The following study guides for Aruna's Journeys and The Moon Over Crete can help teachers, book group leaders, librarians and parents add extra educational value to these books. Please feel free to print out these guides and share them with your colleagues.
NOTE: If you are a teacher, librarian or bookstore owner who wishes to buy Aruna's Journeys or The Moon Over Crete at a discount, they are available from Ingram and Baker & Taylor. Or contact the author at jyotsna64@aol.com. For individuals, you may buy the books online from Amazon.com by clicking on the titles above. Or ask for these books at your local bookstore or library.
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Each of the six lessons is divided into three parts. The Questions section simply makes sure the children have read the chapters and understand the story line. The Discussion Items section gives suggestions for topics to talk about with the class. Often there are no right or wrong answers in this section - rather, children are encouraged to listen to each others' ideas and react to them. The Activities section has suggestions for assignments that students can do on their own. These are mostly writing activities, but drawing, interviewing, and library research are included too.
During the class the students can also share their written and drawing activities with their classmates, and perhaps help each other with revisions.
I hope this study guide helps children develop their love of reading, as well as a curiosity and thoughtfulness about the world around them.
However, her parents have other ideas. They not only accept a dinner invitation to Sonal's house, but they also make Aruna go to Indian "Sunday School," where she has to learn Indian dance and culture.
Meanwhile, Aruna isn't having much luck making friends. Two girls in her neighborhood, Amber and Emily, laugh at the new rock Aruna has found for her rock collection. Aruna throws that rock away.
Finally, Aruna finds a best friend -- Darcy. She and Darcy enjoy going to a field near Darcy's house to collect rocks and insects. Aruna thinks Darcy has the perfect American family, and she wishes she were Darcy's sister. She is so excited when Darcy asks if Aruna can go to summer camp with her!
Unfortunately, Aruna's parents have planned a trip to India for the whole summer. Aruna is furious that her parents made these plans without asking her first.
Aruna is nervous about seeing her relatives in India after so many years. Will they like her? And will she remember all the strange rules her mother has given her about what not to do in India? Her fears are unfounded. From the moment she lands in India her relatives adore her. But there are other difficult things about being in India, such as the cockroaches and lizards in the house, and the unfamiliar food and way of using the bathroom.
Meanwhile, a crisis is brewing in the house. Aruna's aunt Vandana, a 21-year-old college student, has started a hunger strike because she does not want to have an arranged marriage, and she wants to go to graduate school. Aruna is in awe of Vandana's willpower and courage to do what she wants. Aruna feels she would never have the courage to stand up to her parents like that.
Aruna and her cousins visit the Science and Technology museum in Bangalore, where Aruna is fascinated by the rock and mineral specimens. She confesses that she wants to be a geologist when she grows up. But she is told that the only thing a geologist can do is be a miner, and Aruna does not want to be a miner.
Aruna's other aunt, Vandana's sister Sharmila, is preparing for her wedding. Just before the wedding, Vandana gives up her hunger strike because her parents have agreed that she does not need to get married yet, and she can go to graduate school. Everyone goes to the wedding.
By the time Aruna leaves India, she has some new Indian clothes and she is determined to make a good impression in 7th grade. But her first day of 7th grade doesn't turn out quite as she'd hoped. Amber and Emily make fun of her new Indian blouse. And there's another Indian girl, Leena, at Aruna's bus stop! Aruna vows never to wear her Indian clothes again, and she tries to avoid speaking to Leena. She also decides to throw away her rock collection. She writes a letter to her aunt Vandana, pouring out her frustrations.
Vandana writes back, encouraging Aruna to ignore the girls who make fun of her, to keep her rock collection, and to explore other careers that a geologist can do. Aruna takes the advice to heart, and the next day she wears a new Indian skirt and blouse outfit. She also makes it a point to be friendly to Leena, and she brings some of her rocks to school to show Darcy.
At the end of the day she realizes that she's glad she stayed true to herself. She even feels she is developing the courage she so admires in Vandana.
2. Does Aruna like Sonal Vatsya once she meets her? Why or why not?
3. Do Amber and Emily like Aruna? How can you tell?
4. What does Aruna think about Darcy and her house?
2. Amber and Emily make fun of Aruna's rock, and don't invite her to hang out with them. Have you ever tried to make friends with someone who didn't want to be friends with you? Have you ever snubbed someone who was trying to make friends with you?
3. Aruna wishes Darcy were her sister, and Darcy's house were her house. Have you ever wished you had a different family? Why or why not?
Activities
2. Aruna's hobby is collecting and identifying rocks. Do you have a hobby? Write an explanation of your hobby. Why do you like it?
2. What does Aruna want to do over the summer? What does her mom say about that?
3. Who will Aruna be staying with when she goes to India? What are those people's relationships to Aruna?
4. What does Aruna remember about India from when she used to live there?
Activities
2. Write about a time when you wanted to do something, but your parents made you do something different. What did you want to do? What did you have to do instead? How did you feel?
