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The Selfish Giant: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Oscar Wilde, an Irish writer living in London, published this fairy tale in 1888 for his two young sons.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). Children love to play in the Giant's lovely garden while he is away. When he comes home he builds a high wall and keeps them out, and spring refuses to come to his garden. One day the children creep back in through a hole, and the garden blooms again. The Giant learns to share it.
The lesson, in one line. What you keep all to yourself can lose what made it beautiful.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “The Wall” and Part Two, “The Endless Winter”, pages 1–6 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Three, “The Little Boy in the Corner”, pages 7–13 (about 6 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: The Selfish Giant by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Selfish Giant?
The story's answer: What you keep all to yourself can lose what made it beautiful. The garden is cold and empty until the Giant lets the children play there. - Who wrote The Selfish Giant?
The story's answer: Oscar Wilde wrote it. It came out in 1888 in his book The Happy Prince and Other Tales. - Why does it stay winter in the Giant's garden?
The story's answer: Spring, summer and autumn will not come while the Giant keeps the children out. The garden blooms again once they return. - Is The Selfish Giant a sad story?
The story's answer: It begins sadly, but the Giant changes and the garden is full of joy again. The ending is gentle and peaceful. - 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?
- Oscar Wilde, an Irish writer, published it in 1888 in a book of fairy tales he wrote for his two young sons.
- It is a literary fairy tale: one author made it up, instead of it being passed down for centuries.
- Winter stays in the garden while the Giant is selfish, and spring returns when the children do.
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
- A little boy the Giant once helped comes back at the end and takes him to his own garden.
Words to teach before you start
- ogre: a giant
- gruff: rough and grumpy
- trespassers: uninvited visitors
- prosecuted: taken to court
- slates: roof tiles
- linnet: small songbird
- feeble: weak
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Selfish Giant book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 12 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 The Selfish Giant for?
It is written at Peabody level 11, a grade 6 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
- Thumbelina (level 11)
- Beauty and the Beast (level 10)
- Rapunzel (level 10)
- Sleeping Beauty (level 10)
- The Twelve Dancing Princesses (level 10)
- Cinderella (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.