The Girl Who Owned a City

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY 1: “Storytime”

Throughout the novel, Lisa uses stories to communicate lessons to Todd. She also introduces him to new vocabulary like “logical” and “strategy.” In this activity, you’ll be doing a little bit of both: Choose one of the words The Girl Who Owned a City explores at length and write a brief, fable-like story based on it, either by including the word within the story or by communicating its meaning through the story’s moral.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity ties together and reinforces two important motifs in the novel—storytelling and vocabulary development. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on (and possibly discuss) the role narrative plays in learning to Think Through Problems, which is in part what the novel itself seeks to teach.

ACTIVITY 2: “Application: Glenbard”

Although Lisa estimates Glenbard can house roughly 800 residents, there are only about 500 at the end of the novel. This is because Lisa and her advisors are very selective about whom they allow into the city.

Part A: Imagine you are applying to live in Glenbard. Assuming you know someone inside the city who can vouch for you, what other “qualifications” could you stress in making your case for admittance? Consider things like the skills you have, the values you hold, the plans you have for the future, etc.