Interview A Partner

Break students into pairs and have them interview each other about their families. Instruct them to ask questions to learn about their partner’s family and clarify details they don’t understand. When they are done interviewing each other, have each student tell the...

Two Page Spreads

Break students into small groups and assign each one a two-page spread from the book for closer study. Work with students to explore the following questions: Who are the characters in this scene? What is the setting? What do the words tell us about the family? What do...

What Makes Families Special

One of the main themes in this book is that all families are different but they also have similarities. Each student in the book describes something special or different about their family but underneath those details the reader sees the similarities. Come together as...

Different Families

Come together as a class and examine the opening pages of the book. Read the text aloud. Which character is speaking? How does this character feel at first about the class assignment to discuss one’s family? How do students think she feels by the end of the book? Why...

Reflective Writing

Students write a personal response explaining how their thinking changed after reading the book.