Kira-Kira. ISBN: 0-689-85640-7. Cynthia Kadohata. (2004). Newbery Medal. Historical Fiction. Ages 9+. Japanese Americans, lower working class, unions.
This story is told by Katie, a Japanese American middle child living in rural areas in the 1950s. She is telling the story of her family from the time she is five until she is grows to be a young lady at about age ten. She idolizes her sister, who seemed to raise her because their parents had to work so much in an egg hatchery and cutting poultry. Her sister taught her everything she knows, including Kira-Kira, which is Japanese for "glitter." Lynn taught Katie to look at the world as though everything were amazing and "glitter."
Throughout the story, Lynn goes from being an overachiever to becoming very ill. There is a role reversal because Lynn used to care for Katie, and now Katie needs to grow up and care for Lynn. The story walks you through the exhaustion, anger, guilt, love, and grief that a family goes through when they are caring for an ill family member. In the end, Lynn passes away, but Katie is able to move on and experience the things her sister had wished that they could experience together, such as going to the ocean. Lynn made lists and always had a vision, and even though she did not directly teach that to Katie, Katie now has goals and visions because of Lynn. Katie helps pull the family, who seems to fall apart after Lynn's death, together again and give them hope.
This book helps us to see the growth of unions in the 1950s and how controversial they were. Katie's mom had to work without breaks, so she had to wear a pad in case she had to go to the bathroom. This gives us an idea of how oppressive the work environment was in the factories, at least in Georgia, at that time. The family worked very hard to save for a house (also one of Lynn's visions) and when Lynn becomes very sick, they decide to also borrow money so that she can enjoy the house with them before anything happens to her.
Even though it was after the Civil War, segregation was still in existence. Katie did make contact with a white family who was very helpful and became family friends. They were the only white family who attended Lynn's funeral.
In the classroom, you could use this book to talk about emotions and grieving. You could use it to talk about siblings and how they teach one another. Students could do an exercise and journal their visions, goals, and hopes for the future, like Lynn did. Then talk to students about applying strategies to reach their goals and achieve what they envision.
You could have the children answer the questions that Katie tries to answer throughout the book when she is talking about how surreal her life seems and she is looking at it as a story. She asks: "What is the theme? What does the story mean? Why did the characters act in a certain way?" Ask the children if they have ever experienced something that didn't seem real, and if so, what would be the "theme" of their experience and the outcome?
Creative dramatics: Have the kids act out what the pro-union meeting may be like. Have them talk about the working conditions and how the union may help improve those conditions. Katie's mom thinks that Mr. Lyndon is helping them, but is he helping them or using them? How? Assign students to be for and against the union movement.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Bud, Not Buddy
Bud, Not Buddy. ISBN: 0-440-41328-1. Christopher Paul Curtis. (1999). Newbery Medal Winner, Coretta Scott King Award, ALA notable Children's Book and more. Historical Fiction. Ages 9-12. African American, single mothers, orphans/homeless.
This book is about a ten year old little boy named Bud who lived in Flint, Michigan during the Great Depression. His mama died when he was six years old and he had lived in an orphanage and foster care ever since. All he owned was a suitcase with some things his mother had left him that he thought were clues to who his father may be and where he may find him. Bud escaped from a foster home, where he was being abused, and set out on a mission to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan to find the musician that he believed to be his father.
Bud comes in contact with some wonderful people who help him along his journey. He finally finds the man that he thinks is his father, Herman E. Calloway, who is a very successful man, but has a very cold soul. The band members take Bud into their home with grace (ironically that is the singers name..."Grace"). When he is with the group, he feels more at home than he has since his mother died. One night when following Herman Calloway out of a gig, he sees that Herman has a collection of rocks just like the ones in his suitcase. When all of the pieces are put together, he finds out that Herman Calloway is not his father, but his grandfather. He has made it home.
Classroom activities could include research on current groups who help feed and clothe the homeless, as well as statistics of homeless families. This would be a wonderful book to open up discussion of different types of music popular during different time periods and discuss why that particular type of music may have been popular.
You could talk to children about their own family history. Encourage them (by reading the "afterward" chapter) to talk to their family members to see if there is anything significant in their past. If this is not feasible, have the child write a possible make believe story about their family history.
