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MENTOR GUIDE
Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring By Angela Cervantes
About This Book Paloma’s got big plans for idling the summer away—that is, until her Mom accepts a fellowship in Coyocán, Mexico, and insists that Paloma goes along with her. Paloma’s having trouble seeing the upside even as their plane touches down in a new city. But on her very first night in Coyocán, Paloma receives a mysterious note from a stranger. It seems there won’t be anything idle about this summer, not as long as the mystery of the peacock ring remains unsolved.
---------------------- Introduce the Book ---------------------- The Genre Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring is a mystery novel, which means the story centers around a puzzle that needs to be solved. The Narrator The story is told to us by the main character, Paloma. She is a first-person narrator, using words like I and me to share her point of view. The Setting The story is set in Coyocán, Mexico, the lifelong home of famed artist Frida Kahlo. Paloma and her new friends, Gael and Lizzie, are trying to track the whereabouts of the peacock ring that’s gone missing from the Kahlo museum. The friends have a hunch about where to look for clues. We join their story in progress, just as they’re embarking on a stealthy, midnight mission. ----------------------------------- While Reading ----------------------------------- Suggested Reading: Pages 101– 07 and 108 –110. Read pages 101–103. • After reading page 102, say: Lulu Pennywhistle is a teenage supersleuth—the main character from Paloma’s favorite series of mystery novels. Ask: Why does Paloma feel like Lulu? • After reading page 103, ask: What plans are the friends making to keep each other safe and avoid being caught? Read pages 104 –110. • After reading the top of page 110, say: At the beginning of the chapter, the author wrote that Lizzie had her trumpet case “strapped over her shoulder like it was a bow and arrow.” Ask: What comparison is the author making? How is this an example of foreshadowing , or a “hint” from the author about an event that is yet to come? • Finish reading page 110. ----------------------------- Book Discussion ----------------------------- Encourage students to connect to the reading. Try prompts like: • The author uses phrases like the “hair standing up on the back of her neck,” and “a chill straight up her spine” to describe Paloma’s fear. What are some words and phrases you use to describe the feeling of being really nervous? Really excited or happy? Really disappointed? • Paloma visits Museo Soumaya, where she sees paintings by the artists Orozco, Siqueiros, Tamayo, and Kahlo. Have you visited an art museum before? What did you see? What are some other ways to enjoy and experience art besides a visit to a museum?
ISBN: 978-1-338-86834-0
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