The Tale of Despereaux
Lexile Level: 670L
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is a wonderful chapter book about a mouse named Desperaux who lives in a castle. Desperaux has several traits that make him different from the other mice in the castle. He loves to read and has a curious nature that leads to conflicts with the other mice. Students would enjoy the exciting plot of this book and may identify with the misunderstood protagonist. The Tale of Despereaux could be used to teach several different reading concepts as it features many well developed characters and literary themes. This book would be a great chapter book for upper elementary students to read independently as it is such an enjoyable story and so full of adventure. This book could also be used in guided reading exercises as it could provide students with opportunities to learn many vocabulary words in context and to explore literary themes and symbolism.
