by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 25, 2026
There are four basic categories of conflicts in stories: man against man (stories in which characters are against one another); man against nature (stories in which the protagonist struggles against a force of nature, like environmental change); man against self...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 25, 2026
On page fourteen, Peony describes nature as a circle: “[t]he farm’s full of circles. Bees, flowers, fruit. Pests, chooks, eggs. People, bees, flowers, fruit, pests, chooks, eggs, people. . . All overlapping circles.” What does she mean by this? Can you think of other...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 23, 2026
Have students read Jessie Oonark’s biography and research her other art. In the artwork shown on page 34, why do you think Oonark included an airplane?
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 23, 2026
This story is set in a desert. The author and illustrator do an excellent job of evoking the atmosphere of intense heat and sunlight and the hardships the camel endures. Work with the class to identify specific words and phrases that convey the impression of heat....
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 23, 2026
The Camel in the Sun is based on a Muslim hadith. A hadith is an account of the words or actions of the Prophet Muhammad and often teaches a lesson. Break students into pairs and have them retell the story to each other. Have them identify the beginning, the middle...
