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Rapunzel: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, two brothers in Germany, wrote this down in 1812. Rapunzel is a real salad plant, also called rampion.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A man steals rapunzel, a salad plant, from an enchantress's garden for his wife. The enchantress takes their baby, Rapunzel, and later locks her in a tower with no door. She climbs up Rapunzel's long golden hair. A prince learns the trick and visits, and years later Rapunzel's tears heal his eyes.
The lesson, in one line. Love and kindness can heal what was hurt.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “The Garden Wall”, pages 1–5 (about 3 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Two, “The Tower” and Part Three, “The Wilderness”, pages 6–16 (about 7 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: Rapunzel by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of Rapunzel?
The story's answer: Love and kindness can heal what was hurt. Rapunzel and the prince are parted for years, but their love brings them together again. - Who wrote Rapunzel?
The story's answer: The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, wrote it down in Germany in 1812. - What does Rapunzel mean?
The story's answer: It is the name of a leafy salad plant, also called rampion. Rapunzel is named after the plant her mother longed to eat. - How does the enchantress climb the tower?
The story's answer: She stands at the bottom and calls, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” Then she climbs up Rapunzel's long golden hair. - 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?
- The Brothers Grimm wrote it down in Germany in 1812.
- Rapunzel is a real salad plant, also called rampion.
- The tower has no stairs and no door, only a window at the top.
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
- Rapunzel's tears fall into the prince's eyes and let him see again.
Words to teach before you start
- enchantress: woman with magic
- twilight: early evening
- mercy: kindness, forgiveness
- condition: a rule
- skein: bundle of thread
- wilderness: wild empty land
Questions leaders ask
How long does a Rapunzel book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 10 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 Rapunzel 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
- Beauty and the Beast (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.