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Cinderella: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Charles Perrault wrote this down in France in 1697. People all over the world tell their own Cinderella stories.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A kind girl is treated as a servant by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters. When the prince holds a ball, her fairy godmother turns a pumpkin into a coach and her rags into a gown, with glass slippers, but she must leave by midnight. She loses a slipper, and the prince finds her by it. She forgives her stepsisters.
The lesson, in one line. A kind heart matters more than a fine gown.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “The Girl in the Cinders” and Part Two, “The Fairy Godmother”, pages 1–9 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Three, “Midnight” and Part Four, “The Glass Slipper”, pages 10–17 (about 4 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: Cinderella by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of Cinderella?
The story's answer: A kind heart matters more than a fine gown. Cinderella wins everyone over by her kindness, even the stepsisters who were cruel to her. - Who wrote Cinderella?
The story's answer: Charles Perrault wrote down this French version in 1697. People all over the world tell their own versions of the tale. - Why does Cinderella leave the ball at midnight?
The story's answer: Her fairy godmother warned her that the magic ends at midnight. After that her coach turns back into a pumpkin and her gown into rags. - How does the prince find Cinderella?
The story's answer: She loses a glass slipper as she leaves the ball. The prince has every girl try it on, and it fits only her. - 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?
- Charles Perrault wrote it down in France in 1697. Similar tales are told in many countries.
- The glass slippers and the pumpkin coach come from Perrault's French telling.
- The magic ends at midnight: the coach turns back into a pumpkin and the gown into rags.
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
More facts for the leader
- Cinderella forgives her stepsisters and brings them to live at the palace.
Words to teach before you start
- cinders: burnt wood bits
- godmother: a caring helper
- splendid: very grand
- footmen: carriage servants
- curtsied: bowed politely
- finery: fancy clothes
Questions leaders ask
How long does a Cinderella book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 9 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is Cinderella for?
It is written at Peabody level 9, a grade 4 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
- Hansel and Gretel (level 9)
- Puss in Boots (level 9)
- Rumpelstiltskin (level 9)
- The Brave Little Tailor (level 9)
- The Emperor's New Clothes (level 9)
- The Frog Prince (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.