Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

Teller of the Truth. Full of Challenges. 

Bitter Sweet. Humorous. Peculiar.

Chicken Fried Steak with gravy on a waffle.

Everything on a Waffle

Written by Polly Horvath.

Published by Farrar Straus Giroux, 2001.

Strawberries and blueberries on a waffle.

From Publishers Weekly
Horvath (The Trolls) delivers another hilariously puckish read with this tale of a (possibly) orphaned girl from a small Canadian fishing village. Eleven-year-old Primrose Squarp refuses to attend the memorial service for her parents after they disappear at sea. "Haven't you ever just known something deep in your heart without reason?" she demands of all and sundry, convinced her parents are still alive. Meanwhile, she is shuffled from the custody of her elderly neighbor Miss Perfidy to her likable but somewhat feckless Uncle Jack. Not unlike another beloved red-haired Canadian heroine, Primrose whose own hair is "the color of carrots in an apricot glaze (recipe to follow)" attracts trouble like a magnet. In addition to singeing the fur on the class guinea pig, she manages to lose a baby toe and part of a finger in chapters entitled "I Lose a Toe" and "I Lose Another Digit" accidents that land her in the foster care of an older couple whose stature and girth give them the look of "kindly old hard-boiled eggs." Primrose's lively recital of her misadventures comes complete with recipes, pungent descriptions ("the feeling of joy swept through my soul like fire up a vacuum") and memorable characters, among them the tough-talking, golden-hearted owner of a local restaurant that serves everything (even fish and chips) on waffles. A laugh-out-loud pleasure from beginning to triumphant end. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

"Witty, clever, and involving." -Booklist

“In [Horvath’s] capable hands the dilemma of Primrose Squarp is revealed with hilarity and buoyant good nature. . . . Subtlety and slapstick is a challenging combination; Horvath pulls it off beautifully.”—The Horn Book Magazine, Starred Review

“Horvath delivers another hilariously puckish read with this tale of a (possibly) orphaned girl from a small Canadian fishing village. . . . A laugh-out-loud pleasure from beginning to triumphant end.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“The story is full of subtle humor and wisdom, presented through the eyes of a uniquely appealing young protagonist.”—School Library Journal

“. . . a deeply touching novel about irrational faith.”—Orlando Sentinel

“Delightful. Hilarious. Entertaining. Insightful. These adjectives don’t even begin to describe a novel I simply couldn’t put down. . . . You’ll love it.”—The Syracuse Post-Standard

Newbery Medal (Nominated, 2002) 

Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (Nominated, 2001) 

Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award (Nominated, 2005) 

Iowa Children's Choice Award (Nominated, 2004) 

Colorado Children's Book Award (Nominated, 2004) 

Massachusetts Children's Book Award (Nominated, 2005) 

Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominated, 2004) 

American Library Association Notable Books for Children (Won, 2002) 

Manitoba Literary Awards - Young Readers Choice Award (Nominated, 2003) 

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (Nominated, 2003) 

William Allen White Children's Book Award (Nominated, 2004) 

West Virginia Children's Book Award (Nominated, 2004) 

Nene Award (Nominated, 2004) 

CLA Book of the Year for Children Award (Nominated, 2002) 

Sheila A. Egoff Children's Prize (Won, 2002) 

Mr. Christie's Book Awards (Won, 2002)

