Independent Novel Projects
1. Give a brief summary of the plot in about ½ to 1 page. Tell the story and describe what happens at the end.
The Little Prince starts with the narrator crash landing in a desert and how he meets a young prince from another planet. The prince recites his adventures to the narrator and they soon become friends. He describes his planet, Asteroid 325 and how he takes great care of it, including a rare flower that he dearly loves. The prince decides to explore other planets to cure his loneliness after he feels his flower deceives him. As he visits different planets, he learns about the vagaries and narrow-mindedness of adult behaviour. The rose is very common on the planet earth and this discovery disappoints the little prince. He finds meaning in his life as a desert fox encourages him to love his own rare rose and therefore returns to his planet and learns to take care of his flower.
2. Explain the significance of the title (3 or 4 sentences). Authors do not choose a title randomly. Usually the tile is symbolic in some way.
The book uses a characters name, the Little Prince, as its title. Antoine de Saint-Exupery would have chosen this title because the book follows the adventures of the Little Prince. The novel’s moral is based on the Little Prince’s ideas and actions.
3. Describe the setting and genre – time period, location, etc. (5-10 sentences)
The novel is probably set during the 1930’s as Antoine de Saint-Exupery crashed in the Sahara Desert on the 30th December 1935. The Sahara Desert is the first location the novel is set in. The novel then visits the Little Prince’s planet, Asteroid 325, and other planets inhabited by adults as the Little Prince recounts his adventures. Antoine de Saint-Exupery writes fables and allegories. He involves philosophical themes and messages in his novels for children.
4. Write a few sentences about each of the main character(s). Answer what you like or dislike about them and why they are worthy of praise and/or criticism.
The Narrator (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) – The narrator is enjoys drawing, however abandons this when he was a young child because the adults did not understand his drawings and encouraged him to give up this hobby. He then became a pilot and flew over the Sahara Desert but unfortunately due to the plane’s failing engine, he crash landed in the desert where he met the prince and learns how to live his life. I dislike how the narrator quit drawing. Instead the narrator should’ve continued drawing as that is what he loves even though adults encouraged him not to.
The Little Prince – the Little Prince comes from asteroid 325 and he leaves his planet to search for knowledge and wisdom. He travels to 7 planets all which are inhabited by adults and does not find wisdom there. On the last planet, Earth, he meets a desert fox who teaches him the secret of life and teaches the narrator that you have to be responsible for the things you tame.
5. Write a paragraph identifying what caused a major change in the main character and explain how the character changed. These changes may have been due to a choice, a conflict, a display of some outstanding trait like courage, or even a result of events that occur during the novel.
The Little Prince changes after he meets the desert fox. He changes his way of falling in love, with his heart and not his heart, and he learns that he has to be responsible to the things he tames.
7. Choose one sentence from the text and tell why this sentence embodies the theme of the story. Illustrate the theme/sentence using text images that you feel bring the theme to live.
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
"But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart."
8. Write a general review of the book. Would you recommend the book? Why or why not? Would you have changed any element of the story (plot, characters, setting, resolution, conflicts, point of view, etc)?
I recommend this book to both adults and child readers. It is a lovely children’s fable and I would not have changed any element of the story.
9. Write a script for a role play of a scene in your book. Try to make it lively and exciting and use the words of the characters in the book.
10. In front of the class, you and your partner will read your answers to #1, 8 and then perform the role play (#9).
Have FUN and Be CREATIVE!
