Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster
by Jonathan Auxier
Informational Resources:
Author Information:
Jonathan Auxier Biography:
Activities & Resources:
Activities:
Birds:
Create your own bird nest:
http://onetimethrough.com/diy-birds-nest-science-and-craft/
Bird facts:
https://www.coolkidfacts.com/bird-facts/
Chimney Sweeps:
Children Chimney Sweeps:
https://www.mychimney.com/blog/about/children-as-chimney-sweeps/
London:
Facts about London:
Victorian Era:
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/history/general-history/victorian-facts/
Children in Victorian London:
Jewish History:
What is a Golem:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/golem/
Jewish Britain: A history:
https://jewishmuseum.org.uk/collections/online-collections/jewish-britain-a-history-in-50-objects/
What is a menorah?
https://kids.kiddle.co/Menorah_(Temple)
Jewish Holidays:
https://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/354742/jewish/Holidays.htm
MakerSpace Activities:
Design and build your own chimney sweeping device using recycled materials.
Use clay to design your own version of Charlie.
Start your own indoor garden:
https://www.frugallivingnw.com/the-spring-garden-easy-indoor-kids-activity/
Imagine you had an entire room to do whatever you wanted with, much like Charlie’s “nothing room”. Design that room and create a diorama of it in a shoe box.
Discussion Questions:
The book begins by talking about the things someone might see when they wake up in the morning. Describe what you see in the morning.
Every night the Sweep sings Nan his lullaby for her. What nightly routines do you have?
Having a chimney sweep attend your wedding was considered good luck and would guarantee you years of happiness. This is called a superstition. What other superstitions do you know?
Nan tells Newt that the best part of climbing chimneys is the view from the top. Describe what you might see if you climbed to the top of a chimney in your town.
Nan answers a riddle written on the board of the school she visits. What other riddles have you heard? Can you write your own?
After much consideration Nan names her monster “Charlie”. Imagine you had your own monster. What would you name him?
Nan and Charlie design a number of unusual rooms in their house. Rooms like the "nothing room" and the "tantrum room." Imagine you had a room to design into whatever you wanted. What would you name it? What would it look like?
Nan looks for Charlie in the places she thinks he would go if lost. Where would you go if you got lost? Explain.
Charlie decides he wants to build himself a body and Nan finds a book of beasts for inspiration. What body would you design for Charlie? Why?
Nan's favorite food is black licorice. What is your favorite food? Favorite candy? Least favorite?
Toby finds a set of letter blocks to help Charlie learn his letters. What other forms of learning might they try? What form of learning works best for you?
Nan and Charlie think of the perfect gifts for the people in their lives. What do you think are the perfect gifts for the people in your life?
People in Victorian London have a tradition of throwing sticky rum cakes out their open doors on New Years Eve. What New Year's traditions do you have?
Miss Bloom suggests that there is a "real" version of Nan that is different from her sweep persona. Have you ever thought there were two versions of yourself? How so?
A bird makes its home in the rafters of Nan and Charlie's home, and they see it as the first sign of oncoming spring. What other signs of spring are there?
Miss Bloom shares her favorite Passover dishes with Nan. What are your favorite holiday food traditions?
Whittled says, "some folk are very good at not seeing things they don't want to see." Do you agree? Why or why not? What are some examples of this?
The children protest the unjust treatment of children chimney sweeps. Of what other protests have you heard? What causes were they fighting for?
The children’s protest signs have the names and ages of children who died while sweeping chimneys. What else might you have written on your sign if you were at the protest?
Book Talk Teasers:
Show the book trailer for Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster. After viewing, ask for predictions for what will happen in the story.
Perform the readers theater for Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster and discuss what life in Victorian England must have been like for children.
Read Alikes:
Orphans Stories:
DiCamillo, Kate. The Magician's Elephant. When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace one day and she tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her. (NoveList Plus)
Oliver, Lauren. Liesl & Po. A mix-up involving the greatest magic in the world has tremendous consequences for Liesl, an orphan who has been locked in an attic, Will, an alchemist's runaway apprentice, and Po, a ghost, as they are pursued by friend and foe while making an important journey. (NoveList Plus)
Rundell, Katherine. Rooftoppers. When authorities threaten to take Sophie, twelve, from Charles who has been her guardian since she was one and both survived a shipwreck, the pair goes to Paris to try to find Sophie's mother, and they are aided by Matteo and his band of "rooftoppers." (NoveList Plus)
Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized. (NoveList Plus)
Taking a Stand:
Wolk, Lauren. Wolf Hollow. Twelve-year-old Annabelle must learn to stand up for what's right in the face of a manipulative and violent new bully who targets people Annabelle cares about, including a homeless World War I veteran. (NoveList Plus)