Author/Illustrator: Amy Young
Plot Summary: Belinda travels to Paris for a big dance performance but her ballet slippers end up in Pago Pago. Her friend Gabrielle comes to the rescue by helping her locate a new pair of shoes that will fit her "magnificent" feet.
Comments: This was a great book with a multi-cultural component. It is the second in a series of four books about Belinda who happens to have large feet. It depicts the architecture, as well as some famous landmarks in Paris, as well as some French words. I read it to second graders as a way to introduce the Georgia Children's Book Award as well as a way to encourage the students to broaden their range of interst - ie. boys can read "girl" books. And yes, many of the boys really like the story.
Extensions:
1. Using a computer with a projector or an ActivBoard, bookmark pictures of the landmarks featured in the book including the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Opera House. Show these and compare with the illustrations in the book.
2. Register your school as a site to receive votes for the Georgia Children's Book Award. Purchase as many of the nominees as your budget will allow. As you read the books, have the children document what they liked and did not like in a journal. Have them vote for their favorite.
Themes/keywords: foot, size, ballet dancers, shoes, Paris, France, friendship
Age/Reading Level: Interest level K - 3; ATOS 3.1;
Standards:
ELA1R6/ELA2R4/ELA3R3 - The student uses a variety of strategies to understand and gain meaning from grade-level text.
ELA1W2/ELA2W2/ELA3W2 - The student writes in a variety of genres, including narrative, informational, persuasive and response to literature.
Publisher's Info: Viking, a division of the Penguin Young Readers Group, New York. 2005
ISBN-13: 978-0-670-03693-6
ISBN-10: 0-670-03693-5
Awards/Review Sources:
School Library Journal 04/01/05 | Booklist 01/01/05 |
| Horn Book 10/01/05 | Kirkus Review 01/15/05 |
Genre/Dewey: Fiction; Easy/Everybody
Websites:
Author's Website: http://www.luciddesign.com/amylyoung/books.html
CIA World FactBook on France: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html
Official Website of French Government Tourist Office: http://us.franceguide.com/
Notes for Booktalk: introduce non-traditional book to boys,
Vocabulary: pointe shoes, cobbler, form, grand, fromage, quiche, croissant, ecstatic, baguette
Comments