Book guide: Hocus pocus: Away and fly
Come along to Noomi's schoolyard
Noomi is not like everyone else, she has magical powers! Noomi likes to play basketball. But it doesn't work if the ball is on the school's roof. How is she going to get it down? What if she could fly?
Questions about the book
1. Noomi plays basketball at recess with her two friends. Suddenly, Bella from fifth appears and tells them to move. Courageously, Noomi remains. What would you do if someone much bigger told you to do something?
2. Bella asks Noomi if she dares to play against the five-man gang. Noomi says yes. Had you wanted to play with the five-man gang, why or why not?
3.. Bella teases Noomi. She takes Noomi's hat and puts it on the ball. Noomi gets sad, and angry. What would you do if someone did that to your friend?
4. Noomi has a plan to get the ball and her hat down. She will learn to fly! If you could choose a superpower what would you choose and why?
5. Noomi lives with her father. Who do you live with? How many of you are at home?
6. Linda Karlsson stands on her head - she thinks best that way! How do you think best? Alone, or in a group?
7. Linda Karlsson and Noomi fly near their house and see Mrs. Jansson playing poker. Do you play cards with anyone? Who then? Do you usually play other games? Which ones in such cases? Or maybe you don't like playing games? What do you like instead?
8. Bella intends to gossip to the teachers that Noomi got the ball and the hat from the roof. Have you gossiped about someone who did something you shouldn't? What happened then?
Norms about skin color
In societies all over the world there are people of different origins and with different skin colors, just like in Sweden. But in most pictures in books and magazines, there is instead a large dominance of people with beige skin color. This makes people with brown and black skin invisible and also causes us to recreate old ideas about who is important and thus should appear in books. It affects us all in a negative way.
In order to create an inclusive society where everyone feels equal, it is therefore important to reflect children and adults with all different skin colours.
About determination
Being sure of what one thinks and wants and being able to express it clearly is a quality that most people benefit from. But because of our gender norms, there tend to be more guys who practice these skills, and in books, guys are more often portrayed that way. Being able to identify what you want and being able to say it doesn't have to preclude the ability to listen to what others want, nor does it have to be about always having to get your way. Everyone, regardless of gender, needs support in developing both to express their will and to listen, the ability to give space to others and to be able to compromise is an important part of the democratic work at school. In this book, Noomi is a person who gets to express abilities in her personality that are otherwise more often reflected in boy characters.
