The Beatryce Prophecy Discussion and review written by the Hobbit on November 8th, 2021. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read The Beatryce Prophecy Book
Book: The Beatryce Prophecy
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Genre: Children’s Fantasy; Children’s Action/Adventure
Length: 256 pages
Age suggested: 9+
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Warnings: Deaths of parents and siblings; a few scary images
Quick The Beatryce Prophecy Summary
From the author of Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, and Flora and Ulysses comes a new middle grade tale! An engaging read you won’t soon forget- The Beatryce Prophecy is a fun read for kids and adults.
At the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing, all of the brothers are afraid of the fierce goat, Answelica. Gentle Brother Edik is therefore very surprised to find a girl, Beatryce sick and curled in a stall – and holding fast to the ear of the goat. As he nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers a dangerous secret. In a nearby town, we meet an orphan, Jack Dory. We know their paths will cross, but what adventures will they be facing, and how will they face them?
The Beatryce Prophecy Summary and Review: (Contains Spoilers)
We begin with Answelica, a fearsome goat at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing whose teeth are “large, sharp, and uncompromising”. We then meet the gentle Brother Edik, who finds the title character, sick, bedraggled, and knowing only her first name – Beatryce. She is surprisingly holding onto the ear of Answelica the goat. As he nurses her back to health, he discovers a shocking secret – she can read. In this kingdom, it is forbidden to teach girls to read (and only a select few males are taught).
He realizes that Beatryce could well be the girl mentioned in prophecy in their Chronicles of Sorrowing a prophecy of a girl child who will come one day and “unseat a king”. However, the king also knows about the prophecy and has decided to search out and destroy this girl before the prophecy can be fulfilled. Because of this Beatryce shaves her head and is sent away from the monastery. Brother Edik soon sets out after her.
Beatryce has already found other friends. One is Jack Dory, an orphan, and together they go into the dark woods and meet an old hermit, Cannoc, who is more than he seems. Joined by Brother Edik, they are going to discover the power of love and of doing what is right.
Why Read The Beatryce Prophecy
Told like a fairy tale, a fable, a medieval morality story….the book combines all of this and sweeps you into a timeless story. There is quite a bit in just 250 pages. A celebration of reading, of storytelling, knowledge. The power of love and kindness. What it means to be brave. What it means to do what is right. It takes a master storyteller to seamlessly weave all of this together. This is a book that is destined to be read for a long time. The book has black and white illustrations and medieval-style spot art by a two-time Caldecott Medalist and which truly help bring the story even further alive.
Continue reading for The Beatryce Prophecy Discussion Questions.
Beatryce Prophecy Quotes
Bees hummed. The grass was high and the sky was very blue, blue enough to break your heart in two.
She was a very troublesome goat. Jack Dory was beginning to form a fondness for her.
A child who has caused me (and also a goat named Answelica) to believe in love and tenderness and some greater good.
And shouldn’t home be the place where you are allowed to be yourself, loved as yourself?
What world is this I now inhabit, and how shall I live in it?
Nothing is more terrifying to evil than joy.
Seemingly, the heart could hold untold amount of things – letters and people and goats and bees. Seemingly, there was no limit to what it could contain.
We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.
She thought about the wonder of being known by others for who you were—beloved.
Jack Dory wondered when it was that he had started to hear what the goat was thinking. It was troublesome, having goat thoughts in his head.
What does, then, change the world? If the hard headed goat Anwelica could speak, she would answer with one word: “Love”. And if you were to ask Beatryce of Abelard? She too, would answer “Love”. Love, and also stories.
~Kate DiCamillo, The Beatryce Prophecy~
The Beatryce Prophecy Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Books and reading, storytelling, power of love, friendship, girl (and goat) power
1. Most of the main characters have personal names. However, the king and his councilor are never given names. Why do you think the author decided to just call them by what they did, and not give them a name?
2. Take one of the three main characters (Beatryce, Jack Dory, Brother Edik). What was their greatest strength?
3. At the end of the book, Kate DiCamillo says that Beatryce believed that love – and stories – changed the world. Have you seen love make a difference in the world? What about stories?
4. Do you think Answelica would like you? Why or why not?
5. There are several types of families in the book (Beatryce and her mother, Brother Edik and his father, Jack, who loses his parents, but has Granny Bibspeak). The three of them also form a “family”. Which of these is the closest to how you are feeling? Why?
6. Why does Jack choose to not kill the thief? Was that a hard decision? Was this forgiveness or something else?
Thanks for reading The Beatryce Prophecy Discussion Questions and Review. Before you go, check out these other posts
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