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Treasures in the Dust By Tracey Porter Weetzie Bat is a modern fairy tale with an offbeat and unforgettable cast of characters. This reading group guide is designed to invite discussion of the wonderfully original novel, examination of its themes—surprisingly substantial for a book of its brevity—and consideration of its many memorable characters. Critics hailed Francesca Lia Block’s first novel for its lyrical style, transcendent themes, imaginatively realized setting, and innovative blending of magic and realism. The author brings an artist’s eye and a poet’s sensibility to her unforgettable story of teenagers coming of age in a time when love is a dangerous angel. This slender novel (only 113 pages) proves the truth of Henry David Thoreau’s observation that “less is more,” for it offers more insight into love, compassion, and tolerance than many books four times its length. Poetic and wise, Weetzie Bat is a celebration of the human spirit.
“Artful wordplay [and] wonderfully controlled use of the language of pop culture make this a sad, happy, funny, and touching book.”
“Weetzie Bat burst on the young adult book scene like a rainbow bubble showering clouds of roses, feathers, tiny shells, and a rubber chicken. Hardened critics, who thought they’d seen all the possible variants of the coming-of-age novel, were astonished by the freshness of Francesca Lia Block’s voice.”
“This unusual fairy tale, set in Los Angeles’ punk/new wave scene, features Weetzie Bat and Dirk, two teenagers searching for true love. The language is striking and full of vivid images and the story is a sweet one about the importance of love.” 1. Dirk says to Weetzie, “Love is a dangerous angel.” What do you think he means by this? Weetzie Bat is a very nontraditional love story. What does it tell its readers about the search for love? 2. Weetzie Bat has been called a modern fairy tale. Do you agree? In what ways does it resemble a traditional fairy tale? In what ways is it a realistic novel? 3. The author has been praised for the vividness of her Los Angeles setting. What kind of city does she depict? Do you think it is a realistic representation of LA? Could you imagine this book taking place anywhere else? 4. Neither Weetzie nor Dirk comes from a traditional family. How does this influence the people they are and the unconventional family group that they form? Is it a better—or worse—model for a modern family than the traditional one? 5. Why is Weetzie fascinated by Jayne Mansfield? Why is Vixanne? Should the reader believe that Vixanne is literally a witch, and the members of the fan club her coven? Does Weetzie’s encounter with a genie happen in the real world or in the world of her imagination? 6. What do you think Weetzie means when she thinks “love and disease are both like electricity” (p. 113)? Do you agree with her that “we can choose”? How does what Grandma Fifi says about love (p. 24) relate to this? 7. Francesca Lia Block is also a poet. Her late father was an artist whose paintings hang on the walls of her home. How do you think these two factors affect her style as a novelist? 8. If she were a painter, what kinds of pictures do you think Block would create? 9. Weetzie Bat was written more than ten years ago. If the author were to write it today, how do you think the book might be different?
Francesca Lia Block, nurtured by a painter/filmmaker father and a poet mother, wrote most of her first novel, Weetzie Bat, while she was studying at the University of California–Berkeley. Since then, Block has written four Weetzie sequels: Witch Baby, Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys, Missing Angel Juan, and Baby Be-Bop. Like Weetzie they have all received high praise and prestigious awards. Ms. Block is also the author of The Hanged Man and Girl Goddess #9.
If you liked Weetzie Bat, try these other books from HarperCollins:
Kissing the Witch:
Acting Normal
Laughing Out Loud, I Fly:
Leaving Home
Blood on the Forehead:
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