Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Katherine Applegate’s Website:

https://katherineapplegate.com/

Katherine Applegate Introduces Willodeen (1:08):

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=Xp6vgp91b48&ab_channel=MacKidsBooks

Activities & Resources:

Activities:

How do living things change their environments? (4:57):

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=CyE4_D6Fb_w&feature=youtu.be

Human impact on the Earth (4:08):

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=Um-bo2MWDsQ&ab_channel=FuseSchool-GlobalEducation

Ecosystems for kids made easy:

https://www.generationgenius.com/ecosystems-for-kids/

Climate change (5:40):

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=900 nh2 uNgM

What is a food chain? (3:26):

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=YuO4WB4SwCg&ab_channel=PeekabooKidz

Food Chains and Food Webs as told by The Lion King (2:21):

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=76J9Omo4ecE&ab_channel=BrandonScheetz

Food Web Study Jam:

https://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/ecosystems/food-webs.htm

Food Chain Study Jam:

https://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/ecosystems/food-chains.htm

Have a digital food fight:

https://www.brainpop.com/games/foodfight/

Learn about world biomes and ecosystems:

https://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/world_biomes.php

Read about Endangered animals:

https://www.ducksters.com/animals/endangered_animals.php

Learn about Wildlife conservation:

https://www.ducksters.com/animals/wildlife_conservation.php

Endangered animals (4:19):

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=7k8CcAU2Lt0

Endangered animal species (3:45):

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=M1IDQSeJ1cs

MakerSpace Activities:

Create a paper plate circle of life:

https://ofamilylearningtogether.com/2017/06/03/circular-food-chains/

Create food chain art:

http://afaithfulattempt.blogspot.com/2014/12/food-chain-collage.html

Construct a food pyramid project:

https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/food-chains/

Create food chain nesting dolls:

https://supersimple.com/article/food-chain-nesting-dolls/

Make a model of a food web:

http://blog.susanevans.org/food-web-activity/

Food web marble maze challenge:

https://www.teachstudentsavvy.com/2017/08/ecosystems-stem-challenge.html

Make a rainforest terrarium:

https://www.naturalbeachliving.com/rainforest-terrarium/

Discussion Questions:

What is the meaning of “The earth is old and we are not, and that is all you must remember.”? (page 4)

What does Pa mean when he says, “Nature, Willodeen, knows more than we do, and she probably always will.”? (page 11)

The hummingbears wanted no part of Duuzuu because he was different. Do you think people behave the same as the hummingbears? Explain.

What does Willodeen mean when she says, “The world could change in a heartbeat.”? (page 28)

What does Birdie mean when she tells Willodeen, “Angry tears have magic in them.”? (page 70)

Do you agree with Connor’s father that “being different makes life more difficult”? (page 88) Why or why not?

Do you think Willodeen’s idea that nature is complicated and that people should try to understand things before changing or getting rid of them is a valid argument? (page 102) Why or why not? Can this argument be made about today’s world? How so? Why not?

“I wonder if Connor would notice me.” (page 107) How is this thought so telling about Willodeen and the evolution of her character?

What hopes and fears does the screecher have? What hopes and fears does Willodeen have?

Why would Connor’s puzzler change into a screecher? What good does the puzzler changing into a screecher do for Willodeen? The town?

“Change is coming, certain as sunrise. The only question is how we deal with it.” (page 161) Give an example of a change that a character has had to endure and explain how they dealt with it.

In part four, whose point of view is the author using? Why is it important to share this point of view?

Why was it important to let Quinby dig for her own food?

The author uses this simile to describe the conversations between Willodeen and Connor: “The silences were comfortable as an old sweater.” (page 180) What does this mean to you?

Why do you think the hummingbears chose to nest in the same two trees under which Quinby encountered his peacock snails?

What did Willodeen uncover through her experiment?

“I didn’t want to run away. I wanted to run toward.” (page 210) What realization has Willodeen finally accepted? Why is this important?

Why is it a momentous event when Willodeen yells “I love you” to Birdie and Mae?

How is the community of Perchance similar to the community made up of the hummingbears, screechers, peacock snails and blue willow trees?

What message(s) do you think the author may be sharing with her story Willodeen?

