The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies (14 page)

Moods

I was thinking about mood rings one day. Why was I thinking about mood rings? I have no clue. But I'm glad I was. That thought led me to wonder what would happen if a mood ring didn't show any color. It didn't take me long to think up an answer to that question. The toughest decision with this sort of story is whether to go into all sorts of detail and stretch things out, or just get right to the ending. I like how this one feels at this length. As Lincoln said, a story only needs to be long enough to reach the ending.

Keep Your Spirits Up

I was thinking about how every group has some sort of initiation or ritual for new members. I just took that concept and applied it to the ultimate (or perhaps, final) group someone might join. The actual cause of death could have been anything, but since I'm a roller coaster fan, I figured I'd pick something spectacular. (If you're reading this book on the way to an amusement park, you have my apology.)

Sting, Where Is Thy Death?

I wanted to create some undead insects. It took a bit of work to put everything in place. That can be one of the harder tasks for a writer. The story can't feel contrived. Everything has to feel natural. That's a lot easier in a novel, where you can take as much space as you need to set things up. But any
time I get to write a scene where a mushed piece of insect paste starts to regain its shape, I'm happy.

 

So, that brings us
to the end of another collection. But, happily, not to the end of my short stories. I have more warped and creepy tales in the works, including a vampire story that is so dark, it makes me grin, and encounters with such horrors as scorpions, dolls' heads, Botox, and cat litter. I can't say for sure which stories will make the final cut, but I can promise to do my best to make you laugh, scream, shiver, and gasp the next time we get together.

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The information, activities, and discussion questions that follow are intended to enhance your reading of
The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies.
Please feel free to adapt these materials to suit your needs and interests.

WRITING AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

I. Twisting Tales

From inverted quotations to twisted clichés to warped renditions of classic tales, David Lubar goes beyond wordplay to phrase-play, plot-play, and whole-new-worlds-play to create his stories. Try writing some two-to-four page stories using the Lubar-style activities and prompts below. Then, invite friends or classmates to see what kinds of stories they can create using the favorite prompt you choose for them.

A.
Ask a teacher, family member, or friend to give you one piece of good advice, such as “Don't play in the street.”
Then write a story in which taking this good advice has some very bad consequences.

B.
Like
King of the Hill,
make up a simple game with a ball, a racket, and a safety cone (or other common sports gear)—four rules maximum. Give your game a cool name, teach it to friends or classmates, and play a few rounds. Then invite your friends to discuss what they liked and did not like about the game. Was it too hard to win? Too easy to gang up? Too tempting to cheat? Then write a creepy story about a game in which nobody winds up a winner.

C.
Clean your room (or at least pick it up a little). As you clean, set aside several objects that you thought were lost for good, did not know you owned, or caught your attention for another reason. When you finish cleaning, sit holding one of the found objects in your hand and pay close attention to the smells, colors, and sounds around you and to the random thoughts that enter your mind. Then, write a spooky story in which your found object plays a key role.

D.
Open a book of poetry, an instructional manual, or other interesting volume to a random page. Scan the page for a curious or amusing phrase or sentence. Then use some version of this phrase as the title for a story—and write it.

E.
Go to the children's section of your local library and choose a picture book. After reading the story, write your own spine-tingling version. Or rewrite the ending of your favorite novel with a creepy twist.

 

II. Putting Words into Action

Many stories in this collection explore what happens when a character takes action to fulfill a secret wish or desire. Is it okay to feel jealous or angry as long as you do not act on the
emotion? Should you talk about these feelings before they get out of hand?

A.
Talking too much, or perhaps not enough, plays an important role in several tales. Hold a talk-a-thon in your classroom or community. Invite teams of people to converse without stopping for a period of time. Make sure to agree upon rules for breaks, if any, and how a winner or winners will be declared. If desired, provide a list of conversation topics on index cards, and water of course! Afterward, discuss how hard or easy it was to talk, talk, talk.

B.
To what lengths would you go to be popular? Find at least three stories in the collection in which the desire for popularity is a dangerous motivator. Create a survey about the importance of popularity, the difference between popularity and friendship, and other related topics of your choosing to be completed by classmates or friends. Compile the results on a chart or table and write a short report noting the most surprising results you discover.

C.
Several story characters begin their journeys as a result of being angry about or punished for a misdeed. Go to the library or online to learn about positive ways to handle feelings of anger. Discuss strategies for anger management with siblings, friends, teachers, or coaches. Compile the results in a computer-designed booklet entitled “Getting Angry in a Good Way” or a title of your choice. Include a bibliography of your research sources and fun quotations from friends, coaches, and even famous figures quoted about anger.

D.
In small groups, select one-to-three stories that seem the most creepy, interesting, or relevant to your community. Bring these stories to life as dramatic readings or grab a video
camera and make them into short movies. Present your results to friends or classmates.

E.
From “Swallow your rage” to “put on your happy face,” clichés gone wild are a key feature of this collection. Go to the library or online to find a definition of the term “cliché.” What is valuable about clichés? Why are such phrases worth exploring? What famous historical figures provided the world with unforgettable clichés? On a wall of your school, community center, or home, post a giant sheet of paper (or create a blog or website) entitled “Cliché Central.” Invite visitors or passers-by to post their favorite clichés. What can you learn about your friends or community by the clichés they choose?

 

III. Weenie World

David Lubar has a special talent for exploring ideas central to kids' lives while, at the same time, creating incredible models for short-story writing and for thinking about literature in big, exciting ways. What has this collection made you wonder?

