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Beauty and the Beast: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, a teacher from France, wrote this for her students in 1756.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A merchant picks a rose from a Beast's garden for his youngest daughter, Beauty, and the Beast demands that one of his daughters come to live with him. Beauty goes, and slowly learns to see the kind heart behind the Beast's face. When she tells him she loves him, the spell breaks and he becomes a prince.
The lesson, in one line. A good heart matters more than good looks.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “A Rose for Beauty” and Part Two, “The Palace in the Snow”, pages 1–8 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Three, “The Beast” and Part Four, “The Ring”, pages 9–17 (about 6 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: Beauty and the Beast by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of Beauty and the Beast?
The story's answer: A good heart matters more than good looks. Beauty sees the Beast's kindness, and loving him breaks the spell. - Who wrote Beauty and the Beast?
The story's answer: Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, a French teacher, wrote this version for her students in 1756. - Why was the prince turned into a Beast?
The story's answer: A wicked fairy cast a spell on him. It could be broken only when someone loved him for his good heart and not his looks. - Why does Beauty go to live with the Beast?
The story's answer: The merchant picked a rose from the Beast's garden for her, and the Beast demanded a daughter in return. Beauty goes to save her father. - Who in the story was kind, and who was not? How do you know?
Listen for: Ask for the moment in the story that shows it. - Which part would you change, and how would the story end then?
Listen for: There is no wrong ending; ask what else would have to change.
Did you know?
- Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, a teacher from France, wrote this version for her students in 1756.
- The spell on the prince can break only if someone loves him for his good heart.
- Beauty's two jealous sisters are turned into stone statues until they learn to be kind.
Activity: Draw the story as a map
On one big sheet, draw every place the story happens and the path between them. Mark the spot where things go wrong and the spot where they come right.
More to talk about
- Does Beauty and the Beast have a happy ending? Yes. When Beauty tells the Beast that she loves him, the spell breaks and he becomes a prince again. Her kindness and honesty are what break it, not his looks changing first. Her jealous sisters are turned to stone until they learn to be kind.
More facts for the leader
- The Beast lets Beauty visit her sick father but asks her to come back within one week.
- Beauty asks her father for only a rose, while her two sisters ask for dresses and jewels.
Words to teach before you start
- merchant: a trader
- fortune: lots of money
- cargo: a ship's goods
- arbor: garden archway
- ungrateful: not thankful
- harpsichord: old piano
- grief: deep sadness
Questions leaders ask
How long does a Beauty and the Beast book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 11 minutes in all, so plan 2 meetings of about 30 to 45 minutes each, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is Beauty and the Beast for?
It is written at Peabody level 10, a grade 5 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- Rapunzel (level 10)
- Sleeping Beauty (level 10)
- The Twelve Dancing Princesses (level 10)
- Cinderella (level 9)
- Hansel and Gretel (level 9)
- Puss in Boots (level 9)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.