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Teacher’s Guide Anyone But Ivy Pocket by Caleb Krisp

**These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools, but they may not

be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale**

SYNOPSIS (PLOT)

‘The key, child,’ she whispered. ‘Use it. ’ (p 13) Ivy Pocket is an infuriatingly confident twelve-year-old maid said to be ‘of no importance’ who nevertheless has a very high opinion of herself! Her previous employer, Countess Carbunkle, having had enough of Ivy, has ‘run away’ to South America, leaving her maid stranded in Paris. With no resources, our young heroine is mysteriously summoned to the bedside of the monstrously fat and imperious (albeit supposedly dying) Duchess of Trinity. The Duchess sets her a mission and offers her the princely

sum of £500 to courier her most precious possession – the Clock Diamond – to Butterfield Park in Suffolk, England, and to put this ‘thing of withering power’ (p 16) around the neck of wealthy young Matilda Butterfield on her twelfth birthday. However, Ivy is shocked when she discovers, just before embarkation to England, that the Duchess has been murdered. Moreover, aboard ship, Ivy disobeys one of the conditions set by the Duchess, and also reveals her secret mission to a strange travelling companion, Miss Always. Ivy, in all her very flawed ‘wisdom’, is soon steeped in a drama which involves all the devices of an exciting mystery plot including conspiracy, and even murder. Illustrated in lively and hilarious detail by John Kelly, Anyone But Ivy Pocket is an action-packed Gothic Victorian melodrama. How will Ivy escape the tangled web she has woven for herself? Read this book and find out! AUTHOR BACKGROUND

Caleb Krisp was ‘raised by militant librarians who fed him a constant diet of nineteenth century literature and room temperature porridge. He graduated from the University of Sufferance with a degree in Whimsy and set out to make his mark in the world as a writer. Years of toil and failure followed, until, following a brief stint working in a locked box, Caleb moved to an abandoned cottage deep in the woods and devoted himself to writing about the adventures of a twelve-year-old lady’s maid of no importance. Caleb has a strong dislike of pastry chefs and certain domesticated rabbits. His only communication with the outside world is via morse code or kettle drum. He trusts no one.’

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ILLUSTRATOR BACKGROUND

John Kelly is an Illustrator, writer and designer. He has written and illustrated his own and others’ picture books, young fiction, graphic novels, non-fiction, storyboards, concept art and treatments for film. He’s been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway prize twice (Guess Who's Coming for Dinner? and Scoop!), and shortlisted for the Royal Society/Rhone Poulenc science book prize three times, (The Robot Zoo, Everyday Machines, Pox, Plagues & Pestilence). All his work has been digital since 1995. <http://www.johnkellyillustration.com/>

THEMES

This fiction text which might be used in relation to each of the KLAs in the curriculum. (www.australiancurriculum.edu.au) Themes include: Orphans Key Quote: ‘It’s no wonder you’re an orphan. Your parents probably died of shame.’ (p 266) Discussion Point: A chink in the brittle carapace of Ivy’s flighty exterior is revealed when she writes: ‘While people loved me as a general rule, I haven’t much experience of them worrying about me. That’s the sort of thing a parent might do. Or so I am told.’ (p 75) Being orphaned lies at the heart of Ivy’s story. Her false bravado harbours hurt and loss. Discussion Point: Many Victorian and Edwardian stories are based on the idea of being orphaned. eg The Secret Garden (1911) by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Ivy actually says she played Mary Lennox (the central character in this novel), in a touring production (p 88). What does Ivy have in common with characters in other such novels? eg Louisa May Alcott’s Eight Cousins; or, The Aunt-Hill (1875); Susan Coolidge’s What Katy Did (1873); Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress. 3 vols. (1838); L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (1908); Eleanor H. Porter’s Pollyanna: The Glad Book (1913). Social Class Key Quote: ‘She is a maid and maids do not sleep in guest bedrooms.’ (p 98) Discussion Point: Ivy is a poor and ill-educated maid and so is treated with disdain by Matilda and her relatives. Why does wealth and privilege make some people convinced of their superiority? Friendship Key Quote: ‘After all, we may not share blood, but are we not sisters?’ (p 151) Discussion Point: Ivy is besieged by so-called friends who prove very unreliable. Which people prove to be her real friends? Grief and Loss Key Quote: ‘I think I would just call it sorrow and leave it at that.’ (p 192)

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Discussion Point: Both Rebecca and Ivy have lost a mother, although Ivy has no memory of hers. What part does grief or loss play in the formation of character here?

