Red
Thread Sisters
Written by Carol Antoinette Peacock
Published by Viking Juvenile, 2012
ISBN # 978-0670013869
Teaching Ideas and
Invitations
Intertextual
Connections
·
Carol Antoinette Peacock Author Study. Carol Peacock has written several
books for children across the ages. Gather multiple copies of her books and
conduct an author study. Ask your students to identify patterns in setting,
theme, character, and plot across the fiction titles. Examine Peacock’s
storytelling techniques in the books, as well as the topics and perspectives
she writes about in her nonfiction books. Gather information about Peacock from
her website listed below, your local librarian, the Internet, and as other
biographical sources.
·
Stories of
Intercountry Adoptions. Adoption itself is a complex process that goes
beyond the legal protocol and paperwork, let alone adoption across countries
and cultures. Share with your students a wide variety of texts and genres that
chronicle the stories of children who have been adopted from other countries to
live in America.
Consider the following questions: Why might someone want to adopt a child from
another country? What personal and cultural considerations must be addressed
before, during, and after the adoption occurs? Watch the 2011 documentary Somewhere Between and the 2007
documentary Found in China, which spotlights the experiences of
several children who were adopted from China.
Read some of the articles listed below in Further Explorations to learn about
the challenges and surprises involved in intercountry adoptions. Have students
compare and contrast the various stories, and compile a list of further
questions they want to investigate further about the experience of children and
families involved in these adoptions.
Themed Inquiry
Projects
·
What Makes
a Family? Throughout the novel, Wen adamantly refers to Shu Ling as her
sister. In the same breath, she hesitates to call Emily her mei mei (little sister) or her new
mother Mom. Engage your students in a
discussion about what defines a family. What kinds of family structures exist?
Are some more “legitimate” than others? Who says? Is there something more
that’s needed than just biological or legal relationships? You may want to
share Robie Harris’s picturebook Who’s in
My Family? (see http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/2012/09/whos-in-my-family-all-about-our.html),
as well as some of the other novels listed in the Further Explorations section,
to spur further discussion about this theme.
·
Investigating
Orphanages. Many fictional stories are set in orphanages; yet not every
orphanage is depicted in the same way. Invite your students to inquire into the
purpose and evolution of orphanages throughout literature and over time. How do
these fictional depictions compare to real, contemporary orphanages? What
improvements have been gained in the way orphanages are managed? What needs and
challenges still exist? Encourage students to research feasible ways they can
help to address some of those issues. For example, some of the websites listed
below in Further Explorations describe how even a donation of $25 can provide
books, medical supplies, or toys to children in orphanages.
The Craft of
Storytelling
·
Using
Flashbacks – We learn much about Wen’s history with her biological family
and during her years at the orphanage through periodic flashbacks. Have
students reread these flashbacks with a writer’s eye. How are the flashbacks
introduced and woven into the present-tense storyline? How do the flashbacks segue back to the main
story? What do these flashbacks reveal about the characters in the book? After
discussing and taking notes on students’ analyses, invite students to try using
flashbacks in any of their narrative writing, whether personal narrative or
fiction.
Further Explorations
Online Resources
Carol Antoinette Peacock’s website
Red Thread Sisters Book
Trailer
Intercountry Adoption website – Bureau of Consular Affairs,
U.S. Department of State
China Center
of Adoption Affairs
Somewhere Between
documentary
Article about Found in
China
News Articles about Issues Concerning Intercountry Adoption
Articles and Websites about Family Structures and
Definitions
Help for Orphans International
Half the Sky – provides child-centered education and
development to children in Chinese orphanages
Love without Boundaries – a nonprofit foundation that
provides assistance to Chinese orphanages
Books
Creech, S. (1994). Walk
two moons. New York:
HarperTrophy.
Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud,
not Buddy. New York:
Yearling.
D’Antonio, N. (1997). Our
baby from China: An adoption story. Morton Grove, IL:
Albert Whitman & Company.
Giff, P. R. (2002). Pictures of Hollis Woods. New
York: Dell Yearling.
Harris, R. (2012). Who’s
in my family? Somerville, MA:
Candlewick Press.
Helminski, P. (2011). Daughter
of a thousand pieces of gold. Cary, NC:
MNH Publications.
MacLachlan, P. (1993). Baby.
New York: Random
House.
MacLachlan, P. (1991). Journey. New York:
Yearling.
Peacock, C. A. (2000). Mommy far, mommy near: An adoption story. Morton
Grove, IL: Albert Whitman &
Company.