2. Does Aruna feel comfortable in India? How do you know?
3. How does Aruna feel when her mom wants to buy her expensive jewelry?
4. What does Princess Savitri do to save her husband?
Discussion items
2. Aruna doesn't want expensive jewelry. She'd rather have a geology set, or give the money to the beggar woman. Do you understand why she feels this way? Have you ever NOT wanted something expensive that your parents wanted to buy for you?
Activities
2. The story of Princess Savitri is a tale from an ancient Indian epic called the Mahabharata. Find other tales from India at the library. Pick one story to learn, and tell this story to your classmates.
2. Why does Vandana say Aruna is American, while Sharmila says she is Indian?
3. Describe the house Aruna is staying in.
4. What are some things Aruna tells Darcy that she likes about India? What things does she not like?
5. Who is Santosh and why is Priya eager to see him?
6. Why is Vandana on a hunger strike?
7. What does Aruna see in the museum that interests her? Why does she leave the museum in a gloomy mood?
Discussion Items
2. What profesion do you think you'd like to enter when you grow up? How does your family react to this idea?
Activities
2. Draw pictures of Vandana and Sharmila based on the descriptions of them in the book. Write a paragraph about each one, describing the details you included in your pictures.
2. What does Aruna wish her family were like? Why? What does Vandana say about this?
3. Is Aruna's mother happy or sad that Aruna is thinking about living in India? How can you tell?
4. Why did Vandana end her hunger strike? Did she get everything she wanted?
5. How does Aruna feel when she reads Darcy's letter?
6. Describe some things that happened during the wedding ceremony.
7. Does Aruna think Vandana will be able to find a husband?
Discussion Items
2. What kind of weddings have you attended? What was similar about those weddings to Sharmila and Santosh's wedding? What was different?
Activities
2. If you were looking for a husband or wife, what qualities would you look for in the other person? What would you want them to look like? What would you want their personality to be like? Write a page describing what qualities you would look for, and why.
2. How did Aruna feel about leaving India?
3. What did Aruna like about being at home again? What did she not like?
4. What does Vandana encourage Aruna to do in her letter?
5. What does Aruna decide to do the day after she reads Vandana's letter?
6. What does Aruna do to make friends with Leena?
Discussion Items
2. Do you understand why Aruna wanted to throw away her rock collection? Have you ever wanted to throw away something you cared about? Why?
3. Vandana is a "role model" for Aruna. Aruna looks up to Vandana and asks her for advice. Do you have role models in your life? Who are they? What do you learn from them?
4. At the end of Chapter 18 Aruna wonders whether she is becoming courageous. Do you think she is? Why or why not? What does the word "courage" mean to you?
Activities
2. Write to Jyotsna Sreenivasan, the author of Aruna's Journeys! Tell her what you thought of Aruna's Journeys, and/or ask her questions about the book, the writing process, or anything else. Send an e-mail to jyotsna64@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Study Guide to The Moon Over Crete, by Jyotsna Sreenivasan
This study guide for The Moon Over Crete is designed to be used by teachers and/or parents, to help children better understand the themes of the book.
Each of the six lessons is divided into three parts. The Questions section simply makes sure the children have read the chapters and understand the story line. The Discussion Items section gives suggestions for topics to talk about with the class. Often there are no right or wrong answers in this section - rather, children are encouraged to listen to each others' ideas and react to them. The Activities section has suggestions for assignments that students can do on their own. These are mostly writing activities, but drawing, interviewing, and library research are included too.
During the class the students can also share their written and drawing activities with their classmates, and perhaps help each other with revisions.
I hope this study guide helps children develop their love of reading, as well as a curiosity and thoughtfulness about the world around them.
Eleven-year-old Lily runs home from school in tears because a boy has been harassing her: he has been shoving pictures of naked women at her and calling her names. He won't stop even when she asks him to, and her mother's calls to the principal have not helped. Lily feels being a girl is a drag.
She is gloomy as she goes to her flute lesson the next day. Her flute teacher, Mrs. Zinn, tells her about a time when girls were respected. It was 3,500 years ago, in ancient Crete, at a time when women and men were equal In fact, Mrs. Zinn has been to ancient Crete herself -- she is a time-traveler.
Lily begs Mrs. Zinn to take her back to ancient Crete. Mrs. Zinn agrees, and Lily's adventure begins. In ancient Crete, she gets lost in the palace and is led back to Mrs. Zinn by the Queen herself. She learns pottery with her new friend Mashi. And she goes to a full-moon dance.
But all is not fun and games. Lily knows something that her new Cretan friends do not: that this egalitarian culture will soon be destroyed and replaced by one that does not respect women and girls. Lily is determined to tell the Queen what she knows, and save Crete and her friends.
She works hard to learn the Cretan language. In the meantime, Mrs. Zinn suddenly disappears -- she has gone to the secret old women's ceremony -- and Lily has to cope without her for a while. But before she can put her plan into action, Mrs. Zinn re-appears and tells Lily that they are leaving for home -- the very next day!
Lily knows she can't leave until she gives the Queen her message. She decides to stay behind in Crete, without Mrs. Zinn. She's not sure how to tell the Queen what she knows without revealing the secret that she is a time-traveler -- something that Mrs. Zinn does not want her to tell anyone.
