A School for Unusual Girls (40 page)

  2. Do you think Georgina's parents have a right to send her away, particularly to Stranje House, as the story begins? Why or why not?

  3. What is Georgina's ink formula? How does she begin to realize its larger significance after she arrives at Stranje House? How does her own family's experience of loss in war impact her commitment to creating invisible ink?

  4. Who are Tess, Jane, Sera, and Maya? What is Georgina's initial reaction to them when they meet in the dormitorium? Why are the girls so cryptic in their early interactions with Georgina?

  5. At the end of chapter 4, Georgina notes, “I may be odd and peculiar, I may be freckled and unlovable, but there's one thing I know for certain about myself, I am good at making plans.” (p. 52) What do these lines tell readers about Georgina's sense of confidence and about her insecurities? What other key moments in the story counterpoint these two aspects of her personality?

  6. At the end of chapter 4, Georgina admits, “I'd a hundred times rather face rats and spiders in the darkness than the monstrous truths Jane had unleashed.” (p. 68) What are the “monstrous truths”? How might Georgina's actions be understood in light of this admission?

  7. In chapter 6, Georgina discovers what she is meant to study at Stranje House. What did she expect her education to be like and what is the reality? How does Georgina's relationship with Lord Sebastian Wyatt evolve as they work together to perfect her ink formula? How does the dynamic between them affect their scientific work?

  8. How does Georgina's perception of Miss Stranje change in chapter 9? Who is Lady Daneska? Why does she know so much about Stranje House? In what ways is she dangerous to Lord Ravencross, to Lord Wyatt, to Tess, to Miss Stranje, and to England?

  9. How does Georgina feel when she realizes that her mother wrote to Lady Pinswary about her behavior? Have you ever had the experience of hearing adults discuss your academic, athletic, or artistic skills, or your future? How did you react to this experience?

10. How does it seem that Lucien, the first Lord Ravencross, died? Could one argue that the author uses the dynamics of the Ravencross family to reflect the complex dynamics of eighteenth-century Europeans, in terms of being for or against Napoleon's return from exile? Explain your answer.

11. In chapter 12, Georgina muses “… Miss Stranje was transforming us all right, but the question was,
into what
?” (pp. 172) How would you answer this question?

12. What surprising realizations does Georgina make while on her morning hunt for oak galls? How does Sebastian's rescue of Georgina from the oak tree cause a shift in their relationship? Why isn't Tess angrier about Georgina's spying adventure? What vital secret does she reveal to Georgina?

13. Why does Georgina fail to follow Tess's instructions to prevent Lord Wyatt from leaving for London too soon? Does she also fail to follow Miss Stranje's warning “not to wound” Sebastian, Lord Wyatt, as well? In what ways?

14. Are all of the girls' “unusual” talents intellectual, like Georgie's? How might you describe an ability like Tess's dreams? How are Tess's dreams and Georgie's ink research interwoven?

15. Do you think Georgina endangers herself and others with her unwillingness to share what is happening to her emotionally? What advice might you give to Georgina about her secret-keeping tendencies? Explain how you might interpret the entire novel as a study about secret-keeping on many levels.

16. How does Lord Ravencross help the girls gain admittance to the party in London? What do Georgina and Tess realize about Daneska as the party proceeds? What happens when Georgina finds Sebastian and how does this information broaden her focus from personal romance to larger diplomatic and military affairs?

17. Who journeys to Calais? How does each traveler participate in the plans to rescue Sebastian and thwart the Order of the Iron Crown? How do Georgina's relationships with the other Stranje House girls change in Calais?

18. Are Georgina and her friends successful in carrying out their rescue plot? Who is Ghost? What do the girls learn about the fate of King Louis XVIII at the end of chapter 25? What risks does Europe face at the novel's conclusion?

19. Describe the relationships between Georgina and Lord Wyatt, between Tess and Lord Ravencross, and between Miss Stranje and Captain Grey. What do you think forms the core connection for each of these couples? How does each couple deal with the tension between their attraction to each other and their sense of responsibility to the larger world? Explain your answers.

20. What does Georgina come to realize about her “home” at the end of the novel? How might the notion of home—on the individual, social, and even international level—be explored as a key motif in
A School for Unusual Girls
? How might you define the word “home” for Georgina? Could you apply a similar definition of “home” to its use in your own life? Why or why not?

Supports Common Core State Standards: RL.8.1–4, 9–10.1–5, 11–12.1–6; and SL.8.1, 3, 4; SL.9–10.1, 3, 4; SL.11–12.1, 3, 4.

DEVELOPING RESEARCH AND WRITING SKILLS

Character

  1. Georgina often feels misunderstood in the course of the story, but she comes to learn that she shares these feelings with other Stranje House denizens. From the perspective of Tess, Jane, Ms. Stranje, or another character, write at least four journal entries, including one reflecting on Georgina's arrival at Stranje House; one recounting some of the reasons you yourself live at Stranje House; one discussing the dangers of dealing with Daneska; and one after the adventures in Calais.

