Book guide: Are you afraid Simon Nordin?
Exciting with ghost hunting
There will be a ghost hunt in the school basement. Simon is looking forward to it, because he loves it when it's scary. But when the lights go out, he feels a cold wind sweep against his neck. And when he turns around, only Amy is left in the room. Help, where are the others?
Questions about the book
1. There is a masquerade at Simon's school and Simon will dress up as a witch. If you were to go to a masquerade, what would you like to dress up as? Why exactly that?
2. Simon is very much looking forward to the day, and hopes that
will be a scary day at school. Do you like scary things and why or why not?
3. Amy's mother loves horror movies. What kind of movies do you like to watch?
4. Amy tells that a librarian is ghosting because she was called for something she didn't like. What can you do if someone calls you something you don't like?
More questions ...
5. The lights go out and Simon and Amy are alone in the classroom. Simon's heart beats hard in his chest. How does your body feel to you when you are afraid?
6. It is dark in the whole school. Have you ever had a power outage at your school? How was it? Where
the exciting? Scary?
7. Some of the children in Simon's class are doing crafts. What kind of things do you like to do when you're crafting?
8. There will be a ghost hunt in the school basement. Have you been on a ghost hunt? How do you think it is? What's fun and what's scary about chasing ghosts?
About identity
Books are a source of inspiration and arouse both thoughts and feelings. One role that the book has is to offer identification, or as the Swedish Children's Book Academy puts it: "The book helps us understand ourselves. It strengthens our self-esteem to discover that there are others who think and feel like us.” Since gender identity and gender expression is such a relevant aspect in our society, it becomes a strong identification factor. What can you do to ensure that all students dare to be themselves and express their identity?
About fear
Many emotions have been gendered, that is, divided into male or female. This means that we expect different things from girls and boys, but also that our feelings may be expressed in different ways depending on what we have been taught. How emotions are expressed and whether they are considered feminine or masculine looks different in different cultures. Having the right to feel and express one's feelings is an important part of becoming human. In order to feel good, we need to practice showing and putting into words all the different feelings. You will find tips on how to work with this under Normkreativa tips!