"One June day a typhoon arose at sea that blew the rain practically perpendicular to" all the houses in Coal Harbour (Horvoth, 2001). A mother leaves her daughter, Primrose, at Miss Perfidy's house so that she can find her husband, who has not come back from his daily fishing trip. She sets out to sea in a skiff and... unfortunately, the skiff... does not come back... the fishing boat... does not come back... which means only one thing... that her parents may be dead. Townspeople believe that both wife and husband are lost at sea and sadly, a funeral is held for them. However, Primrose, who believes in her heart, knows that her parents will come back and does not believe that they are... DEAD. She has this deep feeling in the pit of her stomach that makes her know she is right. To prove this, she does not even attend her own parent's funeral. Although she believes this, the townspeople and especially her guidance teacher are outraged at her behavior and are ashamed that she is not mourning her parents. In addition, Primrose is constantly chased by her classmates almost everyday after school filled with questions that involve asking about her parents and her odd behavior. Swiftly, she escapes to The Girl on the Red Swing, which is a restaurant that serves almost about ANYTHING on a WAFFLE. Mrs. Bowser, the owner, takes her in and does what she can for Primrose. Unlike Primrose's Uncle Jack, who is now her primary caretaker, but rarely connects with her, is focused on trying to make Coal Harbour is a tourist area. However, when all else fails, Primrose brings along a dog that Uncle Jack bought for her and sits on the dock daily, reminiscing for her father and mother to come home so she can go back to her old home and have everything back to the way it is. Readers will enjoy this story about a young girl who undergoes a humorous journey to find her true self, to reflect upon for her beliefs, and to observe and to understand the townspeople's antics that she encounters everyday.

Extras: Included in this novel is a brief summary and biography of the author, an author's note, a list of books that the author has written, and a review of her book, The Trolls, on the back cover.

Literary Genre: Fiction

Reading Level: Lexile Framework 950L, Grade 6

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read

ISBN-13: 978-0374322366

****************************************************************************

Teachers... Here are some resources to help 

you teach Everything on a Waffle!

Polly Horvath, author of Everything
on a Waffle

Electronic Resources:
Author's Site: Polly Horvath - Welcome to the Polly Horvath's Office Homepage! Included in this great resource for educators and readers are photos, a biography of the author, books that the author have written, awards, news, contact information, upcoming books, and many more. Great to review before reading so that teachers and readers are able to engage and to get to know the author a little better. Also, readers are able to view other books that the author have written if they are interested in Everything on a Waffle.

Discussion Guide: Everything on a Waffle - This is a great source for teachers to use for their lesson plans or for small group discussions. Included are a list of discussion questions that can be given to students to answer and a brief summary of the novel.

Everything on a Waffle Youtube Book Trailer - Have students watch this quick Youtube book trailer about Everything on a Waffle as a way to engage and to have students predict what the story will be about.

Teacher's Resource: Everything on a Waffle - Another great resource for teachers who need additional resources for their lesson plan or activities. Included in this source is a short synopsis of the book, reviews, author information, discussion questions, and activity suggestions as well.

ReadWriteThink: Figurative Language Lesson Plan - Great lesson plan to help students expand their knowledge in figurative language, including metaphors, similes, personification, etc. Great for students to use before they start reading so that students are familiar with the figurative language and are able to notice these elements in the story while they read.

Teacher's Guide: Everything on a Waffle - This is a great source for teachers who needs additional resources for their lesson plans. Included in this teacher's guide are discussion questions to use during whole, small or independent discussions, activity suggestions, biography of the author, links, and a brief introduction of the novel.

Key Vocabulary: bereavement/bereaved, pacifists, hearth, peripheral, heathens, cowering, anecdote, foreclosure, heap, perpetrator, discombobulated, fingering, repertoire, vivisecting,  perilously, ventured, sotto voce, jovially, comatose, concussion, convalesce, seance, cumbrance, discomfiture, bedraggled, fastidiously, speculatively, nonsensical, solarium, stipulation, reveries, accumulated, macrame, emaciated, skiff, jettisoned

Teaching Suggestions:

1. Use this text in Geography and Social Studies to locate the setting of the story and as a supplement to learn more about Canada's culture and history.
2. Use this text in Reading and Language Arts to explore literary elements and figures of speech in depth in other types of quality literature.
3. Use this text in Social Studies to explore how some countries in the world rely on tourism to maintain one's economy. Name some of these countries. What does the United States rely on?
4. Use this text in Science to advocate the endangerment of whaling and fishing and how this depletion impacts the environment and circle of life. What are the pros and cons?