  2. In the character of Sebastian, Lord Wyatt, write a letter to Miss Stranje, thanking her for introducing you to Georgina and discussing your concerns for both of your futures, diplomatically, scientifically, and otherwise. Or, in the character of Captain Grey, write a letter to Miss Stranje asking for her hand in marriage and explaining why you think she should finally agree to this proposal.

  3.
A School for Unusual Girls
depicts the experiences of Georgina and others who seem to be misfits in terms of their social and intellectual abilities. With friends or classmates, discuss the term “unusual” as it is used in the novel. What type of “unusual” status do you think would be most challenging for someone your age? Is there a difference between feeling different on the inside and being perceived as a misfit by those around you? Are there some benefits to being “unusual”? Role-play a conversation between the Stranje House scholars and their friends in which each character shares her perspective on being different.

  4. Review the novel, noting the words used to describe Georgina and her friends' differences, such as “unusual,” “exceptional,” and “frightening.” Add other synonyms as desired. Using a computer-design program, stencils, or letters cut from periodicals and glued onto paper, create a word collage or other graphic art display inspired by your language study.

Setting and Background

  5. Create a Reader's Companion booklet for
A School for Unusual Girls
. Include a timeline of key events in early nineteenth-century European history, biographical facts about Napoleon and Sir Isaac Newton, information about mourning traditions of the era, and any other information that might be helpful to future readers. Make sure to annotate historical events that had different outcomes in the novel (such as the death of King Louis XVIII, which did not happen in real history).

  6. Go to the library or online to learn more about the history and chemistry of invisible ink. With friends or classmates (and adult supervision), try making your own invisible-ink formula based on your research. Be sure to record your test results through note taking and taking photo images of your process. Create a PowerPoint or other multimedia-style presentation about your discoveries to share with friends or classmates.

  7. As part of the plan to rescue Sebastian, Georgina builds a new set of “wings” to transport herself and Jane. Go to the library or online to learn about the flying inventions of Leonardo DaVinci. Then, imagine you are a reporter for
The Times
of London in 1814, and word has gotten back to you about Georgina's “flight.” Write an article for your paper comparing her invention to the ideas of DaVinci and considering what potential the technology may hold for the future.

Plot

  8. Key to the plot of
A School for Unusual Girls
is the fact that Stranje House is not at all as it initially seems. Write two brochures for the school: one that Miss Stranje might hand to angry parents dumping off their daughters, and another that she might offer to scholars and others interested in a place that educates young women to play critical roles in international affairs.

  9. The Order of the Iron Crown was established by Napoleon Bonaparte. Go to the library or online to learn about Bonaparte's organization. Then, write a short essay explaining the historically accurate details about the Iron Crown that can be found in the novel. Or, in the character of a Napoleonic sympathizer, write a speech explaining the importance of the Iron Crown for the future of Europe. If possible, present the speech to friends or classmates.

10.
A School for Unusual Girls
is an alternate history, mixing historical facts and real people with fictional characters and outcomes. Go to the library or online to learn the real history of Napoleon's return from exile, known as the “Hundred Days of Napoleon.” Use your research to brainstorm ideas for a sequel to the novel. As author
Kathleen Baldwin
fictionally kills King Louis, what “alteration” would you make to real history to move your plot forward? What title would you give the next book? Write two to three paragraphs describing your ideas, followed by an outline of the first five to ten chapters of the story.

Themes

11. Author
Kathleen Baldwin
explores the tension between love and responsibility. Create a poem, set of song lyrics, or a visual-art composition reflecting this tension as it is presented in the novel.

12. Secrets, on both personal and political levels, drive both internal (emotional) and external (action) plots of the novel. Select one critical secret kept by a character in the novel. Write a one to three page essay explaining the origins, motivations, and repercussions of the secret on the character who keeps it and others in the novel.

13. With friends or classmates, create a brainstorm list of reasons for and against secret keeping. Can secrets be divided into different types? Is it all right for government leaders to keep secrets? Individually, or in small groups, write a short summary of the results of your discussion.

Supports Common Core State Standards: RL.8.4, RL.8.9; RL.9–10.4; RL.11–12.4; W.8.2–3, W.8.7–8; W.9–10.2–3, W.9–10.6–8; W.11–12.2–3, W.11–12.6–8; and SL.8.1, SL.8.4–5; SL.9–10.1–5; 11–12.1–5.

 

About the Author

KATHLEEN BALDWIN
loves adventure in books and in real life. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival-camped in the desert, was stalked by a cougar, lost an argument with a rattlesnake, took way too many classes in college, fell in love at least a dozen times, and married her very own hero. She's written several award-winning Regency romances for adults.
A School for Unusual Girls
is her first historical romance for young adults. You can sign up for email updates
here
.