Skinnybones+and+the+wrinkle+queen

**__Skinnybones and the wrinkle queen __****__by Glen Huster __**

===  === **__Part A. Synopsis __** ====This is a story about an unusual friendship between a fifteen-year-old girl, Tamara Tierney and an eighty-nine-year-old woman, Jean Barclay. Tamara is a grade 9 student, who always skips classes by forging signature and mimicking voices of her foster parents in order to watch her favorite fashion shows on TV. She is always dreaming of becoming a model. She wants to attend the model classes in Vancouver but she could not afford the fee. Miss Barclay is a retired Language Arts teacher who lives in the Sierra Sunset Seniors Lodge. She is hoping to watch Ring Cycle of operas in Seattle but her questionable health seems making her dream over. Tamara meets Miss Barclay in a senior buddy program held by Tamara’s teacher. The buddies help each one to fulfill their dreams. Tamara serves as the companion of Ms Barclay while Miss Barclay supports Tamara’s model classes financially. ==== **__Part B. Grade level/course __**

1. This novel is fairly easy to read and understand.
====2. The age of this level of students is almost the same as one of the protagonists, Tamara. This would arouse their interest in reading a story about a character of their age. ====

Reasons:
====The story is about the friendship of a 15-year-old girl and an 89-year-old woman. Teachers can make reference of the text to teach youngsters how to get along with seniors. ====

Reasons:
====Since the text is a Canadian novel, it has mentioned a number of places in North America such as Edmonton, Vancouver and Seattle. Geography teacher can take this text as a reference when teaching the geography of North America. ====

**__Part C. Main Ideas I would emphasize __**

Ø Alternate voice of the two protagonists
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 30pt;">The writer tells the story from the perspectives of both Tamara and Miss Barclay. Since the views of Tamara and Miss Barclay are different, the readers can notice the differences between the views of a teenager and an elderly. ====

Ø <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">The use of first person in every chapters
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 24pt;">Although the writer simply uses ‘I’ in every chapter without telling the audience which chapters is the voice of which character, it is not difficult for readers to recognize the voices. From the voice of Tamara, she is always calling Miss Barclay as ‘the wrinkle queen’. She sounds immaturely and rude. From the voice of Miss Barclay, she calls Tamara as ‘the skinnybones’. Unlike Tamara, she sounds more thoughtful. ====

Ø <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">Various description of different people/objects
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 24pt;">I would also emphasize on the various description of different people/objects in the novel. For example, the description of the slippers which Tamara gave to Miss Barclay as gift, the description of the Sierra Sunset Seniors’ Lodge, both from outside and inside and the description of Miss Barclay when Tamara first met her. It is important for ESL learners to acquire more adjectives and the skills of description in order to improve writing and speaking. ====

** b. ****<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">Social Knowledge **
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 24pt;">Students may reflect their own experience and learn from other’s experience in a numbers of aspects from the novel: ====

** c. ****<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">Cultural Knowledge **
====<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 24pt;">I will ask the students to compare the Chinese culture and Canadian culture. Students may find the some common views between two cultures including ====

Ø <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">We both have operas and elderly loves the operas a lot.
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt;">In China, we have Chinese opera, and the audience of the theatre for Chinese opera is usually elderly. ====

Ø <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">Second Cup
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Students can learn that Second Cup is a popular coffee shop in Canada and the coffee-drinking culture in Canada. ====

Ø <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">Driving age and driving phenomenon
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The driving age in HK is 18. Nevertheless, it is not common for students to learn driving before they graduate in HK, while the driving age in Canada is 16 and it is very common for students to have driving license. ====

Ø <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">Ageism
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt;">The stereotype of seniors usually is they do not have dreams, do not care about the appearance and stick on rules. However, the writer portrays Miss Barclay as a senior who is different from the stereotype. ====

**__<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Part D. Challenges of teaching the text __**

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">1. ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">The references in the novel **
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; text-indent: 24pt;">The writer makes the reference of Charles Dickens’ novel, //Great Expectation,// and Wagner’s opera, //The Ring Cycle//. Students may not have the knowledge of these references. Teachers may have to search for the information of these references and explain to students. ====

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">2. ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">The decision of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ **
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; text-indent: 24pt;">Students may believe that they can do anything, even violate the laws in order to fulfill their dreams after reading the novel. Tamara sets a bad example of skipping classes, telling lies and driving illegally in the novel while even Miss Barclay, the former school teacher tells lies as well in pursuing their dreams. Yes, they are wrong. However, students may wonder if they don’t tell lies, they may never get their dreams fulfilled. As teachers, we have to tell students that it is only a story. We may direct them to think of the possible dangers in Tamara and Miss Barclay’s trip when nobody knows where they have gone. Also, we should tell students fulfilling dreams does not necessary scarifying honesty. Probably Tamara and Miss Barclay may get help from others if they tell the truth. ====

**__<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Part E. Possible activities/ assignment __** **<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">1. ****<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">Prediction/ Inside and Outside Circle ** ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 30pt;">With the catchy title, I will hold a prediction activity in the pre-reading stage. I will ask students to think about what Skinnybones the wrinkle queen represent separately. Furthermore, I will ask them to predict what the story is about of skinnybones and the wrinkle queen. Then, I will arrange the students in two circles, one inside and one outside. The students from the inner circle will have a partner from the outer circle. Then, each of them will have one minute to share their predicted stories. After one round, students from the inner circle will move three positions left and have another partner. They will have to share their stories again. The inside and outside circle will be conducted for one to two rounds more. ====

**<span style="color: #50e937; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">How this activity meets the curriculum expectations? **
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; text-indent: 18pt;">This activity is to activate students’ schema as well as preparing them to read the text. Also, it meets the curriculum expectation of ‘understanding how language is used for conveying content’. By sharing the opinion of the topic, students will be given opportunities to ‘use speaking skills and strategies in order to communicate’ and ‘listen to understand’ as well. ====

==== **<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">2. ****<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">Creating a profile for Tamara and Miss Barclay ** ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 24pt;">In the post-reading stage, I will assign students into groups of three to four. Each group will be responsible to create a profile for either Tamara or Miss Barclay. In the profile, students will have to include the character’s name, age, occupation, family background, personalities etc. They will also need to draw a picture of the character. Example of the profile of a character in the novel other than Tamara and Miss Barclay will be given as a reference. ====

**<span style="color: #50e937; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%;">How this activity meets the curriculum expectations? **
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 24pt;">Through this activity, students will have to ‘locate and extract relevant information from the texts’ and ‘organize the ideas’ when constructing the profile. ====

**__<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Part F. Possibility of using the text as teaching tool in classroom __** ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 24pt;">This is a Canadian novel which is rarely used in Hong Kong classroom. There are a number of North American terms and places which the local Hong Kong students may not be able to understand. Explanation is needed when students come across those terms. Despite the cultural matters, it is a good novel which is worth introducing in class especially the textual part. The use of different voices in telling the story and the various descriptions of different people and objects will be new and useful to ESL students. While generally Hong Kong students are not strong in writing, studying this novel will give more ideas to students of how language makes different meanings and will strengthen their skills in descriptive writing. ====