The Beatryce Prophecy is the newest novel by author Kate DiCamillo. The story reads like a fairy tale with evil versus good characters.
Introduction to The Beatryce Prophecy
When Brother Edik goes to the barn to feed Answelica, he finds a child curled up next to the goat holding onto its ears. Brother Edik picks up the child and finds that she is burning with fever. The child dreams of her past. She is with her brothers and tutor when a soldier comes into the room.
Meanwhile, back at the castle, the king tells the soldier to find the girl. The girl must not live for the kingdom’s sake.
Beatryce sleeps for days with Brother Edik attending to her and Answelica by her side. Finally, Beatryce decides she will give up all memories as a way to survive. Her fever breaks, and she awakens remembering nothing of her past except her name.
When Beatryce tells Brother Edik she would not want to read a book with the word sorrowing in the title, Brother Edik is surprised she can read. Brother Edik asks about her family, but Beatryce can’t remember them. Brother Edik fears Beatryce’s words about reading. Only a handful of people can read, and all are male. It is against the law for females to read and write. Brother Edik figures out a way to hide Beatryce. He cuts off her hair and explains to Beatryce that she must pretend to be someone else for her own protection. She will be kept hidden in plain sight as a young boy of nobility in training.
Before long, the head priest figures out a way to get rid of Beatryce. She goes to town to write down a dying man’s confession. In town, Beatryce is spotted by the king’s soldiers. She and her companion, Jack Dory, along with the goat Answelica run into the dark woods to hide.
Read this outstanding book to learn of Beatryces’ fate.
The Beatryce Prophecy Activities
Novel Study Samples
Grab your novel study samples. This sample includes vocabulary, comprehension questions, and a constructed response writing prompt for Chapters 1-7.
You can get this book unit sample by clicking the button.
Teaching Idea #1 – Vocabulary
Kate DiCamillo loaded The Beatryce Prophecy with challenging words. These 3 Dots and Boxes games will help students practice some of these words.
All activities in this post are included in this handout.
Teaching Idea #2 – Genre Comparison
Have students decide if The Beatryce Prophecy fits the description of a fairy tale.
Use the guiding questions on the T-chart to compare The Beatryce Prophecy to fairy tales. Just how does it compare? Would you call The Beatryce Prophecy a fairy tale?
Teaching Idea #3 – Maple Candy
Brother Edik had pieces of maple-sugar candy in the pocket of his robe. The candy was made by Brother Antoine, who shaped the maple sugar into stars and half-moons and leaves and small, grim-faced people.
Brother Edik shares the maple candy that he gets from Brother Antoine throughout the story.
Make maple candy with just one ingredient – pure maple syrup.
The sugar must be boiled at a high temperature, so having students make the candy could be dangerous; however, teachers can make this delicious maple treat as a demonstration project for the class.
Teaching Idea #4 – The Beatryce Prophecy Trailer
The book trailer created by Candlewick Press makes a great hook activity for the novel.
See the product that inspired this post.
The Beatryce Prophecy Novel Study contains everything you need for your novel study. You’ll find vocabulary practice and comprehension questions. The unit also includes constructed response writing and skill practice.
