Pan Macmillan Teachers’ Notes
A Corner of White – Book One in the Colours of Madeleine
trilogy
By Jaclyn Moriarty
Notes by Jo Lyons
Synopsis
She knew this.
That philematology is the science of kissing.
That Samuel Langhorne Clemens is better known as Mark Twain.
That, originally, gold comes from the stars.
Madeleine Tully lives in Cambridge, England, the World – an ordinary and, as she
sees it, relatively colourless existence. Elliot Baranski lives in Bonfire, the Farms, the
Kingdom of Cello, a place full of beauty, magic and colour – though the latter
sometimes takes the form of actual organisms called Colours, some beneficial to the
people there, others dangerous and even life-threatening.
Elliot’s father went missing a year earlier, at the same time Elliot’s uncle was
killed and a teacher went missing; presumably they were attacked by a Purple. Elliot
is hopeful that the Purple carried off his father, who he has been searching for ever
since.
Madeleine has recently come to Cambridge with her mother, both of them
running away from their wealthy life and Madeleine’s father.
Elliot and Madeleine live in two very different worlds, which are brought
together when Madeleine discovers a thin white line in the crack of a broken parking
meter.
They begin to write to each other, something that is forbidden in the Kingdom
of Cello as all cracks must be reported and sealed up. Through their letters they
bond over the loss of their fathers, the problems they face growing up and their
quest to unravel the mysteries in their lives.
A Corner of White is a wonderfully original, fresh, warm and engaging novel. It has
broad appeal and can be enjoyed by young adults and adults alike. While humorous
at times, it also has a darker side and explores in some depth themes such as family
tragedy and loss, framed within the structure of a fantasy narrative.
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Themes
Fantasy versus reality
‘Who really knows what’s real anyway?’ (p. 326)
The Kingdom of Cello exists in parallel with Cambridge, the World. Stemming from
this is the idea that Madeleine is real while Elliot is not real, played out in the letters
between them, with Madeleine taking a long time to decide that she believes Elliot –
and Cello – exist.
Within Cello itself there is the question of what is real and what is fantasy: whether
the Butterfly Child, a small magical being, is real or if it’s a myth – and then once she
appears, whether the stories about her abilities are really true. The Princess Sisters
are featured in articles written for the Cellian Herald – but this turns out to be a
façade as all the Royal Family of Cello are missing except for Princess Ko, who has
been dutifully running the Kingdom and keeping up appearances while also secretly
searching for her family.
Question: What is our first impression of Princess Ko, as shown in the Cellian Herald?
What is the reality?
The Twickleham family take over Elliot’s dad’s repair shop but meet opposition
from Elliot’s friends; eventually the reader comes to realise that the Twicklehams are
not what they seem.
Question: How does the author position us to feel a certain way about the
Twicklehams? How do they first appear to the reader and how does this change?
Meanwhile in the World, Madeleine has difficulty reconciling her new reality with
her old life: she decides her new life is the fantasy, a short-term situation to be fixed,
and her old life is the reality she will shortly return to. In doing so, she emphasises
all the negative things in her current life, exaggerating the brilliance of the old.
Question: ‘I used to think that my dad was a sky full of colour…that my mother was
a swan who, in a mad flight of fancy, got us locked up in a tower here in
Cambridge.’ (p. 394) How does Madeleine come to realise the truth about her life?
Good versus evil
‘The warning bells chimed and chimed. It was the code for a first-level Yellow.
Lemon Yellow. Most lethal Colour of them all.’ (p. 362)
The novel conforms to the convention of a fantasy narrative through the use of good
versus evil as one of its main themes. This is primarily shown in the concept of the
Colours, which can be beneficial or dangerous, creating an atmosphere of suspense
that hangs over the Kingdom of Cello.
Activity: As you read through the book, keep a list of all the different Colours
mentioned, what they do, whether they’re good or bad, and a description of what
you think they might look like.
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Also in Cello, there are people classified as Hostiles who are working against the
Royal Family and committing various crimes.
Activity: What are the various types of hostiles? Write down definitions of each as
you read through the book.
The novel includes a range of characters, a mix of good and bad. Sometimes it is
hard to tell one way or the other, as characters can be quite complex.