Bud was very determined and had hope because of what his mom told him, that "when one door closes, another one opens." Students could list some situations in the book where a door was closed and another opened in the story, and then give some personal examples of this happening in their own lives. Remind them that there is always hope if you stay positive.
This book is about a ten year old little boy named Bud who lived in Flint, Michigan during the Great Depression. His mama died when he was six years old and he had lived in an orphanage and foster care ever since. All he owned was a suitcase with some things his mother had left him that he thought were clues to who his father may be and where he may find him. Bud escaped from a foster home, where he was being abused, and set out on a mission to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan to find the musician that he believed to be his father.
Bud comes in contact with some wonderful people who help him along his journey. He finally finds the man that he thinks is his father, Herman E. Calloway, who is a very successful man, but has a very cold soul. The band members take Bud into their home with grace (ironically that is the singers name..."Grace"). When he is with the group, he feels more at home than he has since his mother died. One night when following Herman Calloway out of a gig, he sees that Herman has a collection of rocks just like the ones in his suitcase. When all of the pieces are put together, he finds out that Herman Calloway is not his father, but his grandfather. He has made it home.
Classroom activities could include research on current groups who help feed and clothe the homeless, as well as statistics of homeless families. This would be a wonderful book to open up discussion of different types of music popular during different time periods and discuss why that particular type of music may have been popular.
You could talk to children about their own family history. Encourage them (by reading the "afterward" chapter) to talk to their family members to see if there is anything significant in their past. If this is not feasible, have the child write a possible make believe story about their family history.
Bud was very determined and had hope because of what his mom told him, that "when one door closes, another one opens." Students could list some situations in the book where a door was closed and another opened in the story, and then give some personal examples of this happening in their own lives. Remind them that there is always hope if you stay positive.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Number the Stars
Number the Stars. ISBN: 978-0-440-22753-3. Lois Lowry. 1989. Newbery Medal, National Jewish Book Award, Sidney Taylor Award. Historical Fiction. Ages 8-12. Ten year old girl, Danish and Jewish people.
This book is about a ten year old little girl named Annemarie who lived in Denmark during the Holocaust (early 1940s). It is a story about her and her family helping their Jewish friends escape from the German soldiers. We know from the beginning that her older sister had died because she got hit by a car just before her wedding, and that her fiance kept a unique relationship with the family. We later find out that she died because she was a member of a Nazi resistance group and was run down by a German soldier's vehicle in a chase. At the end, Annemarie is very brave and takes on the responsibility of bringing her uncle, along with her escapee best friend and family, and important package to ensure their escape, risking her life in the process.
The stars are very symbolic in this book. The are a symbol of the Jewish people. Peter reads a Psalm from the bible that refers to the l0rd as numbering the stars one by one, and Annemarie has a hard time comprehending that, but later when her good friend/sister's fiance is killed by German soldiers, she learned that his grave was marked with a number like all of the others that the soldiers killed, maybe symbolizing that he was of the lord, as the lord numbered the stars.
This would be a fabulous book for kids to read and discuss while learning about Germany in Social Studies. As a child I had a hard time learning history because it did not seem relative to me, but this book makes history become reality. I think historical fiction would be a very effective way to get children interested in learning more facts about history. You could have the children write about the actual historical events that took place in this story/make a timeline.
Annemarie uses storytelling to assure herself that she doesn't have to be afraid and she can have courage. She uses "Little Red Riding Hood" to talk herself through the dangerous run through the woods. You could have the children think of a time they were afraid and then think of a movie or story character that they could relate to that was brave and write how this character's actions could encourage them to be brave and move forward with what they have to do.
This is a story about hope. We are able to walk through the bad times with these characters, and see all that they have been deprived of, but in the end, the war ends and things start to return to the way they had been.....free. I think this would be a good way to help children in these bad economic times write a journal about how they or their families/friends may be suffering due to a job loss, or reduced work hours, and journal about how they are coping and what they are looking forward to when things eventually get better. You could also discuss the characteristics of pride, bravery and friendship that we can see in this book.