Book Talk Teasers:

Read the Reader’s Theater for Willodeen.

Watch the Willodeen book trailer embedded at the bottom of the page.

Read Alikes:

Environment

Brown, Peter. The Wild Robot. Roz the robot discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island with no memory of where she is from or why she is there, and her only hope of survival is to try to learn about her new environment from the island’s hostile inhabitants. (NoveList Plus)

Imaginary Creatures

Anderson, John David. Granted. Everyone who wishes upon a star, or a candle, or a penny thrown into a fountain knows that you’re not allowed to tell anyone what you’ve wished for. But even so, there is someone out there who hears it. (NoveList)

Connolly, MarcyKate. Shadow Weaver. Twelve-year-old Emmeline possesses the unique ability to manipulate shadows, but when her magical powers are threatened by a noble family she desperately turns to Dar, her shadow friend, who offers to save her if Emmeline makes Dar flesh again, but this bargain only puts Emmeline’s life in further jeopardy. (NoveList Plus)

King, A. S. Me and Marvin Gardens. When his family’s farmland is taken over by developers, eleven-year-old Obe Devlin encounters a plastic-eating animal who becomes his best friend and biggest secret. (NoveList Plus)

Girl Orphans

Snyder, Laurel. Orphan Island. On an island where one child is delivered each year while the eldest is taken away, nine children live under the leadership of new elder Jinny, who trains the latest newcomer and wonders what will happen when her own departure occurs. (NoveList Plus)

Reviews:

Applegate, Katherine. Willodeen. Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, 2021.

Booklist

Willodeen.

By Katherine Applegate. Illus. by Charles Santoso.

Sept. 2021. 272p. Feiwel and Friends, $16.99 (9781250147400). Grades 3-5.

REVIEW. First published July 2021 (Booklist).

You know you’re in for a treat with an Applegate fantasy, but when she dreams up hummingbears—tiny, winged bears that nest in bubbles—it’s instantly catapulted into irresistible territory. For Willodeen, who happens to have a flightless hummingbear as a pet, her heart is far more occupied with the welfare of unlovable creatures, namely the widely detested screechers—a grumpy combo of skunk (odor), warthog (snout, tusks), beaver (tail), and porcupine (quills). This is, perhaps, because Willodeen herself is an outsider, preferring to spend her time alone, observing nature and helping the two women—older, but spitfires—who took her in after a terrible wildfire claimed the lives of her family. Two events force Willodeen out of her comfort zone and into the company of other townsfolk: (1) the steady, mysterious decline in hummingbear populations, and (2) the bounty placed on screechers, as a way to rid Perchance of their smelly presence. Thus, the 11-year-old comes to find her first friend, a baby screecher in need of a home, and her voice when it matters most. Applegate’s gentle yet honest tale mixes magic with very real environmental messaging, both warning of human-caused harm and pointing to nature’s resilience and interconnectedness. Perchance feels charmingly antiquated without being idyllic, and Applegate empowers her young characters by not only granting them courage but also ensuring they earn the respect of their elders. —Julia Smith

Used with the permission of Booklist https://www.booklistonline.com/

School Library Journal (October 1, 2021)

Gr 3-7-Applegate's latest fantasy is a simple but beautiful story about humans' relationship with the natural world. Orphaned Willodeen has never quite fit in with her peers. She loves all animals, but especially the widely despised screecher: a smelly creature with tusks, a snout, tails, and quills. She is happy keeping to herself until the screechers begin to disappear, mainly due to the bounty the town of Perchance has placed on them. The rest of the town is focused on the disappearance of the hummingbears, winged bears responsible for the tourist draw to Perchance. After witnessing the killing of an old screecher, Willowdeen's new friend Connor carves her one that is magically brought to life through her tears. Determined to save this last screecher, Willodeen finds the connection between the screechers and hummingbears and stands up for them at a town meeting. Red-haired Willowdeen is cued as white. Connor has brown skin. VERDICT A sweet fantasy about standing up for what you believe in. Hand to all young environmentalists.-Katharine Gatcomb, Nashua P.L., NH © Copyright 2021. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reprinted with permission from School Library Journal ©2021