A.
Make a list of at least eight key themes explored by stories in this collection, including being angry, talking/not talking, and popularity. In discussion with friends or classmates, or through a vote or survey, order the themes from most important to least important to your life and community. Print up the ranking on a large sheet of paper.

B.
From Orson Scott Card's modern classic
Ender's Game
to an inverted biblical expression (“O death, where is thy sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55)) to the long-popular fairy tales “The Princess and the Pea” and “Hansel and Gretel,” the author gives familiar scenarios totally twisted outcomes. Read one
of the books, passages, or stories above, or another book or story you see reinterpreted in one of Lubar's shorts. Then, write a short essay comparing the two literary works.

C.
Find three stories in the novel that explore the notion of following instructions. Make a list of their titles, main characters, instructions, and the story outcomes. Using your list as inspiration, write your own “Guide to Following Instructions and Avoiding Disaster.” Your guide can be useful, comic, or even scary. If desired, turn your completed guide into a PowerPoint presentation or an illustrated brochure to share with friends or classmates.

D.
Find a newspaper article about an important environmental, political, or medical concern. Use information from this article to write a scary story in which characters work to fix the problem, or in which characters ignore the issue. Attach the story, the newspaper article, drawings, magazine clippings, or other illustrative elements to a sheet of poster board. Present your poster to classmates or friends before a discussion of the real-life concern.

E.
If you have read more than one
Weenie
story collection or other book by David Lubar, make a top-ten list of Lubar's favorite creepy topics. (Hint: Consider clowns and psychic abilities.) Compare two stories from different books that deal with the same subject from the list. What elements do they share? How do the endings differ? What conclusions might you draw about the subject based on your comparison? What might you like to ask the author about this subject?

F.
In “Dear Author,” a kid finds his story ideas stolen by a mysterious author. Do you think real authors fear getting letters like this? Why or why not? Write a letter to David Lubar.
Tell him which
Red Hot Pepper Weenie
story, or story from another
Weenie
book, you liked the best and why. Which story was the scariest and why? What idea or situation would you suggest Mr. Lubar feature in his next collection?

G.
Design a book jacket, poster, T-shirt, or other object celebrating David Lubar's “Weenie World.”

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

• 1.
  In “All the Rage,” how does the narrator's inability to understand the behavior of a classmate lead him to make a terrifying mistake? Describe the setting and themes of this tale. In what ways do these images and ideas set the stage for the rest of the stories in this collection?
  
• 2.
  “Into the Wild Blue Yonder” and “Yackity-Yak” involve characters that talk too much. Have you ever encountered a very talkative person or found yourself in a situation where you could not stop talking? Describe that situation and how it relates to your reading of these stories.
  
• 3.
  “The Wizard's Mandolin” and “Wish Away” show the risks of using magic to get what you wish. What do you think is the moral of these tales? If you could make one wish (and not for more wishes), for what might you ask? Choose your words carefully and explain why you would make this particular wish.
  
• 4.
  In “The Department Store,” does the narrator seem to suffer a fate he does not really deserve? Why or why not? In what other stories do the main characters seem more unlucky than bad? In what stories do you feel the characters got what was coming to them? What are the differences between these two types of tales?
  
• 5.
  Though “The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies” is unlike most of the other tales in the book because it does not contain a supernatural element, in what ways does it still serve to unify this group of stories?
  
• 6.
  Which stories explore such contemporary notions as veganism and care for animals? What perspectives on these ideas are taken in the stories? Do you agree with these viewpoints? Why or why not?
  
• 7.
  In “King of the Hill” and “Bird Brained,” what happens to the characters who begin the stories as bullies? Who are the narrators and how do they react to the events of the stories? What would you have done if you found yourself in the narrators' shoes?
  
• 8.
  In “Just Like Me,” “Let's Have a Big Hand for Gerald,” and “Braces,” parents seem unaware of the mysterious disturbances affecting themselves and their children. Do you ever feel like your parents are just missing the point of a given situation? Compare this feeling to the stories.
  
• 9.
  What kinds of strange powers are found in libraries and books in
  Red Hot Pepper Weenies
  ? Why do you go to the library? Do you enjoy the experience? About what special library object or power might you choose to write a spooky story?
  
• 10.
  “Yesterday Tomorrow” and “Time Out” are two of the stories exploring the consequences of time reversal. Have you ever wished you could turn back the clock? When and why? Has reading these stories changed your mind?
  
• 11.
  “Moods” is one of many stories in which an important young character is dead or dies. What other stories include this feature, and what literary games does the author play with this type of character throughout the
  collection? Do these stories make you wonder about the possibilities of ghost worlds or other afterlife notions? Explain your answer.
  
• 12.
  “Reel” and “Overdue onto Others” involve objects taking control of characters' lives and experiences. Have you ever believed an object had a special power, such as good luck? Describe this object and your behavior toward it.
  
• 13.
  Is it ever okay to lie? Do liars always get punished? What stories deal with deceit? Do all the characters lie for basically the same reason? What happens to them? What would you do in similar situations?
  
• 14.
  In addition to “Sting, Where Is Thy Death?” what other tales explore the balance between human development and the natural world? Do you worry about this balance in your community? In what ways?
  
• 15.
  Do scary stories help you work through feelings of anger or frustration? Do they make you feel better or worse about the world in which you live? Why is (or isn't) it fun, useful, or even important to have scary stories in your library? What idea, situation, or question do you think more scary stories should be written about today? Explain your answers.