The Chocolate Touch Novel Study: Activities, Lesson Plans & Resources

You already know the kid who would think having the chocolate touch was the best thing that ever happened.

Honestly, you might have a whole class of them.

The second students hear the premise of The Chocolate Touch, most of them are in. Everything you touch turns to chocolate? Yes, please.

And that shared certainty is exactly what makes the story work so well.

Because students are right there with John at the beginning. They can imagine how amazing it would be. They can list all the reasons it would be the best problem ever to have.

Then things start going wrong.

And suddenly, that magical wish does not seem quite so magical anymore.

That is what makes The Chocolate Touch such a fun novel study for grades 2-4. Students are invested from the start because the premise feels silly, tempting, and completely understandable. But underneath all the chocolate chaos, there are really good conversations waiting about self-control, consequences, wants versus needs, and what happens when we do not think past the thing we want right now.

In this post, I’ll share pre-reading activities, post-reading projects, and a closer look at the two-week Chocolate Touch novel study unit I use to help students enjoy the story while still building meaningful reading skills.

The Chocolate Touch: Book Summary

John Midas loves chocolate more than anything in the world. He loves it so much that he can’t stop eating it — even when he knows he shouldn’t. One day he discovers a coin and uses it to buy a box of chocolate from a mysterious shop. From that moment on, everything his mouth touches turns to chocolate.

At first, this seems like the best thing that has ever happened. But chocolate coins aren’t real money. Chocolate water doesn’t quench your thirst. And chocolate — as John discovers — isn’t actually what you want when you’re trying to connect with the people you love.

The Chocolate Touch is a quick read — around 80 pages — making it an excellent choice for a tightly structured two-week unit, a guided reading group, or an independent reading assignment with a student who needs something approachable and engaging. The story is funny at the surface and meaningful underneath, which is exactly the combination that makes a strong classroom novel.

The Chocolate Touch Novel Study: Pre-Reading Activities

Before starting The Chocolate Touch, I like to get students thinking about wishes, consequences, and the very tempting idea that too much of a good thing might not stay good for long.

Because at first, the chocolate touch sounds amazing.

To a second, third, or fourth grader, the idea that everything you touch could turn to chocolate feels like the dream.

And that is exactly why the book works.

Students start out thinking, “I would love this.”

Then the story slowly proves them wrong.

These pre-reading activities help students step into that idea before they meet John Midas.

Start With the King Midas Myth

The Chocolate Touch is a modern retelling of the King Midas myth.

Before reading, share the original myth with students. King Midas wishes that everything he touches will turn to gold, and at first, it feels like the best wish anyone could make. Then he realizes he cannot eat, drink, or touch the people he loves without losing them.

Students usually recognize the connection pretty quickly once they start The Chocolate Touch, and that recognition makes them feel like literary detectives.

After reading the myth, ask:

• What did King Midas think he wanted?
• What went wrong?
• What lesson did he learn?
• How could a story like this be retold with something besides gold?

That last question is the bridge into The Chocolate Touch.

You can even have students brainstorm modern versions of the Midas myth before introducing the book:

• Everything turns to candy
• Everything turns to money
• Everything turns to video games
• Everything turns to slime
• Everything turns invisible

The sillier the list gets, the better. Students are already thinking about the same big idea the novel explores: sometimes getting exactly what you want creates a bigger problem than you expected.

If You Had a Superpower, What Could Go Wrong?

John’s chocolate touch feels like a gift at first, but it turns into a curse pretty quickly.

Before reading, ask students:

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Let them choose something fun. Flying. Invisibility. Super speed. Talking to animals. Turning broccoli into cookies. You know, the important things.

Then ask the better question:

What could go wrong?

This is where the activity gets interesting.

A student who wants to fly might realize they could get stuck in a storm.

A student who wants to be invisible might realize people could forget they are there.

A student who wants everything to turn into candy might eventually realize they would be very thirsty and probably have a terrible stomachache.

Students can complete this as a quick discussion, a two-column chart, or a “Superpower Problem Card” where they draw the power on one side and the unexpected problem on the other.

This helps students practice the exact thinking the book requires. They have to look past the exciting first idea and imagine the consequences.

What Do You Love Too Much?

John’s problem is not really chocolate.

Well, it is chocolate.

But it is also bigger than chocolate.

John wants what he wants, and he does not think very far past that. That is a very normal kid problem, which is part of why the book works so well.

Before reading, invite students to think about something they love a little too much.

It might be:

• A food
• A game
• A toy
• A sport
• Screen time
• A hobby
• A favorite place
• A favorite activity

Then ask:

Have you ever wanted something so badly that it made it hard to make a good choice?