Discussion question: Is there a hero of the novel and if so, who do you think it is?
Question: We don’t meet Abel Baranski or Madeleine’s father, but rather learn about
them through Elliot’s and Madeleine’s thoughts of their fathers or through what
other characters say about them. Write a description of each father based on
evidence from the book. Were they good or bad fathers, or neither? Discuss.
Accepting loss
‘I thought of you and me. How we’re like shadows of each other…I ran away from
my father; your father ran away from you’ (p. 311).
When we meet Elliot and Madeleine, both of them have lost their fathers. It takes
time, along with their growing friendship through the exchange of letters, to come to
terms with their individual losses and the truth of each.
Activity: Find specific examples throughout the novel where each of them is affected
by the absence of their father. Compare and contrast the different ways Madeleine
and Elliot deal with their loss.
Madeleine’s mother becomes sick, and Madeleine’s response to the prospect of
losing her mother through terminal illness, especially in the face of recent
realisations about her father, is raw and anguished. Madeleine’s solution to her
mother’s sickness, found through her love of Isaac Newton and his theories, is this:
‘All she had to do was keep the stars fixed to the sky.’ (p. 367)
Discussion: What do you think this analogy means and why do you think Madeleine
responds in this way?
Family
‘I want to go home. That was wrong. They never had a home, more a lifestyle.’ (p. 48)
Madeleine and her mother Holly live in a shabby attic flat. They previously lived a
very wealthy, luxurious life with Madeleine’s father until they decided to run away;
now they are poor, and living in ‘dreary’ Cambridge. Holly sews every night, and
home schools Madeleine along with her friends Jack and Belle, and she is also
practising to go on a quiz show, which it seems she doesn’t have any hope of
winning. Madeleine dreams of the day her father will come and rescue them, taking
them back to the opulent lifestyle they were accustomed to.
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Elliot and his mother are trying to come to terms with the loss of Elliot’s father, just
as Alanna Baranski and Corrie-Lynn are dealing with the death of Elliot’s uncle.
Jack’s mother died when he was two and he now lives with his grandfather; Belle’s
parents don’t seem to take her seriously.
Question: Do any of the characters have a happy family life? Discuss.
Friendship
‘It’s like we’re complementary colours…if you put complementary colours next to
each other, they make each other shine much more brightly.’ (p. 311)
Central to the novel is the idea of friendship. Madeleine has recently come to
Cambridge and counts Jack and Belle as her friends. Belle and Jack have known each
other since they were little and are best friends; they’re incredibly alike, on the same
wavelength, while Madeleine is the outsider. Jack becomes fascinated and then
smitten by Madeleine: ‘Here come the colours of Madeleine, thought Jack, and the
colours went right through his bloodstream now, sailing on tiny boats, spinnakers
fixed with little toothpicks’ (p. 16); however, Belle is a little standoffish throughout
the novel, revealing later that she thinks Madeleine is a fake.
When Belle is struck down by glandular fever, the other two have the space and time
to get to know each other better and form a romantic relationship. But the email
Madeleine sends to her old friend Tinsels, full of negativity about Cambridge, causes
her to alienate her new friends when Jack accidentally reads it. Eventually Madeleine
comes to realise that they are true friends. ‘I should’ve realised that, and kind of like
realised that I was the one who didn’t belong in your lives, rather than you not
being…good enough for me.’ (p. 335)
Despite the distance between them, and the obstacle of existing in different worlds,
Elliot and Madeleine bond through their letters and each tries to help the other solve
their problems. Elliot is able to use his connection with the Butterfly Child to obtain
healing beads for Madeleine’s mum and pass these through the crack, and
Madeleine passes on knowledge about colour that helps Elliot to save his little
cousin Corrie-Lynn.
Activity: Madeleine and Elliot seem so different – they are from vastly different
worlds and have completely different interests. What are the things that draw them
together? As you read through, keep a list of things they have in common in their
respective worlds. What other similarities do they share?
Coming of age
‘So I’ve decided to grow up. From now on, I’m seeing things just the way they are.’
