Noah Barleywater Runs Away
By John Boyne
Published by David Fickling Books
Copyright 2011

Accelerated Reader: 5.6

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

WONDUROUS, FANTASTICAL, WHIMSICAL, THRILLING, CHARMING

Eight year old Noah Barleywater decides to pick up and leave home to see what the great world has to offer him.  Through the forest, Noah runs into talking animals and trees, flying wooden birds and an old toy maker whose shop is located in the middle of the wood.  The toy shop is not only stuffed with capricious toys but life lessons about how not everything is as it seems.  The old man gives Noah advice and wisdom that will forever change his life.  Similar to the classic story of Pinocchio, Noah finds himself running away from a good life where he is surrounded by a loving family, friends and his own smarts.  He returns home, but not before he and the old toymaker help one another grieve and remember what has been lost. 

Write-a-Fantasy-Novel

Because this novel includes so much fantasy, it may be a fun activity to learn how to write whimsical stories.  These tips will help create the perfect framework for a tale. 

Pinocchio Film

This link will allow you to watch the Disney classic, Pinocchio.  Similar to the story of Noah, students could use the movie to compare to the book. 

VOCAB: Guided, Scandal, Extraordinary, Despite, Dachshund, Constitutional, Spectacles, Empress

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS:

-Use this book to teach fantasy reading and writing in a language arts lesson. 

-Use this book to promote facing your fears rather than running from them and gaining courage. 

-Use this book to teach children a famous life lesson, “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”

Before: Very similar to the classic movie Pinocchio, catch the student’s attention by showing them clips of the film.  You may also show the full film at the end of the unit and ask students to compare and contrast the book and the film. 

During: Students will keep track of unfamiliar words they come across while reading the novel.  They will keep them in a journal and for homework they will define the word and draw a picture which will correlate with the meaning. 

After: Have students create a one page comic about the main ideas in the novel.  Challenge them to not use any words, only dialogue or drawings. 

Writing: In this novel, we hear tales about the main character as well as the toymaker who have run away for various reasons.  Students will be asked to write their own narrative piece on a character who has run away.  They will need to include a well-developed character, a setting which leads to the character running away, what happens while they run away and a conclusion.  Did the character return home or did they take on a new lifestyle elsewhere?