The Tale of Desperaux.

We need a break from the intensity of Second World War studies, so we're discussing the difference between the terms story (the king died and then the queen died) and plot (the king died and then the queen died of grief) in this week's fiction.

A mouse in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea is The Tale of Despereaux, a Newbery medal winner by Kate DiCamillo (who also wrote Because of Winn Dixie), and a big hit with the resident seventh-grader. The link at bookbrowse.com leads to a helpful study guide and detailed questions.

Vocabulary words:
adieu
chiaroscuro
empathy
furlough
perfidy
portentous
remorse