Kathleen Pelley: Activity Guide "The Quiet Place"

Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 1

Activity Guide

by

Kathleen Pelley



One of the many things I love about good stories is that they can provide a space in our

hectic busy lives to simply PAUSE and PONDER some truth, some beauty, or some new way

of looking at the world.

Each month I will invite you to join me as I PAUSE and PONDER upon the story I have just

read.

The Quiet Place

Written by Sarah Stewart and pictures by David Small

PAUSE and PONDER …

Why I love this story?

This story is told in the form of letters from a child to her Aunt – letter writing is a forgotten

art nowadays, but I have fond memories of writing letters as a child to my friend who moved

to Canada, and to my cousins who lived in Ireland. Letters are such a tender way of

revealing our hurts and longings to one another. The story takes place in the 1950s when a

little girl and her family move from Mexico to the States: we learn of Isabel’s struggles, not

only with a new land, but with new words, new people, and new places. Her way of coping

is to find her QUIET PLACE. What one of us has not felt that need for a safe, quiet place at

some time in our lives? I moved to the States as an adult, and yet, still I remember the sharp

pang of homesickness, the longing for the familiar, for the identity I left behind in my

country. I have many favorite QUIET PLACES, but my favorite of all….a GOOD picture book

like this. No wonder this tale resonates with me!

Souvenirs from the story – a jolt of joy at seeing our Isabel find her place in her new country

with the help of a QUIET PLACE and her “word” friends.

Emotional/Universal Truth

What is an emotional truth?

Any editor will tell you that a common weakness of many picture book manuscripts is that it

is “too trite.” In other words, it will not withstand multiple readings, because it is too one

dimensional and lacks a universal, emotional truth. It is NOT a lesson, a moral, or a message!

Rather it is a simple truth, woven seamlessly throughout the story -some truth about love,

hope, pain, joy, or home that a child can understand and connect with. I like to think of it as

that whiff of wonder, that bolt of beauty that lingers with you, long after the last page is

turned or the final word uttered.



Why should this universal truth matter so much to the read-aloud quality of a picture book?

“The storytellers go back and back, to a clearing in the forest where a great fire burns, and

the old shamans dance and sing, for our heritage of stories began in fire, magic, the spirit

world. And that is where it is held, today.” Doris Lessing

Truth connects us to one another, to our ancestors, and to the world around us. Good

books and stories are all about connections. When we read a story aloud to a child – a story

that truly touches us at the very core of our being with its beauty and its truth, then, we will

naturally breathe our own life and love into those words as we read them aloud. (Notice

how life and spirit, breath and voice are all connected). And, in turn, those words will seep

into the little listener’s heart, making her or him feel brave or bold, calm or kind, happy or

hopeful.

“Adult books maintain lives; children’s books change lives.” Yolen

The “truth” of this story: In the midst of moving to new places, we all need a quiet place to

help us transition from the familiar to the unfamiliar – it may be a box or a shady spot at the

foot of the garden, or a good story!

What souvenir and what “truth” I wonder, will you and your children take from this story?

The following discussion questions and activities are designed for use either with a parent

and a child, or with a teacher and her class or a small group. Most of the discussion

questions are suited for children ages 6-8, but could be adapted for use with younger

children too.

- Kathleen Pelley



Discussion Questions

1. When does this story take place? ( in the 1950s)

2. Where is Isabel moving from? (Mexico)

3. What language do they speak in Mexico? (Spanish)

4. Do you speak any languages other than English? Discuss.

5. How is Isabel practicing English? (by writing letters to her Aunt)

6. Discuss the differences between email and letter writing.

7. Why does Isabel find it hard to make friends? (she is shy)

8. Do you find it hard or easy to make new friends? Discuss.

9. How can you make a new student feel welcome? Discuss.

10. Why does Isabel start a Quiet Place? (to feel safe)

11. Do you have a favorite Quiet Place? Or a favorite Noisy Place? Discuss.

12. What do you like about Quiet Places? What do you dislike about them?

13. What happens to Isabel’s first box? (ruined in rain)

14. How does she get another one? (from pool box at party)

15. Isabel calls words her friends – discuss.

16. What does P. S. at end of each letter mean? (Latin for Post Scriptum – after

the letter)

17. How does Isabel’s last letter end differently from all the others? (wishing

you were here instead of missing you)

18. What does that tell you? (that she finally feels she belongs)



Story Characters

Draw the animal in the boxes below. Then write a sentence about her/him.

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

Isabel

Chavo



________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

Word Scramble

Unscramble the words…

1. Isabel comes from the country of _ _ _ _ _ _ (oxicem).

2. Isabel made a _ _ _ _ (nosw) angel.

3. Isabel found it hard to make friends because she was _ _ _ (hys).

4. Isabel loved her _ _ _ _ _ (tieuq) place.

5. Spanish words are like _ _ _ __ _ _ _ (residfn) for Isabel.

Aunt Lupita



Crisscross Words

Use the clues below to complete the crossword.

Across

4. Isabel made one after

snowstorm. 5. Meaning of antidote (what the

guard called Isabel).

Down

1. Isabel’s brother.

2. The fireworks over the lake were like these.

3. This came with the dollhouse. 4. Isabel’s quiet place made her

feel like this.

1 2

3

4

5

EclipseCrossword.com



Research Mexico

Learn about Mexico. Visit National Geographic and A to Z Kids Stuff.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/mexico.html

http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/mexico.html

Start your exploration by answering these questions, then create more of your

own.

Where is Mexico located on the globe?

What colors are in the Mexican flag?

What is Mexico’s traditional dress? For girls? For boys?

What is the music of Mexico?

What are fun things to do in Mexico?

What are their favorite foods?

ART Activity

Find a large box and decorate it with pictures of friends, objects, words, places,

animals, toys – all the things that might help you feel SAFE or feel at home if

you are in a strange place.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/mexico.html

http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/mexico.html



Favorite Words

Can you interview family, teachers, and friends, asking them for their favorite

words – and words to say aloud? Then write them all out on colored card – use

them to decorate your room/classroom. Be a word collector – keep a notepad

filled with all YOUR favorite words. Begin with your favorite words from this

story.

My favorite words from this story:

Additional Reading

Another wonderful book about words is The Boy who Loved Words by Roni

Schotter.



Answer Key

Word Sramble

1. Mexico

2. snow

3. shy

4. quiet

5. friends

Crisscross Puzzle

1 2

3

4

5

EclipseCrossword.com

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Documents

Kathleen Pelley: Activity Guide "The Quiet Place"