I'm the King of the Castle is a story told largely from the point of view of its protagonist, Charles Kingshaw. In the novel, Charles' mother, Helena Kingshaw is a housekeeper that moves into a countryside mansion to work for its owner, Joseph Hooper and his son, Edmund. Edmund hates Charles right from the start as he thinks that Charles is invading his territory. Edmund therefore spends the entire novel trying out ways and means to terrify Charles. However, there was an instance where Edmund was frightened by a thunderstorm and Charles comforted him. But Edmund being the snotty evil boy that he was didn't bother to thank Charles for the kindness that was shown to him. While the evil Edmund is tormenting the kind Charles, their parents are completely oblivious to everything but themselves. Romance starts to bloom between Joseph and Helena and they start to ignore what their kids are doing, unaware that Edmund is bullying Charles and Helena fails to notice how disturbed Charles has become. The story ends with Charles killing himself and Helena, the oblivious woman that she is, even ends up comforting Edmund. This is a really disturbing and depressing story about bullying and neglect. Hated it a lot when it was my Secondary school text, but on hindsight I realize how rich the novel is.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Young Adult)
I'm pushing it a little here by including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as a young adult novel as it is often viewed as a children's novel. Yet I feel that it has lots of themes that would appeal to "young adults" and it is neither a book that is too challenging or too easy for them to read. Anyways this is a well known story and I'll give a very brief summary of it. Alice was lazing along a riverbed feeling extremely bored when she spots a white rabbit carrying a pocket watch run into a rabbit hole. She pokes her head inside and falls down. When she reaches the bottom, she eats some cake and drinks some potions before she becomes the right size to enter the door to Wonderland. In Wonderland, Alice has many adventures (hence the title) such as growing too big and bursting out of a house, having tea with the mad hatter and the march hare, meeting a strange hookah smoking caterpillar and playing croquet with the Queen of Hearts. The story ends with Alice at a ridiculous proceeding where the Queen of Hearts accuses the Knaves of Hearts for stealing her tarts where Alice defies the queen and gets attacked by a swarm of cards. However at that moment, she wakes up to her sister calling her for tea and she leaves the riverbank and heads home.
Peter and Wendy (Other novel)
Here's another classic story and hence I'll also give a very brief summary of it. Peter visits the Darlings in secret regularly to hear Mrs. Darling read stories to her children. One night he loses his shadow and when he goes back to retrieve it, he meets Wendy Darling sews his shadow back on and tells wonderful bedtime story. Peter invites Wendy back to Neverland to be a mother figure to the lost boys and Wendy brings her brothers, Michael and John, along. In Neverland, Peter and the lost boys save the princess Tiger Lily from Captain Hook, who has a grudge against Peter. When Wendy decides to return to her home, Captain Hook captures her and her brothers. A showdown between Peter and Hook occurs with Peter winning and Wendy and her brothers eventually returning to her home. The story ends with Peter promising to visit Wendy every spring.
The book I would choose to teach:
I would really love to teach Peter and Wendy as I feel that it is a story that teenagers, and everyone else actually, can relate to. The story is full of swashbuckling adventure and fantasy that has the ability to captivate the attention and imagination of readers young and old. However, at its heart is a theme that teenagers can really identify with, that is the conflict between childhood innocence and having to bear the responsibilities of adulthood. Peter is often referred to as the boy who wouldn't grow up, and this is something that would bear a lot of resonances with teenagers as they are going through a huge transition in their lives, puberty and the responsibilities that come with growing up. Teenagers normally can't wait to grow up and experience independence, but normally don't wish to face the responsibilities that come with it. I feel that this book clearly captures this struggle as Peter didn't really want to grow up and embrace his responsibilities, but he had to in the end to rescue Wendy and the rest of the boys. The fantastical elements of the book would definitely help appeal to the inner child inside all of us and I feel that it is a reminder for us to never lose that sense of wonder, something that teenagers, while eager to grow up, must learn to hold on to.
Hey Joshua, Peter and Wendy and Alice can possibly slide in for Sec 1s, given that this is the stage where they are moving from primary to secondary schools. Also, it depends on the profile of your students. Some of them may not have had the chance to read these books and it would be a good first introduction to Literature.
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