ReedALOUD: Drawn Together

I recently read Drawn Together, written by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat.

In Drawn Together, a young boy and the grandfather who he is visiting are unable to find a way to connect. Language, age, and cultural barriers sit between them. Try as the they might they can't bridge that gap.

The spare text and rich art come together to create a deeply moving story encouraging readers to pause and think and reflect on the small moments on each page. 

Those small closed hands speak volumes. Their lunches a tangible example of the divide. 

Despite the grandfather's attempts, the divide remains. Frustrated and lonely, the grandson pulls out his markers to draw. The grandfather sees a way they can connect and connect they do. I love this line, "We see each other for the first time."

Bridging language, years and cultures, soon traditional black ink brush strokes are intersecting with lush marker lines. 

I would say that Dan Santat is the master of the great divide, but clearly Minh Le excels as well. This moment is so powerful. When all was going well, that space between them reappears. I wonder what happened. Was it that one of them wanted to say something? It was one of those important teachable moments with students when we could talk about set backs and bumps along the road.

Armed with each other's tools (brush and marker), they once again bridge the gap and their incredible art and storytelling journey results in a bond that needs no words. We readers are happily speechless as well.

There's something special about hearing an author read her or his work. There's a pause or an emphasis that makes me listen and hear what I might have missed when I read the book myself. This is exactly what happened when I heard Minh Lê read Drawn Together. I was touched by the intergeneration story of finding connections and building bridges across time and culture to find that common bond. Hearing Minh Lê read the story reminded me of the universality that can exist in very personal moments. This was his story, yet I thought of my students who, spend time doing just this with their grandparents or older special people in their lives. 

In this book trailer, Dan Santat describes his process for creating the art for the book:

After reading the story, the students talked about having grandparents that speak a language different than we do here at school. The students were invited to share, if they wanted, how they communicated with those grandparents. Some students talked about being bi-lingual, some spoke about using gestures and pictures, and some spoke about beginning to learn their grandparents' language. Other students then shared about grandparents and elder neighbors that didn't understand them because of the generational divide.

Next, the students shared the type of activities or things they do with their grandparents, activities and things that bring them together.

After these conversations, the students had a chance to share again on papers on the tables. They were also encouraged to draw together - to create a story together. I put out sharpies and markers. It was too many students for one collaborative story, but I did see many pieces of art created by smaller groups of students. 

More of their work is below:

ReedALOUD: Amal Unbound and #GRA18

I am so excited for Global Read Aloud, a six-week period where students in classrooms and libraries around the globe read the same book and connect with each other to share their thoughts and experiences.

This year's upper elementary/middle grade choice Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed will be a fabulous shared reading experience. Amal Unbound is a classic Nancy Paulsen Book - beautifully-written prose, richly-developed characters, and thought-provoking subject matter. 

In a nutshell, Amal Unbound is "the compelling story of a girl’s fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude." Amal  finds herself having to pay off a debt to the corrupt landlord of her Pakastani village after she has a run-in with his son. While working at his estate, she comes to understand his hold over the village and courageously finds a way to change not only her situation, but the situations of others.You can read more about the book on the PenguinRandomHouse website.

I was fortunate to receive an advanced galley of the book at the end of last year. After reading it, I had to put it into students' hands. Three fifth graders (two girls and one boy) read it. As you can see from this post-it note that was left by one of these students, this book really resonated with this reader. 

These students readers were encouraged to mark up the book with their questions, comments, and thoughts. Their comments and questions give me a sense of what our GRA18 readers will hear and notice. All the quotes and excerpts are from the advanced galley. 

Here all three of them commented.

This writing resonated with two of them.

After the three of them finished reading the book, they shared their reflections.

What are you wondering?

What surprised you?

Aisha Saeed, you should know...

These reflections were also shared:

These students' comments, questions, and reflections give me a sense of what I can expect while reading the book with my Lunch Bunch Book Group. The exploration of themes and relationships in Amal Unbound will no doubt lead to interesting conversations during our shared reading experience.

There are also a few paragraphs and sentences that I know I want to pause on so that students have time to reflect. Here are four of them:

"I realized now that as kind as Nasreen Baji could be to me, she could never understand my position." What a great opportunity to talk about perspective taking and sympathy versus empathy.

"You're our guest here for a short while. Relax." Here we see the dawning realization of the change in Amal's circumstances and role in the family. And in the excerpt below. 

"...it turned out that change, no matter how good and necessary, came with a price." My three early readers of Amal Unbound were surprised to learn that not all the characters were happy with the outcome at then end of the story. Amal had a future, but not all of the servants and workers did.

"I knew that one person could hold many different dreams and see them all come true." Inspiring words indeed.

We'll be reading Aisha Saeed's author's note after we finish the book. This paragraph about individual acts of good having an impact is sure to get students thinking, and, hopefully, acting. 

I can't wait to read Amal Unbound with my students. I know that our conversations around our reading of this book will be interesting and thoughtful.

ReedALOUD: BOB

How easy is it to grow attached to a  small green non-zombie creature wearing a homemade chicken suit? 

Very. 

Especially if he is a dictionary reader, a Lego builder, and a chess player.
Especially if he is a patient.
Especially if he is a great friend.
Especially if he is trying to find his way home.
Especially if you care for the young girl trying to help him find his way home. 

Especially if he is a character created by the incredible writing duo if Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. 

The fact that they found time to work on this project while balancing all their other writing commitments and raising families speaks to their faithfulness to this story and it shows. 

This is the story of BOB.

Bob has been waiting in the closet for Livy to return and help him find his way home. 

Bob has been waiting longer than he expected. After five long years she has returned, and together they must unravel the clues about how they met and where Bob came from.

Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass have created a heart-warming and memorable story of friendship. 

Stead and Mass have created a story that will stay with readers long after they have finished reading it and that allows readers space to think and ponder. These characters and their stories stay with us. The writing is tight and spare and rich. Each sentence is important and brings us further into the mystery, while also introducing us to the community Livy and Bob inhabit. We grow to care for not only Livy and Bob, but their friends and family as well. 

A few things that I really loved:

Readers will identify with the one special and magical object that brings Livy and Bob together. We all have things around us that remind us of the people we love and the experiences we have. 

The scene by the well stole my heart. These are moments where friendship knows no bounds. 

I was fortunate to be able to hear them talk about their book recently. It is clear that this story is a true collaborative effort grown from a seed idea years ago. 

For seven years these two well-established writers passed the story of Bob back and forth adding chapters in the alternating voices. Rebecca Stead wrote the Livy chapters, while Wendy Mass wrote the Bob chapters. From the sound of it, they pushed each other and cheered each other on. 

I've already purchased my library copies. Not only will students love this one, I think teachers will want to read it as a classroom read aloud.