Teaching Resources and Readers' Guide: Traitor to the Throne

One of the books I was excited to read about at the start of 2017 was Alwyn Hamilton's Traitor to the Throne (Viking, 2017). Traitor to the Throne is the second book in the Rebel of the Sands series. I posted my review in the blog back in March 19, 2017.

Here's a link to my review of Rebel of the Sands. I also posted a  resource and guide for teachers.

So, here are the teaching resources and readers' guide for teachers, parents and librarians on Traitor to the Throne. First up, the reviews.

Book Reviews

If you want to know what other readers and fans think about the book, here are links to reviews.

Reviews From a Bookworm
Desert News: Book Review of Traitor to the Throne
Kirkus: Traitor to the Throne

Themes: War, Women and Children

In Traitor to the Throne, children, young people, especially girls, and women, were not spared from participating in the war and in the revolution. Some fell victim to the abuse of men. Some stood up and became warriors. How these young women fought to survive as they made choices in the face of conflict are issues and topics of global scale. Traitor the Throne is a work of fiction, but the realities of war and the involvement of children and women in it are events happening in real life too. We only need to turn to the news, both local and international news agencies, as well as social media to affirm this. Even history has a lot to tell us about war, and the suffering of civilians especially women and children.

Here are online resources to understand the roles of women in light of war and conflict.

 Huffington Post traces the role of women in the military in modern times. The events in the timeline cover a western context but it shows how women have fought alongside men in times of conflict and armed struggle. It would be interesting to look at other defense and security systems other than the military to get a wider perspective of women's role in the war effort. Another vantage point is the role that women played in a country's industry and economy  at war time. History Channel has some compelling videos and narratives about women in World War II as warriors, workers and victims.The write up about Queen Elizabeth's participation in Britain's war efforts is one example.

In the novel, we read about children and young demdjis picking up arms and joining the fight. If not seen in battle, they become prisoners of war and experience all forms of abuse.

Unicef discusses the sad and horrific plight of children and women in places where war never seem to stop. Women and children are defenseless. They become refugees or, like the characters in the novel, end up as prisoners of war.

Many women are involved in peace efforts too. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is a branch of the United Nations advocating, campaigning and taking action in peace keeping efforts. Unite for Sight, a global non-government organization with a strong program on health and medical services, has an information packet on war, peace, women and children. It even has a counter argument on the role of women in the military.

TED Talks have these videos on women, children and civilians suffering the most when war is over and how peace building efforst continue long after the ceasation of war.

Discussions and Activities

Create an infographic on war and its effects on the economy, government and civilians. Conduct a poster presentation of these infographics in the classroom and have a gallery walk. It will help readers to note their reactions and the information they gathered from the poster/infographics. From these infographics and the readers' knowledge of facts about war, women and children, discussions can arise. Guide questions can be put together after the discussion to form claims, arguments and counter arguments.

Recommended Readings: Fiction

Adventures of a Child of War / by Flores, Lin Acacio   Manila Philippines : Cacho Publishing House, 2002

Doctor Zhivago / by Pasternak, Boris Leonidovich,   [New York] : Readers Digest, c1990

It was the war of the trenches / by Tardi, Jacques.   Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, c2010

The book thief / by Zusak, Markus.   New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2007

The bookseller of Kabul / by Seierstad, êAsne,   New York : Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, 2004  

Recommended Readings: Non-Fiction

Worlds at War : the 2,500-year struggle between East and West / by Pagden, Anthony.   New York : Random House, c2008

A World Undone : the story of the Great War, 1914-1918 / by Meyer, G. J.,   New York, N.Y. : Bantam Dell, 2007
 
Human Smoke : the beginnings of World War II, the end of civilization / by Baker, Nicholson.   New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009, c2008

World War II : the events and their impact on real people / by Grant, R. G.   New York, N.Y. : Dk Pub., 2008

A Time for War : 105 Days in Bataan / by Atienza, General Rigoberto J.   [S.l.] : Eugenia S. vda. de Atienza, 1985 

Peace education : how we come to love and hate war / by Noddings, Nel.   New York : Cambridge University Press, 2012