(p. 394)
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The concept of growing up is an important theme throughout. Each character must
come to grips with the idea and take steps towards adulthood, whether they like it
or not. Madeline must face the truth about her father and her old life. ‘I’m thinking
maybe I’m a bit like him and I don’t like to see the truth. So from now on, I’m going
to be different. I’m going to sweep away my mad imagination, and only see the
truth…’ (p. 395). Elliot must face the facts about what may have happened to his
own father: Did he run away with teacher Mischka Tegan, a real possibility given his
alleged reputation? Run away from him and his mother? He eventually admits, ‘My
dad ran away with that teacher; he’s not in a Purple Cavern at all.’ (p. 307)
Corrie-Lynn is struggling with a number of things, not least having lost her father in
the Purple attack. When she tells Elliot she needs some time alone, Elliot thinks,
‘When little kids act like grown-ups … it nearly breaks your heart.’ (p. 330)
Discussion question: What are the ways you can tell if someone is grown up?
Before reading
Genre
Break into groups to create a list of common attributes of fantasy, brainstorming in
particular:






the idea of a quest
setting
symbols
characters
key ideas/themes
other examples of fantasy texts
Refer back to this list once reading is completed to discuss whether A Corner of White
fits the conventions of a fantasy novel.
What’s in a name?
Think about both the title of the series, The Colours of Madeleine, and the title of this
first book: A Corner of White. What do you think they refer to – what might each
symbolise?
While Reading
Glossary
Fantasy novels often contain a very imaginative vocabulary, with a mix of made-up
and real, but strange, words. Throughout the novel, you may come across unfamiliar
words and phrases. Keep a list of these as you read, trying to define them using
clues from their context.
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Science
Madeleine spends a lot of time trying to analyse colours, turning them over in her
mind and relating various theories about them to Elliot. Many of her observations
are made with the help of Isaac Newton’s analysis of light and colour.
1. Find out as much as you can about Isaac Newton and his theory of colour.
2. What is the role of science in the novel? Is the scientific information given
about colour correct? What is the role of imagination in science?
Poetry
‘Mad, bad and dangerous to know…The ladies, they liked this man.’ (p. 21)
Lord Byron is the subject of Jack’s history project; at one point Madeleine believes
that he has even become Byron.
1. Read one of Byron’s poems – for example, ‘She Walks in Beauty’. What is
your chosen poem about? What do you notice about the style and the
descriptive language used? Does it share any of the themes of the novel?
2. Research Lord Byron on the internet. What do you think Jack has in common
with Byron?
Characters
The action within the novel revolves around the main characters both in the World
and in the Kingdom of Cello.
 Make note of any quotes that sum up each character.
 Once you have finished the novel, choose one quote that best describes each.
The World
Madeleine Tully
Giacomo (Jack) Cagnetti
Annabelle (Belle) Pettifields
Holly Tully
Federico Cagnetti
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Danek (Denny) Michalski
The Kingdom of Cello
Elliot Baranski
Petra Baranski
Corrie-Lynn Baranski
Hector Samuels
Jimmy Hawthorn
Kala Mansey
Minor characters
The World: Madeleine, Jack and Belle’s other teachers – Darshana Charan (Science
and Maths); Olivia Pettifields (Belle’s mother, French and Citizenship).
Cello: Alanna Baranski, the Twicklehams, Clover Mackie, Cody Richter, Gabe
Epstein, Shelby Ryerston, Princess Ko.
Discussion question: Imagine you are the director of a film version of A Corner of
White. Discuss which famous actor you would cast for each character and why –
what makes them the ideal person to play the part?
Setting
Fantasy authors spend a lot of time creating new worlds and making them
believable – setting is often seen as a character in itself. The Kingdom of Cello is
made up of various provinces, all with their own special characteristics. Fill in the
table below with a description of each place and its people.
Province
Magical North
Description
Nature Strip
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Olde Quainte
The Golden Coast
The Farms
Jagged Edge
Activities
1. Some settings or landscape features in A Corner of White are mentioned but
not actually described, such as cliffbells and the Cranes. Imagine you are
adding to The Kingdom of Cello: An Illustrated Travel Guide – write a detailed
description of one of these features (a good starting point is the Princess
Sisters’ letters in the Cellian Herald on pp. 52, 118 and 316). As it is an
illustrated guide, draw a picture to accompany your description.
