PPBF: Bad Apple

Happy Friday the 13th. Today I'm excited for the return of PPBF so I can share this tale about a friendship between an unlikely duo that I first heard about from my friend Shawna at The Picture Book Teacher's Edition. If you've not visited her site, do yourself a favor and bookmark it for the most comprehensive book reviews and enrichment activities anywhere!


Title: Bad Apple - A Tale of Friendship
Author/Illustrator: Edward Hemingway
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Date: August 2, 2012
Suitable for: ages 3-5 (I would say through 5th grade!)
Themes: Friendship, peer pressure, differences, feelings
Brief  synopsis: Mac the Apple and Will the Worm are certainly an unlikely pair. But they like hanging around until Mac's friends shun him for it. When Will decides that Mac is better off without him, Mac needs to figure out whether he'd rather be an apple with a worm or a lonely apple without one.
Opening page:  Mac was a good apple.
Why I like this book:  Worms typically spoil apples, so this dynamic duo intrigues me. Ask your students what it means that "one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch." Find out if they think that's true. Let them decide whether a worm could, in an imaginary world, live inside of an apple and be its friend. 

Resources: 

Click {here} to watch the book trailer on You Tube.
Bad Apple makes the Children's Choices 2013 reading list.
Busy Teacher's Cafe Apple Activities Galore {here}.

Ask enrichment inquiries like this:
How was Will good for Mac? 
And how was he bad?  
Do you have a best friend? 
How did you pick him/her?
Is it easy to branch out and find a new friend?
When there's a conflict with your friend, 
who helps you decide what to do?

This book would make an adorable Reader's Theater.
After the performance, students could give friendship awards to one another explaining whom they picked and what makes him/her a good fit.

Then research apples. 
What variety might Mac in the book actually be? 
Where do Cortlands grow? 
What color are Granny Smiths? 
Which apples make the best pie? 
Chart the similarities and differences between Yellow Delicious and Red Delicious using a double-bubble graphic organizer.
Have students bring in a favorite family apple recipe to share.
 Make a class cookbook.
Or ask for samples and have a taste-testing. 

Consider comparing and contrasting one or more of 
these unlikely friends:












Finally, try this object lesson about the effect how we treat people has on their fruitfulness. You'll need two apples. With one apple, have students give examples of hurtful behaviors that would not be healthy for a relationship. As they give examples, drop the apple, poke it with something sharp, bruise it with your thumb, etc. With the other apple, talk about the things friends do for one another. Shine it with every suggestion. Then compare the two pieces of fruit. Which one would you want to eat for lunch? 

Cut a piece off of the battered fruit and you'll see brown spots. Pieces of skin might even be missing. Talk about the mistreatment that caused those bruises. Set it aside and pick up the other apple.




Cut crosswise into the shiny, polished apple and they'll see beautiful flesh and a star in the middle. Then cut the bruised apple crosswise as well to compare. Both apples have a star on the inside, but one is shiny and in tact, seemingly a healthier, better-tasting choice. Why What does that have to do with friendships and relationships? Process with your students that, like the star in the middle of the apple, we shine inside and out when we treat one another with 
dignity and respect.  

If you've got a budget, buy them all an apple to take home or snack on. My friend Lisa and her intern discussed the possibility of a giving them a green apple Jolly Rancher for a cheaper option. Or make apple bread, bars or muffins. 

Excuse me while I go and make us a caramel apple pie.











31 comments

  1. Of course, I am going to push it to sixth grade! Thanks for the recommendation... and the heartfelt "extensions." I'm off to Amazon to order some books!
    <3

    Kim
    Finding JOY in 6th Grade

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    1. Hi Kim - thanks for stopping by the Corner. I have absolutely NO doubt that you could turn this into an amazing life-lesson for your sixth graders!! Please stop by and let us know how it went.

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  2. Can't wait to read this one, but my you have good taste inyour list of companion/comparison books!

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    1. Thanks, Julie! An architect and a pigeon? Almost as unlikely as an apple and a worm. Thanks for coming by the Corner. Can't wait to get home to see your pick this week.

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  3. I just love the anti bullying message of the bad apple against his friends. Not leaving his friend the worm to join with the bunch of other apples is keenly inspirational. Love the message.

    Thanks so much for this selection for PPBF, Barbara.

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    1. Yes, his friends get ruthless! But Mac stays strong and fights for what's right. I appreciate you stopping by!

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  4. Personally, I'd prefer apples without worms (my mom has a small orchard!) but I get the idea and I think this is a great way to "show" an idea to kids.

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    1. I appreciate your reflections, Wendy, and totally agree. And the idea of NOT hanging around people who might influence bad choice and "make you go bad" is one of the big things that I, as a counselor, reinforce. However, this potential spoiler actually turns out to be good for his apple friend.

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  5. I really enjoyed how you used this book as a teaching aid. You always have such wonderful teaching moments and your activities are brilliant. I hope a lot of teachers see how you used this book in the classroom! Great anti-bullying message for kids. The video was cute.

