Happy PPBF; today's title is an intergalactic treasure.
Title: A Place For Pluto
Author: Stef Wade
Illustrator: Melanie Demmer
Publisher: Capstone Editions
Birth Date: October 4, 2018
Suitable for grades K-3
Genre: Historical fiction
Topics: self-discovery, belonging, feelings
Brief synopsis: When Pluto is told he no longer qualifies as a planet, he sets out on a journey to figure out who he actually is and where he really belongs.
Opening page: For the better part of forever, Pluto was a planet. One of the famous nine.
Resources:
Read an interview with the author {here}
Watch an interview with the author here:
Why I like this book: As a character educator, I'm always on the lookout for books which will integrate seamlessly into curricular content and this, my friends, is a perfect fit with your space unit. Ever since Pluto's status as a planet was revoked in 2006, its story has interested and intrigued budding scientists; enter this fictional tale about how it must have felt when Pluto was told he is no longer a planet. Younger kids will relate to being told they're 'too small' and your slightly older learners to the worries that if I don't fit here, where do I belong?
I had a chance to share it just yesterday with a third-grade
space expert and cherished our impromptu connection.
He was quick to point out that Ceres, another dwarf planet, isn't actually a part of the Kuiper belt, like the book implies, but the largest object in the Asteroid belt. Gosh, he knows his stuff!
As you read this story aloud, expect to stop a lot for questions,
comments, reflections, insights, and observations.
Use it as a springboard for self-discovery of the Earthling kind.
Do some genealogy; where did your students come from?
Encourage exploration of their love languages, their personality type, their personal preferences, likes and dislikes.
Invite them to make a Heart Map about
who they are and which groups they belong to.
Are they Scouts?
Pianists?
Athletes?
Bakers?
Writers?
Scientists?
Mathematicians?
Animal lovers?
Brothers or sisters?
Friends?
Helpers?
Kind kids?
Empathy heroes?
Maybe there's a new group they'd like to join;
have them research what it would take to belong there, too.
Share Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and talk about
why belonging is so important to Pluto and to people.
Check out this new space gem, then head on over to
Susana Hill's blog for today's other picture-perfect picks.
Wow! You can't get anything past kid experts, can you? I think Capstone needs to employ small, subject matter experts as fact checkers, LOL. I love the idea of poor little Pluto trying to figure out where it belongs. A real empathy builder for tossed out planets.
ReplyDeletePluto discussions come up often in my class. What a great resource to include in a space unit!
ReplyDelete