Confessions of a Candy Snatcher
illustrations by
on Goodreads (75)
What’s inside...
A night of Halloween fun gone wrong has Jonas wondering if he’s really a wolf in disguise in this fast-paced fiction debut delving into accountability, relationships, and zines. For the past few years, twelve-year-old Jonas and his friends have competed to see how many bags of candy they can grab from unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. No one’s supposed to get hurt, just lose their treats. So Jonas is taken by surprise when one of his smaller targets fights back against his snatching attempt. He’s even more surprised when he starts to receive anonymous notes from someone who knows what happened that night. Jonas already has enough on his plate, between his parents’ ill-defined separation and his own guilt—guilt his friend Concepción challenges him to confront in a zine she’s creating around the prompt “What’s the worst thing you ever did?” It’s a complicated question, one that touches on issues of identity, maturity, physical boundaries, and safety. Featuring zines crafted by award-winning illustrator Theodore Taylor III, Phoebe Sinclair’s debut novel relates an emotive, reflective story about the wonder—and mess—of growing up.
Age
10-14
Length
336 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think motivated the Candy Snatcher to take the candy?
How do you feel about what the Candy Snatcher did?
What would you have done if you were in the Candy Snatcher's shoes?
Can you think of a better way the Candy Snatcher could have handled his desire for candy?
How do you think the story would change if the Candy Snatcher apologized?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to express their opinions and feelings about the Candy Snatcher's actions, validating their feelings and fostering empathy.
Discuss the concept of actions and consequences with your child to deepen their understanding of moral and ethical decisions.
Use the book as a springboard to talk about honesty and trust, relating them to everyday situations your child might encounter.
Ask your child to imagine alternative endings to the story, which helps develop critical thinking and creativity.
Allow your child to draw or write a letter to the Candy Snatcher, expressing how they might help him make better choices, fostering a sense of compassion and helpfulness.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Sharing is caring
Explanation: The main character learns that sharing treats with friends brings happiness and strengthens friendships, rather than keeping it all to oneself.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this lesson by sharing their snacks or toys with their peers, which can help them build stronger bonds and mutual respect among friends.
Example Lesson: Honesty is the best policy
Explanation: The protagonist faces consequences after being dishonest about taking candies. This highlights the importance of honesty.
Real-World Application: This encourages children to be honest about their actions and mistakes, fostering trust with their parents and teachers.
Example Lesson: Understanding right from wrong
Explanation: Through the character's journey, the story teaches the reader to distinguish between right and wrong choices.
Real-World Application: Kids can reflect on their daily decisions and learn to choose actions that are morally correct, leading to positive outcomes in their interactions.
Example Lesson: Empathy and understanding
Explanation: The story shows the character learning to empathize with others' feelings when affected by his actions.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to consider how their actions affect others and develop empathy, which is crucial in building healthy interpersonal relationships.
Example Lesson: Consequences of actions
Explanation: As the candy snatcher faces various challenges and outcomes from his actions, the narrative conveys that every action has a consequence.
Real-World Application: This lesson can help children understand that their choices have impacts and to think before acting, promoting responsible behavior.