The Romeo and Juliet Code

By Phoebe StoneA guide to help readers get their

historical, geographical, and cranial bearings

By Scott Alexander RaderHays Public Library

12-5 21-2-10 64-35 17-7-41-47-110-14. 52-47-46-77-72-16 23-1

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A quick note about this presentation

This presentation is intended to help students who have read The Romeo and Juliet Code understand the time and place in which the novel is set.

There are a few spoilers. Please read the book first.

The presentation is interactive and is intended to be self-guided by students in the 4th or 5th grade.

SummaryFelicity Bathburn Budwig loves her country, England, and her parents, Danny and Winnie. With the war on in Europe and nightly bombings of English cities, Felicity’s parents have sent her to live with her family in Bottlebay, Maine, USA. But she discovers something is afoot when her Uncle Gideon keeps receiving strange letters from her father. With the help of her quirky adopted cousin, Felicity sets out to solve her families secrets.

Where is Maine?(Click for hints)

It’s over here!

Up here!

It this one!

So where is England?(This one should be easier, But click if you need help. Can you find Maine? Use the legend to measure the distance!)

Point of Reference(Just for fun!) While Bottlebay, ME seems to be a fictional place,

we can still use sites like Wolfram Alpha (The Computational Knowledge Engine) to help us calculate distance.

I live in Kansas. The distance between the center of Kansas and the center of Maine is 1565 Miles.

The distance from the center of Maine to the center of the United Kingdom is 2956 miles.

Use Wolfram Alpha to calculate the distance between where you live and Maine and England (EX: Hays, KS to England = 4384 Miles).

Why does Felicity have to move to Maine?The short answer is that her city probably looked something like this.

From September 7th, 1940 to May 10th, 1941 German planes bombed cities around Great Britain nightly. London was bombed 76 consecutive nights. This event is commonly referred to as “The Blitz.”

Places Hit During the Bombing

The St. Michael’s Cathedral, in Coventry, was bombed November 14th, 1940.

Places Hit During the Bombing

On December 29th, 1940 a bomb hit St. Paul’s Cathedral, but it didn’t explode. This incident and image became a symbol of resilience. Notice how plucky Felicity is,

even though she’s been left with these weird relatives she barely knows.

The Proud City

This poster, showing St. Paul’s Cathedral, was commissioned by London Transport in 1944. It shows how symbolic the structure is to the city.

Places Hit During the Bombing

Trafalgar Square was hit on October 15th, 1940. Many people used Underground (subway) stations like this one as bomb

shelters.

Take Shelter

Here people sleep on an escalator at Piccadilly Circus Underground station.

To keep conditions comfortable, there were strict rules at public shelters.

What about the children? Now we’re back to Felicity and why

she was sent to Maine (well, one of the reasons).

Many children during the bombings were sent to the English countryside.

The bombings targeted cities so even the government recommended this tactic to save the children.

What about the children?

As a fan of graphic design I had to include some

posters. This is one released between

1939-1945, probably by the government.

What about the Children?

Felicity was part of 3.5 million people who evacuated the cities during the bombings. Most were children.

Notice the bear. It’s like Felicity’s bear, Wink!

Think about itHow would you like being left by

your parents in a strange country?

How would you feel if you had no way to contact them? Remember Felicity has no way to get a hold of her parents. All the letters she writes go in a box under her bed.

Queen Anne (Coming to America)

Phoebe Stone revealed in her author’s note that the Queen Anne on which Felicity travels is not a real boat. It is based on the Queen Elizabeth, which covered up its windows to avoid German U-Boats.

Coming to America Before Felicity comes to America, and for

much of book, the country has not yet entered World War II.

What major event happens at the end of the book that gets America involved in the war?

Did you say the Bombing of Pearl Harbor?

19

Coming to AmericaWhile we didn’t face anything like The Blitz in America, we did face similar conditions to Felicity’s England. So cities weren’t easy targets for planes, the military enforced blackouts. This poster is from California.

Coming to America

The blackouts even came to Kansas. Here is a picture from a blackout at Fort Riley.

You forgot her parents were spies!!!!!The title suggests some sort of code. Codes mean secrets. And spies are awesome at secrets! Felicity solving the code was fun and made for a good story, but she and Derek could have put themselves in real danger by finding out her parents’ secrets.

Explore more!

(Still curious about the book, World War II, or The Blitz? The following slides give you more suggestions for reading . . . and even some fun stuff related to the story!)