The
Universe of Fair
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Frank W. Dormer
Published by Peachtree Publishers, 2012
ISBN # 978-1561456345
Teaching Ideas and
Invitations
Intertextual
Connections
·
Leslie
Bulion Author Study – Leslie Bulion has written several books for children
across the ages. Gather multiple copies of her books and conduct an author
study. Ask your students to identify patterns in setting, theme, character, and
plot across the fiction titles. Examine Leslie Bulion’s storytelling techniques in
the books, as well as the topics and perspectives she writes about in her
poetry collections. Gather information about Bulion from her website listed
below, your local librarian, the Internet, and as other biographical
sources.
·
Fairs
Around the World and Throughout Time – Fairs have been popular events
throughout the world and throughout history. What is the purpose of a fair? How
is it similar or different from a carnival? What unique contributions and facts
have fairs made to local cultures and histories? Gather a set of texts about
the stories, events, exhibitions, and contests that take place at different
fairs. You can start by comparing and contrasting other chapter books and
novels set at fairs, such as Watch out
World, Rosy Cole is Going Green! and Fair Weather. Use picturebooks to gather more visual information
about fairs (see Further Explorations below). Use websites about fairs,
especially ones about the World’s Fair, to investigate further (see Further
Explorations below). Finally, round out this set of texts about fairs by
listening to NPR Road Trips: Fairs and
Festivals: Stories That Take You Away, a captivating audio CD collection of
stories and silliness that occur at fairs across the United
States. If a local fair happens to be
nearby, enrich students' understandings with a trip there and behind the scenes.
Themed Inquiry
Projects
·
What Does
It Mean to Be Responsible? – Miller is determined to prove to his parents
that he’s responsible, but there are times he debates what is the more
responsible course of action. Divide students into literature circles, and
share several of the children’s books below that deal with characters trying to
prove they are responsible, such as Flour
Babies and No Such Thing. Guide
each group to consider the following questions: How does each
character define “being responsible”? Are they trying to prove something more?
What obstacles must they overcome to show they are responsible? Can showing
responsibility in one way also show lack of responsibility in another?
·
Debating
Theories of Everything – Miller ponders several scientific theories to help
figure out the mysteries and problems he encounters throughout the novel. In
particular, he focuses on String Theory and a Theory of Everything. Pair The Universe of Fair with another novel
in which the characters attempt to explain the events surrounding them through
a specific scientific theory, such as Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me. Direct your students to websites (see Further
Explorations below) and easily digestible printed explanations of the various
theories under consideration. After engaging them in a discussion about the
various theories, set up a debate in which students argue and defend each of
the theories against the others.
The Craft of
Storytelling
·
Inner Monologues – Miller’s first-person
narration allows us to know what he thinks about the people and events around
him. One of the ways Leslie Bulion accomplishes this is by writing out Miller’s
inner monologues, or the actual long train of thought that goes through his
mind as he experiences life around him, such as whenever he contemplates the
Theory of Everything. Have students reread some of Miller’s inner monologues,
studying how Leslie Bulion shapes them to reveal more about character and plot.
Then, using The Universe of Fair as a
mentor text, encourage students to try inserting inner monologues into their
own fiction writing. You may want to scaffold this strategy by having students
assume the role of one of their characters and then freewriting from that
character’s point of view.
Further Explorations
Online Resources
Leslie Bulion’s website
Frank W. Dormer’s website
International Association of Fairs and Expositions
The World’s Fair Museum
Fairs Everywhere
Facts about Fairs
Kid-Friendly Websites about String Theory
Websites about the Theory of Everything
Books
Cleary, B. (1957). Henry
and the paper route. New York:
Morrow Junior Books.
DiCamillo, K., & McGhee, A. (2012). Bink and Gollie: Two for one. Somerville,
MA: Candlewick Press.
Fine, A. (1994). Flour
babies. Boston: Little, Brown.
Greenwald, S. (2010). Watch
out world, Rosy Cole is going green! New
York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Kehret, P. (1995). Danger
at the fair. New York:
Cobblehill Books.
Krulik, N. (2013). Katie
Kazoo switcheroo: All’s fair. Ill.
by John & Wendy. New York:
Penguin Young Readers Group.
NPR. (2012). NPR road
trips: Fairs and festivals: Stories that take you away. [Audio CD].
HighBridge Company.
Peck, R. (1998). A
long way from Chicago. New York:
Dial Press.
Peck, R. (2003). Fair
weather. New York: Puffin.
Stead, R. (2010). When
you reach me. New York:
Yearling.
Tudor, T. (1998). Corgiville
fair. Boston: Little, Brown
& Company.
