Author/Illustrator: Carol Brendler/Ard Hoyt
Plot Summary: All over Quincy County, people were preparing for the County Fair. Some neighbors were growing corn and some raising hens while others were raising fancy dogs.
As Winnie Finn was absolutely crazy for earthworms, she decided to raise worms. Although the neighbors were skeptical about worms being entered as contestants at the Fair, Winnie proved to be the biggest winner of all.
Comments: Although students in the city might not understand the importance of a county fair, most have at least seen earthworms after a rainstorm. Others may have even gone looking for them under rocks and in other, dark, moist places. As someone who has always found worms interesting and have watched my own children enjoy this pastime, this book provides a great lesson in understanding the natural world. For schools that already have community gardens, composting and a worm farm would be an idea for a side project.
Extensions:
1. After reading the book, the lesson would be focused on fact and fiction. There are many interesting facts in this book. I would also have some books displayed that are non-fiction books about worms. I think this would be a good way to illustrate to the students the difference between fiction and non-fiction.
2. The book would be the "kick-off" for a mini Expedition(or study) or earthworms. This would be connected to our Community Garden project and would involve starting a composting program. Using the "recipe" in the back of the book, and on the website, we would create a worm farm for our garden. Perhaps this could lead to some composting from the cafeteria.
3. Related to Expeditionary Learning, this book would be a good example of the Design Principle, "The Natural World."
4. I am interested in having items from the Natural World in my Media Center. I could have a mini-worm farm in some sort of aquarium. This would be much lower maintenance than fish, a guinea pig or turtle.
Themes/keywords: earthworms, farming, agriculture, compost, science, the natural world
Age/Reading Level: K-3; ATOS 3.5; Follett 2.5; Lexile 770
Standards:
ELA2R4 The student uses a variety of strategies to gain meaning from grade-level text.
ELA1R6 The student uses a variety of strategies to understand and gain meaning from grade-level text.
Publisher's Info: Farrar Straus Giroux, New York. 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0-374-38440-1
ISBN-10: 0-374-38440-1
Awards/Review Sources:
A Junior Library Guild Selection
School Library Journal 09/01/09 | Kirkus Review 07/15/09 |
| Library Media Connection 11/01/09 |
Genre/Dewey: Fiction; Easy/Everybody
Websites:
www.happydranch.com - Worms and worm composting supplies
http://www.carolbrendler.com/ - Author's website with worm facts, ideas for worm names, more information on worm composting and a link to the author's blog.
A Dunkin Donuts is composting in their parking lot - http://www.brandfreak.com/images/Misc/worm-tea.jpg
Notes for Booktalk: bring some worms for the children to hold - no screaming
Vocabulary:
Comments