2. The University of Cambridge is the third-oldest surviving university in the
world; many notable people, including Nobel Prize winners, have graduated
from there. Following Federico’s history project, pick a famous Cambridge
graduate and research them, sharing what you learn about them with the
class.
Plot and Structure
The main structure of the novel is based on the two alternating narratives of
Madeleine in the World, and Elliot in the fantastical Kingdom of Cello. Both of these
viewpoints are third person and past tense; they strike up a correspondence through
a crack between their worlds and their letters are first person and present tense.
Activity: Discuss the concept of the World and the Kingdom of Cello existing side by
side. What other texts use the concept of parallel worlds (for example, Doctor Who,
the book series His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, and so on)?
While the novel focuses on the perspectives of these two characters, the narrative
voice is omniscient, shown by some scenes taking place without Madeleine or Elliot
present.
Question: Which other characters’ viewpoints do we see and what is the advantage of
including these?
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Writing exercise: What scenes does the reader not get to witness first-hand that you
would like to explore (for example, when Abel Baranski and Mischka Tegan
disappeared, or when the Twicklehams kidnapped Derrin/Libby Adams)? Pick a
scene that we only hear about and write about it from the point of view of someone
who was there. How does this change the narrative?
The novel works as a narrative text, with an orientation, problem, rising action and
resolution.
1. Draw a narrative map or chart showing the key points at which the narrative
action rises to a major turning point, which is then resolved.
2. What were the key events that described Madeleine’s and Elliot’s character?
What were the main turning points in their stories?
Outside of the characters’ viewpoints are extracts from the Cellian Herald, giving the
perspective of the Royal Family via the Princess Sisters, and notes from books such
as Spell Fishing: Tip and Techniques for Netting the Spell You Desire; The Kingdom of
Cello: An Illustrated Travel Guide; and The Life of Isaac Newton.
Question: What is the purpose of including extracts from books and articles about
Cello? How are they effective?
Style and language features
Visual Imagery
The novel is beautifully written, full of dazzling description and vivid imagery with
a particular focus on the natural world, light and colour throughout.
Similes
‘It’s like sun on water, or on tinsel or coins.’ (p. 129)
‘Her second thought was that his lips were kind of like snails…She’d always thought
boys’ lips would be like caramel.’ (p. 154)
‘There was a curious sound, like a handful of pebbles spilling to the floor.’ (p. 204)
Metaphors
‘She felt that the stars were folding into her chest; those sharp, shining, agitated
pieces of excitement in her chest: they were stars.’ (p. 150)
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Personification
‘Now in Auntie’s tea shop, Jack fixed a critical gaze on the little shelf hanging on the
opposite wall. Its edges swirled and curled, the wood getting carried away with
itself.’ (p. 96)
‘The teapot itself, also white, had a sort of attitude about it: tall and fancy, its handle
like a hand on a hip, spout curving up and over like a wave, like it was dead keen to
get into your cup.’ (p. 97)
Writing exercise: Write a description of a favourite place, using as many examples of
similes, metaphors and personification as you can. Try to appeal to the senses as
much as possible.
Symbolism
Colours
‘While Cello is a wonderfully “colourful” place, in the traditional sense of the word,
it is also home to a large population of “Colours”. These are living organisms; a kind
of rogue subclass of the colours that we see when we look at a red apple or blue sky.’
(p. 35)
Research task: Do some internet research about colour and symbolism. What do
certain colours symbolise for different cultures?
Discussion question: What do you think the idea of colour represents in the novel? Do
particular colours symbolise specific things (for example, what might white
represent)? Explain.
‘Elliot darted from spark to spark…it was hard not to let your heart go wild. There
were bursts of rust-red…’ (p. 211)
Question: What effect can colours have on our emotions?
Madeleine puts up some resistance to the colours towards the end, despite her love
of analysing them - the reality of her life seeping in through new observations of
colour: ‘If I read another letter from you, and it talks about Colours, well, what I’ll
see is the white of my mother’s eyes rolling back into her head; the rust-brown of the
freckles on the ambulance driver’s hands; pale blue of the ink on the hospital
forms…’ (p. 397)
Question: What does this description say about colours?
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Cracks/Broken items
In the novel, Madeline and Elliot discover that there is a crack between their worlds
through which they can pass small objects.