One morning, Lily wakes up screaming from a bad dream. Inasha, Mashi's mother, runs in to find out what's wrong, and Lily relates her dream: a giant black ship arrived in Crete and destroyed everything. Inasha is alarmed and takes Lily to see the Queen. But before they get to the palace, Lily learns that Inasha has already heard warnings about Crete's destruction!
Lily is shaking from nervousness as she stands before the Queen. After all, she had just made up the story about her dream. She didn't really have a dream like that. What will the Queen say? Will the Queen realize she is lying?
But the Queen is very kind and gentle. She knows that Lily has come from a long way away, and she tells Lily to go back home. The Queen can foretell the future, and she sees that Lily will help women and men work together again at home.
Lily is so inspired by the Queen's words that she agrees to go back home.
2. What does Lily's friend Lauren say that Lily should do about Chuck? What does Lily think of this?
3. What does Lily think is different about Mrs. Zinn? Is she right?
4. Was being a girl easy when Mrs. Zinn was growing up? What does Mrs. Zinn say about this?
5. What does Mrs. Zinn think is her biggest failure?
Discussion Items
2. Do you agree with Lauren that Lily should just ignore Chuck?
3. Would you have liked to live in the 1940s, when Mrs. Zinn was a girl? Why or why not?
Activities
2. Do you know anyone who lived in the 1940s? Interview them and write down what their life was like then. For example, what kinds of clothes did they wear? What did they do for fun? Were girls and boys expected to behave in different ways?
2. What is the profession of Phyra's mother and grandmother? What profession does Phyra choose for herself?
3. Is Phyra successful in her chosen profession? How do you know?
4. How does Mrs. Zinn know Phyra's story?
5. Why is Chapter 4 called "The Necklace of Time?"
6. What is Lily going to do at her next flute lesson?
7. Why does Lily have second thoughts about going to Crete?
8. What does Lily's first view of ancient Crete look like?
Discussion Items
2. Phyra is young and her advice saves the town. Have you ever given advice to someone older than you? Did they take your advice? Do you think you gave the right advice?
3. Lily really wants to go back in time to ancient Crete, but she's also afraid to. Have you ever been afraid to do something that you really wanted to do? What did you do to conquer your fear?
Activities
2. Draw a picture of yourself doing something you really want to do, but you're afraid to.
2. What does Lily think of ancient Crete? Why does she feel that way?
3. Describe Lily's path as she walks through the palace. What does she see and do? What does Lily see in the rooms she enters?
4. How does Lily communicate with the women she meets?
Discussion Items
2. Have you ever had to communicate with someone who spoke a language that you don't know? Did you manage to communicate? How?
3. Do you think it was right or wrong for Lily to have wandered around in the palace by herself? What would you have done in her situation?
Activities
2. Look at the artwork of Minoan Crete. It tends to be colorful, with lots of pictures of animals and pretty designs. Draw your own original picture in the same style as the Minoan art.
2. Why does Lily wish she had a video camera in Crete?
3. What does Lily decide at the end of Chapter 10?
4. What is the "suspicious character" in Chapter 11? What does Lily think it is at first?
5. What does Mrs. Zinn tell Lily about how Crete was destroyed?
6. What has Mashi been telling her friends about Lily?
Discussion Items
2. Mashi gives advice to her friend, a boy, on how to sculpt the clay, and the boy is happy to take her advice. Do girls in your class give advice to boys? Do boys give advice to girls? How do you feel about taking advice from someone else?
3. In Crete women go topless in public, and men wear jewelry and make-up. Why do you think it is OK to do these things in Crete? Can you think of times in our society when men wear make-up? Are there other societies in the world today where women go topless in public?
Activity
2. What does Mashi show Lily to take her mind off Mrs. Zinn?
3. What does Lily decide to do for the autumn festival? Is she good at it?
4. What advice does Hala give Lily for dealing with Grimbo? Does Lily take the advice?
5. What does Mrs. Zinn tell Lily when she gets back from the old women's ceremony?
6. What is the decision Lily makes in Chapter 17?
Discussion Items
2. Lily is angry at Grimbo for yelling at her, but she's also afraid to tell him to stop. Have you ever been angry at the way someone treated you? Did you ask them to treat you better? Why or why not?
Activity
2. What was Lily's dream about?
3. What does Inasha tell Lily in the apple orchard?
4. What does the Queen advise Lily to do?
5. The Moon Over Crete is fiction, but it is based on facts. What are some facts it is based on?
Discussion Items
2. Lily pretends to dream about the destruction of Crete, so she can warn the Queen. Do you think it was right or wrong of Lily to tell everyone about her dream when she never really dreamed it?
Activities
2. Write to the author! Jyotsna Sreenivasan, the author of The Moon Over Crete, loves to get letters from readers. Send e-mail to: jyotsna64@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
These study guides were written by Jyotsna Sreenivasan -- jyotsna64@aol.com, to whom you can send questions, comments, suggestions, etc.
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