Candlewick Press Discussion Guide

The Beast of Cretacea

 

 

About the Book:

 

As Earth grows bleak and barren under the Shroud, seventeen-year-old Ishmael travels to the planet of Cretacea to earn money for his family. On Cretacea, which sparkles with fresh air and clean water, he’s assigned to the crew of the, a whaling ship under the command of the mysterious Captain Ahab. Onboard, Ishmael grows close to his crewmates as they learn to hunt whales. His new life, though exciting, puts him in constant danger from treacherous waves and weather, vicious pirates, and even fellow sailors. But it’s Ahab’s obsession with capturing an enormous whale called the Great Terrafin that may very well kill them all. Echoes of and themes about environmental destruction enrich this thought-provoking, fast-paced, suspenseful adventure tale.

 

Common Core Connections:

 

This discussion guide, which can be used with large or small groups, will help students meet several of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts. These include the reading literature standards for key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge and ideas (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL), as well as the speaking and listening standards for comprehension and collaboration and for presentation of knowledge and ideas (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL). Questions can also be used as writing prompts for independent work.

 

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1. Describe Ishmael when the novel opens and how he changes while he’s on Cretacea. Identify scenes where he shows courage and leadership. What mistakes does he make? Discuss what kind of friend he is, based on his words and actions.

 

2. Queegueg surprises his new friends by talking about science and history they don’t know. How has he learned those things? Why is it forbidden to be a Lector? Describe other aspects of Queegueg’s character, his background, and what he’s like as a friend.

 

3. At first, Gwen is angry and belligerent. Give examples of her attitude when she first arrives. Explain how and why she changes, referring to specific scenes. Talk about times where she shows courage and generosity, and others where she shows a darker side.

 

4. Billy’s life is transformed during the story. Discuss what he’s like at the beginning, including his background and self-image. In what ways does he change? What causes the changes? Discuss if he’s better off in his new life, and why.

 

5. Ishmael and his friends realize that Pip is from a wealthier, more powerful class than they are. How can they tell? How does Pip explain why he’s on the ship? What is his background and what role does he play at the end of the story? Discuss whether you think Pip grows as a character, citing evidence in the text.

 

6. Early on, Ishmael becomes enemies with Bunta and Daggoo. Describe the incident where it first happens. What does it tell you about Ishmael’s character? Discuss specific consequences of having those two crew members as enemies.

 

7. Occasional chapters show glimpses of Ishmael’s childhood and the years before he went to Cretacea. Describe what Earth was like where he lived, including the Shroud, and how his family survived. Why do you think the author interspersed chapters about Earth and Ishmael’s past instead of summarizing them at the book’s beginning?

 

8. Even though Archie appears mainly in the short chapters set in the past, he’s important to Ishmael throughout the novel. Describe their relationship before and after they became foster children. What is Archie like? How does he affect Ishmael’s choices and actions? What does Ishmael learn near the end of the story about Archie’s fate?

 

9. What clues does Old Ben give Ishmael about what is really happening on Earth? What is Old Ben like? How does Ishmael encounter him on Cretacea and what occurs during that encounter?

 

10. Describe Gabriel, Fayaway, and the other islanders, their everyday activities, and their philosophy of life. How is their safety threatened by Ishmael and his friends? What does Ishmael learn from them and how does he affect their lives?

 

11. What role does Tarnmoor play in Ishmael’s time on the ship? What might the old man mean when he says to Ishmael, “Ask yerself where lies the final harbor, whence we unmoors no more? Where’s the foundling’s father hidden? Our souls is like those a orphans. The secrets a our paternity lies in their grave.” (p. 97)

 

12. Tarnmoor later says of Starbuck, “He always dids have heart, that one. Damaged heart, true, buts heart just the same.” (p. 376) Describe Starbuck, how he treats Ishmael and others, and the times that he shows heart. What is Starbuck’s relationship with Ahab like? Why does Tarnmoor say Starbuck’s heart is damaged?

 

13. In the end, what happens to Ahab, his crew, and the Describe the final encounter with the enormous whale. Talk about what the whale means to Ahab and why he was pursuing it. How did the officers and crew feel about the pursuit?

 

14. Although the crew is told that the is hunting whales for oil, Ahab and Starbuck also want a mysterious green liquid. What does it do and what’s its relationship to whales? Describe the connection between the islanders and the green liquid, how they obtain it and use it, and why it poses a threat to their safety.

 

15. Analyze the book’s ending from Ishmael’s perspective. What parts of it are positive? What parts are sad? Discuss what you think his future holds, citing evidence from the text.

 

16. In many ways, Ishmael’s time on Cretacea feels like it takes place in the past. Identify aspects of his experiences there that could have taken place in the nineteenth century and other aspects, such as certain technologies, that couldn’t.

 

17. Explain the relationship between Earth and Cretacea, and the role of time in that equation. What clues were there on Cretacea that Ishmael overlooked? Identify some of the things that Ishmael has never seen on Earth that he sees on Cretacea.

 

18. Queegueg says near the end, “Humans have been the most successful invasive species of all time.” (p. 405) What does he mean? How does the novel illustrate his belief? In what ways does our environmental situation today support Queegueg’s statement?

 

19. The novel’s epigraph is a quote from Herman Melville’s What did the author choose this quote? If you aren’t familiar with Melville’s novel, locate a summary of it. Discuss aspects of that are similar to and aspects that are different. Why do think the author drew so many parallels with a previous book?

 

20. To build tension and drama, the author uses cliffhangers at the end of some chapters. Find examples of effective cliffhangers and discuss their effect on the reader. Look at the beginning of the chapters right after the cliffhangers to see how quickly the suspenseful situation is resolved.

 

About Todd Strasser

 

Todd Strasser is the author of numerous award-winning YA novels including Fallout, The Wave, and Give a Boy a Gun. He once worked as a street musician in Europe and later owned a fortune cookie company. He now divides his time between Westchester and Montauk, NY, where he likes to read, watch movies, spend time with his grown children, play tennis, and surf.

 

This guide was prepared by Kathleen Odean. Kathleen was a school librarian for more than fifteen years and now presents all-day workshops on new books for young people. She served as chairperson of the 2002 Newbery Award Committee and is the author of several guides to children’s books, including Great Books for Girls, Great Books for Boys, and Great Books About Things Kids Love.