Do you ever imagine what you’d say to a book character if you were lucky enough to meet them?
Book characters; there are some we love and others we despise. As readers, we can feel for them as if they are our own family, friends or enemies, and more often than not we want to know more about them.
Book characters who appear in series are often among the most popular (e.g. Spot, Maisy, Hairy Maclary, Harry Potter). That’s probably because, as readers, we are privileged to learn more about them in subsequent books. After all, there’s only so much an author can tell us about a character in 32 pages (that’s for a picture book).
But just because a character’s story is limited to 32 pages, doesn’t mean that there’s not more to them and their life.
J.K. Rowling will launch Pottermore.com in October. It is my understanding that we will be treated to some additional information and unread back stories of some of our favourite Harry Potter characters. (Due to demand, maybe?)
Ideas for getting to know your favourite characters:
When you and your child discover a book character you like, why not try some of these ideas to help bring them to life or get to know them a little better.
You may not get any ‘real’ answers but predicting and interpreting the character for yourself can be half the fun.
- As a parent ask your child questions about the character and let your child predict the answers based on their understanding and interpretation of the character.
- Imagine you’ve invited the character over to your house for a play with your child. Together, plan the day. Think about what the character would like to do and eat.
- Encourage your child to dress up as a character and act like them for a period of time ( Speak like them. Eat like them. Make decisions like them).
- Together with your child, cook a meal that you think the character would enjoy.
- Help your child to write a letter to the author of the book for more information on the character.
- You could even write a letter to the character. You could try getting a response from the author but if you don’t receive a letter in return, you might write one back to your child on behalf of the character. See our letter/interview with Grumpy Wombat from Riley and the Grumpy Wombat- A Journey Around Melbourne.
- Get online. Many book characters have their own websites. You might be able to find out more about the character, leave a message or find out what other fans think. Here are just a few:
Harry Potter (Pottermore coming in October) of Harry Potter Scholastic
Which characters are amongst your child’s favourites?
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