Keep this gentle. This does not need to turn into a deep confession circle. A quick private write is enough.

Students can use sentence starters like:

• One thing I really love is…
• Sometimes I want it so much that…
• One choice I have made because of it was…
• A better choice might have been…

This helps students connect to John without spoiling the story. They are not being told, “This is a book about greed and self-control.” They are feeling the problem first.

That is much more powerful.

The Too Much of a Good Thing Sort

Give students a list of things that are usually good in small amounts:

• Chocolate
• Video games
• Free time
• Attention
• Money
• Winning
• Toys
• Pizza
• Compliments
• Choice time

Have students sort them into categories:

• Always good
• Good in the right amount
• Could become a problem

The best part is the debate, because students will absolutely have opinions.

Is too much pizza a problem?

Some will say yes.

Some will say no, with their whole chest.

That conversation sets up one of the biggest ideas in the book: something can be good and still become a problem when it takes over.

After students sort, ask them to choose one item and explain:

How could this good thing become a problem?

This is a simple way to introduce theme without making it feel like a theme lesson.

Design the Magic Chocolate

Before reading, have students imagine the chocolate John might find.

What would it look like?

Where would it come from?

Would the wrapper give a warning?

Would it have a strange smell, sparkle, or symbol?

Students can design a wrapper for the mysterious chocolate and include:

• A candy name
• A warning label
• A short description
• A possible side effect
• A small illustration

This is fun, quick, and easy to display. It also gets students curious about the mysterious shop and the strange candy John buys.

You can revisit the designs after students read that part of the book and compare their ideas to what actually happens.

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The Chocolate Touch Post-Reading Activities

After finishing The Chocolate Touch, students usually have plenty to say.

They understand why the chocolate touch seemed amazing at first.

They also understand why it turned into a disaster.

The best post-reading activities help students do something with that understanding. Instead of just writing a summary, students can trace John’s choices, compare the book to the Midas myth, and think about what the story is really saying about wanting too much.

Create a Cause and Effect Chocolate Chain

The plot of The Chocolate Touch is basically one long cause-and-effect chain.

John makes a choice.

The chocolate touch creates a problem.

That problem leads to another problem.

And then another.

And then suddenly chocolate is not looking quite as wonderful as everyone thought it would.

For this activity, students create a “Chocolate Chain” that follows the major events of the story.

Each link in the chain should include:

• What happened
• What caused it
• What happened next
• How it made John feel

Students can make this as a paper chain, a flowchart, or a comic-strip style sequence.

For example:

John finds the coin.

John buys the chocolate.

Everything he touches starts turning to chocolate.

At first, he likes it.

Then food, objects, and eventually people become part of the problem.

This gives students a visual way to see how the plot builds. It also helps them understand that the ending does not come out of nowhere. John’s choices build on one another until he finally understands what the chocolate touch has cost him.

Write John’s Apology Letter

By the end of the book, John understands that his obsession with chocolate affected more than just him.

Students can write an apology letter from John to his mother.

The letter should include:

• What John is sorry for
• What he understands now
• How his choices affected others
• What he would do differently
• Specific events from the book

This is a strong comprehension and empathy activity because students have to think beyond “John learned his lesson.”

They have to explain what the lesson was.

They also have to show they understand how John’s choices affected the people around him.

If you want to make this more creative, let students choose who John writes to:

• His mother
• His father
• His teacher
• A friend
• The shopkeeper
• Himself

That last one can be surprisingly powerful. A letter from John to his past self lets students reflect on the story’s theme in a way that feels personal without being too heavy.

Compare John Midas and King Midas

Since The Chocolate Touch is based on the King Midas myth, this is one of the best post-reading connections to make.

Students compare the original myth to John’s story by looking at:

• What each character wanted
• What each character received
• What went wrong
• Who was hurt by the wish
• What lesson each character learned
• How each story ended

You can make this a Venn diagram, a comparison chart, or a “Same Story, New Twist” booklet.

Then ask the bigger question:

Why do you think the author changed gold to chocolate?

That is where the good discussion starts.

Gold feels like an adult kind of greed.

Chocolate feels like a kid kind of greed.

That change makes the story much easier for students to understand because they can imagine wanting chocolate too much. They may not relate to wanting endless gold, but unlimited candy? Absolutely.

This activity works especially well for grades 4 and up, but younger students can do it with support.

Tell the Story of the Mysterious Shop

The shop where John buys the chocolate is one of the most interesting parts of the book because it is never fully explained.

And students notice that.

Who is the shopkeeper?

Why did he give John that chocolate?

Did he know what would happen?

Has he done this before?

For this activity, students write a scene from the shopkeeper’s perspective.

