Tag Archives: Folk Tales

Read-a-Louds Jan 3 – 6

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

 

Welcome back after the Winter Break! This week we will be reading a couple of books. For K to 1, we will be reading Robert Munsch’s new book Give Me Back My Dad! This story is a result of an online poll that Scholastic held last Fall – students were given 3 different storylines, and the one with the most votes would be the story that Robert Munsch would write. This book contains the winning storyline, and true to Munsch’s writing style, is quite funny!

 

 

 

 

For grades 2 to 7 students (who visit the library for story-time), we will be reading a traditional French-Canadian folktale, The Flying Canoe, retold by Eric A. Kimmel.

This folktale has many versions, and has been altered since it was first published in the late 1800’s. The original publication had the story taking place on New Year’s Eve instead of Christmas Eve, and the main characters were loggers instead of voyageurs. The sinister element of the story has been toned down to make the story suitable for younger students; in the original story, it is El Diablo who visits the loggers and offers them a ride in the canoe back to their homes for New Year’s Eve. Grades 6 and 7 students will be comparing the original story to this newer version.

Read-a-Louds Nov 21-Nov 25 Cont’d

 

  

While the Kindergarteners will be listening to Pete the Cat: Rocking In My School Shoes, the Grade 1 students will be reading a new story called Bear’s Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson. The Grade 2 and 3 students will be reviewing “How to choose the right book for me” through listening to the story Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Mims Hopkins. Goldie Socks finds a “Just Right Book” by using the Five-Finger-Rule: when selecting a book, turn to a page and begin reading to yourself – put a finger up every time you come across a word that you don’t know – if you end up with all 5 fingers up, the book is probably too hard for you – if no fingers go up, the book might be too easy for you – if 1 – 3 fingers go up, the book is probably just right.

Mar 14 – 18 Read-a-Louds

This week we will be reading a folktale from Iran, called The Secret Message by Mina Javaherbin. The first day of Spring, March 21st, is also time for the Persian New Year, or No-Rooz/Nowruz. Persian people celebrate the New Year with food, family, and festivities. No-Rooz Mobarak! (Happy New Year!)

Feb 14 – Feb 18 Read-a-Louds

This week, the primary grades will be reading “A String of Hearts” by Laura Elliott, a Valentines Day story. The intermediates are reading “Buzaak Chinie (The Porcelain Goat): A Traditional Afghanistan Folk Tale”. I chose a story from the Middle East as a “tie-in” to events occuring in several Middle Eastern countries, such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen. We will look at a map of the Middle East, and locate Afghanistan. We will also discuss similarities and differences between Western folk tales and Middle Eastern folk tales.