“Oh, Glass, no!” Kaz’s voice. “Attica…”
A shape moved past me toward the altar. I wasn’t looking.
I’d seen far too much already.
“Kaz, we have to go.” Draulin? Of course. They’d left her at the base of the pillar, unconscious, but she’d have woken up too. The antidote …
“Alcatraz.” Bastille sounded exhausted. “Who was up here with you? A ship flew down and carried them off. Why did they leave you? Can you hear me?”
No.
I didn’t want to hear.
“Pick him up, Bastille,” Draulin said, her voice hard. “With Leavenworth and Attica dead, Alcatraz is now the last member of the direct Smedry line. We must get him to safety.”
“They’re scattering quickly,” Kaz said, his voice tense with grief. “I think the Librarian leaders must not have turned off the detonation that Pop set up. Why would they abandon so much? The Highbrary itself? And my brother … What is going on here?”
Too many people saw strange things here, I wanted to whisper. So Biblioden is going to sacrifice them.
I couldn’t say it. Not with the sound of my father’s screams in my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut.
And let them carry me away.
Author’s Afterword
Yes, that’s it.
I tried to prepare you. I told you this was the ending, and that you weren’t going to like it.
The self-destruct device went off about an hour after we escaped. The Highbrary was destroyed, though it was passed off as an earthquake, as most of the destruction was underground. It did cause chaos in Washington, DC, which was already suffering from the battle that had taken place in the skies.
But the Librarians rebuilt it. Covered it up with some renovation project or another. They carefully went about interviewing people and finding out if they’d seen my speech. Then the Librarians wiped their memories of the event. It took forever, but they managed it.
Everything went back to normal.
I failed.
I can sense that you want more. I can sense that you’re expecting this story to continue. It won’t; I’m done. I’m no hero, and the truth is now out. That’s why I wrote these books.
In that moment when I could have sacrificed myself, I told them to take my father instead. My father, the man who could have stopped Biblioden. The man who understood more than anyone else about Lenses, the Incarna, and the nature of our enemies.
I let him die because I was too much of a coward to take his place.
With this, I end my autobiography. I won’t thank you for reading it. This was something you needed to read. Just like it was something I needed to say.
It is finally over.
I’m sorry.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brandon Sanderson is the fake author of these books, the name Alcatraz publishes them under to keep the Librarians from realizing that the books are real. Alcatraz has it on good authority that while there was once an actual Brandon Sanderson, he was executed for taking too much time to write the fifth book of a series—and then doing something horrible at the ending. These days, the title “Brandon Sanderson” is wielded by a group of shadowy book-writing ninjas, with the goal of owning all of the world’s mac and cheese. You can sign up for email updates here and here.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
In addition to her work as an illustrator, Hayley Lazo has recently committed herself to such philanthropic movements as No Shark Left Behind and the Kitten Rehabilitation Initiative. Surprisingly, she hasn’t lost any fingers yet, and insists that she could still manage to draw even if one or two were to go missing. Her art can be found at art-zealot.deviantart.com.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This one was a long time coming! I offer many apologies for that, along with many, many thanks to the people who helped this come to pass.
First off, thank you to those at Tor Books, Tor Teen, and Starscape Books who picked up this series and helped it rise from the ashes to come back to life. Susan Chang is the editor. She wanted this series badly from the start, and has long been a champion of Alcatraz and his insanity. Her team at Starscape/Tor included Megan Kiddoo, Karl Gold, Victoria Wallis, Deanna Hoak, and Rafal Gibek. Also, thanks to Kathleen Doherty for believing in me and even my most insane projects.
You may have noticed the awesome artwork in this edition. I’m very pleased with how this turned out. Hayley Lazo did the interior art, and she is just magnificent. Also, a special thanks to Scott Brundage, who did the cover. For the first time I feel I have a cover illustrator who really gets the Alcatraz books. His covers are brilliant, and rank among my favorite covers on any of my books ever.
My team at Dragonsteel includes Isaac S☂ewar☂ who did the gorgeous map for these editions—and who was also the art director for the project. He put in a lot of extra effort on these books.
The inaugural Peter Ahlstrom did his normal brilliant editing job. It swamped him, getting all five books ready for publication, but he soldiered on like a Smedry. The rest of my team includes Kara Stewart, Karen Ahlstrom, Adam Horne, and Emily Sanderson.
Thanks to my agents, Eddie Schneider and Joshua Bilmes, as always.
Beta readers included Peter Ahlstrom, Aaron Rothman, Darci Cole, Randy MacKay, Frances Moritz, Cassandra Moritz, Gideon Roberts, Anda Jones, Caleb Jones, Hylke Damien, Kristina Kugler, Brenna Kugler, Jonas Kugler, Christine Wilkinson, Lindy Wilkinson, Emily Wilkinson, Haley Wilkinson, Audrey Horne, Ariana Horne, Jaclyn Weist, Jakob Weist, Ashley Weist, Andy Weist, Steve Weist, Briana Farr, Libby Glancy, Margaret Glancy, Jaxon Kremser, Josh Walker, Mi’chelle Walker, Mike Shaffer, Trevor Florence, Calvin Florence, Tomas Cundick, Annabel Cantor, Kacee Garner, Isaac Garner, Karen Ahlstrom, and Isaac S☂ewar☂.