This book is about a ten year old little girl named Annemarie who lived in Denmark during the Holocaust (early 1940s). It is a story about her and her family helping their Jewish friends escape from the German soldiers. We know from the beginning that her older sister had died because she got hit by a car just before her wedding, and that her fiance kept a unique relationship with the family. We later find out that she died because she was a member of a Nazi resistance group and was run down by a German soldier's vehicle in a chase. At the end, Annemarie is very brave and takes on the responsibility of bringing her uncle, along with her escapee best friend and family, and important package to ensure their escape, risking her life in the process.
The stars are very symbolic in this book. The are a symbol of the Jewish people. Peter reads a Psalm from the bible that refers to the l0rd as numbering the stars one by one, and Annemarie has a hard time comprehending that, but later when her good friend/sister's fiance is killed by German soldiers, she learned that his grave was marked with a number like all of the others that the soldiers killed, maybe symbolizing that he was of the lord, as the lord numbered the stars.
This would be a fabulous book for kids to read and discuss while learning about Germany in Social Studies. As a child I had a hard time learning history because it did not seem relative to me, but this book makes history become reality. I think historical fiction would be a very effective way to get children interested in learning more facts about history. You could have the children write about the actual historical events that took place in this story/make a timeline.
Annemarie uses storytelling to assure herself that she doesn't have to be afraid and she can have courage. She uses "Little Red Riding Hood" to talk herself through the dangerous run through the woods. You could have the children think of a time they were afraid and then think of a movie or story character that they could relate to that was brave and write how this character's actions could encourage them to be brave and move forward with what they have to do.
This is a story about hope. We are able to walk through the bad times with these characters, and see all that they have been deprived of, but in the end, the war ends and things start to return to the way they had been.....free. I think this would be a good way to help children in these bad economic times write a journal about how they or their families/friends may be suffering due to a job loss, or reduced work hours, and journal about how they are coping and what they are looking forward to when things eventually get better. You could also discuss the characteristics of pride, bravery and friendship that we can see in this book.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A Chair for My Mother
A Chair for My Mother. ISBN:0-688-04074-8. Vera B. Williams. (1982) Caldecott Honor Book; ALA notable Book; Reading Rainbow Feature Selection; Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Illustration. Realistic Fiction. Recommended ages 4-8. Latino, single mother, multigenerational home, low middle/working class.
This book is a story told by a little girl, Rosa, who lives in an apartment with her mom and grandmother under her aunt and uncle's house. There was a fire in their home and everything they owned had been burned. Friends, family, and neighbors helped them out by bringing food, household items and toys. Her mom was a waitress. The family had a big jar that they used to save the coins that her mom earned as tips to save for a new chair. The chair was for her mom to rest in when she was done with work. Rosa and her grandmother would also use the chair, but her mom really needed it. Rosa made a little money helping at the diner and Grandma put money she saved at the grocery store in the jar. Together they were able to save enough money for the chair.
The pictures are water color and all of the pages have borders. The colors are very vibrant and uplifting. Rosa tells the story, but the pictures reveal how the characters feel. From the pictures we are able to see how exhausted her mom is when she gets home from work. We are able to see the urgency and drama taking place during the fire; the page showing their home in ashes is dull and gray and makes you feel very sad and empty, but following that page, there are bright colors as well as friends and neighbors lined up to help Rosa and her family. This transition gives the reader a feeling of hope. The people helping are of all different nationalities; seeing this in the pictures gives me a peaceful feeling.
This book would be wonderful to use in a family unit. You could have the children list the ways people in the book helped each other out. You could also have the children make a list of needs that they see around them in their own families and challenge them to help fulfill those needs. You can talk about family loyalty, sharing and happiness.
This would also be a great book to use in connecting literature with math. You could tie this book in with a math unit on counting and saving money. You could discuss needs and wants. Children could make a list of things in their home or bedroom and sort them in columns of needs versus wants. Discuss if their needs and wants differ from others in the class. What about in other countries? They could also learn to estimate. During a penny drive at school, you could have the children estimate how much money is in a large jar and then ask them to estimate how big the jar would have to be to save enough for a chair if you use pennies, nickels, dimes and/or quarters, and compare.
