70 pages • 2-hour read
Serafina and the Black Cloak
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Paired Texts & Other Resources
Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.
Recommended Texts for Pairing
- poem by T.S. Eliot for comparison to Serafina’s cat-like traits
- Discuss skills, identity, power, and secrets.
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
- short story by Edgar Allan Poe for use in Activity 1 (Paragraphs 1-7)
- Discuss connection of plot to setting; discuss secrets, courage.
- short story by W.W. Jacobs for use in Activity 2
- Discuss suspense, parent-child relationships, courage, secrets.
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
- middle grade novel by R.L. LaFevers featuring a young female protagonist
- represents a similar blend of genres: mystery, history and fantasy
Other Student Resources
Serafina and the Black Cloak Book Trailer
- 2.5-minute YouTube book trailer
- No dialogue; includes instrumental music, sound effects, and blurb-style voiceover
- Watch for recognizable elements and scenes; note use of color and imagery to set mood and atmosphere; discuss reader perception of character appearance (how do actors compare to your imagined visualization?)
“Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate”
- Smithsonian Channel’s Aerial America
- 3-minute aerial footage video with voiceover information
“Upstairs at the Biltmore House”
- PBS North Carolina documentary
- 7.5-minute excerpt in which a docent discusses the interesting fourth-floor rooms
“Haunted Asheville Series: The Biltmore Estate”
- 4-minute overview of ghostly occurrences
- Watch for views of the library, location of a crucial scene in the novel.
Teacher Resources
“Cross-Pollination: The Future Is Genre-Blending”
- article by Paul Goat Allan, Writer’s Digest Magazine (republished on Writer’s Digest site)
- discusses value and popularity of fiction that represents “cross-pollination” or blending of genres
- remote learning guide from Scholastic that features activities and lessons on the importance of historical fiction and history
- step-by-step instructions allow teachers to customize and assign work effectively
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