Fablehaven

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What are 3-5 reasons that setting is an important element in fiction? How might an author use the setting to drive the events of the plot or symbolize character growth?

Teaching Suggestion: This question will allow students to draw on their knowledge about foundational elements of storytelling and encourage them to expand their thinking by analyzing the function of narrative setting. Additionally, this question will prepare students to engage with The Importance of Place and Boundary in the novel as they investigate the role of the magical preserve setting as both symbol of and catalyst for the protagonists’ development.

In extended discussion, students might address the symbolism of the forest setting in fairy tales. Many traditional fairy tales like “Hansel and Gretel” or “Little Red Riding Hood” take place in the forest; this setting represents both danger and maturation, as it is here that the characters meet conflict and resolve it before emerging with new knowledge. Students may be prompted to brainstorm familiar fairy tales that take place in the woods and discuss how the setting helps the characters change or grow. This will prepare them to analyze the role of the estate of Fablehaven in the novel and to make connections to traditional fairy tale elements that inspire parts of the text.

• This resource guide on setting includes sections on elements, types, function, and uses of narrative setting.
• This video on the symbolism of the fairy tale forest regards a 2018 exhibit at Australia’s Ian Potter Museum of Art entitled All the Better to See You With: Fairy Tales Transformed. The exhibit features modern artistic depictions of fairy tale settings and explores how they are used to relay social anxieties. Curator Samantha Comte discusses the role of the forest in fairy tales like “Little Red Riding Hood” and analyzes how the artists in the exhibit explore themes relating to place in fairy tales.

o Portions of this video may be useful for inspiring a class-wide discussion on characterizations of the forest. For example, the artworks in the video might prompt students to analyze the depiction of the forest (what the forest looks like or how it makes them feel). They may then make predictions about the role the forest will play in the novel.

o The idea of the forest as symbolic of the entrance into adulthood may expand the discussion into the symbolic role of the forest in the novel, with connections or predictions on how Fablehaven as a setting will help Kendra and Seth grow.

Short Activity

Draw a map of your home or school. Clearly mark the boundaries of where one room or area begins and another ends.

After you have finished your map, reflect on the role borders play. How do they delineate different functions for different areas? What kinds of rules dictate how you may move between areas? Are there any places on your map that are off-limits—for example, an adult’s or sibling’s room at home, or a restricted area at school? What happens if you violate that boundary?

Teaching Suggestion: This activity provides students with an opportunity to draw on their knowledge from other areas of study such as geography and the different types of borders that delineate space on maps. The reflection questions after the activity will prepare students to make connections throughout the text to the theme of The Importance of Place and Boundary as they consider the role of setting and motifs of confinement in the novel.

After completing this activity, students may also be prompted to consider less literal boundaries. They may be prompted to brainstorm other kinds of boundaries such as those regarding behavior, or metaphysical boundaries that distinguish different stages of a cycle, such as day and night or childhood and adulthood. This will prepare them to understand the enchanted forest setting as a symbol of growth, pushing Kendra and Seth towards maturity.

• This article from National Geographic is written for a school-age audience and gives a comprehensive explanation of different kinds of boundaries, from physical to social. This resource may be useful in introducing the concept of non-literal boundaries and preparing students to engage with the divides between humans and magical creatures in the text.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

In the novel, protagonists Kendra and Seth have different reactions to the strange rules their grandfather imposes during their stay at his preserve: While Kendra is a rule-follower, Seth’s curiosity and rebelliousness lead him to break Grandpa Sorenson’s rules.

Think about all the rules you must follow in your life. How are you expected to behave in different settings (like home, school, or in public)? What are the consequences if you break the rules? Has there ever been a time when you were asked to follow rules that you didn’t understand or agree with? How did you respond to that situation?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might connect this prompt to the classroom environment by reviewing your class rules. What are the expectations for behavior or schoolwork? What consequences are in place if they break the rules? This can lead to a discussion on the purpose of rules that may seem illogical. To direct the second half of the discussion prompt, students might address times they felt they had to break classroom or home rules; they can explore why they felt the need to do so and consider if there are times when rule-breaking is warranted. This will prepare students to engage with The Importance of Rules in the novel as Kendra and Seth face consequences for disobedience and learn when to take risks to achieve important aims.

Differentiation Suggestion: For greater classroom engagement, this prompt may also be approached as a debate. In the novel, Kendra and Seth represent two sides on the spectrum of rules: While Seth instigates most of the rule-breaking in the novel, Kendra follows her grandfather's rules unquestioningly. Students may be divided into two teams based on how they generally identify (i.e., as rule-questioner or rule-follower); the two teams may then engage on a debate regarding the merits of breaking or following rules.

More advanced students may be prompted to consider broader contexts in legal, social, or historical realms. They might consider the role laws play in maintaining order in society and the consequences of breaking the laws. They may also consider avenues for recourse when citizens do not agree with the laws or brainstorm historical situations in which societies rebelled against unjust laws. Do these higher-stake situations justify rule-breaking?

On a more complex level, students might also consider the unspoken rules of social comportment that dictate how one is expected to treat others. In the novel, humans (unlike the creatures of Fablehaven) are not compelled by an outside force to obey the treaty’s terms; however, although they can choose to use magic, they open themselves to retaliation from magical creatures if they do so. Similarly, rules without a legal binding (such as social rules) do not inherently impel obedience; one can, for example, choose whether to be polite or rude in their interactions. Students may be prompted to connect to situations in which rules are not explicitly enforced and to consider consequences for breaking these kinds of rules even if it doesn’t result in overt punishment. They can explore the importance of choice in obeying rules, and how adherence to polite and kind interactions may elicit reciprocation, similar to how the treaty of mutual respect ensures protection from malevolent forces in the novel.