Read-A-Likes(Read-A-Likes and Summaries are

taken from NoveList)

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall

When the three younger Penderwick sisters go to Maine with Aunt Claire and are separated from oldest sister Rosalind for the first time in their lives, an uncertain Skye is left in charge as the OAP--oldest available Penderwick.

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

After twelve-year-old Sumiko and her Japanese-American family are relocated from their flower farm in southern California to an internment camp on a Mojave Indian reservation in Arizona, she helps her family and neighbors, becomes friends with a local Indian boy, and tries to hold on to her dream of owning a flower shop.

Read-A-Likes(Read-A-Likes and Summaries are

taken from NoveList)

On The Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck

A boy in Illinois remembers the homefront years of World War II, especially his two heroes--his brother in the Air Force and his father, who fought in the previous war.

Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham SalisburyTomikazu Nakaji's biggest concerns are baseball, homework, and a local bully, until life with his Japanese family in Hawaii changes drastically after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy SpringerEnola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother.

Get more into the world of the book The Romeo and Juliet Code includes references to books, games,

and more that you may also be interested in Romeo and Juliet

You’ll get to this in high school, but if you are interested you can read Aunt Miami’s favorite scene here.

The Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett Sara Crewe, a pupil at Miss Minchin's London School, is left in poverty when

her father dies, but is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor. Also check out the movie directed by Alfonso Curon. It’s one of my

favorites. The movie starring Shirley Temple is one of my wife’s favorites! So check that out, too.

Parcheesi Click the link above to play the game that the Bathburns often play.

Hearts This is another game that Felicity often plays with her family.

Spies It’s pretty cool that Felicity’s parents are spies. The International Spy

Museum, located in Washington, DC, hosts this blog which covers all things spy related. They even have firsthand accounts from real spies.

Want to find out more?(Here are some resources for primary sources that you can use)

Want more on The Blitz? Try these.BBC-British Broadcasting Company

Quite a few historic pictures from the time period.

Exploring 20th Century London This site has photos, posters, and letters from the time period.

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Did you like all those cool posters? They have a huge

collection of WPA (Works Progress Administration) posters. They also have quite a lot of photos and political cartoons from the time.

The Times (UK) Online There is an extensive archive of news articles and pictures. It

does require a subscription, but you can get samples and view a few photo galleries for free.

Want to find out more?(Here are some resources for primary sources that you can use)

Interested in a different time? Here are some general sites for primary sources.Footnote.com

Easy navigation makes this a great resource.National Archives

They are billed as the “Nation’s Record Keeper.” Go here, especially if you are looking for American history.

The following database is available for free to Kansas residents with a Kansas Library Card. Don’t live in Kansas? Check with your local library for similar databases.

Junior Reference Collection This database covers all your core curriculum. If you need

help, chances are this is a good place to start. They have plenty of primary sources also.

References1. Alpha Press. (1940). Second World War shelterers sleeping on escalators at Piccadilly Circus.

[Photograph]. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.1665&pp=10&search_word=&catId.

2. BBC. (2010). The blitz which began 70 years ago, in pictures. [Photo Slideshow]. Retrieved  June 19, 2011 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11175676.

3. Bock, A. (1941). Deutsches U-boot versenkt englischen frachtdampfer. [Photomechanical Print]. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008678875/.

4. Delano, J. (1942). Fort Riley, Kansas. Guiding a truck into bivouac area during a blackout. [Photograph]. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/owi2001006639/PP/.

5. Fosh & Cross, ltd.  (1939?-1945?).  Children are safer in the country ... leave them there.  [Photograph].  Found June 19, 2011 from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/pos/item/2008676208/#copies.  Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.iwmprints.org.uk/lowres/117/main/1/377702.jpg.

6. Grigware, E.T. (1941?-1943?).  The world has ears - keep mum.  [Photograph].  Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/98517820/.

7. Museum of London. (1939). Public Air Raid Shelter. [Public Notice]. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.4841&pp=10&search_word=&catId.

8. Spradbery, W.E. (1944). The Proud City - St. Paul’s Cathedral. [Art Print]. London Transport: London, UK. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.3157&pp=10&search_word=&catId

9. Transport for London. (1940). Second World War bomb damage to Trafalgar Square. [Photograph]. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.1852&pp=10&search_word=&catId.

10. WPA Art Program. (1941?-1943?). Blackout means black. [Art Print]. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/98518239/.