Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

Book Genre: Realistic Fiction

The Putnam& Grosset Group (35 pgs)

Awards: None

Summary: This story is about a little girl named Trisha who can not wait to get into school and learn how to read. After she starts school, reading or anything academically driven does not come easy for her. She is constantly made fun of and receives no help from her teacher. When her mom gets a new job and she moves across country, Trisha is hopeful that her new school will not realize how much she struggles in school. That is not the case. She is still made fun of on a daily basis and still struggles in the "academic world." A new school year begins and there is a new teacher in the school Mr. Falker is a teacher who looks out for Trisha's every move and makes sure she is comfortable with who is is and he puts time and effort to fulfill Trisha's dream to read and write. At the end of the story, the author reveals that this is, in fact, an autobiographical account of her life.

Personal Rating: ****Great! This book is a great "feel good" book. This book gives everyone who reads it a new outlook on life in education.

Reading Level: 4.1

Interest Level: 3-5

Possible Integration:

Reading (connections): This is a great book to use on making connections. There could be a journal writing time where students are allowed to write about a time where they did not feel like they were being successful in some dream they were trying to achieve.

Character Development- Trisha has very distinct character traits during certain times during the story. This can lead to great use of a graphic organizer to show the change in character development.

Writing: Students can write a thank you letter to someone who has made a difference in their life.