This book is a story told by a little girl, Rosa, who lives in an apartment with her mom and grandmother under her aunt and uncle's house. There was a fire in their home and everything they owned had been burned. Friends, family, and neighbors helped them out by bringing food, household items and toys. Her mom was a waitress. The family had a big jar that they used to save the coins that her mom earned as tips to save for a new chair. The chair was for her mom to rest in when she was done with work. Rosa and her grandmother would also use the chair, but her mom really needed it. Rosa made a little money helping at the diner and Grandma put money she saved at the grocery store in the jar. Together they were able to save enough money for the chair.
The pictures are water color and all of the pages have borders. The colors are very vibrant and uplifting. Rosa tells the story, but the pictures reveal how the characters feel. From the pictures we are able to see how exhausted her mom is when she gets home from work. We are able to see the urgency and drama taking place during the fire; the page showing their home in ashes is dull and gray and makes you feel very sad and empty, but following that page, there are bright colors as well as friends and neighbors lined up to help Rosa and her family. This transition gives the reader a feeling of hope. The people helping are of all different nationalities; seeing this in the pictures gives me a peaceful feeling.
This book would be wonderful to use in a family unit. You could have the children list the ways people in the book helped each other out. You could also have the children make a list of needs that they see around them in their own families and challenge them to help fulfill those needs. You can talk about family loyalty, sharing and happiness.
This would also be a great book to use in connecting literature with math. You could tie this book in with a math unit on counting and saving money. You could discuss needs and wants. Children could make a list of things in their home or bedroom and sort them in columns of needs versus wants. Discuss if their needs and wants differ from others in the class. What about in other countries? They could also learn to estimate. During a penny drive at school, you could have the children estimate how much money is in a large jar and then ask them to estimate how big the jar would have to be to save enough for a chair if you use pennies, nickels, dimes and/or quarters, and compare.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The City of Ember
The City of Ember. ISBN: 978-0-375-82274-2. Jeanne DuPrau. (2003). ALA Notable Children's Books. Fantasy/Sci-Fi. Age 9+. Young adult.
This book is exciting and full of mystery until the very end. The story is initially set in a city that relies on lights that are lit from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. There is absolutely no light (flashlights, fire, lanterns) that can be used or carried around after that time. The city was build about 250 years ago and had all of the supplies the people needed, until recently. The citizens were getting worried. The lights had been starting to flicker and go dim unpredictably and everyone was stressed about what was going to happen to them.
When the children of the city turn 12 years old, they are assigned jobs in the community. Doon (12 yr. boy) was assigned as a messenger (as their were no phones in this city) and Lina (12 yr. girl) was assigned to work as a pipeline laborer. Neither were happy with their assignments and they switched. Doon was determined to find a way to fix the generator powering the city, or find some other clue to survival in the pipelines. Lina came across an important document that her grandmother was trying to find (unable to remember why), that had been written when the city was built, and was supposed to have been found about fifty years ago in order for the people of Ember to return to the world above ground. When Lina found it, she knew it was important, but her little sister had chewed and torn a lot of it up. Lina pieced it together and her and Doon were able to decipher some of it as they searched for clues. They thought they were helping the city, but a corrupt mayor and his guards kept them from initially saving the entire city. They followed their clues (with Lina's baby sister) and were able to escape through the pipeline, down the river, and up to the real world.
When they got there, they were amazed. They found a letter that had been written by one of the initial dwellers in the City of Ember, and it told how the people that lived there were not supposed to know of the real world until the time they find the letter (that was in a time capsule for the mayor, but was misplaced....the letter that Lina found in her grandmother's closet). They found out that people thought something was going to happen on land and the only way humans could survive is if they were underground. The people of Ember were not supposed to know of anything other than the City of Ember so they would not know what they are missing.
After they escaped, Doon and Lina were able to see Ember from a cliff. They dropped a message down into the city to tell others how to escape. They saved the entire city and found another group of people on land to help them get food and figure out where to go from this point.
Some classroom activities that would be fun to do with this book would be: have the children do a story map; talk about and create a time capsule for the students that will be in class next yr; students could use problem solving skills and practice deciphering messages; students could read about this book while studying engineering topics in science class and talk about the hydroelectric power that ran the city and also talk about building structures (connect it with STEM).
