New Endings

The Spider and the Fly

Written by: Mary Howitt

Illustrated by: Tony DiTerlizzi

Published by: Simon & Schuster, 2012

40 Pages 

Poetry

   The spider wants the fly to step into his parlor, but the fly knows exactly what the spider is up to. However, the spider is persistent and says flattering things to attract the fly in. Unfortunately for the spider, the fly buzzes away. The spider doesn't mind though. He knows the fly will return.

   DiTerlizzi illustrates this poem from the 19th century to make it much more intriguing for young readers. He uses black and white pencil drawings to create a dark and eerie feeling for the audience. The characters are exquisitely detailed, and the shadows create

a three-dimensional, realistic look to every 

page.

   I would use this book in a third- grade classroom to teach children how a poem is set up. We would go through each stanza, and annotate the text to make it easier to understand. Some of the words are Old English, so young readers might have a difficult time comprehending the text. Then, I would let the students create an ending stanza with a different outcome.

   To assist special needs students, I would partner students up so they could work together to create the new stanza. 

When our bodies shed....

Parts

Written and illustrated by: Tedd Arnold

Published by: Puffin Books, 2000

32 Pages

Poetry

This little guy just doesn't understand what is going on! 

There's fuzz in his belly button, and he thinks his skin is coming off of the bone.

Although the five-year-old doesn't feel any pain,

he's afraid that the piece that fell from his nose could be a part of his brain! 

When he finds a loose tooth, it's very plain for him to see. 

He says, "The glue that holds our parts together isn't holding me!" 

Parts takes us through the journey of a boy that thinks he's is falling apart. 

If you want to find out what happens next, page one is where you'll start.

Arnold is a creative author-illustrator of more than 50 children's books.

The colorful drawings give the pages very detailed looks.

He portrays the character's imagination as wild.

Students can relate to this silly young child.

Children can laugh while they read and rhyme.

This book makes for a fun and engaging time.

   In a 3rd grade classroom, I would do an activity where the students look at idioms and write what they mean. For example, if you say "My heart is broken", it doesn't literally mean it's broken. It just means you are sad. This teaches students how to use creative language in their writing.

   For gifted students, I would let them think of idioms they have heard, and write what they really mean as well. Gifted students could also create a poem using idioms that we have used in the activity or the ones they came up with.

Pinkalicious: Puptastic! Book Trailer

You Never Know When You Might Need Help

The Lion and the Mouse

Written and illustrated by: Jerry Pinkney 

Published by: Little Brown Books, 2009

40 pages 

Traditional Literature

   The mouse is a tiny little fellow, who is about to become the lion’s snack. But, he has a proposal: if the lion will spare his life he will help him when he needs him. The lion is the king of the jungle. He doesn’t think he needs anyone’s help, but he decides to listen to the mouse’s plea. When hunters capture the lion, we find out if the mouse keeps his promise.

   Pinkney is a author-illustrator of children’s books. In this book, he adds exquisite detail from front cover to back cover. He was awarded the Caldecott medal, honoring this picture book as the most distinguished.

   This is a wonderful book to use when teaching story elements, such as theme. Readers can identify the message portrayed in The Lion and the Mouse and relate it to their own life. They could complete a variety of activities, such as making their own anchor charts and writing about what the theme means to them. One activity I really like is called “Hashtag the theme”. They could post on the class Facebook or Twitter page, summarizing the story and “hashtagging” the theme. I would use this in a 3rd or 4th grade class.

   Gifted learners could create their own story using the same theme. It could be a real event they experienced, or they could make up a story.

Big and Bad vs. Innocent Until Proven Guilty

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Written by: Jon Scieszka

Illustrated by: Lane Smith 

Published by: Puffin Books, 1996

32 Pages

Traditional Literature

   A. Wolf has been arrested for the mischievous acts involving the three little pigs. We’ve all heard the story: “he huffed and puffed and blew their houses down”. Little do we know, A. Wolf has been framed. Can he change your perspective of the story we all know? Does he present a valid reason behind his actions?

   Lane Smith’s illustrations are mostly dark, using a lot of contrast between lights and shadows. The intelligent face on the wolf helps the reader form a connection with him. They often begin to think deeper about the text, and I believe the illustrations play a huge role in changing the readers mind about Wolf’s true character. 

    This book is perfect for a 3rd grade lesson on point of view. Readers could choose a side and debate whether they believe the wolf is big and bad like the original story, or innocent until proven guilty. They could also write a short opinion piece stating their decision and reasoning.
   ELL students: Some students, especially ELL, may not know the original story of the three little pigs. I would begin with the original story, then read this version. This book is also available in Spanish, so it might be easier for Spanish speaking students to follow along with that.