Is charlotte doyle brownies good at cooking and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle” by Avi is one of the books I remember vividly from my childhood. I read it in the third grade. I remember staying up late, after my bedtime, devouring the novel. I was so eager to know what would happen to Charlotte.
Would she be hanged for a murder she didn’t commit? Would she survive the stormy seas as well as the treacherous captain?
The book is fascinating, mysterious, adventurous, and inspiring. It’s also brave, as this brave thirteen-year-old girl defies all expectations and breaks free from her social class and position to stand up for what’s right and become a member of the crew.
Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is excited to return from school in England to her family in Rhode Island in the summer of 1832. But when the two families she was supposed to travel with mysteriously cancel their trips.
Charlotte becomes the only passenger on a long sea voyage with a cruel captain and a mutinous crew. Worse yet, shortly after she boards the ship, she finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict between them! What begins as a long-awaited ocean crossing turns into a terrifying journey where Charlotte encounters a sinister enemy… and ends up on trial for murder!
This book offers countless hands-on activities, stimulating lesson plans, challenging reading assignments, and exciting project-based learning. A literary gem, this novel is perfect for interdisciplinary learning activities and exciting learning adventures.
#1 Diary/Perspective
The main premise of “The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle” is that Charlotte’s father encouraged her to keep a diary of her summer trip from her boarding school in England to her new home in Rhode Island. Her father enjoyed reading and reviewing her writing, and used her diary as material for extracurricular activities. However, Charlotte is alone on her journey in the summer of 1832 and uses her diary as a confidant and companion as she confesses the details of a troubling journey. We, as the audience, read her diary.
A diary is an ideal hands-on activity for students. Students infer from the novel about additional diary entries that Charlotte may have written. This activity is hands-on because students can also create, find, or make souvenirs, mementos, and photographs to include in the diary.
2. Character Analysis
Charlotte is a main character who undergoes a dramatic transformation. From a shy, dapper, and proper young woman at the beginning of the novel to a tough, brave, and serious crew member, Charlotte undergoes a profound transformation. Explore dynamic characters and Charlotte’s physical and mental changes through a simple drawing and character trait activity.
Students fold a sheet of paper into three sections and label each section “Beginning,” “Middle,” and “End.” In each section, they draw the novel’s version of Charlotte, complete with different character traits. Students experience the transformation up close. They then write a paragraph or more explaining exactly what caused these changes. Build a Ship
I love how author Avi uses precise seamanlike language to describe the components of the Seahawk, the ship at the center of the story. From the bowsprit to the rigging, from the mast to the jib, readers will learn all about the parts of a ship as they read this novel. There are even helpful drawings and diagrams at the back of the novel for reference.
Incorporate STEM into the classroom by having students build a ship similar to the Seahawk. To learn more about each part of the ship, students can label the different parts and explore the environment in more detail, using 1830s merchant ships as a starting point. They can create blueprints for their ship and even write a report on its construction and interesting facts about merchant ships.
4. Environmental Project
What makes this story so unique is the time and setting of Seahawk. The majority of the story takes place on a merchant ship in the Atlantic. The year is 1832 – a fascinating and classic story with classic nautical themes. Since Charlotte is set in this era, she also has to adapt to certain gender roles and class expectations. When Charlotte defies these norms by cutting her hair short, wearing sailor clothes, and rebelling against authority, it is even more difficult than if she were doing it in 2025.