This book is exciting and full of mystery until the very end. The story is initially set in a city that relies on lights that are lit from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. There is absolutely no light (flashlights, fire, lanterns) that can be used or carried around after that time. The city was build about 250 years ago and had all of the supplies the people needed, until recently. The citizens were getting worried. The lights had been starting to flicker and go dim unpredictably and everyone was stressed about what was going to happen to them.
When the children of the city turn 12 years old, they are assigned jobs in the community. Doon (12 yr. boy) was assigned as a messenger (as their were no phones in this city) and Lina (12 yr. girl) was assigned to work as a pipeline laborer. Neither were happy with their assignments and they switched. Doon was determined to find a way to fix the generator powering the city, or find some other clue to survival in the pipelines. Lina came across an important document that her grandmother was trying to find (unable to remember why), that had been written when the city was built, and was supposed to have been found about fifty years ago in order for the people of Ember to return to the world above ground. When Lina found it, she knew it was important, but her little sister had chewed and torn a lot of it up. Lina pieced it together and her and Doon were able to decipher some of it as they searched for clues. They thought they were helping the city, but a corrupt mayor and his guards kept them from initially saving the entire city. They followed their clues (with Lina's baby sister) and were able to escape through the pipeline, down the river, and up to the real world.
When they got there, they were amazed. They found a letter that had been written by one of the initial dwellers in the City of Ember, and it told how the people that lived there were not supposed to know of the real world until the time they find the letter (that was in a time capsule for the mayor, but was misplaced....the letter that Lina found in her grandmother's closet). They found out that people thought something was going to happen on land and the only way humans could survive is if they were underground. The people of Ember were not supposed to know of anything other than the City of Ember so they would not know what they are missing.
After they escaped, Doon and Lina were able to see Ember from a cliff. They dropped a message down into the city to tell others how to escape. They saved the entire city and found another group of people on land to help them get food and figure out where to go from this point.
Some classroom activities that would be fun to do with this book would be: have the children do a story map; talk about and create a time capsule for the students that will be in class next yr; students could use problem solving skills and practice deciphering messages; students could read about this book while studying engineering topics in science class and talk about the hydroelectric power that ran the city and also talk about building structures (connect it with STEM).
The Giver
The Giver. ISBN:0-440-23768-8. Lois Lowry. (1993). Newbery Medal. Fantasy. Age 11+ (mild violence and mild sexual references). Teen boy.
This book is about a young boy named Jonas and his experiences from age 11 through age twelve in a futuristic community. This community is based on "sameness" where everything is controlled, and safe, and people do not have to make decisions for themselves. Emotions (called "stirrings") are repressed with pills taken daily once a child turns twelve. When children turn twelve, they go to a ceremony where they are assigned their jobs for the rest of their lives until they become old and are "released" (which Jonas later finds out to be euthanized) from society. Jonas was assigned as the "Receiver" at the ceremony, one of the highest honors. He had special powers and could see beyond what other members of the community could see. He was trained by the "Giver" and was given special privileges. The Giver was to pass on memories he held inside of himself of the truths of how society used to be....with pain, suffering, injustice, violence, poverty, hunger, war, but also color and love. When Jonas begins to realize how shallow and un-free his community has become, he cannot bare living in such circumstances. The Giver helps him "stage" an escape from the community, and he takes with him a baby that is destined to be euthanized because he does not perfectly fit into the society. He chooses to leave a safe, clean, peaceful environment, free of choice, to enter an "elsewhere" environment of the unknown where he can see things for what they are and experience love, joy, fear, pain and loss, and above all, a real family.
This book is a wonderful channel to open up discussions in middle/high school classes on trade offs of freedom. What are you willing to sacrifice for freedom and love? What are some of the difficult choices we would have to make to live in a world of perfect harmony? Would it be as good as it is tempting?
In the classroom, you could use illusions to show how the eye can be fooled and how Jonas and his society may have been tricked into not being able to see color.
