The Witch of Blackbird Pond

It’s cold, bleak, unfriendly, and her new family doesn’t even like her. Kit is miserable living in Colonial Connecticut after leaving her home in Barbados. As she struggles between fitting in and living out her beliefs, Kit meets a local woman who the Puritan town believes to be a witch, Hannah Tupper.

When Kit is rebuked for her non-Puritan actions such as wearing bright, colorful clothes, or teaching children to act out a story as a play, or knowing how to swim, she visits Hannah at her cabin near the swampy Blackbird Pond, at the edge of a large meadow. Hannah’s cabin is shabby but filled with a welcoming, warm, caring atmosphere.

At Hannah’s cabin, Kit also develops friendships with Nat, a young sailor who often stops in to help Hannah, and Prudence, a six-year-old who escapes her mother’s abuse by visiting Hannah.

When the town decides to bring Hannah to trial for being a witch, Kit’s friendship with Hannah is tested, and she herself is put in jail. In the end, Kit, Nat, and little Prudence, help Hannah. They all stay committed to their friend Hannah and show the town that honesty, a caring attitude, and friendship that includes even those who are different, is the right way to live.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Make a list of 10 things that are different in Kit’s life in Connecticut from her life in Barbados.

Describe one of the emotions that Kit must have been feeling during those first few months living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. When did you experience that same or a similar emotion?

DISCUSSION TOPIC

When have you felt left out or different from your friends?

Have you ever had a friend that other people thought was odd, unusual, or different?

ART PROJECT

Draw a picture of Hannah’s cabin including the outdoor areas near the cabin.

BOOK INFO

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. Ages 10-14. Find this book in a local library or buy it here… Witch of Blackbird Pond.

Bibliotherapy definition

Bibliotherapy definition:

“Integrating reading, writing, and drawing to address and attend to emotional issues and personal challenges.” -Susan Ward

It’s not just reading books, but responding to them through the creation of prose, poetry, stories, and drawings, usually in the form of a journal. The creative work may be followed by discussion, thought, prayer, or meditation, weaving these new insights into one’s worldview.

Other, more traditional definitions of bibliotherapy state:

-Bibliotherapy is an expressive therapy that uses an individual’s relationship to the content of books and poetry and other written words as therapy (Wikipedia)

-The use of reading materials for help in solving prersonal problems or for psychiatric therapy (Merriam-Webster)

-The use of books (usually self-help or problem-solving works) to improve one’s understanding of personal problems and/or to heal painful feelings (Gale Encyclopedia of Medical Terms)

My definition, which moves beyond reading to include creating a journal, encompases the early Greek meaning of the word bibliography which mean to copy books by hand, and the later 12th century use of the word which meant the intellectural process of composing books (Bibliography: An Inquiry into It’s Definition and Designations by Rudolf Blum). Also, the original Greek word for therapy, therapeia, meant to care for or attend to.

In many ways, my process of bibliotherapy expands biblio- and therapy to include self (auto-), writing (graph-), and study (-ology). I guess you could say I advocate therapeutic auto-biblio-graph-ology or, a therapeutic self study using books and writing. But, until autobibliographology catches on, I’ll keep calling it bibliotherapy plus!

Number the Stars

This Newberry Award winning book is set in Denmark during World War II. Ten-year-old Annemarie is surrounded by Nazis but thinks of them as merely an annoyance, until her friend Ellen’s family is threatened. Denmark already has an active resistance movement, but when the Nazis begin to arrest the Jews, Annemarie’s family steps in to help not only Ellen’s family but other Jewish families, too.

Annemarie learns about friendship, helping others, being brave, and making right choices even when life is difficult and you’re filled with fear. She struggles to understand how the Nazis can be so mean and cruel, even though she grew up in a kind, caring family and environment. She watches her parents stand up to prejudice and evil and learns to do the same. Later, she learns that her older sister had also stood up to hatred and evil, and had been killed for it.

Annemarie’s uncle explains to her that sometimes it’s better not to know everything; it can be safer that way. She has to trust that she’s been told just what she needs to know. As several Jewish families are leaving Denmark for the safety of Sweden, she must take a critical item to her uncle. She must run through the woods at night, face down the Nazis, and make it to the boat before it leaves. She finds an inner strength based on the trust and knowledge of her family to help her accomplish her task.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
-What did Annemarie’s family teach her about how to treat other people?
-What do you think Annemarie felt like when she was running to her uncle’s boat? How do you think she felt after she delivered the basked?

DISCUSSION TOPICS
-Can you think of a time when it was hard for you to make a good choice because you were so scared?
-Think about all the things Annemarie had to do to help Ellen’s family. What do you think are some of the emotions she felt?

BIBLE ACTIVITY
In the funeral scene, Anneamrie’s uncle reads part of a psalm from the Bible. Use the index or a Bible concordance and look up that psalm, and copy it down. Read it out loud. Why do you think that psalm was read as they got ready to help families escape from the Nazis?

BOOK INFORMATION
Grades 3-6. You can find this book in your local library or buy it here, Number the Stars.

Writing by hand is important

When having children read and then write about their books, have them write by hand. Give them, or have them pick out a journal that reflects their favorite colors or designs. Writing by hand helps improve the learning of the material.

Associate professor Anne Mangen at the University of Stavanger’s Reading Centre says that the process of writing by hand strengthens the learning process. “The sensorimotor component forms an integral part of training for beginners, and in special education for people with learning difficulties. But there is little awareness and understanding of the importance of handwriting to the learning process,” says Mangen. She adds, “Our bodies are designed to interact with the world which surrounds us. We are living creatures, geared toward using physical objects — be it a book, a keyboard or a pen — to perform certain tasks.”

Read the whole article at Better Learning Through Handwriting, Science Daily, January 24, 2011.

Good Night, Mr. Tom

A book about trauma, healing, and learning to trust

Beaten and emotionally traumatized by his single mother, Willie is too young to know that life should be different. He’s evacuated to the English countryside during World War II and his life changes. Over time, he learns to trust, connect, heal, and love.

Willie arrives in Mr. Tom’s  home covered in bruises from his beatings, and wets his bed nightly. His mother’s fierce, negative indoctrination about a world filled with nasty, mean people slips away as Willie makes friends, learns to read, discovers his artistic talents, has his first birthday party, and participates in a school play.

Abruptly, Willie is called back to London to see his mother. She immediately reminds him about living in fear and without love and kindness, and his shame returns. After several weeks, Mr. Tom travels to London with his dog to find Willie and is shocked at what he finds.

Eventually, Willie returns to the village with Mr. Tom where he resumes his emotional path of healing, living amongst kind-hearted, generous people. Even through the death of his best friend, he continues to heal and grow emotionally.

WRITING ACTIVITIES
Write a short summary of the story followed by a paragraph about how this story might connect to the child reading the book.

Make a list of five things that had to change inside Willie before he could learn to trust and love.

Is it fair that Willie grew up with a mom like he had? Write about that.

DISCUSSION TOPICS
What were some of the challenges Willie faced in his life? Are your challenges similar or different?

How did Willie’s trust of adults get broken? How did that get repaired?

BOOK INFORMATION
Grades 4-10. Can be found in the library or bought here.