Author/Illustrator: David LubarPlot Summary: After making mischief in the library, a boy receives a curse from the librarian. He doesn't realize what has happened until he starts speaking in puns, and can't stop. Only some detective work on his part will make the curse go away.
Comments: Great material for puns, palindromes, anagrams and oxymoron. A
Extensions:
1. Some ideas for palindrome, anagram, and oxymoron activities from a teacher resource website. Although this book would be hard to use as a read aloud as it is important to see the text, it would make a good choice for a literature circle, or something to use if you could get books for an entire class. If it is not against copyright, projecting an ebook on a screen would be a good idea.
2. Ideas from a public library that used this book in a book club for children in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. Click here to read the blog.
3. An "Oxymoron Contest" would task students to go out in the world and find good examples. The class would vote on their favorites. Using a blog. Media Center, or class website, would be a good way to post the ideas would be a good way to share. This might be a good contest to come out of the Media Center as all students could participate.
Themes/keywords: boys, friendship, word games, pun, palindrome, oxymoron, anagram
Age/Reading Level: 3 - 5; ATOS - 3.6; Follett - 3.9; Lexile - 540
Standards:
ELA5R1/ELA4R1/ The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.
ELA5R2/ELA4R2 The student consistently reads at least twenty-five books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) each year. The materials should include traditional and contemporary literature (both fiction and non-fiction) as well as magazines, newspapers, textbooks, and electronic material. Such reading should represent a diverse collection of material from at least three different literary forms and from at least five different writers.
Publisher's Info: Darby Creek Publishing, Plain City, Ohio. 2006
ISBN-13: 978-1-58196-042-6
ISBN-10: 1-58196-042-5
Awards/Review Sources:
School Library Journal starred 05/01/06 | Booklist 05/01/06 |
| Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 06/01/06 |
Genre/Dewey: Fiction
Websites:
Author's website. He is a prolific write and great speaker. He spoke at the Decatur Book Festival in 2009.
Some oxymorons from a random Internet site and another. There seem to be many.
Fun With Words website
Notes for Booktalk: A Junior Library Guild selection
Vocabulary: oxymoron, anagram, palindrome
Comments