In the classroom, you could also use this book to discuss different cultures and groups (like the Amish) and talk about their lifestyles, what are the pros and cons of living in these closed societies? You could break students into groups and have them create their own society, a map, and rules, and what people would have to give up in order for the community to function in the way they intend it to function.
This book is about a young boy named Jonas and his experiences from age 11 through age twelve in a futuristic community. This community is based on "sameness" where everything is controlled, and safe, and people do not have to make decisions for themselves. Emotions (called "stirrings") are repressed with pills taken daily once a child turns twelve. When children turn twelve, they go to a ceremony where they are assigned their jobs for the rest of their lives until they become old and are "released" (which Jonas later finds out to be euthanized) from society. Jonas was assigned as the "Receiver" at the ceremony, one of the highest honors. He had special powers and could see beyond what other members of the community could see. He was trained by the "Giver" and was given special privileges. The Giver was to pass on memories he held inside of himself of the truths of how society used to be....with pain, suffering, injustice, violence, poverty, hunger, war, but also color and love. When Jonas begins to realize how shallow and un-free his community has become, he cannot bare living in such circumstances. The Giver helps him "stage" an escape from the community, and he takes with him a baby that is destined to be euthanized because he does not perfectly fit into the society. He chooses to leave a safe, clean, peaceful environment, free of choice, to enter an "elsewhere" environment of the unknown where he can see things for what they are and experience love, joy, fear, pain and loss, and above all, a real family.
This book is a wonderful channel to open up discussions in middle/high school classes on trade offs of freedom. What are you willing to sacrifice for freedom and love? What are some of the difficult choices we would have to make to live in a world of perfect harmony? Would it be as good as it is tempting?
In the classroom, you could use illusions to show how the eye can be fooled and how Jonas and his society may have been tricked into not being able to see color.
In the classroom, you could also use this book to discuss different cultures and groups (like the Amish) and talk about their lifestyles, what are the pros and cons of living in these closed societies? You could break students into groups and have them create their own society, a map, and rules, and what people would have to give up in order for the community to function in the way they intend it to function.
Charlotte's Web
Charlotte's Web. ISBN:0-590-30271. E.B. White. (1952). Newbery Honor, Lewis Caroll Shelf Award, ALA notable Children's book, and Massachusetts's Children's book award. Fantasy. Ages 9-12 (however it could be read to 5+ if they are ready for life/death stories). Rural Caucasian.
In this story of friendship, Fern is a little girl who lives on a farm. She pleads with her dad to save the runt pig that had been born, and she succeeds at saving him, as long as she cares for him. She agreed and she named him Wilbur. She kept him until he grew and she had to keep him at her uncle's barn. Fern and Wilbur loved each other very much. However, while Fern was away at school, Wilbur was very lonely. He became friends with a spider (whom the other animals avoided just because she was a spider) named Charlotte. As their friendship grew, they learned that the family, despite their agreement with Fern, was going to kill Wilbur and have him for dinner. Charlotte was determined not to loose her very close friend and so she did all that she knew how to do to save him. She spun a web, and on the webs she spun words and phrases such as "some pig" and "radiant." People came from all over to see the messages Charlotte wrote about Wilbur, and he was saved. (This pokes fun at adults and their advertising frenzies) In the end, though, Wilbur could not save Charlotte, but he was able to survive and help her children have a happy life full of many friends. This book focuses on friendship and the cycle of life.
The pictures in this book are sketches that show the drama and action taking place. They are colorless and leave it up to the reader to fill the color in with their imagination.
In the classroom, it would be fun to have children chart the main characters and what their quest in the book was, as well as whether or not they succeeded/what the outcome was of the quest. (Fern, Wilbur, and Charlotte).
It would also be fun to do some creative dramatics with this story.
You could supplement this story with factual information about farms and animals as well as spiders. It could be used in conjunction with life cycles and the food chain in science class.
You could also then go on to discuss relationships, and how we many look at someone and have bad feelings about them, but if we give them a chance and get to know them, they may be the most wonderful person we could ever know (as comparing to Charlotte). Children could write about an experience they have had with someone they were afraid of or did not like and explain how they eventually grew to enjoy that person (without using names, just circumstances).
