I think I said this at Halloween.... but if I did, just know that I did mean it but I also mean this too: Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year! The narrator compares her own somewhat disenchanting Thanksgiving in which her family: burps, chews on the gizzards, sings at the table, wear only blue jeans & has to deal with the blackened & burnt turkey; to that of Abigail Asher's family who are "perfect". As a group, the students & I started this books by comparing the turkeys illustrated on the front cover: similarities & differences. We continued this idea comparison throughout our reading & as we got to the last page, the conclusion was clear: families are different, but the love is the same.
0 Comments
You might have noticed that whole Halloween event that happens around this time of year.... kids (& some adults) in costumes; candy addictions at tipping point; maybe the odd costume emergency (aka tantrum)... So much fun it's borderline ridiculous....but there's also that whispering sigh of relief from many that it's over for another year. Here in the library for Halloween, I shared one of our books from home - a favorite with my own boys, the classic The Spider & the Fly. This is a really special book as not only is it a tale that has history (written in 1829 by Mary Howitt), it still has messages relevant today: namely don't trust giant spiders who try to woo you... which could be translated into: be careful of strangers (especially the kind with 8 legs).
This particular version of Howitt's tale is illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi (Spiderwick Chronicles author) & the illustrations are magnificent. Dark, detailed, full of nooks & cranny's that add layer after layer to the story. While the language can be a challenge (words like "parlor" & "looking glass", "ne'er"), our Reed students mastered these with little help & it was magical to see them appreciating both the language & the message of the story despite its unfamiliarity. I hope all of you enjoyed the festivities this Halloween & kept safe - be sure to check out my October newsletter too! |
Ms CahillWelcome to the on-line home of Reed Library! I'm so pleased you came to visit & hope you keep coming back to read my blog on our latest happenings, new books & our exciting digital citizenship program! Archives
January 2019
Categories |