Gamma readers included many of the above, plus Anna Hornbostel, Gary Singer, Louis Hill, Megan Kanne, Rebecca Arneson, Alice Arneson, Trae Cooper, Ross Newberry, Mark Lindberg, Jana S. Brown, Sarah “Saphy” Hansen, Kellyn Neumann, and Bonny Skarstedt.
Starscape Reading and Activity Guide to the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians Series
By Brandon Sanderson
Ages 8–12; Grades 3–7
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The questions and activities that follow are intended to enhance your reading of Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz novels. The guide has been developed in alignment with the Common Core State Standards, however please feel free to adapt this content to suit the needs and interests of your students or reading group participants.
ABOUT THE ALCATRAZ SERIES
Brandon Sanderson turns readers’ understanding of literary genres upside down and backwards in this lively adventure series. In the world of thirteen-year-old Alcatraz Smedry, “Librarians,” with their compulsions to organize and control information, are a source of evil, and “Talents” can include breaking things, arriving late, and getting lost. Add an unlikely teenage knight named Bastille, flying glass dragons, wild battles, references to philosophers and authors from Heraclitus to Terry Pratchett, and plenty of hilarious wordplay, and you have a series to please book lovers of all ages. And one that will have readers reflecting deeply about the nature of knowledge, truth, family, and trust, all while laughing out loud.
READING LITERATURE
Genre Study: Fantasy
In the introduction to the first book in the series, Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, the narrator, Alcatraz Smedry, claims that his story is true, even though it will be shelved as “fantasy” in the world to which his readers (you) belong.
Fantasy is a literary genre that often includes:
• Characters who are magical, inspired by mythology, or who have special powers
• Settings that include unexplored parts of the known world, or new and different worlds
• Plot elements (actions) that cannot be explained in terms of historical or scientific information from our known world
While reading the books in this series, note when the author uses some
of these elements of fantasy to tell his story. Students can track their observations in reading journals if desired, noting which elements of the fantasy genre are most often used by the author.
Older readers (grades 6 and 7) may also consider the way the author incorporates elements of the following genres into his novels, as well as how these genres relate to the fantasy components of the series:
Science fiction, which deals with imaginative concepts such as futuristic settings and technologies, space and time travel, and parallel universes. Science fiction stories frequently explore the effects of specific scientific or technological discoveries on governments and societies.
Steampunk, a subgenre of science fiction, which is often set in an alternative history or fantasy and features the use of steam as a primary power source. Steampunk features technologies which seem simultaneously futuristic and old-fashioned, or beings which are combinations of mechanical and biological elements.
After reading one or more of the Alcatraz books, invite students to reread the “Author’s Foreword” to Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians and discuss why they think the author chose to begin the series by explaining where the books will be shelved in a library.
Technical Study: Structure and Literary Devices
The Alcatraz series can be viewed as the author’s exploration of the idea, concept, and value of books themselves as both a way information is shared, and the way it is contained. One way Brandon Sanderson accomplishes this is to question the very structure of the novel. Invite students to look for the following elements in the stories and share their reactions to these literary devices and structures.
• Point of View. In this series, the point of view through which the reader sees the story is in the first-person voice of Alcatraz Smedry. He also claims that he is using the name Brandon Sanderson as a pseudonym, thus this is an autobiography or memoir. Is Alcatraz Smedry a reliable narrator, giving readers an unbiased report of the events of the story, or is Al an unreliable narrator, making false claims or telling the story in such a way as to leave doubts in the reader’s mind? In what ways is Alcatraz reliable and/or unreliable? How might the series be different if Bastille or another character were telling the story? (Hint: For further examples of unreliable narrators in children’s and teen fiction, read Jon Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, E. Nesbit’s The Story of the Treasure Seekers, Justine Larbalestier’s Liar, or Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.)
• Asides. At times, the narrator directly addresses the reader, suggesting how s/he should interpret a comment or how to best enjoy the novel (e.g. reading aloud or acting out scenes). Does this change the reader’s sense of his or her relationship with the book? If so, how does this relationship feel different?
• Chapter Breaks. Discuss the unusual ways the author begins, ends, numbers, and sequences chapters. Is this pleasant or unpleasant? Have readers read any other works of fiction (or nonfiction) that explore chapters in this way?
• Wordplay in World-Building. To explain Free Kingdoms ideas, technologies, and objects in terms of the Hushlander (readers’) world, the author uses similes, metaphors, and analogies. To reflect protagonist Alcatraz’s own confusion and frustration, Brandon Sanderson employs invented words, puns, and even text written backwards or in other unusual ways. Find examples of these uses of wordplay in the text. How does the use of these literary devices enrich the text?
Character Study: Families and Friends
Having been raised in foster homes convinced that both of his parents were horrible people, Alcatraz Smedry is often uncertain as to what it means to like, love, and trust other people. Since he is the narrator of the series, Alcatraz’s uncertainty affects readers’ perceptions of the characters he describes. In a reading journal or in class discussion, have students analyze the physical traits, lineage (parents, relationships), motivations, and concerns of major characters in the novel. How is each character related to Alcatraz? What is especially important about the idea of family relationships in this series? Does Alcatraz’s view of certain characters change in the course of single books? Do recurring characters develop or change over the course of more than one book in the series? If so, how and why do the characters evolve?
