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Rise of the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel (The Descendants 3)



Last updated Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Date of Publication: 2017
ISBN: 1484781287
Grade Level: 5th    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: May 2020

Synopsis: Deep beneath the waves, King Triton's powerful trident has passed through the magical barrier that surrounds the Isle of the Lost-keeping villains in and magic out. And when Mal's longtime rival Uma, daughter of Ursula, gets wind of this, she can't believe her luck. The tide has dragged in something good for a change, and Uma is determined to get her wicked hands on it. But first, she needs a pirate crew. A storm is brewing back in Auradon, and when Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay hear that the trident has been washed away, they realize they'll have to find it before anyone from the Isle does. Luckily, they seem to have a talent for locating missing magical objects. The thrilling, perilous race to the trident pits old friends-and current enemies-against each other with the future of Auradon on the line. Both teams might like to make waves, but only one will come out on top of this one.

Note to readers:
•  This is book 3 in the series. Preceded by: Return to the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel Followed by: Escape from the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel
•  This book series is based on a Disney movie series. It is set in a fantasy world that mashes up various Disney movies, including 101 Dalmations, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan (Hook?), and Cinderella.
•  Twenty years ago, after all of the Disney good guys and gals got their happily ever afters and it seemed like most of the villains were gone for good, it turns out that the iconic Disney villains and their minions were banished by King Beast of Auradon to the Isle of the Lost, which is surrounded by an impenetrable dome. And astonishingly enough, these baddies actually had kids who are now teens. The series features lots of the offspring from Auradon (land of the good guys) and the Isle of the Lost, but it primarily focuses on Mal, daughter of Maleficent; Evie, daughter of Evil Queen; Jay, son of Jafar; and Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil, who may not be as rotten to the core as their baddie parents.

The Descendants

•  Mal - daughter of Maleficent.
•  Jay - the son of Jafar.
•  Evie - daughter of the Evil Queen.
•  Carlos De Vil -the son of Cruella De Vil.
•  Ben - son of Belle and the Beast.
•  Audrey - daughter of Aurora and Prince Phillip.
•  Chad Charming - son of Cinderella and Prince Charming.
•  Lonnie -daughter of Fa Mulan and Li Shang.
•  Jane - daughter of the Fairy Godmother.
•  Doug - son of Dopey.

Villains

•  Maleficent - from Sleeping Beauty, Mal's mother, the leader of the villains, and the main antagonist.
•  Jafar - from Aladdin, Jay's father, who owns a junk shop on the Isle of the Lost.
•  The Evil Queen - from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Evie's mother.
•  Cruella De Vil - from One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Carlos' mother.

Heroes

•  Queen Belle - from Beauty and the Beast.
•  King Beast - from Beauty and the Beast.
•  Queen Leah - from Sleeping Beauty, the mother of Princess Aurora and the grandmother of Princess Audrey.
•  Fairy Godmother - from Cinderella, the headmistress of Auradon Prep.
•  Snow White - from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a local news anchor who reports on the activities at Auradon.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Discuss the various movies and characters that this is based on. How many of the kids have seen The Descendants movies on TV? Descendants came out in 2015, Descendants 2 came out in 2017, Descendants 3 came out in 2019.
•  Are the children of good people always good? Are the children of bad people (or bad fairy tale characters) always bad? What makes the difference?
•  How would your life be different if you were living on an island instead of on a continent?

Vocabulary

•  bouffant - a hairstyle characterized by hair raised high on the head and usually covering the ears or hanging down on the sides.
•  nemesis - the inescapable or implacable agent of someone's downfall
•  irony - the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  When does someone feel envy? Jealousy?
•  What's a pun? Notice the name of the beauty salon, "Curl Up and Dye."
•  Would you eat what the pirate ordered at the fish and chips shop where Uma works?
•  Can the four friends triumph over evil once again and save Auradon from the brewing storm?
•  And is there hope for more villainous offspring from the Isle being capable of more than their parents’ wicked ways?

Craft ideas:
•  Make a trident like King Neptune's.
•  Decorate a notebook with shaving cream and food coloring (see video on Pinterest).
•  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFCl3aq8Fpo
•  Make a Mother's Day card! Mother's Day is May 10th. (tomorrow) Fold a piece of colored or white paper in half. Draw a flower or bouquet of flowers on the front or inside.
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/may-2020-fantasy-folklore-fairytales/

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!