As you read through, jot down any references that you find to cracks or breaks.
What is the significance of these and how might they relate to the themes of the
novel?
Cellian language
Fantasy writers often create their own vocabularies when they are building an
imaginary world. Make a list of words or concepts that are particular to Cello.
Cellian slang
Whenever the Princess Sisters write for the Cellian Herald, they try to employ various
local slang terms, such as:
 the bomb (p. 118)
 goes off (p. 118)
 winding up (p. 316)
Give definitions for the above examples. Do they have the same meaning as they do
in the World? Do the Princess Sisters use them in the right context and what effect
does this have? What assumptions do we make about the sisters based on the
language they use?
Note down other instances where they use slang, such as ‘sparklewhirl of starshine’,
and what these might mean from the context in which they’re used.
Olde Quainte phrases
‘It is a curious province with curious turns of phrase, many of which make no sense.’
Activity: what do you think each of the following phrases mean?




‘Is it not ever raining out there like a tantalising foghorn!’ (p. 56)
‘Call yourselves a good evening…as good as the owl with sooty elbow
suggests’
‘wet through to the dandelions’
‘as the golden hawthorn sheds its leaves at the scent of the wind-addled
skylark’
Activity: In pairs, write a short script involving two characters discussing what they
did on the weekend, using Olde Quainte phrasing. Act this scene out in front of the
class.
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After Reading
1. Are there questions unanswered in this novel? What are they? As this is the
first book in a trilogy, what do you think might happen in the sequel?
2. Where would you prefer to live – Cambridge or Cello? Give reasons for your
answer.
3. Discuss whether the book follows the conventions of fantasy by featuring a
quest. If so, what are Madeleine’s and Elliot’s respective quests?
4. This book could be categorised as a young adult book or an adult book –
which do you think it is? Can it be both?
Writing Exercises
1. Letters play a significant role in the novel. Through writing letters to each
other, Elliot and Madeleine are able to not only form a connection and share
their world with the other, but help each other to sort through some difficult
issues that each of them is experiencing too. Madeleine also tries to send her
father a letter, with the belief that she and her mother have wronged him by
running away and the hope that he will forgive them and come to rescue
them.
Think of someone you have hurt or have been hurt by. Write them a letter. Be
as honest as you would be if you had no intention of actually sending the
letter. Alternatively, write the letter that Elliot wrote back to Madeleine at the
end of the novel. What role could he give her to play in Cello – how can she
help solve his/the Kingdom’s problems?
2. Design your own cover for A Corner of White.
3. Create your own Cellian Herald news report, detailing an important event that
takes place in Cello, for example:



Elliot capturing the Butterfly Child
The wave of Reds attacking Cello
The Princess Sisters visiting Bonfire
Further Ideas Using Technology
1. Find out as much as you can about the author. A starting point might be her
own website: www.jaclynmoriarty.com
2. Research various reviews of the book, both positive and negative; then write
your own review.
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About the Author
Jaclyn Moriarty is the author of best-selling novels for young adults and adults,
including the ‘Ashbury-Brookfield’ books. Her first novel, Feeling Sorry for Celia,
won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award, and her books have been named Best
Books for Young Adults by the American Librarian Association and translated
into several languages. A Corner of White is the first in the Colours of Madeleine
trilogy. Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in the US, England and Canada, and now
lives in Sydney again. A Corner of White won the prestigious Ethel Turner Prize in the
NSW Premier’s Awards. A Corner of White was also awarded the 2013 Queensland
Literary Award’s Griffith University Young Adult Book Award and was shortlisted for
the WA Premier’s Literary Awards. It was Kirkus Best Book of the Year and a Boston
Globe-Horn Book 2013 Honor winner.
Other books by Jaclyn Moriarty
Students might be interested in reading Jaclyn Moriarty’s other novels and
comparing them to this one. For example, Feeling Sorry for Celia shares the themes of
friendship, absent fathers and growing up.
Further Reading
Crowley, Cath Graffiti Moon
Ende, Michael The Neverending Story
Lee, Harper To Kill a Mockingbird
Park, Ruth Playing Beatie Bow
Pullman, Philip Northern Lights
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