Book of the Month
Page Navigation
- Overview
- Book of the Month
- Book of the Month October 2012
- Book of the Month - November 2012
- Book of the Month - December 2012
- Book of the Month - January 2013
- Book of the Month - February 2013
- Book of the Month - March 2013
- Book of the Month - May 2013
- Book of the Month - October 2013
- Book of the Month - November 2013
- Book of the Month - December 2013
- Book of the Month - January 2014
- Book of the Month - February 2014
- Book of the Month - March 2014
- Book of the Month - April 2014
- Book of the Month - May 2014
-
Heathcote Elementary School
January 2014Book of the Month:
Hey Little Ant
By
Philip and Hannah Hoose
Dear Heathcote Family,
Happy New Year!!
As part of this year's compact initiative to address effective solutions to the problem of bullying, January’s “Book of the Month” is: Hey, Little Ant by Phillip Hoose and his nine year old daughter (at the time), Hannah. This oldie but goodie is full of important topics such as compassion, empathy, peer pressure, power, responsibility, respect, point of view and reasoning.
The story unfolds through an unexpected dialogue in which a young boy and an ant debate the value of the smaller creature's life. The boy tells the ant that someone so small couldn't possibly have any feelings, and that he's a crook for stealing food at picnics. The ant replies that he has a family and responsibilities, and that he and the boy are really not so different. Tension builds as the ant states a compelling case for its survival while the kid’s friends gather round to taunt the kid for hesitating. How would the boy feel if the situation were reversed?
Surprisingly, the book doesn’t end with a resolution. Instead, it ends with the question, “What do you think that kid should do?” - leaving the decision in the hands of the reader. The hope is that this book will be a conversation starter in your classroom about many thought-provoking issues.
Enjoy!
Jennifer Conklin