Spike,
the Mixed-Up Monster
Written by Susan Hood
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Published by Paula Wiseman Books/Simon &
Schuster, 2012
ISBN # 978-1-4424-0601-8
Teaching Ideas and
Invitations
Intertextual
Connections
· Susan Hood Author Study/Melissa Sweet
Illustrator Study. Both Susan Hood and Melissa Sweet have written and
illustrated several books for children across the ages. Gather multiple copies
of their books to conduct an author study and/or illustrator study. For the
author study, ask your students to identify patterns in setting, theme,
character, and plot across the books. Examine Susan Hood’s storytelling
techniques in the books, as well as the topics and perspectives she writes
about in her books. For the illustrator study, survey Melissa Sweet’s
illustrations, and identify her artistic style, her artistic idiosyncrasies, and
favorite artistic media to use. Gather information about both of these
women from their websites listed below, your local librarian, the Internet, and
as other biographical sources.
·
Axolotls
and Other Specialized Salamander Species – Axolotls, like Spike, live in
only one place in the entire world: Lake
Xochimilco in Mexico
City. Additionally, unlike other salamanders, axolotls
never develop lungs for living on land. Build a text set with your students
about axolotls and other salamanders, making sure to pull texts from a diverse
range of genres and modes. For example, you might want to share the nonfiction
books, The Salamander Room and Animals Up Close (both listed below),
along with several news articles and online informational texts (see below). What
else makes axolotls unique among other salamanders, or among the world’s
creatures? How are they similar? What ecological and biological issues are
challenging the continued existence of axolotls? What can be done to help them?
Themed Inquiry
Projects
·
(Mis)Judging and Fearing Appearances. Spike, the Mixed-Up Monster
presents readers with questions and challenges about judging and fearing
others’ appearances. Divide students into literature circles. Share several of
the picturebooks listed below that deal with similar issues with characters’
frightful (or tame) appearances, such as Shrek!
and No Such Thing. Guide each
group to consider the following questions: What judgments are made in the book
about other characters? What is the source of the characters’ fears? Are those
fears and judgments reasonable or well founded? Why or why not? How do the
characters’ confront their fears or question their judgments? What is each of
these stories saying about the topic of judging and fearing appearances? What
connections or disconnections might these stories have to their own lives? How
can they work toward stopping snap judgments and confronting these fears, both
in themselves and in others?
The Craft of
Storytelling
·
Mixing
Languages to Strengthen Voice – Voice is one of the most difficult writing traits
for students to grasp and for teachers to teach. Voice is the trait that allows
readers to develop a full sense of who is speaking the words on the page,
whether it is a narrator, fictionalized character, or the author
himself/herself. Spike, the Mixed-Up
Monster does a great job of illustrating exactly what voice is, as we read
and hear Spike’s own Spanish language. Engage your students in a study of how
Susan Hood does this. What words or phrases does she choose to help readers
“hear” Spike’s distinct voice as an axolotl? How does he view and describe the
same things differently from how other animals do? To further demonstrate the
quality of voice, do a reader’s theater activity with excerpts from the novel
so students can really hear what Hood is doing in her writing. Then, have
students experiment with voice by perhaps writing about the same topic in
different voices, including mixing in words from different languages.
·
The
Interplay of Text and Illustration – As a genre, picturebooks offer a unique
opportunity to meld words and artwork to create meaning, with each medium
enhancing the other so that both are necessary for readers to develop full
understanding. Do a picture walk with students, having them carefully study
each of Melissa Sweet’s illustrations only to tell the story. Record their
picture walk storytelling with an audio recorder, perhaps on a smart phone,
computer, tablet, or digital recorder. Then, cover up the illustrations or
retype the text and have them reread only the text of the story. Have students
compare and contrast the details and understandings they gained through each
mode and medium of storytelling. Then, invite students to write and illustrate
their own picturebooks, stressing that picturebooks are much more than “illustrated
books” meaning is not just connected through text and pictures, but enhanced
and elaborated through the interplay.
Further Explorations
Online Resources
Susan Hood’s website
Melissa Sweet’s website
Websites about Axolotls
News Articles about Issues Related to the Axolotl
Videos of Axolotls
“Axolotl” – a short story for older readers by Julio
Cortázar
Books
Koller, J. F. (1997). No
such thing. Ill. by B. Lewin.
Honesdale, PA:
Boyds Mills Press.
Mazer, A. (1991). The
salamander room. Ill. by S.
Johnson. New York: Knopf.
McGhee, A. (2006). A
very brave witch. Ill. by H.
Bliss. New York: Simon &
Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Siwanowicz, I. (2009). Animals up close: Zoom in on the world's
most incredible creatures. London:
DK Publishing.
Steig, W. (1990). Shrek!
New York: Farrar, Straus &
Giroux.
Stone, J. (1972). The
monster at the end of this book. Ill.
by M. Smollin. New York: Golden
Books.
Willems, M. (2005). Leonardo,
the terrible monster. New York:
Hyperion.
Winters, K. (1997). The
teeny, tiny ghost. Ill. by L.
Munsinger. New York:
HarperCollins.
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