Book Guide: Set the Punishment, Charlotte!
QUESTIONS ABOUT EMOTIONS
1. As soon as Charlotte gets home, she wants to find the air mattress. Why doesn't she want to wait, do you think? How do you think it feels inside Charlotte? Do you recognize how she feels? If you do, when do you usually feel that way?
2. Charlotte gets angry when the rest of the family laugh at her problem with the mattress. Do you think her brother Hampus notices? What does he do to cheer her up? How can you look at someone when they are angry? How do you tell if someone is sad? How do you tell if someone is annoyed?
3. Why do you think Charlotte shoots on target instead of passing Devrim? Do you think Charlotte should have suited Devrim instead? Do you think Charlotte has any regrets?
4. How do Julia and Soraya feel about winning or losing? How does Charlotte feel about winning or losing? Why do you think they feel so differently? What's good about feeling like Julia and Soraya? What's good about feeling like Charlotte?
5. Soraya gets locked in the toilet. Why do you think she doesn't say anything? How do you think Soraya felt inside the toilet? Have you ever been locked up? What did you do? Why do you think one finds certain things embarrassing?
6. Charlotte gets mad at Julia and yells at her. How do you think it feels inside Charlotte? How do you think Julia feels inside? Had you also been angry with Julia? Why? Why not?
QUESTIONS ABOUT PARENTS
1. Frida's mother cheers from the sidelines. How does Frida's mother look and feel? What can be good about a parent who cares a lot about something you do? What could be less good, do you think?
2. Charlotte's father likes to make things instead of buying new ones. Do you know someone who is good at cooking? What's good about cooking things? Sometimes you may need help preparing things. What are the different professions that fix things that are broken?
3. Charlotte's mother forgets the air mattress at home. Does your parent tend to forget things? Do you? Why do you think one forgets things? Do you do when you want to remember something important?
4. How does Amir react when Julia scores? Do you think Amir's reaction has anything to do with him being Julia's father? Do you think Amir feels proud? How does it feel when you are proud? What or who are you proud of?
ABOUT PARENTS
In children's books generally, there are more women and mothers than men and fathers, and the characters often have roles that are gender stereotyped. For example, fathers are more often mischievous and mothers more often caring. But children need role models in books that show fathers and mothers, and other adults, have
broader roles than that. Statistics indicate that mothers are to a greater extent on parental leave, babysit and work part-time. But we think it is for everyone involved
better if both men and women are allowed to care for children. In addition, we know that there are a lot of active fathers, who need to be reflected in children's literature. In this book, the fathers take on a greater caring role than we are used to in children's books.
ABOUT GIRLS
"Girls play best two by two." That's what it's usually called. Prejudice says that the play shared by three girls must end in conflict and gossip, and we see how such prejudices are reproduced over and over again in the media. Large groups of girls who do not relate to boys tend to be perceived as something strange, threatening and unpleasant. When the women's national soccer team, with Charlotte Rohlin among others, played at the European Championship in 2014, they were met with lots of hateful comments. All this happens while we consider large groups of men as completely normal. We see them on company boards or in The Lord of the Rings - usually we barely reflect on the fact that they are men. This book depicts 16 girls playing soccer together. Around the country there are lots of sporting teams with girls. For them, the book becomes a chance for unproblematic reflection and recognition that is otherwise missing.
