New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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Library Selection for High School Week 7

This week we are reading The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allen Poe. It was written in 1850 and is a story of a man in peril as he is caught up in the Spanish Inquisition. Below are links to the print version of the story and the audio version of the story. The print version is about ten pages and the audio takes about fifteen minutes. Below the story links are some questions to consider after reading the story. Click here for a brief biography of the author from the Poe Museum. Click here for a brief history of the Spanish Inquisition. If you enjoy “The Pit and the Pendulum” and want to listen to another of Poe’s stories, here is a link to the Audio version of The Fall of the House of Usher and the Text version of The Fall of the House of Usher. Poe was also a very gifted poet and you may want to try the Audio version of Annabel Lee and Text version of Annabel Lee and the Audio version of The Raven and Text version of The Raven.

The Pit and the Pendulum

To Read the Print Version of The Pit and the Pendulum
To Listen to the Audio Version of The Pit and the Pendulum

Questions to think about for “The Pit and the Pendulum”

We know next-to-nothing about our narrator, except for the fact that he's been sentenced to death by the Inquisition; we don't even know why he's been locked up. Given that, how are we supposed to relate to him? Does he deserve our sympathy?

How would the story change if it were told from a different perspective – say, from that of the inquisitors?

What can we take away from "The Pit and the Pendulum?" Is it simply a "horror story" or something more?

Why does Poe choose to make his narrator a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition?

Is it a lame to have General Lasalle swoop in at the last second and save the day?

What's the most horrifying moment of this story? And at what point did you have the most hope?

Library Selection for Elementary Week 7

This week we are reading a story about a lady who takes a walk in the scary woods but faces her fears.
To Listen to the Audio Version of The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

Library Selection for Preschool/Intensive Support Week 7

This week we are reading the six selections below. Click on the links under each book cover to hear the stories being read to you.

To Listen to the Audio Version of Where the Wild Things Are