They can choose one option:

• The shopkeeper watches John enter the store.
• The shopkeeper explains why he chose John.
• The shopkeeper writes in a secret notebook after John leaves.
• The shopkeeper tells the story of another child who once received a strange piece of candy.

Students should use clues from the book to make their scene feel connected to the original story.

This is a creative writing task, but it also requires inference. Students have to think about what the author suggests without directly explaining it.

And because the shop is a little mysterious, students usually have fun making it just a tiny bit creepy.

The Chocolate Touch Public Service Announcement

By the end of the book, students know the chocolate touch is not the dream they thought it was.

Have them create a public service announcement warning other kids about magical candy.

Their PSA can be a poster, video script, radio announcement, or comic.

It should include:

• A warning about the chocolate touch
• At least three problems John experienced
• One lesson readers should learn
• A catchy slogan

Possible slogans might be:

• Think before you touch.
• Too much chocolate is not as sweet as it sounds.
• Be careful what you wish for.
• Some treats come with trouble.

This is a fun way to synthesize the whole book without turning it into a traditional book report. Students have to understand the plot, identify the theme, and communicate the lesson clearly.

Wants Versus Needs Menu

John spends much of the book focused on what he wants.

After reading, students create a wants versus needs menu for John.

On one side, they list things John wanted during the story. On the other side, they list what he actually needed.

For example:

• Wanted: chocolate
• Needed: self-control
• Wanted: to enjoy his special power
• Needed: to think about consequences
• Wanted: to keep the chocolate touch
• Needed: to protect the people he loved

Students can turn this into a restaurant-style menu called “John’s Better Choices Café.”

Each menu item can include a “dish” based on a lesson from the book:

• A bowl of self-control
• A side of thinking first
• A slice of apology pie
• A tall glass of gratitude

This one gets a little silly, which is exactly why students like it. But underneath the silliness, they are synthesizing character change and theme.

Invent a New “Touch” Story

Once students understand the structure of The Chocolate Touch, they can create their own version.

Ask students to imagine a character who gets a magical touch based on something they love too much.

It could be:

• The Pizza Touch
• The Slime Touch
• The Video Game Touch
• The Glitter Touch
• The Money Touch
• The Ice Cream Touch
• The Soccer Ball Touch

Students plan a short story using the same basic structure:

1. The character wants something too much.
2. The character gets a magical touch.
3. At first, it seems wonderful.
4. Then it creates problems.
5. The character learns a lesson.

This is a great synthesis activity because students have to understand the pattern of the original story deeply enough to create a new version.

It also makes a great post-reading project for students who love to write, draw, or create comics.

And honestly, once students start inventing terrible magical touches, they usually do not want to stop.

The Chocolate Touch Literature Study Unit

My Chocolate Touch Novel Study is a complete two-week unit covering the full book with structured daily instruction. Because The Chocolate Touch is shorter than many chapter books, it’s ideal for a tighter unit — every day has purpose and the pacing keeps momentum up throughout.

What’s included in the Chocolate Touch Novel Study?

Foldable trifold novel studies — weekly trifolds covering the book chapter by chapter. One comprehension skill per day, one vocabulary word per day. The contained format is especially well-suited to grades 2–3, where overwhelming students with too much at once is a real risk.

Weekly vocabulary flip books — one text-based vocabulary word per chapter, chosen because it’s important to the plot or because it’s a word students will encounter again beyond this book.

Instructional pacing guide — daily reading assignments, comprehension objectives, Tier 2 academic vocabulary, and word of the day for every lesson.

Reading journal cut-and-paste prompts — for students who benefit from more writing space or a journal-based response format.

Comprehension skills covered

The Chocolate Touch is short but supports meaningful comprehension work:

• Predicting using text features and prior knowledge
• Sequencing key plot events
• Making inferences and defending with evidence
• Cause &effect — tracing the consequences of John’s choices
• Character analysis — tracking how John changes
• Main idea identification
• Genre identification (realistic fiction with a fantasy element)
• Compare and contrast — John vs. King Midas
• Summarizing
• Theme — identifying the author’s message about greed and what matters

Looking for More Novel Studies?

If your students loved The Chocolate Touch, they’re probably ready for more books that blend humor with heart. Frindle by Andrew Clements has a similar energy — a kid who does something clever that spirals beyond what he expected. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Charlotte’s Web are both strong next reads for grades 2–4. For older students ready for something with more emotional weight, The One and Only Ivan covers similar themes of wanting things you can’t have and learning what actually matters.

For guidance on planning and structuring your novel unit, see: How to Plan a Novel Study

Get the Chocolate Touch Novel Study here →