A Great NFPB and MG Pair!!

I recently read Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney and absolutely loved the story it told. Bill recently wrote a review of this book (look at end of post), so I don't want to spend a lot of time re-reviewing the story.

However, I do want to share with you my plans for pairing Bird in a Box with A Nation's Hope, a nonfiction picture book written by Matt De La Pena and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. These books were meant to be used together. In Bird in a Box, the backstory is how intently the characters follow the story of Joe Louis, and how much pride they take in his successes. But to understand these feelings, I really think that students need some background knowledge about who Joe Louis is.

Enter the picture book, A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis. It has a lyrical text that shares the story of Joe Louis and is accompanied by the gorgeous illustrations of Kadir Nelson. Through conversation about this story, and maybe doing some quick online searches of the fight with Max Schmeling, students will then have the knowledge needed to support their thinking while listening to Bird in a Box.

This is a perfect example of how to use a picture book to scaffold for a longer text. I can't wait to share both books in my classroom this year!