Weel 1 Readings (Alicia)

My week 1 readings were:

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon & Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Stellaluna tells the tale of a young bat who is separated from her mother because of an owl attack and her subsequent adventures trying to figure out who she is. She meets a family of birds who accept her as part of their family on the condition she adapt to the bug eating, daylight flying lifestyle they lead.  This book uses a lot of comedy that shows just how silly it is when Stellaluna tries to act like her fellow birds and when the birds start to hang upside down acting like bats.  I really like this book as it touches on concepts such as loss, growing up, acceptance, friendship and how someone from different backgrounds can learn from one another and live in harmony.  I feel this is a great classroom read as it can be incorporated into a lesson on bats or read anytime of the year to reinforce the positive message of accepting and celebrating our differences. 


Blueberries for Sal is a fun read (for the younger primary grades) as it tells the story of a mother and her daughter going up to the mountain to pick blueberries to can for winter.  While on the mountain there is a chance meeting as a bear and her cub are on a similar adventure, eating blueberries to plump up for the upcoming winter.  As they continue to pick blueberries, both Sal and the bear cub get separated from their mothers and start to follow the 'wrong' mother around the blueberry batch.  Eventually both mothers realise that the wrong child is following them and start searching for their own children.  They are quickly reunited and continue picking blueberries.  The story ends simply by Sal and her mother returning home to the kitchen to can their fruit and momma bear and her cub returning home as well preparing for the long winter ahead.  I really love the illustrations in this book, they are simple in style/color but complex in technique.  It brings back childhood memories for me as my siblings and I used to go strawberry picking and then can it for the winter just like Sal and her mother.  It's just a sweet little story.