I'm only familiar with Out of the Dust (one of my favorites!), and as a 3rd grade teacher, I'd have to say... it depends. If you enfold it in rich discussions and explanations (and U.S. history lessons!), then some of the more mature 3rd graders thinkers could get some of the meaning and emotion that Ms. Hesse intended. But for the typical 3rd grader, I doubt if it would be worth it. I'm currently reading City of Ember for the 3rd year. This is another great example of a book that they love for our teacher read-aloud, but wouldn't comprehend if reading it independently. ________________________________
I'm always looking for ideas for great short texts, as Ellin recommends using. In the past, I've used chapters (or whole book) from Out of the Dust (Karen Hesse). I've also used The House on Mango Street, which is commonly used at the high school level. Next year, I'll be teaching only grades 3 and 5 as a reading specialist. Does anyone think I'd be crazy to use the above-stated texts? Any suggestions for other vignettes like Mango Street?
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