Revenge Discussion Point: The Duchess sends the Clock Diamond to Matilda, because she has never forgiven her arch enemy Lady Elizabeth for stealing her suitor. Is revenge a useful strategy in dealing with disappointments in one’s life?

THE ARTS

In this curriculum area several sub-topics might be explored:

English Discussion Point: The Quest or Journey Motif is central to this novel, as it is in many narratives. This is also a classic story of an orphaned lost girl making her way in the world and confronting hurdles which she must overcome. Discuss the plot in relation to the conventions of this trope. Activity: This title has been compared to the Lemony Snicket series because it employs the highly mannered tone of a Victorian Gothic melodrama, albeit in a deliberately satirical style. What do these texts have in common, in terms of genre? What makes them different from each other? Read other texts in this genre [such as some listed under Teacher Activities 1. below]. [See also Writing Style below.]

Visual Arts Activity: Study the black and white images which appear in this text. Then invite students to create a similar image of any scene in the novel. Activity: A gallery of portraits of the characters is depicted on the endpapers. Photocopy, and write their names beneath each one. Then draw a portrait of yourself and create your own class gallery of portraits in similar style. Activity: The image of a map of Butterfield Park appears on the endpapers. [See Blackline Master 3 below.] Activity: Perspective is important in the picture of the Duchess and Ivy (p 15). What effect does it have? Ivy and Miss Always (p 43) are depicted with Ivy in the foreground and Miss Always behind. This gives the viewer an insight into what is happening which Ivy doesn’t have. Create a picture which ‘tells a story’ like this one. Ivy meets Matilda and Rebecca (p 91) for the first time. How does perspective effect the reader’s interpretation of this image? Ivy is depicted swinging from the kitchen rack with pots and pans (p 66) when trying to escape the two hooded intruders, with Mrs Vans blissfully knitting behind her, and once again perspective is important. This image is extremely crowded with detail. What feeling does this image convey? Ivy is shown overhearing Miss Frost and Rebecca (p 121) on the library gallery above her. How does her placement in this picture influence your reading of it?

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Activity: The Ghost of the Duchess appears to Ivy (p 138) in an alarming scene. How does this image arrest the reader’s attention? Activity: The Clock Room (p 189) would be an entertaining image to re-create. Invite students to invent their own clocks and draw a room full of them. Activity: Banks arrives to advise Ivy (p 212) wearing a Top Hat and tails? Draw your own versions of his costume. Activity: Examine the picture of Ivy landing in the cake (p 266). Then draw your own version of that very funny scene and create a gallery of the different images. Activity: The duel between Miss Frost and Miss Always is depicted in silhouette (p 277). Create an image in this style. Activity: Rebecca is shown disappearing when she puts on the clock diamond (p 295). In what other way could you show that someone was disappearing? Create your own image. Activity: Create a new cover for this book.

Creative Arts Activity: Act out the dramatic scene where Ivy confronts Miss Frost and Miss Always (Ch 17). Activity: Choose some atmospheric frightening music to accompany the scene. WRITING STYLE

Narrative Perspective, Person and Point of View Activity: This story is written in first person from Ivy Pocket’s perspective. What might have been different in the story had it been told from Rebecca’s perspective instead?

Unreliable Narration Discussion Point: Ivy’s account of her time with Countess Carbuncle is the first evidence the reader has that things might not be quite as Ivy described them. She suggests that the Countess lured her into her employ (from her former employer Lady Prudence) and then found her indispensable. But then she relays curious tales of the Countess hiding from her in disguise (pp 2–3) and concludes that she ‘was an aristocrat and therefore barking mad.’ (p 3) As the novel progresses we realise that Ivy is an inveterate liar. Even her descriptions of place can’t be relied on. eg The Duchess’s home in Belgravia is described as: ‘Vulgar antiques. Even the paintings on the wall were dull and lifeless. The Duchess had appalling taste.’ (p 60) What effect does such unreliable narration have on the reading of this text? Discussion Point: Ivy’s tall stories are evidence of the fact that she treats the world as a stage on which she is the main character fighting off foes and outwitting enemies. How much is this story about the role of the imagination in dealing with life’s challenges?

