Grab Her a Kleenex: Barb's Reading Patricia Polacco Again
- bsgilki
- Nov 5, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 9, 2020
Julie and Chuck discovered my favorite children’s book author during one of their weekly jaunts to the library. After reading a few of her early books like Thundercake and The Keeping Quilt, I was hooked on Patricia Polacco!
Years later when I taught third grade, I read her books to my class on a regular basis. Every time I read one, I would have to have one of my kids finish reading it aloud because I would start crying!
I decided to incorporate a writing activity. Each student’s desk had a different Polacco book on it. After five minutes, the children passed the book on to the next student. They took notes and had to decide which book was their favorite.
Then they spent a few days getting to know the story and the lesson the story taught. The writing activity was to write a blurb that was typed up and taped into the book. Along with the blurb, the children had to rate their book. Instead of stars they drew teardrops for how hard Mrs. Gilkison cried!
Patricia Polacco was a child of divorce, dyslexic, and often bullied in school. She had a warm extended family and both parents were positive influences in her life, in addition to her brother and grandparents.
In her books you will see her own beautiful illustrations and old photographs incorporated into the stories.
Polacco writes with such warmth and compassion about things that children experience in their lives. Many of her stories are based on past experiences, and all of them have a teaching moment.
She offers hope to the young and the old.
Here are my top ten, with the issues they tackle--and there are plenty more. Don't forget the tissues!
Click each book to shop it on Bookshop, or find the whole list here!
reading difficulties
Civil War
The Great Depression
World War II
bullying, racism
divorce
bullying, foster children
homelessness
The Titanic
Vietnam War
You can see how timely Polacco’s books are. They are so appropriate for children, but adults too. Lucky for us, they keep coming and even though I’m no longer teaching, I still add to my collection when she releases a new one.
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