A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning

Author: Lemony Snicket

Illustrated by: Brett Helquist

Published by: Harper Collins, 1999

Genre: Realistic fiction, Mystery, Series

Age Range: grades 4-5

This book starts with the three Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, and the tragic loss of their parents in the fire that also consumed their home. They are sent to live with their cousin, Count Olaf, because according to their parents will they are supposed to live with their closest relative. Olaf lives just across the city, but the children are pretty sure that physically close was not what their parents had in mind. Count Olaf treats them horribly and they quickly figure out that he is just trying to get to their family money that will only become theirs when Violet, the oldest, becomes of age. Olaf, determined to have their fortune, comes up with a plot to get it sooner and the Baudelaire children must figure out what that plot is to keep themselves and their money safe. This is just the first book laying out the adventures and unfortunate events of the Baudelaire children.

I found this book so much fun to read. Lemony Snicket really has a smart sense of humor that both children and adults can enjoy. Mr. Poe, the executor of the Baudelaire estate, has two sons named Edgar and Albert which I found funny because it reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe who is a writer whose work tends to be dark. Similarly, Snickets series is definately not bright and happy. It touches on death, and abuse things that children face though we don't like to think they do. I also like how, Snicket made the children so interested in books. Klaus enjoys reading and Violet enjoys inventing things but when they need to find something out they go to books for the answer. That shows children that they can find things out for themselves and come to their own conclusions. They don't always need adults to give them the answers. I also liked how Snicket defined the bigger words that he used within the context of the reading. He not only gives them the meaning of the word but the reader also gets to see it used in a sentence so they can see how to properly use it themselves. I think one of my favorite parts though was on page 94 when Klaus stays up late reading to try and figure out what Olaf could be up to. He gets tired and his eyes are trying to close and he finds himself reading the same sentence over and over. Well instead of just letting us read that description Snicket repeats the sentence "He found himself reading the same sentence over and over." three times so that you are also reading the same sentence repeatedly.

Since this book touches on darker more sensitive parts of children's lives it opens up the opportunity for students to express harder times they have had in their lives. Some art projects could include expressing these times through many different types of art medium. Another fun thing that would work with building creativity would be to have them create thier own inventions to help them perform something that they needed to do.