The Demon in the Teahouse - booktalk: intermediate

By Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler. Philomel, 2001; 208 pages; $17.99 (Gr. 5-8).

Adopted by Judge Ooka, fourteen-year-old merchant's son, Seikei, is learning to be a samurai in eighteenth-century Japan. Ooka, the shogun's official, is known for his great skill in detecting criminals, and he sees in Seikei the same talent of careful observation. Investigating the three fires that have been set in the city of Edo, the judge discovers that a geisha may be responsible. It is also rumored that a demon has murdered three young women in Yoshiwara, a place of theaters and teahouses, also called "the floating world." On the judge's orders, Seikei works in a teahouse so he can look for suspects and clues, and quickly finds himself in danger.

ACTIVITY: Have students read and explore different aspects of Japanese life to find portraits of geishas and samurai; pictures of clothing, weapons, and houses; and samples of Japanese writing and food.

JUDY FREEMAN, children's literature consultant and workshop presenter (BKWSSF@aol.com), is the author of several books including More Books Kids Will Sit Still For (Bowker/Greenwood, 1995).

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