Week 1

A picture book I recommend to teachers is "Babushka's Doll" by Patricia Polacco. To begin with, I love Polacco's stories. They all have an excellent lesson/theme to be identified. This story in particular teaches the reader to not be selfish and treat others the way you to want to be treated. The author does this by telling a story about a granddaughter, a very bossy little girl, and her sweet, old grandmother. One day the grandmother had to leave the house and the granddaughter demanded to play with a specific doll. Once the grandmother agreed and left, the doll came alive! However, it was not pleasant because the doll bossed around the little girl. She was not happy by this, at all. When the grandmother returned, the doll returned to being a toy and the little girl was happy to have it gone. After that experience, the granddaughter never treated her grandmother badly again. Overall, "Babushka's Doll" can be used with grades 2-5. Students can make strong connections, have rich discussions about the theme, and learn a lesson.