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Ideas Activity: Stories begin with strong ideas and concepts. Write a story inspired by this text. [See Blackline Master 3 Story Starters below for ideas.]

Structure Discussion Point: The story opens with Ivy finding a note. How effective was this opening in terms of structure? Discussion Point: It ends with Ivy embarking on a new life as a coffin-maker’s daughter. Does this ending suggest a sequel?

Literary Devices Activity: The book is written in ornate and often over-elaborate language in keeping with the genre. Similes and metaphors include for example, ‘like a ginormous mollusc’ (p 107) Descriptions are often vividly suggestive, for example, ‘And she flew at me, glowing like a winter dawn. Her bloodstained nightdress billowing, an instrument of rage and thunder.’ (p 137) ‘It was a symphony of disappointment.’ (p 134) Locate other examples of such language.

Setting Activity: Settings in the novel include the hotel in Paris, the Belgravia home and Butterfield Park. Visit websites which contain images depicting these sorts of buildings in the era described eg ‘English Country Homes’ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_country_house>

Characters Discussion Point: Characters include: Countess Carbuncle; Duchess of Trinity; Miss Geraldine Always; Hooded figures; Horatio Banks (Duchess’s lawyer); Mrs Vans, housekeeper; Rebecca Butterfield, niece of Lady Amelia Butterfield; Matilda Butterfield; Lady Amelia Butterfield; Lady Elizabeth; Miss Frost, a governess; Miss Rochester, a governess. Which was your favourite character and why? Activity: Ivy’s descriptions of people are often very cruel, but also funny. eg ‘a toothless, red-faced butterball of no consequence’ (p 59). Encourage children to come up with their own funny descriptions of imaginary people in this style. Activity: Names are quite amusing in this novel, often relating to the character of the person described. eg The rather imperious and short-tempered Countess Carbuncle; a ‘high class’ French hotel manager, Mr Gateau. Invite students to come up with a name for the people with the following occupations, as if they are characters in this novel: an incompetent doctor; an ailing cook; a villainous lawyer; an impudent child.

Anti-Heroine Discussion Point: Ivy is described in publicity as an ‘anti-heroine’. What is a heroine? And how does an anti-heroine differ from the classic heroine? Make a list of Ivy’s attributes as a person to illustrate your answer.

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Discussion Point: One of the most endearing and frustrating aspects of Ivy’s character is her ability to completely misunderstand the most obvious of situations. Her far-fetched theory that the hooded figure she observed Miss Always speaking to, was her ‘publisher’s long lost son’ (p 51) was one example! Vanity is another of Ivy’s failings: ‘I possess the delicate beauty of a princess in a tower.’ (p 73) Discuss her character with your students.

Humour Discussion Point: The novel is full of Humorous Devices: a) Exaggeration: ‘I have all the natural instincts of a wartime prime minister’ (p 6); b) Bathos: ‘like choking on a lobster claw.’ (p 29) or ‘I looked breathtaking. Just like a banker’s daughter. Or at the very least a cheesemaker’s niece.’ (p 79); c) Tall stories: are particularly obvious whenever Ivy’s absent parents are mentioned eg ‘When I was four I walked across India with my father’ (pp 86–7); d) Slapstick Humour: eg Ivy smears Lady Elizabeth’s face with cheesecake to treat her sunburn (pp 172–3); landing in the cake (pp 266–7); Sarcasm: ‘I feel certain there is a humpbacked footman or a toothless blacksmith just waiting to sweep you off your feet.’ (p 104) or ‘She was rather stubborn for a dead woman.’ (p 109). What other types of humour did you identify? Make a list.

