First Year Letters

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Title: First Year Letters

Author: Julie Danneberg

Illustrator: Judy Love

Awards: N/A

Age Range: 6-9 years old

Summary: Mrs. Hartwell, sets up a post office in her classroom with the help of her students that way they can "mail" each other letters. The students write many letters to Mrs. Harwell and she even gets some from the janitor and a firefighter. The students write letters asking questions, making suggestions, and even just to update Mrs. Hartwell about their day. At the very end, the teachers and students throw a surprise party for Mrs. Hartwell to congratulate her on a great school year.

Evaluation: I enjoyed this book and the way it was written because it is very different than traditional books. The story is told through letters written by different students and adults. I would use this book for students in grades 2nd through 4th grade. I think the students would enjoy the book, and I would use it as an introduction to writing letters. After reading the story, I would teach the students the proper way to write a letter. We would first practice by writing a letter as a class to the principal or another teacher. Then, I would have the students write their own letters to a family member or another teacher.

Comments

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