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Stories for Growing People
by Janet Gingold
Table of Contents
- Danger: Long Division
- Finch Goes Wild
- My Adventure as a Birder
- My Adventure as a Scientist
- My Adventure at Summer Camp
- My Adventure on the Lake
- My Adventure with Arthropods
- My Adventure with Reptiles
Danger: Long Division
(A novel for 8-12 year olds)
When Becca's father goes off to fight in a war on the other side of the planet, she tries hard to live up to his expectations. But then long division hits her like an earthquake. Suddenly, she's failing math. Her friends turn mean, her baby brother is in the hospital, and her mother is too hassled to help her. How will Becca find the pieces she needs to master the bewildering mysteries of math and put her crumbling life back together?
Through Becca's story, young readers are invited to think about thinking, sibling rivalry, separation, independence, coping techniques and learning strategies.
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Study Guide for Danger Long Division
Finch Goes Wild
(A novel for ages 10 and up)
Harmon doesn't fit in the hole he gets shoved into. He has to break out. In the bizarre world of middle school, no good deed goes unpunished. Kids who do homework, friends who look out for each other, teachers who try to keep kids interested--they all get slammed. With his grades at an all time low, and his weight off the charts, Harmon's headed for disaster. He's bombarded by his classmates' jeering, his mother's nagging, his father's expectations and his doctor's orders. Even in his music he finds too many wrong notes. But just when he wishes the whole noisy world would just go away, he finds a whole new world worth exploring.
Finch Goes Wild received the Afr'Am Literary Award for "Best Young Adult Title of 2007" at the 2008 Afr'Am Fest in Norfolk. This story can prompt discussions about decision-making, risk-taking, home-schooling, stereotypes, diet and exercise, nature and music.
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Study Guide for Finch Goes Wild
My Adventure as a Birder
Grab your binoculars, your field guide and your wildest imagination! You're off on a birding adventure. You'll trek through woods, to a pond and then up along a rocky ridge. You'll count more birds than ever--some familiar, some rare, and even some mythical. What did the raven mean? Was that a roc in the distance? Could that really be the phoenix?
Within the scaffolding of this story, young creators exercise their skills of identification and description as they add their own details and illustrations of birds both real and imaginary.
My Adventure as a Scientist
The quest for knowledge--the ultimate adventure! To create this story, you use details of your own scientific investigation. What would it be like to present your ideas to some of the greatest thinkers of all time? Just imagine!
Young thinkers use the scientific method and their vivid imaginations as they add their own details and illustrations. This is a fun activity, with or without real-life science fair experience.
My Adventure at Summer Camp
Pack your trunk. You're off to summer camp for a new adventure packed with knotty problems. Will bewildering activities, difficult campers and a hand injury make you miserable? Or will you unravel a tortuous tangle to help your team?
Whether they'd rather be playing soccer or working on arts and crafts, all kinds of real and imaginary campers can exercise their creativity and their vocabulary as they add their own details and illustrations to this summer camp adventure story. A great activity for a rainy day or a long car trip.
My Adventure on the Lake
Hold on to your hat! What will the wind bring next? Practice your sailing lingo and your powers of description as you explore a lake on a sailboat. In addition to the natural inhabitants, you'll meet enchanted dragonflies, a mysterious Lake Lady, and maybe even some monsters of the deep.
Within the scaffolding of this story, young creators build vocabulary and self-expression by adding their own details and illustrations. A fun activity for a long summer afternoon.
My Adventure with Arthropods
Spiders and insects and scorpions, oh my! Bring your bug bottle, a magnifying glass and your favorite field guide. While you're out exploring new territory, you'll encounter Spider Woman, Arachne and a very scary scorpion. Is there a metamorphosis in store for you? You add the details.
As they add their own details and illustrations to the framework of this story, young creators exercise their powers of observation, their vocabulary and their problem solving skills. A great companion to a science unit about invertebrates.
My Adventure with Reptiles
A mysterious island where reptiles rule! How do you feel about those scaly ectotherms when they are really up close and personal? You fill in the details, as you discover a vast array of reptiles both real and legendary. Watch your step! You never know what might be hidden in that underbrush!
As they add their own details and illustrations, young creators develop their powers of observation and skill with depicting detail. A fun companion to a science unit about reptiles.