Title:

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Author:

Patricia Polacco

Illustrator:

Publisher:

Philomel

Date:

1998

ISBN:

0399231668

# of Pages:

32 pp.

Plot Summary:

girl (the author) has difficulty reading (undiagnosed dyslexia)
loving supportive family/excellent at expressing herself through art
Eric - the teaser
Mr. Falker, 5th-grade teacher
Patricia learns to read thanks to Mr. Falker

Illustrations:

+ for read aloud
evoke/reflect changing moods in the story
bold colors, kid-friendly
watercolor crayons - subtle dark outline

Theme(s):

People, texts, and events shape our literacy lives.

Personal Response:

"To be different is the miracle of life." (Patricia's grandmother) This book touches me on many levels. It reminds me of my early childhood shyness and my fear of making mistakes. Eric, the teaser, is an archetype with which children are too familiar. (The illustrations of Patricia hiding from him on the playground and under the stairwell are powerful.) Like Patricia, I had a teacher who made a tremendous impact on my literacy learning, my third grade teacher Miss Schwab. She taught me to love the sounds of language. She helped shape my literacy life.

Curricular Connections:

Literacy learning; autobiography (personal narrative); lifeskills: perseverance, effort, caring

SW Children's Lit Web Site