Hello again Pilgrim book lovers. Here is an update from your friendly neighborhood librarian. This week in the library both our upper and lower elementary students have been talking about characters. As some of you may know this year students in grades 3-5 will be working in groups to create a picture book. Though there are many elements to creating a great story an argument can be made that character development is the most important one. The characters are what moves the story along and is the element that most engages the reader. This week we all read Corduroy by Don Freeman and My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza. Both books are great for discussing the importance of a gripping character when telling a story. Corduroy, a classic children's book, tells the story of a bear who lives in a department store who really wants to find a forever home; and the girl who was also looking for a forever friend. The heartwarming story follows the steps they take in order to find each other. My Lucky Day is another great one for discussing character motivation. It tells the story of a scared little pig who must outsmart a fox in order to not get eaten. We realize by the end of the story that the pig was a lot more cunning than he first let on and he tricked not only the fox but also the reader with his true intentions. Students then wrote responses about what they think each character was feeling and thinking. Next week students will create a character sketch of their own using a worksheet that helps them to figure out how their character thinks, acts, looks, feels, etc. I am really excited about this project and I think the students are too.
Today is also author visit day for students in grades 3-6. Gail Lerner will be on campus reading her first children's book The Big Dreams of Small Creatures. Order forms for purchasing a signed copy of the book are in the main office and attached to the Thursday Pilgrim post. See you all in the library.
