Beastly Bones (21 page)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are several people I wish to recognize, without whom this series would not exist. Elise Howard has been Jackaby's fairy godmother in so many ways, using her magic to usher it through countless essential transformations. Thank you for helping get my ragged little manuscript all dressed up for the ball. Lucy Carson has stalwartly championed these books, pushing through hell and high water to help my stories weather the storm and see the light of day. Above all, Katrina Santoro has been Jackaby's guardian angel from the start. She has been a sounding board, an anchor to reality, and wings to greater heights. She has saved readers from some of my worst writing and helped bring out some of my best. At my most confident I consider myself her creative equal, and my efforts to earn the right to that claim have made Jackaby a better series and me a better writer. Thank you for everything. Thank you to my parents—Eleanor, Russ, Janice, Frank, Kacy, and Joe—and to all my friends and family. I am humbled to have received such supportive encouragement from so many people every step of the way.

Beastly Bones

William Ritter

ALGONQUIN

Questions for Discussion

1. Abigail takes great care to describe the living spaces of those around her—from Jackaby's eclectic assortment of objects to Charlie's minimal personalization of his home. When you go to a person's house, what sorts of things are the most telling about their personality? How do William Ritter's descriptions of the characters' spaces contribute to your understanding of those characters?

2. On
page 75
, Jackaby says, “Deep down, our dear Jenny does not believe the truth is hers to find. Until she does, I do not know if providing it to her would be a kindness. Perhaps she fears the answers might be more painful than the questions, and I cannot say that they will not be.” Is it sometimes a kindness to withhold or not pursue the truth? If so, is this one of those times?

3. Miss Fuller is, in many respects, the type of woman Abigail hoped to become when immigrating to the United States. How does Miss Fuller's influence affect Abigail—especially her performance as a detective? Is Jackaby or Miss Fuller a better role model for Abigail? Why?

4. Miss Fuller tells Abigail, “Behind every great man is a woman who gave up on greatness and tied herself into an apron” (
page 181
). Was this universally true in the 1890s? Do you think it is true today?

5. Do you think Abigail will ever return to England? If she were to return, how would her parents receive her? How do you think her time in America would affect her own expectations and choices for her life back in England?

6. On
page 193
, Jackaby says that Mr. Hudson once had a goldfish capable of granting him any wish he desired if he set it free, but Mr. Hudson made no wishes. What might be behind Mr. Hudson's decision to keep the goldfish—and behind his collection of magical creatures in general?

7. Abigail sees the pale man multiple times throughout the course of
Beastly Bones.
Given that the pale man is creating paranormal mayhem, why might he be staying within sight of Abigail and Jackaby, in particular? What larger things might he be up to?

8. On
page 217
, Abigail says, “I bade Charlie goodnight and sank into my bed. In my mind I could see Jenny Cavanaugh shaking her head in disappointment at my shoddy display, and then Nellie Fuller rolling her eyes at my having tried at all.” What might Jenny and Nellie have thought of Charlie's behavior in this scene? Did he have an opportunity to make his feelings for Abigail more overt—or were they obvious enough? Were you happy with the progression of Abigail and Charlie's relationship?

9. How might the ending of
Beastly Bones
have been different had Miss Fuller had a different fate?

10. Hatun's prophecy about Abigail's death still hangs over her. Do you expect it to come true?

Reader's Guide by Emily Parliman

KATRINA SANTORO

WILLIAM RITTER began writing
Jackaby
in the middle of the night when his son was still an infant. After getting up to care for him, Will would lie awake, his mind creating rich worlds and fantasies—such as the one in New Fiddleham. Will lives and teaches in Springfield, Oregon.
Beastly Bones 
is his second novel. Visit Will online at
rwillritter.wordpress.com
and find him on Twitter:
@Willothewords
.

Published by

Algonquin Young Readers

an imprint of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

Post Office Box 2225

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515-­­2225

a division of

Workman Publishing

225 Varick Street

New York, New York 10014

© 2015 by William Ritter.

All rights reserved.

eISBN 978-1-61620-354-2