English Language Arts Common Core Reading Literature Standards
RL.3.3-6, 4.3-6, 5.3-6, 6.3-6, 7.3-6
THEMES AND MOTIFS: DISCUSSION TOPICS for the ALCATRAZ SERIES
Sanderson’s Alcatraz novels can be read on many levels, including as adventure stories, as musings on the nature of knowledge, and as fantasies incorporating elements of science fiction and steampunk. Here are some themes you may want to watch for and explore with your classmates or students.
• Talent. How does Sanderson use the word talent in traditional and nontraditional ways? Is talent important, valuable, even essential? What does Sanderson really mean by “talent”? How might students incorporate Sanderson’s unique interpretation of the word talent into their own sense of self?
• Heroism. Throughout the novel, Alcatraz claims to be “bad,” “a liar,” “a coward,” and “not a hero.” What makes a “hero” in a novel, a movie, and in real life? Does it matter if a person acts heroically on purpose or by accident? What do you think is the most important reason Alcatraz denies his heroism?
• Knowledge, Learning, Thinking. Find instances in the stories when Alcatraz admits to acting before thinking ahead to consider all possible outcomes of his plans. In these instances, is he simply being careless or does he lack some important information since he was raised in the Hushlands? Compare and contrast the way people acquire knowledge in the Hushlands versus the Free Kingdoms.
• Opposites. Throughout the novels, the narrator refers to the ideas of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, whose doctrines included (1) universal flux (the idea that things are constantly changing) and (2) unity of opposites (the idea that opposites (objects, ideas) are necessary and balance each other). The philosopher also believed that “Much learning does not teach understanding,” (The Art and Thought of Heraclitus, ed. Charles H. Kahn, Cambridge University Press, 1981). How might the series be read as an exploration of Heraclitus’s doctrines?
English Language Arts Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards
SL.3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1
SL.3.3, 4.3, 5.3, 6.3, 7.3
RESEARCH AND WRITING PROJECTS
Keep a Reading Journal.
Use the journal to record:
• Favorite quotations, funny lines, exciting scenes (note page numbers).
• Situations in which the main character is in crisis or danger, and notes on what advice readers might offer.
• New vocabulary words and/or a list of invented words.
• Sketches inspired by the novels.
• Questions readers would like to ask the author or characters from the novels.
Explore Glass.
From Oculators’ Lenses to unbreakable glass buildings, glass is a core substance throughout the series. Go to the library or online to learn more about glass. Create a PowerPoint or other multimedia presentation discussing the physical properties, history, practical, and creative uses of glass. Or create a presentation explaining how glass works in the Free Kingdoms. Include visual elements, such as photographs or drawings, in your presentation.
Silimatic Technology.
This part scientific, part magical technology powers much of the Free Kingdoms. Using details from the novels, create an outline or short pamphlet explaining the rules and functions of silimatic technology as you understand it. If desired, dress as you imagine a Free Kingdoms scientist might choose to dress and present your findings to classmates.
Choose a Talent.
Many of the characters in the Alcatraz series have talents that seem more like problems. Think of a personality or quality you consider a fault in your own life, such as messy penmanship, bad spelling, or the inability to catch a baseball. Imagine how that talent might prove useful in th
e world of Alcatraz. Write a 3–5 page scene in which you encounter Alcatraz and help him using your “talent.”
English Language Arts Common Core Writing Standards
W.3.1-3, 4.1-3, 5.1-3, 6.1-3, 7.1-3
W3.7-8, 4.7-9, 5.7-9, 6.7-9, 7.7-9
DISCUSSION STARTERS AND WRITING PROMPTS FOR INDIVIDUAL TITLES
THE DARK TALENT
To stop his father from carrying out a dastardly plan to unleash Talents across the Hushlands, Alcatraz must infiltrate his dad’s hiding place within the Evil Librarian’s great Highbrary—cunningly disguised as the Library of Congress. But can he trust his accomplices, including his terrifying mother Shasta and annoying cousin Dif? And, with his own Talent dangerously disabled, will he be able to find his father in time to save anyone—even himself?
QUOTES
Discuss the following quotations in terms of what they mean in terms of the novel; in terms of your thoughts about books and libraries; and in terms of their relevance to the real lives of readers.
The [tales] we tell ourselves these days always seem to need a happy ending.… Is it because the Librarians are protecting us from stories with sad endings? Or is it something about who we are, who we have become as a society, that makes us need to see the good guys win?
(Chapter Mary)
“Have you been with that fool of a grandfather of yours so long you’ve lost the ability to see the world as it has to be?”
(Chapter 16)
“Librarians,” my mother said, “share more with Smedrys than either would like to admit.”
(Chapter 17)
Father said. “Son, you have to understand. Your mother is a Librarian. In her heart, she’s terrified of change—not to mention frightened of the idea of common people being outside her control.”