot as there was uncertainty as they were shut off from each other until the situation was resolved and more potato people were made. Potato People used narrative techniques such as imagery and written in 3^rd person.  

In Flander’s Field was the other book Alicia used for her pre workshop task. For her story shape she used the home away home and stated that the best of Brooker’s 7 plots that fitted ‘In Flander’s Field’ was quest because the hero goes on a journey to help free the bird, when he arrives to the bird there is frustration as the bird cannot fly, the soldier holds the bird to his heart and the bird flies away. When the soldier returns ‘silent night’ is sung and shows that even in the dark human spirit can bring light and life. The narrative techniques for this book are similar to Potato People as it is written in 3^rd person and imagery/ symbolism is important.

Sarah chose Jillaroo by Rachel Treasure to complete her pre workshop tasks. For her story shape Sarah used the home away home approach as the main character leaves and then whilst away realises that home is important and returns. Jillaroo uses a combination of voyage & return but also tragedy as the brother commits suicide, so there is no real linear plot. The narrative techniques used in Jillaroo are conflict (character vs character) and imagery.  

My Sister’s Keeper was the other novel Sarah chose to do her pre workshop tasks. She used the narrative standard presentation for her story shape as she said it didn’t really fit the others. The Brooker’s plots which best fits my sister’s keeper were interchangeable (quest, overcoming the monster and tragedy). The novel was written in 1^st person and reflected on the main characters and what and how they were feeling.

I chose to do the pre workshop tasks on The Lorax by Dr Suess and The Pocket Dogs by Margaret Wild and Stephen Michael King.

The Pocket Dogs didn’t really fit any of the story shapes so I used the narrative standard presentation.

Setting – metropolitan city, home, park

Action leading to climax – pocket dogs go shopping in pocket

Climax – pocket breaks, dog is lost and left at shop

Solution – Mr Pocket comes back

Conclusion – dog is returned with owner

Brooker’s plot of voyage and return best fits The Pocket Dogs as the dog gets lost and meets new people. The book features narrative techniques such as alliteration, anthropomorphism and repetition.

The Lorax by Dr Suess was the other book I used to complete the pre-workshop tasks. Again I felt that none of the story shapes fitted the book so I used the standard narrative presentation.

 Setting – at the far end of town, where the grackle grass grows

Action leading to climax – cutting down of truffula trees (greed)

Climax – the environment is being ruined by greed

Solution – all trees are gone and so is the Lorax (chance for a restart?)

Conclusion – once-ler throws the last seed to the boy and asks him to take care of it

Brooker’s plot of overcoming the monster and rebirth fit ‘The Lorax’ best overcoming the monster is the greed of those cutting down the Truffula trees and rebirth is when the once-ler gives the boy the last seed.The Lorax uses a range of narrative techniques including alliteration, rhyme and rhythm.

Ruth was absent for this workshop.

In the workshop we were given a chapter from Emily Rodda’s 1993 novel Rowan of Rin and asked to change the story to another character’s perspective – we chose to re tell the story from the Dragon’s perspective.  Here is what we came up with:

The dragon watched the terrified boy quiver and let out a pitiful scream. He kept the other human in place with his massive tail and growled menacingly – he couldn’t deal with intruders today, not with the unbearable pain searing through his jaws.