Corabel Shofner and Almost Paradise
Teacher Discussion Guide
Corabel’s debut novel, Almost Paradise, is a project many years in the making. She has presented to students from 3rd to 9th grades. Corabel can share what she has learned about the craft of writing as well as the world of publishing. She is a wife, mother, and former attorney, but was also a high school dropout who went on to graduate with honors from an Ivy League college. “Perseverance” is her word; as Reynolds Price said about her, “She has the tenacity of a weed.”
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Lesson plans cover such topics as home, responsibility, loneliness, bullying, courage, trust, healing and reconciliation, and Charles Dickens. Also included are games andexercises using vocabulary, music, poetry, graphic novels, and maps.
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Almost Paradise by Corabel Shofner
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
FSG Books for Young Readers
also available in paperback, e-book, and audio book
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Contact: For information about scheduling a visit with Corabel,
write to eventsforcorabel@gmail.com
ALMOST PARADISE
by
Corabel Shofner
Teacher Guide by Pat Scales
ABOUT THE BOOK
Ruby Clyde Henderson is twelve years old when Carl, her mother’s boyfriend, robs a convenience store and winds up in jail. Barbara, Ruby’s mother, is arrested as an accomplice while Ruby hides in the bushes with her pet pig, Bunny. She makes her way to Paradise Ranch in Cypress Mill, Texas where her mother’s identical twin sister, Eleanor, lives as a solitary Episcopal nun. Aunt Eleanor is tough like Ruby Clyde, and the two embark on a journey of trust and forgiveness. Aunt Eleanor, who is suffering from cancer, seeks bail money for Barbara, and sets about the task of teaching her how to be a mother to Ruby Clyde. It appears inevitable that Barbara is going to prison, so the sisters make a plan that assures Ruby pieces of love that ultimately give her a family, a home, and a sense of belonging.
PRE-READING ACTIVITY
Study the cover of the novel. Who do you think is the main character? The words “Home is where you make it” are on the cover of the book. Write a one-page paper that explains the words. Include a concluding paragraph that predicts the general theme of the book.
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Writing: Text Types & Purposes W. 4-7.1; Language: Convention of Standard English L. 4-7.1, 4-7.2; Knowledge of Language L. 4-7.3.
CLASSROOM DISCUSSION
Ruby Clyde says that her mother is “real fragile,” and has forgotten how to “get along in the world.” Is Ruby correct? Cite evidence to support your position. How does Ruby’s mother misjudge Carl?
What is Ruby’s attitude toward Carl? Explain what Ruby means when she says, “He’d always been too good for his own life” (p. 8). How does Carl disrespect Ruby and her mother?
The one thing that Ruby likes about Carl is that he is “the king of the lonely people” (p. 14). Why does Ruby admire this quality?
Ruby makes several references to being homesick. Is she also lonely? Cite the text for evidence to support your answer. How does loneliness contribute to homesickness? Name other characters in the book who are lonely. How do they deal with their loneliness?
Ruby Clyde says that she only “picks on bullies” (p. 11). How does she define “bully”? Identify the bullies Ruby Clyde faces. How does she deal with them? Discuss how Joe Brewer confronts bullying at Ruby’s school in Cypress Mill.
When Carl takes Ruby and her mother to Arkansas, he gives them money to get out of his way. He threatens to leave them if they are late returning. Explain what Ruby means by “I could get mother home where we belonged” (p. 28). Discuss how Ruby feels responsible for her mother. Trace Ruby Clyde’s need to belong throughout the story.
Why has Ruby’s mother, Barbara, never told her about Eleanor? Contrast Barbara and Eleanor’s version of their story. How do the twins describe their mother? What is Ruby’s opinion of her grandmother? Explain what Ruby means when she says, “[my grandmother was] the reason I could take care of my mother as good as I did” (p. 63).
Describe Angie. Why does Ruby become attached to her? Angie takes Ruby to Sister Eleanor’s ranch. What is Ruby first reaction to her aunt?
After Carl and her mother are arrested, Ruby Clyde doesn’t know what “home” means. What does it mean to you? At first, Paradise Ranch is simply shelter for Ruby. At what point does it become a home?
Sister Eleanor reveals that she knows Ruby Clyde’s identity. Discuss what Ruby Clyde means when she says, “Suddenly I was so tired of holding on to life all by myself” (p. 138). How is this episode a turning point for Ruby and Aunt Eleanor?
Define courage. How does Ruby Clyde show courage throughout her journey? How does Aunt Eleanor recognize courage in Ruby Clyde?
Ruby Clyde has never trusted adults. How does Ruby know that she can trust Aunt Eleanor? What is the relationship between honesty and trust? How is Joe Brewer honest and trustworthy?
Ruby Clyde has read an abridged copy of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. How does she relate to Oliver? Why does she fear being sent to an orphanage? Aunt Eleanor announces to Gaylord Lewis, her benefactor, that she is giving up her post at the ranch. Why does this make Ruby feel like an orphan?
Ruby finds out that Eleanor is raising bail money for her mother. How does this help the relationship between the sisters? Why is it so important for Eleanor to teach Barbara how to behave like a mother? Explain how Eleanor’s lessons in the “basics of life” prompt Barbara to apologize to Ruby. How does this add harmony to Ruby’s life?
Discuss the scheme that the sisters develop to assure Ruby Clyde a mother and a home. Why is it difficult for Ruby to choose between Eleanor and her mother?
