Beyond Book Club February 2023: The Grace of Wild Things
We hope you’ve been enjoying/enjoyed our February book pick as much our team! As announced last month we are handling book club differently going forward. After input from the community it was clear people wanted to be able to read the book at their own pace, on their own time, but still were looking for some added community fun to accompany the books.
In that regard our Beyond Book Club blog article was born - a recurring monthly article that provides access to our discussion questions for those looking to extend the conversations of our monthly reads, along with some super fun extension activities.
About the book:
The Grace of Wild Things is a witchy retelling of the beloved Anne of Green Gables. Grace, a twelve-year-old orphan, runs away from her orphanage in search of a forever home. Being a witch herself, she plans to approach the witch in the woods and ask her to take her on as an apprentice … even though she is known for eating children. (There must be a witches’ code that protects her right?) Well, the witch agrees — kind of. If Grace can complete all one hundred and a half spells in her own Grimoire within one year, she can stay. If not, the witch will steal Grace’s magic forever!
Reading Guide:
This month’s reading guide discussion questions, which can be found here, were written by the author Heather Fawcett!
Creativity Corner:
No magical apprentice can become a true witch or wizard without mastering the art of potion making. Babs has compiled this amazing activity to spark your inner witch/wizard. Learn to make your own magical potion jar by following the steps below!
Magical Potion Jar Materials:
An empty glass or plastic bottle (check your recycling bin!)
A variety of different types of glitter
Food Coloring
A bottle of clear glue
Hot water
Glycerin (optional)
Whisk or other stirring utensil
Step 1: Pour hot water into your bottle or jar, about a third of the way full. (Pro Tip: make sure it’s not too hot, as it could warp plastic containers.)
Step 2: Add about half of the clear glue bottle to the hot water and mix with a whisk or other stirring utensil.
Step 3: (Optional) Add a splash of glycerin to the mix. This adds a swirly effect to the potion when it’s mixed!
Step 4: Next, add a few tablespoons of a variety of different types of glitters.
Step 5: Add a drop of food coloring (less is more!)
Step 6: Put the lid on the bottle or jar and give it a shake to disperse the glitter and food coloring, then take the lid off and allow the mix to cool completely.
Step 7: Once you’re ready to use your potion bottle, put the lid back on and secure it with any strong glue to prevent leaks. Happy brewing!
Extension Activities:
Ice cream actually plays a part throughout most of the book when a spell goes awry, and it definitely had me craving some (even in the middle of winter!). So why not make your own ice cream? Vegan ice cream is ridiculously easy to make and is so so good. Try out this recipe from Minimalist Baker.
Grace has a very special animal familiar in this story, a crow named Windweaver, who unfortunately gets bullied by other crows when trying to make friends by delivering them seeds. Since it’s spring help the birds out and make your own simple bird feeder, like one of these from Country Living! Added bonus, it may prevent any bird bullying that may occur!
And of course, if you haven’t yet seen Anne of Green Gables, now is the perfect time for a watch or rewatch!