Why I Picked It Up
To be honest, this book was definitely not a “Sherry” book. It is, however, on the 2013 Lone Star Reading List which is assembled by Texas Library Association every year. This list targets students in grades 6, 7 and 8, and the purpose of the list is to expand the reading repertoire of middle school students. Like most of our students (and, I’d venture to say, most of you too!), I get stuck in my favorite genres and authors, and don’t tend to read much outside of my self-constructed box. This is the fourth year that I’ve read through the Lone Star list in preparation for the Battle of the Books (more on that in another post!), and there are always books that I save for last because I’m just not feeling them. I’m almost always pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy breaking out of my comfort zone with reading material. This book was one of those pleasant surprises! And it had a cute puppy on the front.
Why I Finished It
The obvious answer is that I had to finish it so I could make up questions for the Battle of the Books. However, I got swept away in the story, the characters (I especially enjoyed the quirky Joonie and her land of Ziddo) and found myself wondering what would happen to Sugar and Shush, her puppy. Early in the story, Sugar has to deal with some pretty rough issues – homelessness, poverty, her mother’s depression, moving away from her friends, living in foster care. These were not issues I expected to encounter in a book with a puppy on the cover! It was a very real look at how a very “normal” person can become homeless and all the things that come along with that.
Sugar has a hero English teacher (a bit cliche, but it worked for the story), who encourages her to write about how she feels and even keeps in touch with her once she moves away to another town so her mom can look for work. Poetry was another topic I didn’t expect to encounter in this book, but Sugar’s free-verse poems give great insight into the character and could provide a gateway into talking about poetry with a class.
Who I Would Give It To
This was a feel-good book where lots of messy, complicated issues get resolved happily and neatly at the end, but it was a fun story and a pretty easy read. I would put it in the hands of 6th graders and up, though I’m not sure students older than about 8th grade would find it appealing. Students struggling with family issues will identify with Sugar, and might find some inspiration in how she chooses to deal with her feelings – through poetry.
Integration Ideas
Writers’ Notebook/Poetry
Sugar writes frequently, and not just for her English class. She writes what she feels and sees, and she doesn’t always show her writing to anyone. Students can follow her example and just write. Students can choose to share the poems with an audience of their classmates, or keep them private.
Poems don’t always have to rhyme, and Sugar’s poetry is all written in free verse. Have a conversation about what makes it poetry. What are the elements or techniques she uses to convey her thoughts and emotions? Does it work?
Other novels-in-verse to use in conjunction with Almost Home:
- Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
- All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg
Writing
Sugar and her mom play the “thank-you note game,” the point of which is to write a thank-you note for an unbelievable situation. On page 146, there is an example of a thank-you note to a group of aliens who abduct and then return Sugar’s mom to earth. It’s quite amusing! Students could practice imagination and creativity while also practicing their informal letter-writing skills.
Technology
I’ve always loved magnetic poetry, and I love having students be able to manipulate words with a freedom that a pen/pencil and paper just can’t afford. Students can move words around, see how they sound, without the permanence of actually writing it down. Some students, especially those reluctant to read or write poetry, might connect with the idea of magnetic poetry and really enjoy creating poems in this way. There are several iPad apps that can help:
- Word Mover from ReadWriteThink (check out our review! App Review: Word Mover)
- Poetry Creator
- Visual Poet
A few helpful websites:
- A Poem a Day from the Library of Congress
- PicLit – Picture Inspired Writing
I love almost home it’s a wounderfull book!!