Comprehension Strategies:

• Before Reading: 

• The author provides an author's note and it states: "Although Coal Harbour is a real place, I've changed the geography of it to suit my story" (Horvoth, 2001). Ask your students where Coal Harbour really is located. What do you think it is known for? Why do you think the author did not choose any other area for the setting and place? Have students research on the internet and then to locate Coal Harbour on a map. After students read a few chapters in the story, have students estimably locate the area on the map in the book and compare the distance with the real Coal Harbour area.
• Write this statement/question on the board and have students discuss what they think it means to them: "'Haven't you ever just known something deep in your heart without reason'" (Horvoth, 2001). Have students particpate in a Think-Pair-Share by having students think about the question, pair with another partner or student, and have them share their thoughts. This activity is great especially before reading because it will have students think about the question when they are reading the story and it will give them the ability to hear other student's responses to the question.
• Discuss with students the term self-esteem. Ask students what it means to have self-esteem and have students make text-to-self connections if they have any experiences where they relied on their self-esteem. Then, link the term to how they believe the character in the story have or does not have self-esteem. Again, it is a great way for students to think about the concept and to tap their prior knowledge so that they will be able to connect to the text better.
• During Reading: 
• After reading the first chapter, have students predict if Primrose's parents are really dead or if they are still alive? How can they tell? Then at the end of the story, ask students if their prediction was correct or not.
• Miss Honeycut is known to speak "exclusively in anecdotes" (Horvoth, 2001). Discuss the concept of anecdotes and how they are used throughout the story and in other contexts. What are the purpose of anecdotes in literature? Then, have students search through the book and record several of the anecdotes. Have students explain how each pertains to the story. To format this, model to students the split-page note taking style. Have the anecdote one side of the notebook page and then the explanation on the other side. This will keep students organized and be able to interpret the information in a clear and concise way.
• Throughout the novel, there are many examples of similes and metaphors. Discuss what similes and metaphors are and how they are portrayed in writing. Then ask students what the purpose of similes and metaphors are in literature? While students are reading, have students record several similes and metaphors in their notebook or writing journal. Have students set this format in a split-page note taking style and have them write the simile or metaphor on one side and on the other side, have students discuss with a partner and write the meaning of the comparison. For example, a similie... "his eyes were fizzing like he was a Coke can someone had shaken up" (Horvath, 2001).
• After Reading: 

• Have students write a response to this question: What item does Primrose acquire from her mother before she leaves to find her father? What does she do to connect with her mother? Ask students what they to do connect with their families that are alive or possibly decease. Have students write about this item and have a show and tell where students are able to express their items to the class. Then take a picture of the student and their writing and post it on a bulletin board to showcase.
• Provide students a set of discussion questions so that students are able to participate in a fishbowl discussion. The purpose of this activity is to have students communicate and cooperatively answer questions that will evaluate student's literal and inferential comprehension. 
• Some examples of these questions could be:
• Who are the dead whalers?
• What makes Primrose believe that parents are still alive? Why is she not mourning?
• Primrose is subject to be an orphan? How do you think Primrose feels about it?
• How do you think Primrose feels about moving to house to house after her parents "supposely" passes away?
• What do you think happened to Primrose's sweaters?
• Why do the townspeople think that Uncle Jack is developer?
• Why are the townspeople so concerned about Primrose?
• Why do the townspeople think Primrose is sucidial even though she kept telling people that she did not know the truck was coming?
• What is Mrs. Bowser's role in Primrose's life?
• Why does Mrs. Bowser believe that Primrose's parents are true lovers and she would only find a person with that much love?
• What does Primrose do to keep her head up, even though people are pulling her down?
• What does Primrose do every evening? Who does she hope to see?
• Why does The Girl on the Red Swing cook everything on a waffle?
• How did Primrose lose her toe?
• How did the hamster catch on fire?
• What was everybody's expression when Primrose's parents were alive?
• Did Coal Harbour turn into huge tourism? Why not?

Student Writing Activity:

• After the end of every chapter, there is a recipe. What is the significance of the recipe? Do you have a recipe that is special to you? Or like to make? What is the recipe for that? Have students write the answers in their student writing journal, then have students create a recipe card and have them share their recipe with everyone in the class. Further after, post everyone's recipe on a bulletin board including the ones that are in the story to hightlight each student's recipe and to connect it to the story.

Horvath, P. (2001). Everything on a waffle. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.