69 pages • 2 hours read
William Pene du BoisThe 21 Balloons
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1947A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Teacher Introduction
Teacher Introduction
The Twenty-One Balloons
- Genre: Fiction; children’s literature; fantasy/adventure
- Originally Published: 1947
- Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1070L; grades 4-7
- Structure/Length: 10 chapters and introduction; approximately 180 pages; approximately 3 hours, 20 minutes on audio
- Protagonist/Central Conflict: Professor William Waterman Sherman intends to spend a year in a hot air balloon flying across the Pacific Ocean but instead lands on the fictional island of Krakatoa. The story unfolds with his discovery of a wealthy and inventively eccentric community living on the island, and the central conflict arises with a catastrophic volcanic eruption that threatens the islanders’ utopian life.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Stereotypes of Indigenous people; mild peril related to a volcanic eruption; themes of survival and adventure
William Pène du Bois, Author
- Bio: Born 1916; died 1993; American author and illustrator of children's books; celebrated for his inventive storytelling and distinctive illustrations; grew up in an artistic family and was influenced by his father’s work as an artist; served in World War II; contributed significantly to children’s literature with a unique blend of humor and fantasy
- Other Works: The Flying Locomotive (1941); Bear Party (1951); The Giant (1954)
- Awards: John Newbery Medal (1948)
CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:
- Balancing Risk and Planning
- Building Community
- Ingenuity as an Engine of Happiness
