1. Study the area of France (near Niort) in which Melusine is set. Find pictures of the countryside and accounts of local history.

2. Study old French chateaus; find pictures and learn the history of an important chateau or two. Are there any like the one in Melusine?

3. Write your own modern retelling of an old legend—preferably one involving the transformation of a human into animal shape.

4. Write a different ending to Melusine, starting from any point in the novel you choose.

5. Make a study of medieval legends like the Melusine legend.

6. There is considerable material available about Banks's life and attitudes. In the Sixth Bookof Junior Authors and Illustrators Banks writes of "transmuting" one's own experiences "into the stuff of fiction." Once you know more about her life, consider how she "transmuted" pieces of her life and the attitudes...