I so am! I love mushy, gushy, feel-good- about -life books, especially for kids. And I found one that absolutely MELTS my heart - Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts. Do you know this book? OMStars! If you don't - please go and check it out. It is the sweetest story about this little guy Jeremy who lives with Grandma on a very tight budget. He, like all kids, wants what all the other kids have - and in his world - that is black athletic shoes with white stripes. All the kids have them. It makes poor Jeremy crazy with envy. He asks his grandmother for them - but she tells them that they have no room for WANT in their budget. But poor Jeremy feels like he NEEDS them. When his shoe breaks, his guidance counselor gives him a new pair with cartoon characters and VELCRO. He is crushed, and then devastated when the other kids laugh at his babyish shoes. His grandmother takes him shopping for new shoes, but when she sees the price of the shoes he wants she just can't do it. He doesn't want to look for other shoes, he just wants THOSE SHOES, so his grandmother takes him thrift shopping. He finally finds a pair that are too small, but stubbornly rejects his grandma's advice and uses his own money to buy them. What happens next is so sweet, I don't even want to give it away. But please, go read it. Maribeth Boelts REALLY gets kids, she portrays all of Jeremy's emotions so well, you just go right along with him on the ride. Totally reminds me of all those times I begged for designer jeans or sweaters and my parents just laughed because they were so outrageously priced, but the other kids ALL seemed to have them. I also see this struggle in my own tween and teen sons right now. They WANT everything that the other kids have, but we can't and won't get them EVERYTHING. I know it won't hurt them in the long run, but it is so hard to watch their disappointment sometimes.
I loved this book so much, I made a book study to go with it, to use along with our study of wants and needs. I love it because it so clearly shows how wants and needs can get confused in our mind - because we can want something so bad it can feel as if we NEED it. I have included activities that deal with the literary elements of the book, author's purpose, and comprehension skills and activities that are more geared toward social studies lessons. I have included printables that can be graded for social studies and for reading. I love it, and I hope you will too! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Those-Shoes-A-Literature-Study-based-on-Wants-and-Needs
Heidi - I absoLUTEly adore that book. I choke up EVERY single time I read it!!!! Even when I am reading it aloud to students. There is just SOMEthing about that book!
I so am! I love mushy, gushy, feel-good- about -life books, especially for kids. And I found one that absolutely MELTS my heart - Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts. Do you know this book? OMStars! If you don't - please go and check it out. It is the sweetest story about this little guy Jeremy who lives with Grandma on a very tight budget. He, like all kids, wants what all the other kids have - and in his world - that is black athletic shoes with white stripes. All the kids have them. It makes poor Jeremy crazy with envy. He asks his grandmother for them - but she tells them that they have no room for WANT in their budget. But poor Jeremy feels like he NEEDS them. When his shoe breaks, his guidance counselor gives him a new pair with cartoon characters and VELCRO. He is crushed, and then devastated when the other kids laugh at his babyish shoes. His grandmother takes him shopping for new shoes, but when she sees the price of the shoes he wants she just can't do it. He doesn't want to look for other shoes, he just wants THOSE SHOES, so his grandmother takes him thrift shopping. He finally finds a pair that are too small, but stubbornly rejects his grandma's advice and uses his own money to buy them. What happens next is so sweet, I don't even want to give it away. But please, go read it. Maribeth Boelts REALLY gets kids, she portrays all of Jeremy's emotions so well, you just go right along with him on the ride. Totally reminds me of all those times I begged for designer jeans or sweaters and my parents just laughed because they were so outrageously priced, but the other kids ALL seemed to have them. I also see this struggle in my own tween and teen sons right now. They WANT everything that the other kids have, but we can't and won't get them EVERYTHING. I know it won't hurt them in the long run, but it is so hard to watch their disappointment sometimes.
I loved this book so much, I made a book study to go with it, to use along with our study of wants and needs. I love it because it so clearly shows how wants and needs can get confused in our mind - because we can want something so bad it can feel as if we NEED it. I have included activities that deal with the literary elements of the book, author's purpose, and comprehension skills and activities that are more geared toward social studies lessons. I have included printables that can be graded for social studies and for reading. I love it, and I hope you will too! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Those-Shoes-A-Literature-Study-based-on-Wants-and-Needs 
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Those-Shoes-A-Literature-Study-based-on-Wants-and-Needs
Heidi - I absoLUTEly adore that book. I choke up EVERY single time I read it!!!! Even when I am reading it aloud to students. There is just SOMEthing about that book!
ReplyDeleteHugs - Lisa
Growing Firsties