In this story of friendship, Fern is a little girl who lives on a farm. She pleads with her dad to save the runt pig that had been born, and she succeeds at saving him, as long as she cares for him. She agreed and she named him Wilbur. She kept him until he grew and she had to keep him at her uncle's barn. Fern and Wilbur loved each other very much. However, while Fern was away at school, Wilbur was very lonely. He became friends with a spider (whom the other animals avoided just because she was a spider) named Charlotte. As their friendship grew, they learned that the family, despite their agreement with Fern, was going to kill Wilbur and have him for dinner. Charlotte was determined not to loose her very close friend and so she did all that she knew how to do to save him. She spun a web, and on the webs she spun words and phrases such as "some pig" and "radiant." People came from all over to see the messages Charlotte wrote about Wilbur, and he was saved. (This pokes fun at adults and their advertising frenzies) In the end, though, Wilbur could not save Charlotte, but he was able to survive and help her children have a happy life full of many friends. This book focuses on friendship and the cycle of life.
The pictures in this book are sketches that show the drama and action taking place. They are colorless and leave it up to the reader to fill the color in with their imagination.
In the classroom, it would be fun to have children chart the main characters and what their quest in the book was, as well as whether or not they succeeded/what the outcome was of the quest. (Fern, Wilbur, and Charlotte).
It would also be fun to do some creative dramatics with this story.
You could supplement this story with factual information about farms and animals as well as spiders. It could be used in conjunction with life cycles and the food chain in science class.
You could also then go on to discuss relationships, and how we many look at someone and have bad feelings about them, but if we give them a chance and get to know them, they may be the most wonderful person we could ever know (as comparing to Charlotte). Children could write about an experience they have had with someone they were afraid of or did not like and explain how they eventually grew to enjoy that person (without using names, just circumstances).
The Snowy Day
The Snowy Day. ISBN:0-670-86733-0. Ezra Jack Keats. (1962). Winner of Caldecott Medal. Fiction. Ages 2+. Young African American middle class boys.
This book is about a little boy named Peter, who woke up to something new in his neighborhood.....snow! Peter reminds us all of the happiness and delight that children get from the very simple pleasures in life. We do not have to search too far past our own backyard for amazing new wonders. In the pictures in the book, we never see any of the other characters' faces, because the illustrator is trying to focus on Peter's experience and expressions and not draw attention away from him. We do see a smiley face on the snow man, which helps us understand that Peter's experience and the snow are what is really the main idea of this book. On the pages that picture Peter's neighborhood, the buildings do no have details drawn on them, I assume as to not draw attention away from the snow (focal point). The pictures themselves are very simplistic, as to represent the beauty in simplicity being showcased in this book.
In my classroom, I would use this book in literature while we are learning about seasons. In writer's workshop I would have the children draw a picture and write in their journal about fun experiences they have had in the winter time. I would ask them if they like to experience that alone or with friends and family. This book could be used as a tool to get their minds thinking about what to write about.
We could also use this as an introduction to the science of matter (solid, liquid, gas), and discuss what happened to Peter's snowball when he put it in his pocket and why.
This book is about a little boy named Peter, who woke up to something new in his neighborhood.....snow! Peter reminds us all of the happiness and delight that children get from the very simple pleasures in life. We do not have to search too far past our own backyard for amazing new wonders. In the pictures in the book, we never see any of the other characters' faces, because the illustrator is trying to focus on Peter's experience and expressions and not draw attention away from him. We do see a smiley face on the snow man, which helps us understand that Peter's experience and the snow are what is really the main idea of this book. On the pages that picture Peter's neighborhood, the buildings do no have details drawn on them, I assume as to not draw attention away from the snow (focal point). The pictures themselves are very simplistic, as to represent the beauty in simplicity being showcased in this book.
In my classroom, I would use this book in literature while we are learning about seasons. In writer's workshop I would have the children draw a picture and write in their journal about fun experiences they have had in the winter time. I would ask them if they like to experience that alone or with friends and family. This book could be used as a tool to get their minds thinking about what to write about.
We could also use this as an introduction to the science of matter (solid, liquid, gas), and discuss what happened to Peter's snowball when he put it in his pocket and why.
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