Q is for Quick-witted
Q is for Quick-witted
It’s day 17 of
the A to Z Challenge!
Otherwise known as the letter Q Day for my theme
Young Adult Novels and Novels with Young Adult Narrators.
Yesterday in the P is for Perseverance post, we discussed the challenging ordeals teen narrators face down. One way teens face down these obstacles is by using their brains to outwit circumstances. Today’s selections showcase two such young narrators.
Q & A by Vikas Swarup
You’re probably more familiar with the title Slumdog Millionaire for this novel of a young man accused of cheating after correctly guessing all 12 questions on India’s quiz show, Who Will Win a Billion? Ram Mohammad Thomas must demonstrate his quick-witted nature both in answering the quiz show questions and in convincing the police that he did not cheat. Though this book was not written specifically for the young adult market, it will appeal to mature young adult readers. I’ve been assured that the novel is less graphic than the movie. Reviewers are mixed about whether they prefer the book to the movie. After the spectacular reception of the movie, the title of the novel was changed to match.
Queen’s Own Fool by Jane Yolen
Queen Mary buys the orphan Nicola to serve as her fool. Young Nicola is not only the jester of Mary, Queen of Scots, but she also becomes the queen’s friend and confidante. When palace intrigue and betrayals plague Mary, the quick-witted Nicola is there to offer advice and honesty. Jane Yolen is an eminent author and researcher who has written award winning books for young people.
Have you seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire and/or read the book? If both, which did you prefer? Who is your favorite quick-witted character?
In case you’re dropping in for the first time, you’ve just entered the A to Z Challenge. Bloggers from all over the world write 26 posts in the month of April, one blog for each letter of the alphabet, six days a week with Sundays off. Anyone who blogs or likes to read blogs can join in. Click here to get started! And be sure to visit other participating blogs and leave comments.
6 thoughts on “Q is for Quick-witted”
Q&A sounds like a really interesting book. I haven’t heard of it before. Imagine how sad it would be to win so well, and yet have everyone think you were cheating…
Visiting from the A to Z Challenge. You can see my “Q” post here: https://lydiahowe.com/2017/04/20/q-is-for-questions-atozchallenge-also-time-for-yall-to-ask-questions/
Yes, that would be sad. And scary, too, especially for an uneducated orphan like Ram. I can hardly imagine it.
They both sound like interesting books, and no, I’ve not read or seen Slumdog Millionaire. To be honest, until a moment ago, I didn’t even know what it was about.
https://peninherhand.com/q-quick-witted/
Ah, and now you know! I think Queen’s Own Fool might be a good novel for students who want to see more of a girl/woman aspect of history.
I love a main character who can use his/her brains to overcome a situation! Slumdog Millionaire was a great movie… I didn’t know it was based on a book.
operationawesome6.blogspot.com/
I do, too. Those brains are often the weapon of the underdog–the one we all want to root for. I didn’t know about the origins of Slumdog Millionaire until I started searching for Q books. Movie to book would be an interesting comparison.