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A review by meganhazy
Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds
4.0
The book we’re going to read today is called Nerdy Birdy, written by Aaron Reynolds with illustrations by Matt Davis. Let’s take a look at the cover. What do we notice about the ‘birdy’ on the front cover? [STUDENTS RESPOND] So, this ‘nerdy birdy’…do we think he looks ‘nerdy’? What does it mean to be ‘nerdy’? How do you think it feels to be called ‘nerdy’? [STUDENTS RESPOND] Let’s take a look at the back cover now. What do we notice about the birds on the back cover? What are they doing? [STUDENT RESPONSE] Are they different from the bird on the front? How are they different? [STUDENT RESPONSE] How do we feel about people who are different from us? Now, let’s take a look at the inside flap. [READS SYNOPSIS AND SHOWS ILLUSTRATIONS] Look at that word, ‘dejected.’ Has anyone ever heard that word? The word ‘dejected’ means ‘to be sad or depressed’ and we’ve probably all felt like that at some point right? Well, Nerdy Birdy is going to go through a lot in our story. He feels sad at first, and then he makes some new friends. How do you think he feels when he meets birdies that are more like he is? [STUDENT RESPONSE] Right, he probably feels a lot better.
This opening draws attention to the illustrations and prompts students to make predictions about characters based on the title of the story and the images on the cover. It activates students’ thinking about their own bodies/selves and how they interact with others. It engages students with the language of the text and gets them thinking about important concepts (friendship, individuality, peer acceptance) before reading.
This text was selected because it follows the two themes/major concepts of the text set (friendship/individual identity). First, it deals with the concept of making friends, which is something students of all age groups will deal with throughout their lives. Second, it deals with the concept of individual identity. “Nerdy Birdy” is first seen as a nerd and is bullied by his peer group. He then finds friends who are like him and feels the acceptance of ‘fitting in.’ Finally, he learns that friendship does not necessarily mean that you have to have everything in common with your friends, and learns to embrace the differences between himself and his new friend.
Resources
Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
This opening draws attention to the illustrations and prompts students to make predictions about characters based on the title of the story and the images on the cover. It activates students’ thinking about their own bodies/selves and how they interact with others. It engages students with the language of the text and gets them thinking about important concepts (friendship, individuality, peer acceptance) before reading.
This text was selected because it follows the two themes/major concepts of the text set (friendship/individual identity). First, it deals with the concept of making friends, which is something students of all age groups will deal with throughout their lives. Second, it deals with the concept of individual identity. “Nerdy Birdy” is first seen as a nerd and is bullied by his peer group. He then finds friends who are like him and feels the acceptance of ‘fitting in.’ Finally, he learns that friendship does not necessarily mean that you have to have everything in common with your friends, and learns to embrace the differences between himself and his new friend.
Resources
Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Retrieved June 6, 2016.