Mystery/Thriller Discussion Point: Observe and discuss Mystery Fiction Tropes such as Ivy being given a) a secret mission; b) a list of ‘Strict, unbreakable conditions’ (p 19); c) Secret Plots. eg The Duchess’s explanation for the gift is that it ‘soothes her’ to give it to her old arch-enemy’s daughter (p 21) which proves to be a mask for her real intention; d) Mysterious strangers such as the hooded figure; e) Secret hiding places in the piano in Paris and in Belgravia (pp 12–3) and (p 61); e) Cliffhanger Chapter Endings: ‘But I didn’t believe her for a moment.’ (p 85); f) Omens: ‘The stone has much to show you, ‘sang the ghost, ‘but it will bring you no joy. Only suffering. Do not be tempted. Leave it alone, child – for your own good.’(p 110); Special Powers: eg The ‘Dual’ ‘a girl who can pass freely between our two worlds’ (p 152) and later finds the world is called Prospa; and Ivy being able to heal Miss Always’ injured wrist (p 181); ‘I could speak to the dead.’ (p 195); Secret Messages and Letters eg Warning from Horatio Banks (p 155); Visions (pp 174-5); Miss Frost tells her about ‘locks’ hooded creatures in dark robes (p 178); Secret Rooms. eg of clocks (p 188). What other mystery tropes did you identify? Make a list.

Poetry Activity: Create an acrostic poem using the letters in ‘IVY POCKET’ to create a response to this text. See ‘How to Write an Acrostic poem’ for details: <http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-an-acrostic-poem/> TEACHER ACTIVITIES

1. Read other fiction books Victorian Gothic melodramas such as Lemony Snicket; there is an excellent list here: ‘Chapter Books: If you Like Books Like Lemony Snicket’<http://www.belmont.lib.ma.us/childrens-recommended-reading/chapter-books-gr3-and-up/469-chapter-books-if-you-like-lemony-snicket> 2. Activity: Make a Book Trailer for this book. Find tips on how to do this here: ‘Book Trailers for Readers’ <http://www.booktrailersforreaders.com/How+to+make+a+book+trailer>

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‘Book Trailers’ <http://www.insideadog.com.au/teachers/book-trailers> 3. Activity: Create a poster advertising this book. 4. Create a three dimensional diorama of Butterfield House. 5. Create a classroom display of the materials generated in this unit, including writing, drawing, painting and modeling making. BLACKLINE MASTER 1 COMPREHENSION QUIZ

Fill in the answers by reading this book. Questions: 1. What is the name of the hotel where Ivy finds herself stranded in Paris? 2. Where did Ivy grow up? 3. What did the Duchess of Trinity give to Ivy Pocket? 4. What is the supposed title of Miss Always’ first book? 5. What does Rebecca collect? 6. What is the name of the missing Governess? 7. Who is Matilda’s cousin? 8. What is the title of Lady Amelia’s novel? 9. The Clock Diamond is sent to Matilda with the kinds regards of who? 10. What is the name of the country which Miss Frost and Miss Always have crossed over from? Answers: 1.The Grand. 2. The Harrington Home for Unwanted Children. 3. The Clock Diamond. 4. Famous Ghosts of Scotland and Wales. 5. Clocks. 6. Miss Rochester. 7. Rebecca. 8. Summer Tempest. 9. Winifred Farris. 10. Prospa.

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BLACKLINE MASTER 2 IMAGINE THIS SCENE

This is a map of Butterfield Park. Enlarge it on a photocopier to A3.

Invite students to add to the scene by drawing some of the characters engaged in a scene described in the novel. Create a gallery of the images you create.

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BLACKLINE MASTER 3 STORY STARTERS

Start a story written in first person, as if you were Ivy, and imagine a new adventure for her. Invite students to begin an alternative episode to the novel with this sentence: ‘I set off to find the perfect hiding spot for the Clock Diamond.’ (p 5) OR ‘I heard the key turn in the lock.’ (p 145) OR ‘The floor rushed to greet me.’ (p 158) OR ‘I was going to find the evil governess.’ (p 261) OR ‘For I was already gone.’ (p 275)

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BLACKLINE MASTER 4 NAME THIS OBJECT

Each of these images relate to the action in the novel. Name each of them.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10. 11. 12.

Answers: 1. Chandelier. 2. Key. 3. Cake. 4. Scissors. 5. Library. 6. Clock. 7. Schoolhouse. 8. Grand Piano. 9. Garden. 10. Mirror. 11. Spiral Staircase. 12. Sword.