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    1. Thank you, Patricia. I always see a good book as a tool because I want the kids to be in the story, to feel what the characters feel, and to help them problem-solve by putting themselves in each of the character's shoes. Oh, and Pat, you will LOVE these illustrations!!

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  6. What an amazing list of add-on activities. Love this review!

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    1. Thank you, Julie. I love a book with a lot of meat, and this one is RICH with food for thought! I appreciate that you came by the Corner today.

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  7. I have not read this book yet, Barbara, but it looks great. And I LOVE your list of activities! Absolutely fabulous! Thanks for sharing! I like Shawna's blog too - you're right - she does amazing reviews with resources!

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    1. What a treat that you stopped by, Susanna. Thank YOU for your kind words and for hosting PPBFs and giving me this platform. I'm glad I could introduce you to Shawna's blog; her work amazes me!

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    2. Thanks Susanna and Barbara for your praises!! Barbara this post made me so happy, I just love the book and you have some awesome ideas to go along with it!
      Shawna

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  8. What a great way to discuss and explore the content of "Bad Apple". Thank you, Barbara, for sharing your insight and creativity! You have done Mac and Will proud.
    All the best,
    Edward Hemingway

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    1. What a honor that you stopped by The Corner, Mr. Hemingway, to see the spark that Mac and Will are creating. Thank you for your kind words and for writing such an important friendship tale.

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  9. My fifth graders loved this story! They also enjoyed the beautiful illustrations. Barbara didn't mention that Will was a "bookworm" or that Mac could "bob" for hours in the pond. My older students just love the play on words. I told Barbara that when I told them I couldn't afford to give them all an apple, one of them said, "Well, you could have brought some applesauce. Those big cans at Costco are cheap!" The class I did it with today also wanted apples and of course, I told them I just couldn't afford it. One of them piped up to say, "It's ok. We won't dump you as our counselor over something like that." In the words of Barbara Gruener, I have the best job in the world!

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    1. Thank you, Lisa, for trying the book out and sharing your students' feedback and excitement. Today at my Counselor Cafe, I mentioned that it cost about $20 for the Band-Aid take-aways for everybody and a third-grade boy said, "Mrs. Gruener, if you ever need some money, I would give you some!" BEST. JOB. EVER!!

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  10. What an excellent-sounding book, and I *LOVE* your lesson with the two apples. I hope Mac is a Macintosh apple!

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    1. Yes, Beth, I do believe he's a Macintosh! Lisa's students actually made the connection between a Mac apple and a Mac computer .... so 21st-century of her fifth graders!! Appreciate you stopping by and spreading sunshine.

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  11. Wow Barbara, how exciting that Edward Hemingway left a comment!
    Shawna

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    1. Hey Shawna ... Yeah, I couldn't believe it! Thanks for stopping by yourself ... you're the one who led me to this treasure.

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  12. Hi Barbara,
    I love that idea for a book to read with our kids. I am going to share this link with our counselor as I have told her all about you! And how fun that the author contacted you too. That's impressive!
    I hope you're having a great year. My class this year is SOOO much better than last year's class!
    Patty
    P.S. My daughter and her husband bought a house that is in Pearland. I'm not sure how far or what direction it is from where they used to live. We will go down in Feb. to see it.

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    1. Hi Patty, and thanks for stopping by. My year is going really well so far; thanks for asking. Do come to Friendswood in Feb. when you're next door!

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  13. I love stories of unlikely friendships... and that "bad apple" sure has an unusual friend. I also like it that inside every apple is a "star" waiting to be born.

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    1. I agree, Sue. Every apple has the potential to be good or bad, right? And do you have to spoil just because you've got worms? Something to chew on .....

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  14. ummm! you've made me drool! I love apples! and I usually like stories of unlikely friendships. There are certainly a lot of them out there. But I have trouble with this one. We read this one at the library some time ago and it still kind of gives me the creeps with that worm coming out of his head. The kids we read with liked the book and we had a good discussion about friendship and bullies. But I'm still creeped out by the worm in his head. Even if it is a good worm. It's eating his brains!

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    1. Rhythm, I have to say that I LOVE that you stopped by to play devil's advocate. I was a bit wigged out by Will, too ... at first ... did it get better once you read the book and saw how sweet he is? Maybe you could think of it as a tickle rather than a chomping on the brain?? Just a thought ...

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  15. Barbara, this sounds like a wonderful friend book to read. And thank you for all the awesome ideas. I especially liked the reader's theatre one - (I used to do that in college...we did The Giving Tree, one about the Inca Indians and Cortez...can't remember the name.)

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    1. My pleasure, Laura Anne - thanks for stopping by. I know that at my school Reader's Theater isn't used all that much and I just LOVE it when it's resurrected as an option for expression!

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I really enjoy hearing from my readers; thanks for sharing your reflections with us!