• Heathcote Elementary School

    January 2014

     Book of the Month:

     Hey Little Ant

     By

     Philip and Hannah Hoose

     
     ant

     

     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