For a long time, Ruby didn’t have much hope that her life would be better. How do Aunt Eleanor, Joe Brewer, and even her mother offer her hope for a better future?
Discuss why it is so important to Ruby that Joe locate Eleanor’s son. Ruby wanted to heal Eleanor’s cancer, but Eleanor assures her that she has “healed something more important” (p. 264). How is Ruby the child Eleanor lost?
Explain why Eleanor wants Ruby to read A Tale of Two Cities. Discuss the meaning of Eleanor’s inscription in the book.
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Reading Literature: Key Ideas & Details RL. 4-6.1, 4-6.3; Craft & Structure RL. 4-6.4, 4-6.6; Speaking & Listening: Comprehension & Collaboration SL. 4-6.1, 4-6.3; Language: Convention of Standard English L. 4-6.1; Knowledge of Language L. 4-6.3; Vocabulary Acquisition & Use L. 4-6.5.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
[Remind students that a simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using “like” or “as.”] Ruby says about Carl: “He was always in such a hurry, like he was swallowing food without chewing.” (p. 17). Ask students to write a simile that Ruby might use to describe the following characters:
Angie
Frank
Sister Eleanor
Gaylord Lewis
Joe Brewer
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Language: Vocabulary Acquisition & Use L. 4-7.5.
Sister Eleanor uses very few words because she is a solitary nun. Ruby Clyde quickly learns that thirty words seem to be Eleanor’s daily limit. Write a paragraph, using only thirty words, that Ruby Clyde might write to introduce herself to Aunt Eleanor.
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Writing: Text Types & Purposes W. 4-6.3; Language: Convention of Standard English L. 4-7.1, 4-7.2; Knowledge of Language L. 4-7.3.
What does Ruby Clyde means when by “pieces of love” (p. 182-183)? Write a poem about either Barbara or Eleanor called “Pieces of Love.”
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Writing: Production & Distribution of Writing w. 4-6.4.
Joe Brewer says, “Trust is stepping into the unknown” (p. 285). Write a paper that Ruby might write for English in her new school in St. Louis, called “My Journey into the Unknown.”
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Writing: Text Types & Purposes W. 4-6.3; Language: Convention of Standard English L. 4-7.1, 4-7.2; Knowledge of Language L. 4-7.3.
Write a letter that Ruby Clyde might write to Eleanor on Mother’s Day. Make a comment about the inscription in A Tale of Two Cities and offer her aunt words of thanks for being a mother to her, and giving her mother back.
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Writing: Text Types & Purposes W. 4-6.3; Language: Convention of Standard English L. 4-7.1, 4-7.2; Knowledge of Language L. 4-7.3.
Read the lyrics of the song “Home” from The Wiz (http://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/w/thewizlyrics/homelyrics.html). Annotate each verse that draws a parallel to Ruby Clyde’s life. For example: How does she think of home? What is her brand-new life? Have students share their annotations in class.
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Writing: Text Types & Purposes W. 4-7.1; Language: Convention of Standard English L. 4-7.1, 4-7.2; Knowledge of Language L. 4-7.3.
[There is a trend to develop graphic novel versions of popular fiction. Divide the class into three groups. Assign each group one of the following parts of the book: The scene at the IQ Zoo and the store robbery in Hot Springs, Arkansas; Ruby’s arrival at Paradise Ranch; Barbara’s trial at the end of the novel. Instruct each group to develop a two-page spread for a graphic novel based on Almost Paradise.]
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in Writing: Text Types & Purposes W. 4-6.3; Language: Convention of Standard English L. 4-7.1, 4-7.2; Knowledge of Language L. 4-7.3.
At the end of the novel, Ruby Clyde, her mother, and Joe Brewer relocate to St. Louis, Missouri. Ask students to use Map Quest (https://www.mapquest.com/) to find the shortest route from Austin, Texas to St. Louis. What major cities are on the route? Find places for them to stay and eat. Are there special sites that they may visit? Document the trip in a journal that Ruby Clyde might send to Eleanor.
Correlates with Common Core State Standards in History/Social Studies: Integration of Knowledge & Ideas RH. 6-8.7.
VOCABULARY/USE OF LANGUAGE
[The vocabulary in the novel isn’t difficult, but children should be encouraged to jot down unfamiliar words and try to define them taking clues from context. Such words may include:
dainty (p. 4), vagabond (p. 5), hypodermic (p. 12), beholden (p. 25), trite (p. 33), wrath (p. 37), firmament (p. 39), sobering (p. 42), entice (p; 44), blasphemy (p. 53), splintered (p. 60), optimist (p. 65), calamity (p. 80), benefactor (p. 94), modesty (p. 107), verbose (p. 126), fate (p. 136), arraigned (p. 149), complicit (p. 150), vulnerable (p. 174), defiant (p. 181) bureaucrats (p. 203), accomplice (p. 217), berth (p. 259), and incarcerated (p. 268).]
Correlates to Common Core State Standards in Language: Vocabulary Acquisition & Use L. 4-6.4.
Ruby and her friend Bunny used to play “Hangman.” Divide the class into small groups and ask them to play “Hangman” using words from the novel (https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Hangman). The person who solves the puzzle must also define the word.
Correlates to Common Core State Standards in Language: Vocabulary Acquisition & Use L. 4-6.4.
