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Robin Hood: a book club kit
Where it comes from. People in England were already singing about Robin Hood more than 600 years ago. Nobody knows for sure if he was real.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). Robin Hood is a farmer's son whose family land is taken by the Sheriff of Nottingham, so he lives in Sherwood Forest with his outlaw band. He meets the giant Little John, and they become friends. The Sheriff holds an archery contest with a golden arrow to catch him, but Robin joins in disguised as a beggar, wins and gives the prize money to the poor.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “Sherwood”, pages 1–3 (about 3 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Two, “The Log Bridge”, pages 4–8 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 3: Part Three, “The Contest” and Part Four, “The Golden Arrow”, pages 9–16 (about 7 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: Robin Hood by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- Was Robin Hood a real person?
The story's answer: Nobody knows. People sang ballads about him in England more than 600 years ago, but historians cannot say for certain that a real Robin Hood lived. - Who is Little John?
The story's answer: A giant of a man who meets Robin on a log bridge. Robin loses their fight, and Little John becomes his best friend and joins his band. - What is the Sheriff of Nottingham's plan to catch Robin Hood?
The story's answer: He holds an archery contest in Nottingham with a golden arrow as the prize, thinking that Robin cannot resist. Robin enters in disguise. - Why does Robin Hood steal from the rich?
The story's answer: In the stories he takes what the Sheriff taxes unfairly and gives it back to poor villagers. This is why he is a hero of the story. - What makes the main character a hero? Would you want them as a friend?
Listen for: Heroes of legends are brave but not always kind; ask for both sides. - Which part of this could have really happened, and which part grew in the telling?
Listen for: Legends often start from a real person or place.
Did you know?
- People in England were already singing about Robin Hood more than 600 years ago.
- Nobody knows for sure if Robin Hood was a real person.
- Sherwood Forest is a real forest in England.
Activity: A hero's poster
Make a poster for the main character with three true things from the story and one thing the story never says.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- In this telling the outlaws give the money to the villages that the Sheriff taxed most heavily.
Words to teach before you start
- quarterstaff: long wooden pole
- outlaws: lawbreakers
- venison: deer meat
- scheme: sneaky plan
- squelchy: soggy and squishy
Questions leaders ask
How long does a Robin Hood book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 16 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 Robin Hood for?
It is written at Peabody level 12, a grade 7 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
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin (level 13)
- Davy Crockett and the Frozen Sunrise (level 9)
- John Henry (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.